Sweet Luvin' In The Kitchen

Neapolitan Layer Cake

2012-01-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, I thought it was high time I got this cake posted. I made it for my three-year-old's birthday the beginning of December and I've been wanting to post it ever since. I wanted my daughter to help choose her cake so we sat down together and looked and some pictures of yummy cakes. She chose this one because it was PINK!!! Go figure, she's such a girl.

Actually, this cake was really delicious, despite being chosen mainly for it's color. I loved each and every layer. The original frosting, however, I wasn't crazy about, so I tweaked it and came up with what you see here.

This cake comes together pretty easily, although it may look hard. Two things I would suggest in making this cake is to leave yourself plenty of time and chill, chill, chill!!! I made the cake layers the day before I planned on putting it together so they could chill in the fridge overnight. A chilled cake is also much easier to cut and very helpful when applying your crumb coat.

Neapolitan Layer Cake

For the chocolate cake:
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 Tbsp. dark cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the white cake:
2 large egg whites
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup very cold water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract

For the strawberry cake:
1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1.5 oz. strawberry gelatin
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup sweetened strawberry puree*

For the filling:
Vanilla buttercream or good quality strawberry jam (I actually had plenty of strawberry frosting leftover, I could have used a thin layer as the filling.)

For the strawberry buttercream frosting:
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (8 oz.), rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped*
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar

*To make the strawberry puree, process partially thawed frozen strawberries with a bit of sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth. If using sweetened frozen strawberries, no additional sugar is necessary.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. To make the chocolate cake, butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. Line the bottom with a round of parchment. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and egg. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated. Blend in the coffee, buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour, up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. To make the white cake, butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. Line the bottom with a round of parchment. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

Transfer the egg whites to another bowl and set aside. In the bowl of the electric mixer now fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Blend in the water, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients just until incorporated. With a silicone spatula, stir in about a quarter of the egg whites to lighten the batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, until the batter is smooth and no streaks remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour, up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. To make the strawberry cake, butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour. Line the bottom with a round of parchment. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. Combine the sugar, strawberry gelatin and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat the eggs into the sugar mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until incorporated. Blend in the milk and vanilla extract. Add in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Blend in the strawberry puree.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour, up to overnight.

To make the frosting, place the strawberries in a food processor or blender. Puree until completely smooth. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer** fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)

Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!) Blend in the strawberry puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Finally, add in the powdered sugar and beat until incorporated.

To assemble the cake, slice each of the (chilled) cake layers horizontally into two thin halves. Place one of the chocolate layers on a cake board or cake platter. Top with a very thin layer of the vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam (I alternated buttercream and jam on each of the layers). Place a layer of the strawberry cake on top. Again, cover with a thin layer of vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam. Top with a layer of the white cake. Cover with a thin layer of the vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam. Repeat the process with the remaining layers of chocolate and strawberry cake. (For a taller cake, you can use the remaining layer of white cake. Otherwise, you can wrap tightly and save for later use or discard.)

Crumb coat the top and sides of the cake with the strawberry buttercream and let it chill for 30-60 minutes in the fridge. Remove cake from fridge and evenly frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining strawberry buttercream; leaving some for detailing, if desired.

Transfer remaining buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip for detailing as desired. (I skipped this step as my detailing skills leave much to be desired, although I had enough buttercream to do so.)

SOURCE: Lightly adapted from Annie's Eats

Tropical Granola

2012-01-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

Today I've got a little mid-winter pick-me-up to share with you. Now's about the time of year that winter starts getting old. The dreary, cloudy days. The enormous piles of snow everywhere. The days that get dark by 5pm. Although this winter has been pretty mild actually (it's snowed like twice here in Utah), I still find myself longing for the warm spring days when I can take my kids out again on walks and to the park to play with their friends.

Making food that's light and refreshing always makes me feel better, just like this granola. Granola is so versatile, I love it! Occasionally I'll make the same granola more than once, if it's super good, like this cherry almond granola or this pepita granola (perfect for fall!!). However, there's just so many flavor combinations to try out, I make it different often.

Since dried fruit is available year round, you can make this granola any time! I have found dried fruit at my grocery store both in the produce section and on the aisle next to the canned fruit and raisins. Normally, I try to purchase my dried fruit at grocers that have a bulk section. That way I can get the amount that I need and it's usually more fresh.

Tropical Granola
3 cups oats
2 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup cashews (preferable unsalted)
1 1/2 cups coconut flakes
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 - 1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 cups dried pineapple, mango and papaya, small-diced
2 Tbsp. crystallized ginger, finely diced

In a large bowl, mix together oats, cereal, nuts and coconut flakes. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the coconut oil and honey; stir in the applesauce and spices until well-combined. Pour over the oat mixture and stir until completely coated. Spread granola out over 2 large, rimmed cookie sheets and bake at 325 degrees F about 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

When done cooking, remove granola from oven and let cool. Add dried fruit and ginger. Store in either an airtight container or a heavy-duty zip-top bag in the fridge or freezer to maximize freshness.

Thai Chicken Pizza

2012-01-16T08:00:00.001-07:00

I absolutely could not wait to share this pizza with you. It was so incredibly delicious and quite unique too. If you love Thai food, this is right up your alley. The pizza has pretty typical toppings found in many Thai dishes: carrots, red pepper and cilantro. And the sauce....oh the sauce!!! Let's just say I could swim in it and slurp it up all day. It's the most amazing thing ever. I found myself using the leftovers for pasta, dipping veggies, and as a salad dressing.

I threw this together rather quickly on some Indian Naan bread. It makes a fabulous lunch or a speedy weeknight dinner.

Thai Chicken Pizza
4 Indian Naan bread
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1 red pepper, julienne
2 green onions, chopped
1-2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Thai Peanut Sauce (recipe below)
sweet chili sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Make the Thai peanut sauce and set aside. Gather the veggies and chop them up accordingly. In a small bowl, toss the chicken with a little sweet chili sauce.

On each piece of Naan, spread about 2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce. Layer with chicken, peppers, onions, carrots and cilantro. Top with a small handful of cheese. Bake about 7-10 minutes.

Thai Peanut Sauce
1/2 C peanut butter
1 lime, juiced
2 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
2-4 Tbsp. water

SOURCE:Pizza adapted from Budget Bytes and sauce adapted from Our Best Bites

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Hot Fudge Sauce

2012-01-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

What better way to start off a Monday morning than with chocolate right? I have been making things from scratch for my family for quite a while, and I am still trying hard to do as much as I can, and more, from scratch so I know exactly what goes in to our food.

Making condiments, like sauces, syrups, salad dressings and spice mixes, is not any harder than making a home cooked meal. In fact, in my experience so far, it is fairly easy, takes a minimal amount of time and usually the ingredients are not hard to find. You may even have them on hand in your pantry. I can't remember the last time I bought salad dressing or a seasoning packet for my meat.

This chocolate sauce is one of those things that I will never buy again and always make at home. I think the taste is FAR better than anything you can get in the store anyway. I have made it several times recently and let me tell you, it doesn't last long at our house. I've even snuck into the fridge a time or two and eaten it right off a spoon!!!

Hot Fudge Sauce
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat. Gradually add evaporated milk and powdered sugar. Blend well and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

2011 Favorites

2011-12-31T11:26:00.005-07:00

Looking back through all my posts from this year, I was surprised how many there were, considering how sick I was with my pregnancy and how delusional I was (and still am) from lack of sleep now that she's here.

It was fun to look back and reminisce on all the yummy food that was made and reminded me of some dishes I NEED to make again. So, I've made a line up of my favorite savory dishes and my favorite sweet treats. Here they are, in no particular order.

Sweet Pepper, Tomato and Feta Pizza-I fell in love with this pizza too and made it many, many times over the summer.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers-Well, you know I love coconut anything, but I wasn't the only one that loved these in our house; my kids gobbled them up as well.

Lemon and Oregano Roast Chicken-Love, love, loved this chicken! After grilling, roasting chicken is my next favorite way of preparing it. Plus, when you roast a whole chicken, you have it all cooked for several meals ahead of time.

Chicken Milano-We so totally fell in love with this dish. It is the perfect combination of flavors.

Asian Wonton Salad- I'm a firm believer that when it comes to eating salads, variety is the key. This was so fun and different, I loved eating it.

Asian Wraps with Creamy Peanut Sauce-Maybe it's my love of peanut butter that I loved this dish so much because man that dipping sauce is something else! This is SUPER delicious!

Chicken Parmesan-This was easily one of the two best meals I made this year (Chicken Milano being the other one). It was absolutely perfect.

Sesame Noodles-Made this many times, even the kids eat it!

Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Orzo-Incredibly simple dish but packed with flavor.

Berry Chicken Salad with Berry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette-Another tasty and colorful salad.

Coconut Brownies with Creamy Coconut Frosting-Rich, creamy and delicious and totally unique!

Bananas Foster Bread-I love banana bread in general; this is my boozy bread version.

Cake Batter Pancakes-We totally love pancakes around here. I think I made these for every birthday this year. So fun!

Tres Leches Cake-I don't make a whole lot of cake, except for birthdays and such, but this is absolutely to die for. I'll have to make it again for our 5 de mayo party.

Raspberry Almond Cookie Bars-Sometimes you just want something sweet and delicious and NOT chocolate..cue these rich cookie bars-YUM.

Sugar Cookies with Cherry Buttercream-I've made and eaten a lot of sugar cookies in my day and I can honestly say that this cookie and frosting recipe are so perfect. The subtleness of the cherry in the frosting is absolutely amazing.

S'mores Ice Cream-Love s'mores; love ice cream. Great combo!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies- I can't believe I ever waited so long to try these. One of my most favorite cookies ever.

Chocolate Coconut Fudge-Million dollar fudge right here folks...not joking!

Egg Nog Syrup-This is the perfect condiment for the holidays. You can use it on pancakes, ice cream, warm gingerbread or cake, the sky is the limit!

Egg Nog Gingerbread Trifle

2011-12-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad I finally get to post this delicious trifle! I saw it last year and made my version of it, but it was gone before I could get a photo or hardly even a taste. I took it to a Christmas party this year and the same thing happened, so I was determined to make it again. I decided to make it a third time for our family dinner on Christmas day and I finally got a nice big helping, and leftovers to eat for breakfast the next day!!!

This is a beautiful and festive trifle with layers of yummy gingerbread, tart raspberries and delicious custard made with egg nog, topping it off with some whipping cream, fresh raspberries and ginger snap crumbs. This will definitely wow the socks off any guests you have over this holiday, or even your family

For the gingerbread:
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark molasses
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the egg nog custard:
9 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
3 cups good egg nog

For the filling and garnish:
3 (12-ounce) packages frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed and drained
1 cup chilled heavy cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. confectioners' sugar
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
ginger snap cookies, crumbled (optional)

To make the gingerbread: Heat the oven to 350°. Generously grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the butter until it's soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the sugar and molasses and beat again until the mixture is well blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition. Slowly pour in the buttermilk and beat well. Reduce the mixer's speed to low and slowly add half the flour mixture to the bowl and beat until blended. Repeat with the other half.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap until ready to use. It can be stored in the pan at room temperature for up to two days.

To make the custard: Divide the egg yolks and whites. Set the egg whites aside for another use (they may be frozen). In a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the yolks and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour.

In a medium saucepan, bring the egg nog to a boil. Temper the eggs by very slowly (I do about a cup at a time) pouring half the egg nog into the egg mixture and beat until blended then pour the mixture into the remaining egg nog in the pan. Over medium heat, bring the ingredients to a boil while whisking constantly. Allow the custard to boil for 1 minute as you continue to whisk. Remove the pan from the heat.

Let the custard cool slightly, then cover its surface with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let the custard cool completely, then refrigerate it until ready to use (up to three days).

To assemble the trifle: In a medium bowl, toss the thawed raspberries and sugar. Remove the gingerbread from the pan and use a serrated knife to slice it into four equal wedges.

Take one of the gingerbread wedges and crumble it over the bottom of a trifle bowl or a 2 1/2-quart bowl. Spoon and spread about 3/4 - 1 cup of the raspberry mixture over the cake, then top the fruit with 1 cup of custard. Repeat the layering two more times with the remaining ingredients. (You can actually do three more layers, you will have an extra wedge of cake to do that. However, you will have to do a little less custard and raspberries on each layer, and I found that three layers filled my trifle bowl pretty much to the top. I just saved the fourth wedge of gingerbread.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours to let the flavors meld (the dessert can be stored overnight).

Before serving, make the whipped cream. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream on top of the trifle, and garnish it with the fresh raspberries and crumbled ginger snap cookies, if desired.

SOURCE: Adapted from Family Fun Magazine

Chocolate Coconut Fudge

2011-12-27T07:00:00.001-07:00

Healthy fudge....what! I've mentioned before how much I love coconut and what great health benefits it has. It also has great flavor to boot and when paired with chocolate, it's like a match made in heaven.

I created this fudge using coconut oil instead of butter and coconut milk instead of any kind of dairy milk or cream. I also used dark chocolate and about a fourth of the sugar used in regular fudge recipes. Don't you worry though, it's still plenty rich and sweet and incredibly creamy and smooth! My husband and I both agreed that this was the best fudge either of us had ever eaten (and believe me, I've had my fair share)....a million dollar recipe.....hmm, maybe!

Chocolate Coconut Fudge
16 oz. dark chocolate, chopped (or dark chips)
1/2 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cup canned coconut milk, full-fat
3 1/3 cups mini marshmallows
5 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with coconut oil, or lightly spray with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, if desired, leaving about 2 inches of overhang on each side for easy removal.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine coconut milk, marshmallows, oil, sugar and salt. Stir until everything is melted and completely smooth. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. Stir again until completely melted and smooth. Add flaked coconut and stir to combine. Pour into prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Allow to cool.

Fudge will be soft at room temperature. To aid in cutting, place fudge in the fridge until slightly firm. Cut into 1-inch squares and store either at room temperature or in the fridge. You can also wrap it up in wax paper and put it into a freezer safe zip-top bag and store it in the freezer. Serve at room temperature.

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Egg Nog Syrup

2011-12-20T22:06:00.005-07:00

I'll just get to the point here. If you like egg nog, this syrup is going to knock your socks off!!! I couldn't wait to try it when I stumbled upon it a while ago and, believe me, I was NOT dissappointed. Not only is this a delicious and seasonal pancake topping, but you can also use it on ice cream or even a slice of warm gingerbread (yum!).

If you really like egg nog, you can serve this syrup with the egg nog pancakes I posted yesterday, even more delicious! But, good old buttermilk pancakes are great too.

Egg Nog Syrup
1 stick butter
3/4 cup good eggnog
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp rum extract
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

In a large saucepan, bring to a boil the butter, eggnog, and sugar, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and whisk in rum extract and baking soda (it will foam when you put in the baking soda, so make sure you are using a large saucepan).

Allow to cool and either serve warm right away or refrigerate in an airtight container.

SOURCE: Adapted from Dine & Dish

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Egg Nog Pancakes

2011-12-20T03:08:00.007-07:00

One thing I love about the holidays is that I get to indulge in yummy treats I don't usually get to, egg nog being one of them. Other than homemade fudge and caramel, a good egg nog hits right up there with one of my favorites and a must-have during the season. I love it so much, I've been known to drink it right out of the carton, forgetting about sharing it with anyone else or even using a proper cup. Thankfully I'm not the only egg nog-lover in my family; my dad and siblings are as well. In fact, last year my older brother went so far as to make his morning cream of wheat with egg nog-not sure about that one.

Well, another love of mine is anything breakfast, especially pancakes. So, when I bought an abundance of egg nog a couple of weeks ago, naturally my mind turned to egg nog pancakes, egg not syrup, egg nog breakfast cake....you get the picture. So, I created this recipe based on my basic pancakes recipe and it is absolutely delicious!

These pancakes are a little sweeter than your typical pancake because of the egg nog. I enjoyed eating them with just some melted butter and a dusting of powdered sugar. HOWEVER, I also made some crazy good egg nog syrup (which I will share tomorrow) and put it on top of the egg nog pancakes and it was complete bliss-to DIE for!!! So, you choose how you want to serve them; and the sooner the better.

Egg Nog Pancakes
3/4 cup good egg nog, room temperature
1/2 cup milk, room terperature
1 egg
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. rum extract (optional)
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg nog, milk, egg, sugar, butter and rum extract, until well-incorporated. Then, stir in the rest of the ingredients until combined, taking care not to over-mix.

Let batter sit while griddle heats up. Ladle batter by the 1/4 cup onto griddle and cook until edges start to dry and bubbles start forming on top; about 2-3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Serve warm.

Makes about 8-10 pancakes

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Autumn Panzanella

2011-12-16T07:00:00.001-07:00

I think now is a good time to stick a salad in here; mix it up with all those sweets and something healthy to stick under your belt before the onslaught of holiday goodies begins rolling in (if it hasn't already).

Panzanellas are one of my favorite kinds of salads, especially with the right kind of bread, toasted to perfection. I'm glad I stumbled upon this salad because sometimes it's easy to forget to eat your greens (and sometimes veggies too!) during the cold fall and winter months. Well, now there's no excuse. This fall-inspired panzanella gives you a mixture of delicious fall produce, good-for-you greens along with toasty bread and pumpkin seeds and a pop of both color and sweet-tart flavor from the dried cranberries.

Autumn Panzanella
olive oil
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 apples, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3-4 cups fresh greens
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4-1/2 cup green pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds would work too)
4-5 thick slices multi-grain bread, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, and garlic powder in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, mix sweet potato and squash chunks, then generously drizzle olive oil on top and toss to coat. Add about 3/4 of the spice mixture, and toss again to coat. Lay on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring about half way through.

After 20 minutes, toss apple chunks with remaining spice mixture. Add apple to the baking sheet and bake for another 10-20 minutes, or until everything is tender, tossing once or twice. Remove from oven and cool.

Toss pieces of bread in some olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, then spread on a separate baking sheet . Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add (green) pumpkin seeds and toast until lightly golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool in a separate dish.

In a large bowl, combine greens with roasted veggies and apple, toasted bread, seeds and cranberries. Toss with some of the vinaigrette and serve immediately. (You can serve the dressing separately if you don't plan on eating it all right away.)

Vinaigrette:
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
pepper

SOURCE: Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Gingerbread Play Dough

2011-12-12T07:00:00.001-07:00

Here's another great holiday gift-giving idea; especially for the little ones. While looking for seasonal activities for my girls to do to keep them busy during the day, I remembered my friend gave me the recipe for this gingerbread play dough years ago. Playing with play dough is fun anyway, but it's even better when it makes everything smell like warm cinnamon and ginger.

Kids of all ages (and even the occasional adult) enjoy playing with play dough. Gift wrap some up and tie it with a small gingerbread cookie cutter for your kids to give as friend gifts, or just keep some on hand for those long quiet afternoon hours when the little ones get bored. This will keep them busy; and smelling great too!

Gingerbread Play Dough
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups salt
1 Tbsp. cream of tartar (or alum)
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
6 Tbsp. oil
3 cups water

Heat mixture on low heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and knead. Let cool and keep in an airtight container or zip-top bag.

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Hot Chocolate Mix

2011-12-08T11:00:00.005-07:00

If giving neighbor gifts around the holidays is your thing, than you might not want to let go of this recipe. Your neighbors will love you! Make sure you keep some for yourself though because it will knock your socks off how delicious it is. It is so rich and chocolaty and you can use whatever kind of milk you want. That's a bonus in our house since we drink two different kinds of milk around here.

...and can I just put in a little plug for my canning jars? I love them, they are so versatile! I use them for home canning but I also store anything and everything in them. They are also great for gift-giving things like soup mix, cookie mix and, of course, this hot chocolate mix.

Hot Chocolate Mix
4 cups granulated sugar
1½ lbs. good quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
9 oz. good quality dark or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups cocoa powder

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the sugar, semisweet and bittersweet chocolate, and cocoa powder. Process in 4-second pulses until the chocolate is very finely ground and the mixture is well combined. Store the mix in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Serving Instructions:
Combine 2 tablespoons hot chocolate mix with 8 oz. of very warm milk and stir to combine until well blended.

SOURCE:Annie's Eats

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Coconut Spiced Sweet Potatoes

2011-12-02T11:39:00.003-07:00

Ok, last Thanksgiving leftover-ish post because it is now December and we want to move onto December things right?

Remember this post where I said I hardly ever had leftover sweet potatoes after Thanksgiving? Well, I've been lucky this year because I had lots of sweet potatoes. I did end up making those Ginger Sweet Potato Muffins I mentioned in the other post, as well as some Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting which, by the way, were to die for, but that's another post for another time.

Even after all that I still had some sweet potatoes left so I looked for another way to use them up. I love sweet potatoes just about any way I can get them, but I also like to try new things and change it up a bit once in a while. I found this slightly non-traditional recipe for mashed sweet potatoes and marshmallows that I really enjoyed. Coconut milk and warm spices with just a hint of brown sugar really make this dish. Then to top it off toast some marshmallows on top! You can either serve this dish in a 2-quart baking dish or or 4 1-cup ramekins.

Coconut Spiced Sweet Potatoes
2-2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large sweet potatoes)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350°F. Scrub the sweet potatoes and boil or steam until very tender. Remove from heat and let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel the sweet potatoes. Alternately, you can peel and dice the sweet potatoes then boil them until tender.

Put the sweet potatoes in a bowl and mash with salt, brown sugar, butter, ginger, cinnamon and coconut milk until very smooth. Spoon sweet potatoes into baking dish or ramekins. Top with coconut and marshmallows. Bake until marshmallows and coconut are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

SOURCE:Slightly adapted from Whole Foods Market

Wild Rice and Quinoa with Turkey, Cranberries and Winter Squash

2011-11-30T07:00:00.002-07:00

Here's another installment on using up those Thanksgiving leftovers. This casserole-type dish may not look like much, but let me tell you, it's some wonderful comfort food! It kind of tastes like a whole Thanksgiving meal wrapped up together. And since it's pretty much every course in one, I didn't have to make anything else to go with it (although you could), which made for a pretty easy weeknight meal. And my kids at it too, which is another bonus!

Wild Rice and Quinoa with Turkey, Cranberries and Winter Squash
1 cup wild rice blend, uncooked
1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup diced onion
1 stalk celery, small diced
1 medium carrot, small diced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 14-oz can chicken broth
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and shredded
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked turkey, shredded
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped mixed herbs (such as rosemary, sage, thyme or oregano); alternately you could use poultry seasoning, to taste

In a medium saucepot, bring to a boil 2 cups water, wild rice and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes. In a small saucepot, bring to a boil 1 cup water and quinoa. Cover, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil and butter in a large, high-rimmed skillet, over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and carrots and saute about 6-8 minutes or until soft and onions are translucent. Add shredded squash about the last minute of cooking. Sprinkle with flour and let cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and let thicken; about a minute or two. Add turkey, cranberries and walnuts and cook until heated through; add cooked rice and quinoa and stir to combine. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the fresh herbs last, stirring to incorporate. Check again for seasonings and adjust as necessary.

SOURCE: Adapted from Whole Foods Market

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Orange Cranberry Scones with White Chips

2011-11-28T07:00:00.002-07:00

Anyone still eating leftover Thanksgiving pie for breakfast? I think one of the best parts of a huge Thanksgiving meal is eating the leftovers for days in a row. I usually eat some of the leftovers straight up, but I like to save a little bit of turkey to make some good old comfort food; Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken Noodle Soup. IF there are any sweet potato leftovers (which their usually isn't), I like to make these Ginger Sweet Potato Muffins, practically my favorite muffin ever!

Leftover cranberry sauce probably gets overlooked most of the time. I know I haven't paid much attention to it in the past. I don't like to let things go to waste though, so I decided to incorporate what I had left into a scone. I think it worked out perfect. I had been dying to make scones anyway and the combination of the cranberries, orange and white chocolate chips couldn't have been better.

These scones are more moist than your typical scone, due to the cranberry sauce, but they still turn out wonderfully light and flaky. You may need to sprinkle your hands with flour when patting them out, and remember not to work them too much.

Orange Cranberry Scones with White Chips
For the dough:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. orange zest
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
6 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice (about half a small orange)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. heavy cream, chilled

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice (about half a small orange)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest. With either a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the cold butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in white chips and set aside.

In a separate small mixing bowl, combine egg, cranberry sauce, orange juice and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and form the dough into a disk.

Gently and quickly pat the dough out, on a floured surface, into an 8-10 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges and place onto baking pan. Brush tops with remaining 2 Tbsp. of heavy cream.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until scones are slightly brown on top.

For the glaze, mix powdered sugar and orange juice and drizzle over top of the warm scones. Serve warm or allow to cool completely.

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Cranberry Sour Cream Crumble

2011-11-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Not all the recipes that I share have a story or history behind them, but I love that this one does. My mom has had this recipe in her file box since probably before I was born; let's just say a LONG time. Back then my parents were young, finishing college, with three young children, and didn't have much extra money to splurge on things like REAL butter and sour cream. My mom, she has a good eye. She knows a good thing when she sees one. She tucked this recipe away until later in life when things were a little more established.

Now my mom has been making this for years and I've always enjoyed it but I have never actually made it myself until now. This crumble is perfect for serving at a breakfast or brunch, and especially perfect now that the holiday season is upon us.

Cranberry Sour Cream Crumble
1/4 cup chopped almonds

For the topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

For the cake:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup whole cranberry sauce

Heat oven to 350° F. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of almonds on the bottom of a greased 9-inch spring-form pan or 10-inch tube pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together all the topping ingredients until crumbly and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda and salt.

In large mixer bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then vanilla. Add in dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until incorporated.

Spoon half of batter into prepared pan, spreading to cover the bottom. Next, spoon cranberry sauce over the batter, spreading to the edges. Spoon remaining batter over cranberry sauce, spreading to cover. Sprinkle topping over batter.

Bake for 70-85 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Remove sides of spring-form pan and cool completely.

SOURCE:Land O' Lakes

Whole Grain Apple Cinnamon Chip Pancakes

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

You can tell by the sheer number of pancakes on this blog that we LOVE to eat them around here. I haven't posted a pancake recipe in a while but that sure doesn't mean we don't eat them often. In fact, my girls only eat a bowl of cereal once or twice a week, between pancakes, hot cereal, granola and the occasional eggs and toast.

We were lucky enough to score some fresh apples right from the orchard the other day. I love getting fresh fruit in season! I knew they would taste perfect shredded up in these pancakes. I don't usually throw "chips" in my pancakes, since I try to keep them pretty healthy, but this is about the only time of year you can find the cinnamon chips at the store and I thought I'd throw in a small bit.

My girls loved theses pancakes! My husband also went to work a few minutes late the morning I made these, just so he could have some. Delish!

Feel free to serve them with whatever syrup you would like, or top them with some warm applesauce or even apple butter.

Whole grain Apple Cinnamon Chip Pancakes
1 cup oats, quick or rolled
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
3 tbsp. oil
2 cups buttermilk
1 large apple, peeled and shredded
1/3 cup cinnamon chips

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Add in oats, flour, baking powder, soda and salt and whisk until just combined. With a rubber spatula, fold in the shredded apple and cinnamon chips. Let batter sit while griddle heats up.

Heat griddle to 250 degrees F, or about medium heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls and cook until edges start to look dry; about 2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook on the other side until golden; about another 2 minutes. Serve warm.

Bacon and Wild Mushroom Risotto with Baby Spinach

2011-11-08T11:00:00.001-07:00

Considering I don't like rice much, although I've grown to like it more over the years, I really enjoy risotto. Maybe it's the creamy, soft texture, or the magic that happens after you put the salty cheese in at the end. Hmm, I don't know, but it sure is good.

Risotto can pretty much be tailored to any season of the year by what ingredients you add to it. Fresh ingredients, in season, are the best. I love that it is so versatile and turns out wonderful each time.

This risotto is perfect for fall. I love the combination of the three mushrooms but if you can only find a couple of them, it is still sure to turn out for you. Finding dried mushrooms might be an option for those that are hard to find. I could only find dried shiitakes in the Asian section at my grocery store and just reconstituted them before adding them to the risotto.

Bacon and Wild Mushroom Risotto with Baby Spinach
4 cups chicken stock
6 bacon slices, cut into about 1-inch pieces
1 cup finely diced shallots
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped (dried is ok too)
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
4 oz. oyster mushrooms, sliced
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice or other medium/short-grain rice
1/3 cup sherry cooking wine
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup (2 oz.) grated fresh Asiago cheese (can substitute Parmesan)
1/2 tsp.salt
1/4 tsp.freshly ground black pepper

Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a small saucepan, without boiling; keep warm over low heat.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook 8 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel lined plate. Add shallots, oil, thyme, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 6 minutes or until shallots are tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms to the onions and cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add rice and cook 1 minute until it turns slightly opaque; stir constantly. Stir in cooking wine and cook a minute or two, or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.

Stir in 1 cup stock, cooking until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring occasionally until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Taste for doneness of the rice near the end of cooking; it may be done before you've used all the stock. Do not add the rest or the rice will become too mushy.

Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and bacon. Check for seasoning and then add salt and pepper to taste.

SOURCE: Adapted from Cooking Light

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-06:00

White chocolate macadamia cookies were always my favorite growing up. Although nothing beats a homemade chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven, there was just something about these cookies that beckoned me. They were like a special treat. I would choose them over any other cookie if they were offered at a party or gathering. Sometimes I would even snag one at Mrs. Fields or Subway when I was at the mall hanging out.

That having been said, I never ONCE made them all that time! People don't really make white chocolate macadamia cookies do they? I mean, I know you can get them in large quantities at your local Costco and such, but really, I don't think I've ever eaten a homemade one! Do you even see many recipes for this wonderful cookie in many cookbooks? I'm sure the recipes are actually there, even if they are few and far between.

I don't know what prompted me to make these the other night, but I'm so glad I did! Well, actually, I have this love affair with the bulk foods section at WinCo every time I go there and the last time I was there I grabbed a small bags worth of macadamia nuts. I had great intentions to use them but never did. So, I figured there's no time like the present. Sunday nights my girls and I are almost always in the kitchen together making treats; usually brownies or cookies. So, as I opened my cupboard and saw all the little bags of bulk food goodness, I spied that little bag of nuts and naturally my mind went to cookies...and the rest is history.

So, long intro, I know, but I have to say these cookies are superb (and I'm pretty picky about my cookies)! They are a little crunchy around the outside edges but nice and chewy in the middle and they have that nice contrast between slightly salty and sweet. Stick this recipe in your cookie file, you're going to want to make them. (You can probably find good deals on nuts and chocolate chips now or soon with the upcoming holiday baking season, so stock up!)

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cups chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the melted butter*, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the egg, then beat in the egg yolk, then beat in the vanilla. (*Do NOT skip cooling the butter down to room temperature, you may encounter problems with your dough if it is too hot.)

Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until just moistened. Gently mix in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips either by hand with a rubber spatula, or with a few pulses of your mixer.

Using a small scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets. Slightly press down on the cookies with the palm of your hand a bit to flatten. but not too much. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges look golden brown and the middles don’t look quite set. Allow to finish cooling on the baking sheet. Remove cookies to a cooling rack and repeat with remaining dough, scooping dough out onto COOLED baking sheets (this will prevent them from spreading too quickly).

SOURCE:Slightly adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Pepita Granola and Pumpkin Butter

2011-10-27T11:04:00.003-06:00

If you like granola, you're in for a treat for today's post! I daresay that this has become my favorite granola...ever...I think. I first discovered it last fall, when I fell in love with it. Then I waited all the way until this fall to make it again, don't ask my why. Maybe because it seems strange to eat pumpkin other than during pumpkin season.

I usually eat my granola on top of some plain yogurt, but I couldn't resist mixing it together with some pumpkin butter to take it over the top. If you've never heard of or had pumpkin butter, it's pretty similar to apple butter in that you let it cook down with some sugar and spices. It's very easy to make and very tasty, but you only need a dollop because it packs a spice-packed punch.

If you have a hard time finding the nuts and dried fruit that you want, try shopping where they have a bulk foods section. I usually buy all my ingredients to make any kind of granola from the bulk section at my local WinCo. They are also less expensive there as well and you can just buy the quantity that you want.

You can also experiment with dried fruit by drying your own, especially if you have a dehydrator. I like to buy boxes of fruit, in season, to can and dry to use throughout the rest of the year. This year I got about 40 lbs. of delicious pears; you wouldn't believe how yummy they are dried! I'll hopefully be doing apples soon as well.

Pepita Granola
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup crisp rice cereal
1/4 cup ground flax seed (optional)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups nuts and seeds (I used about 1/2 cup each of sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, and green (hulled) pumpkin seeds-not roasted)
2-3 cups mixed dried fruit (I used pears and cranberries; you could also use apricots, cherries, raisins, apples, figs, or whatever else you want.)
1/4 cup coconut oil (or other oil)
1/4 cup mild honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 - 1 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch salt
splash of vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, cereal, flax meal, coconut and nuts. In a microwave safe bowl, gently melt the oil and honey; add the sugar, applesauce, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and stir until incorporated. Pour over the dry mixture and stir until it's evenly coated.

Spread granola over two cookie sheets and bake about 15-25 minutes, until lightly golden, stirring every 5 minutes. Stir in dried fruit. Let granola cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Pumpkin Butter
1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin, or about 3 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
3/4 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Juice of half a lemon

Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to taste. Stir in lemon juice, or more to taste.

Once cool, pumpkin butter can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge

SOURCE: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Moroccan Fall Salad

2011-10-20T12:00:00.000-06:00

I feel like the boy who cried wolf a little bit right now. Although it's been nice not having to worry about scheduling posts (while making preparations for baby instead), I still find myself wanting to share with you the yummy things I've been making!

I like food...a lot, and I love sharing it all with you. So, here I am again; I just can't stay away.

Baby is still due in 2 weeks. This will be girl #3-heaven help us! Some say #3 is the hardest, some say #2 was hardest. I guess we will see.

This is a truly unique salad! I had it for the first time about a year ago and tried to recreate it last fall but didn't do so hot. Recently I found myself with some root veggies that had been given to me and this salad came mind again. So, I went about trying to recreate the salad. Well, it made it on the blog, so this time was definitely a success!

I just love how loaded it is with different veggies; not to mention the dried fruit and nuts. When I ate this salad before, it was topped with Moroccan-spiced chicken. I didn't want to use chicken but still wanted those authentic flavors to pull the dish together. So, I created a vinaigrette that has some of those same spices, and I think it worked great! Here's some healthy eating inspiration to use up those fall veggies!

Moroccan Fall Salad
1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup butternut squash, diced (boiled or roasted*)
1/2 cup beets, diced (boiled, roasted* or canned)
1 avocado, diced
1-2 small carrots, peeled and sliced (or shredded)
1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced or diced
1/2 large bell pepper, diced
1 hard-boiled egg, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dates, small-diced
1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds
Feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

*You can roast the squash and beets at the same time if you wish. Just wash, peel and dice them. Throw them on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I kept them separated on the same cookie sheet so the beets wouldn't bleed onto the squash. Roast in a 425 F oven for about 15-20 minutes, checking every 10 minutes or so and tossing them around a bit.

Prepare all the rest of the ingredients while the squash and beets are roasting, setting aside the eggs, avocado.

When beets and squash are finished cooking and cooled down, toss everything but the eggs and avocado together in a large salad bowl. Dish out salad onto individual plates and top with egg, avocado and feta cheese, if desired. Serve with Moroccan vinaigrette.

Moroccan Vinaigrette
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1-2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. honey
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. each cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, ginger (I actually used fresh)
1 garlic clove, minced

Put all ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk until combined.

Easy Pizza Sauce

2011-10-11T11:00:00.001-06:00

Just taking a second to throw this up here, especially since it goes with my last post for pizza. I love this pizza sauce. If you make pizza a lot, you should try it.

For over a year now I have been using an easy pizza sauce that you just add a powder mix to a can of tomato sauce. I liked it ok, but I realized it wasn't the freshest option, nor the healthiest (since most pre-packaged spice mixes have anti-caking agents in them for a long shelf life.) I don't know about you but I'd much rather have something fresh, plus the taste is always better. This sauce is pretty close to fresh and it's super quick and easy to boot! It also tastes loads better than the stuff you can get in a pre-packaged spice mix.

Easy Pizza Sauce
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
drizzle of olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

Add everything together in a small mixing bowl and mix well. Let sit for an hour or so before you're ready to make your pizza.

SOURCE: Adapted from Alli-n-Son

Sweet Pepper, Tomato and Feta Pizza

2011-10-01T12:00:00.001-06:00

This has been my new favorite pizza lately. I actually made it twice within a week once and didn't even get tired of it. The flavors of all the fresh veggies and two cheeses really go together well; I especially love the pop of the fresh basil. I know it's nearing the end of the season, when you can get all this produce cheap, but if you have a chance, squeeze this into your menu before it gets too cold!

Sweet Pepper, Tomato and Feta Pizza
Makes 1 large (about 16-inch)pizza
1 recipe Perfect Pizza Crust
your favorite pizza sauce
2 Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup julienned red and yellow peppers
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn or chiffonade

Make pizza crust according to directions. Preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 450 degrees F. Roll pizza dough out onto either a pizza stone or the back of a cookie sheet that's been generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Spread sauce on top.

If you're using sun-dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil, place them in a small saucepan and add water until they are just covered. Boil for about 5 minutes, until soft; drain and chop.

Layer Roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and peppers on top of pizza dough. Top with feta, mozzarella and basil. Bake for about 7-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown.

SOURCE:Adapted from the Costco Cookbook

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

2011-09-26T07:00:00.001-06:00

*I had a request over 2 weeks ago to post theses chicken fingers. Sorry it has taken me so long, hope you enjoy!

Mmmmm, crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, these chicken fingers were pretty perfect; aside from the fact that there was coconut involved-which I love! We couldn't get enough of these, they were a big hit at our house, kids and all! I loved dipping them in the sweet chili sauce; the contrast was a great combination. To use some of the leftover coconut milk, I served the chicken with this Thai Coconut Rice, as well as some sweet peas.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2)
1 large egg
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup flour
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
sweet chili sauce

Trim off fat from chicken breasts and cut them into strips. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Set up your breading station on the counter, using either 3 plates or bowls, set in a row. At the end, place your baking sheet, either sprayed with cooking spray or lined with a silpat. In the first container, combine the flour, salt and pepper. In the second, whisk together the egg and coconut milk. In the last container, combine the panko with the shredded coconut.

Bring your chicken over; dredge each piece lightly in the flour, shaking off any excess. Next dip it in the egg/coconut mixture, then the coconut and bread crumbs, pressing lightly to make sure it sticks to the chicken. Lay each piece on the baking sheet. (When putting your chicken pieces through the breading station, it is helpful to use one hand for the wet and one hand for the dry. That way, your fingers don't get stuck with all the breading on them.)

Bake chicken strips for about 12-15 minutes or until no longer pink. Serve with sweet chili sauce (readily available on the Asian aisle of most markets).

SOURCE: Adapted from Budget Bytes

Tomato Basil Simmer Sauce

2011-09-16T07:00:00.001-06:00

*I thought this was another fitting post for the end of the summer. If you're like anyone else, tomatoes are busting out of your garden about now and you're running out of ideas to use them for. Try this sauce, you'll love it. And if you've canned all you can can, you can dry your tomatoes and call them sun-dried tomatoes; they're pretty posh in the store, but cheap and easy to make at home.

I've been canning my own pasta sauce for a few years now. I've experimented with different pouch mixes, where all you have to add is basically the tomatoes, as well as doing everything from scratch, chopping an dicing every last veggie and herb. I have two favorites that I really like now and they are completely different. The first is Mrs. Wages Pasta Sauce pouch mix; I believe it is readily available in most markets near the canning supplies. I love that all I have to is add the tomatoes to the mix (well after all the work of blanching, peeling and chopping in the food processor- which is really not that bad). I like the flavor of the pouch, but my husband wasn't as fond, so I started trying actual recipes from scratch.

I came across this Tomato-Basil Simmer Sauce last summer and made a batch then. I really liked it and even got a thumbs up from my hubby; so, this has become my other favorite. Since it's a basic sauce, it's not really much more work than using a pouch; all you're really adding is herbs and spices to the tomatoes. I love the fresh, clean taste of this sauce. It's not overly seasoned, so apart from using it as-is for a light pasta dish, you can still dress it up with Italian sausage to make a more complex sauce.

The recipe only makes about 6 pints, which is probably a good-sized batch for beginners. However, if I'm going to can, I'm going to CAN! I like to can my pasta sauce in quarts and make about 12 quarts worth at a time. If you decide to multiply the batch and do more, make sure you check your measurements WELL and even then add the spices a little at a time to make sure it tastes to your liking. I made the mistake of adding WAY too much black pepper once and although the sauce tasted good, it gave you that kick in the back of the throat right after.

For more information on basic canning you can check out the Ball website or grab the Ball Blue Book of Canning at your local grocery store or Walmart. I love this book, I call it my canning bible. I've used it a ton and well-worth the $5 or $6 it costs to purchase.

Tomato-Basil Simmer Sauce
Makes about 12 cups sauce (6 pints)

12 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 25 tomatoes), blanched and peeled
3 Tbsp packed brown
2 Tbsp kosher salt or 4 teaspoons salt
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup lightly packed assorted fresh herbs (such as oregano, thyme, parsley, or Italian (flat-leaf) parsley), chopped
6 Tbsp lemon juice

Cut peeled tomatoes into chunks and add some of the chunks to the food processor. Cover and process until chopped. Transfer chopped tomatoes to a 7- to 8-quart nonreactive heavy pot. Repeat chopping remaining tomatoes, in batches, in the food processor. Add all tomatoes to the pot.

Add brown sugar, salt, vinegar, and black pepper to the tomato mixture. Bring to boiling. Boil steadily, uncovered, for 70 to 80 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to about 12 cups (making sure you have enough to process 6 FULL pints) and is desired sauce consistency. Remove from heat; stir in herbs.

Spoon 1 tablespoon lemon juice into each of six hot, clean pint canning jars. Ladle sauce into jars with lemon juice, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the jar rims; adjust lids. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 35 minutes (start time when water returns to a full boil). Remove jars; cool on wire racks.

SOURCE: Better Homes and Gardens

Cool Zucchini Slaw

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

*I know, I know, I just signed off the other day. I forgot I had this ready to post and I couldn't leave you at the end of the summer without it. I've made it a couple of time recently and just love it!

Since I don't have my own garden this year, I haven't had to deal with zucchini and summer squash coming out my ears like I have in the past. However, I was given a bunch of it all within a couple of days and needed a new idea of how to use it. My kids won't really eat it cooked and I'll just say it's not my husband's favorite vegetable. So, I thought about making a raw zucchini salad and thought a slaw would be perfect. I found this recipe right away, made my own little tweaks and came up with this wonderful, fresh, slightly crunchy and definitely tasty salad. So, if you're looking to use up what's left in your garden, look no further!

Cool Zucchini Slaw
For the slaw:
1 1/2 pounds zucchini and/or summer squash, (about 3 medium), grated
1/2 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, very thinly sliced (I just used a small amount of a red onion)
1 large granny smith apple, peeled and grated
1 large red or green bell pepper, julienned
2-4 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate
drizzle of olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Shred the zucchini/squash, as well as the onion and set it in a colander for about half an hour to drain out some of the liquid. Once drained, add the zucchini and onion to a salad bowl, and add the apple pepper and fresh basil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Pour over slaw and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Panzanella and a parting....

2011-09-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

If you can't already tell (by the amount of salads I've posted lately), I love salads and I love to eat them in the summer when everything is so fresh. Last summer I discovered this Greek Panzanella which I absolutely love, but I recently re-discovered this more traditional panzanella (in my ever long list of bookmarked recipes) that is wonderful and just as delicious. If you are unfamiliar with the word panzanella, it's Italian, basically a leftover bread salad. Typically panzanellas don't sport lettuce but I like to throw it in because I'm all about getting your daily greens, and this seemed like a no-brainer to me.

This recipe comes from Ina Garten, the immaculate Barefoot Contessa, so you know it's gonna be good. I only expect the best from her and she ALWAYS delivers. I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do.

Panzanella
For the salad:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 tsp. salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 English cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
1/2 - 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped

For the vinaigrette:
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp.freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion and basil. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

SOURCE: Ina Garten

Well, there's the panzanella part, now here's the parting part. I will be taking a leave of absence from the blog. As many of you know, baby #3 is on it's way in about 8 weeks! I'm super excited, it will be our third little princess. Over the past couple of weeks, I've felt the need to be more with my other two girls as well as prepare myself, home and family for the introduction of our new baby girl. That leaves time for little else, namely this blog for the time being. I'm not sure when I'll resume regular posting (I've heard child #3 is hardest to get adjusted to), but I'll probably throw something up here every once in a while, because, ya know, I just can't stay out of the kitchen and can't help myself from trying new recipes all the time!!!

I also have a request. I need freezer and make ahead meal ideas!!! I'd like to get some stuff stashed in my freezer that my hubby can just pull out and throw together in that first little while after the baby is born and before I get back on my feet. If you have anything you'd be willing to share, helpful hints, recipes, etc., I would really appreciate it. Thanks a million and take care in the time being!!!

Much Love, Michele

Crunchy Asian Salad

2011-09-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

This was a super fun salad to make and eat! It's not difficult in any way, nor are there complex flavors or ingredients. What makes this salad extra special and tasty is the crunchy topping. What fun texture and flavor to add to a simple salad.

I've used both romaine lettuce as well as green cabbage, for a little variety, although most any lettuce or cabbage will do. I've also kept the veggies simple, but feel free to add more.

Crunchy Asian Salad
For the topping:
1 pkg. ramen noodles (flavor packet discarded)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds

For the salad:
1/2 small head green cabbage, shredded
1/2 head romaine lettuce, shredded
2 red peppers, julienned
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
6 green onions, thinly sliced

To prepare the topping, crush ramen noodles and add to a small frying pan pan with butter, sesame seeds and almonds. Cook until golden brown, stirring often. Remove to a small plate or dish to cool.

Add all salad ingredients to a large salad bowl and toss to evenly distribute veggies. Serve salad on individual plates, adding salad dressing and topping as desired.

Notes: I used the vinaigrette from this salad because I had leftovers. You could easily just throw together equal parts of rice vinegar and canola oil, a splash of sesame oil, sugar and soy sauce for another quick and easy dressing.

SOURCE: Adapted from Your Homebased Mom

Souvlaki Chicken Salad Sandwich w/ Roasted Red Peppers

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

I haven't made chicken salad for quite a long time. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I ate it! I like it ok, but I'm not a huge fan of mayo...in anything, so I try to stray away from it. I came across this recipe a few weeks ago, I don't even know how, but it so intrigued me. Chicken salad with NO mayo and all the Greek flavors I absolutely love; I say WIN! And oh, was this a winner. My husband took it to work the next day for lunch and raved about how good it was too.

The chicken I used in the salad came from this chicken I roasted earlier the same day. I did use the pan drippings, as the recipe states, the first time I made the salad. The second time I made the salad, I pulled the leftover chicken from the freezer and just used olive oil instead and it was still yummy. Seriously, this is the best sandwich I've had in a long time. You've got to try it!

Souvlaki chicken Salad Sandwich w/ Roasted Red Peppers
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. drippings from roast chicken (optional), or a drizzle of olive oil
2 Tbsp. red onion, finely diced
1/3 cup feta, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste
2 small roasted red peppers, sliced in fourths, lengthwise
baby spinach leaves
sandwich rolls or bread

In a small bowl, mix together chicken, oregano, garlic, drippings, onion, feta, salt and pepper. Check for seasonings and add more, if necessary.

To assemble, slice sandwich rolls and put about 1/4 cup of chicken salad on the bottom half of roll. Layer a few spinach leaves on to of the chicken, then top with a fourth of the roasted red pepper and the top half of the sandwich roll. Enjoy!

SOURCE:Adapted from Closet Cooking

Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies

2011-08-27T07:33:00.011-06:00

You're gonna want to unbutton your pants right now, or go slip on something with an elastic waistband. I'm telling you, these babies are RICH and slightly decadent! What a perfect combination though, chocolate, peanut butter and pretzels. It reminds me of one of my favorite Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream flavors: chubby hubby. My husband and I discovered it on our honeymoon and it became our guilty pleasure for a while.

I love the salty sweet combination and these brownies have layers of it. First, the pretzel layer on the bottom actually lends a little of both and adds a great crunchy texture. The brownie layer is obviously nice and sweet, and dense if you make your brownies like me. I love a good dense brownie. To top it off, the peanut butter frosting is OUT OF THIS WORLD! I've used it on brownies and cupcakes before and practically can't keep my fingers out of it. It's got the sweet and salty thing going on too. Just can't resist that!

You'll want to take these to a potluck or family party to keep you from eating half the pan. Maybe a few minutes on the treadmill wouldn't hurt either. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies

For the pretzel layer:
2 cups pretzel, crushed (but not to a powder)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar

For the brownie layer:
1 box of your favorite brownie mix (9x13 size), or your favorite brownie recipe

For the peanut butter frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. While oven is preheating, put the butter in a 9x13 cake pan to melt. Crush the pretzels. When butter is completely melted, stir in the sugar then add the pretzel pieces. Stir the pretzels around until they are completely coated in the butter/sugar mixture, then spread them evenly across the bottom of the pan. Put the pan back in the oven and bake 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

Prepare brownies (enough for a 9x13 pan) according to directions and pour over cooled pretzels. (I didn't wait quite long enough for the pretzels to cool, so they were still a little warm when I poured the brownies on, thus resulting in the pretzels sinking into the brownies a little more than I had wished.) Bake brownies according to directions, then cool completely!

To prepare the frosting, put the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth; a minute or two. Do not whip or the cream will start to separate.

Frost brownies and cover. Refrigerate for an hour two before serving.

SOURCE: Frosting from Ina Garten

Linked to...
Sweet Indulgences Sunday @ A Well-Seasoned Life
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Creamy Lemon-Herb Pasta

2011-08-25T07:00:00.002-06:00

Let me just tell you, this is the perfect summer dish! It is easy, quick and uses what most people have in abundance this time of year: zucchini and fresh herbs from the garden. Really, it takes no longer to throw together than the time it takes you to boil your pasta, especially if your chicken is already cooked. I used the leftover chicken from the Lemon and Oregano Chicken I roasted earlier in the week so all I had to do was take it out of the fridge when it was time to throw it all together.

Feel free to use whatever chicken you have on hand, chopped or shredded. If you want a simple marinade, just throw a couple drizzles of olive oil, juice of a lemon and some salt and pepper in a zip-top bag with your uncooked chicken and let it sit for 30 minutes or so then throw it on the grill when you're ready to prepare the rest of the meal.

If I were Rachel Ray, this would be one of my 30-minute meals. And on a good day, I bet you could whip this dish up in 15 minutes; I'd say pretty perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Creamy Lemon-Herb Pasta
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, grilled and sliced or shredded
1/2 lb pasta
2 medium zucchini (I used one zucchini and one yellow squash)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic
Juice of 2 lemons
2 oz. cream cheese
1 C shredded parmesan cheese
about 8-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp. oregano, dried (or a small handful of fresh, chopped)
salt and pepper

Season and cook/grill/roast your chicken as desired, or use leftovers from a rotisserie chicken. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Preheat grill or or indoor grill pan. Slice zucchini and/or squash, on the diagonal, about 1/8th-inch thick. Grill zucchini/squash and onion, just until lightly browned; about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from grill and set aside. Drop pasta into boiling water and cook according to package directions.

In a large skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil to heat up, over medium high heat. Add garlic and dried oregano and saute 1 minute. Add lemon juice and cream cheese. Once cream cheese starts melting, start whisking it together so the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and add the parmesan. Continue whisking until cheese is melted and sauce is once again smooth. Check for seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste. Add reserved chicken and grilled veggies. Toss to coat.

Drain pasta and pour into a large ceramic dish. Pour sauce mixture over pasta, gently folding in the chicken and veggies. Add fresh basil (if using fresh oregano, add it here as well) and toss one more time.

Serve warm.

SOURCE: Adapted from Our Best Bites

Lemon and Oregano Roast Chicken

2011-08-23T07:00:00.003-06:00

I can't tell you how divinely my house smelled when I was roasting this chicken. It was all I could do to keep my hands out of it when it was cooled and out of the oven, while I was trying to separate it for the week's meals.

I had a few meals in mind when I decided to make this chicken and I had originally wanted to buy a whole chicken to roast, then almost fell back on buying an already cooked rotisserie chicken. But, I was out for a budget buy this time and saw a pack of 5 bone-in chicken breasts marked down to under $4 and decided that would get me the most bang for my buck. The chicken breasts cooked up just as well as a whole chicken would have, tasted out of this world and cooked in a lot less time than a whole chicken would.

This simple, easy to prepare chicken would be a great addition to any number of dishes, or you can simply enjoy it by itself, along side some crusty bread and steamed veggies. Check back soon to see the other dishes I used this chicken in!

Lemon and Oregano Roast Chicken
1 whole chicken, or bone-in chicken breasts; about 3-4 lbs. (rinsed and patted dry)
1 lemon (quartered)
4 sprigs fresh oregano (optional)
4 cloves garlic, whole
1 lemon (zest and juice)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

If you're using a whole chicken, place in a roasting pan and fill the cavity with the lemon quarters, oregano sprigs and garlic. If you're using bone-in chicken breasts, line a cookie sheet with foil and arrange the chicken breasts on top. Arrange the lemon quarters and whole garlic cloves around the chicken.

Mix together the lemon zest, juice, oregano, garlic, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Gently loosen the skin on the chicken and, without tearing the skin, rub the mixture underneath it as much as possible.

Roast chicken in preheated oven until done and juices run clear; about 1 1/2 - 2 hours for a whole chicken and about 35-45 minutes for chicken breasts.

Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes

SOURCE:Closet Cooking

Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa

2011-08-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

One thing I love about dinner time during the summer is all the fresh ingredients that are available. Everything seems to POP with flavor and a lot of times will require little to no cooking. That's the case with this meal. We absolutely loved it. My favorite part was actually the mango salsa, I thought it really made the dish. This was the first time I had added mangoes to a fresh salsa and thought it worked beautifully. You still get that tomato-garlicky-cilantro taste with a bite of sweetness from the mango here and there. It went perfectly with the seasoned chicken and the creamy avocados on top.

I like to use corn tortillas when I make tacos, but they can be a bit finicky sometimes and break apart, which can be frustrating. Usually, I pour a shallow amount of oil in a small fry pan and fry them up for about 30 seconds a side, then drain on a paper towel. If you don't want to use corn tortillas, feel free to substitute flour tortillas.

Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa
For the marinade:
juice of 2 limes
2-4 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
dash chili powder
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
dash of salt and pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips

For the tacos:
8 corn tortillas
oil, for frying (optional)
avocado, thinly sliced
shredded romaine lettuce

For the Mango Salsa:
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1-2 medium tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (use a whole jalapeno if you like more spice)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 small red onion,very thinly sliced or finely diced
2 tablespoons honey
juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare marinade by adding all the ingredients, except the chicken, into a zip-top bag. Shake until well-combined. Add chicken and seal bag, then shake until chicken is well-coated. Place bag on a plate and let marinade on the counter for 30-60 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare salsa by chopping the mangoes, tomatoes, jicama and jalapeno. Whisk together the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the salsa. Gently fold until evenly mixed. Let sit at room temperature.

Prepare corn tortillas by frying them, if desired. Fry tortillas, one at a time, in a small frying pan with a little oil, about 30 seconds a side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Alternately you can use them un-fried or use flour tortillas.

To cook chicken, either preheat an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink inside; about 5 minutes.

To assemble tacos, layer the shredded lettuce on the bottom of a tortilla, then add the chicken, mango salsa and top with thinly sliced avocado.

SOURCE:Adapted from myrecipes.com

S'mores Cake in a Jar

2011-08-17T07:00:00.003-06:00

I'm a just a little bit of a s'mores fan. Ok, really, I'm a HUGE fan. I love them just about any way I can get them. In fact, I should have a label over there on the side with all the s'mores goodies I've made; ice cream, pancakes, bars, cookies, brownies...you get the picture.

Anyway, I made this little treat for a friend's birthday and had no idea what a huge hit they would be. They are super easy and taste just like a s'more! Plus, it's such a fun presentation, how can anyone resist eating them?

S'mores Cake in a Jar
8-10 half-pint canning jars

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick butter
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter and mix in graham crumbs and salt. Mix until moistened. Spray canning jars with non-stick spray and press about 1-2 tablespoons graham crust into jars.

For the cake:
1 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk (I used 1/2 cup whole and 1/2 cup 1%)
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) butter, melted
2 tablespoons sour cream

For the topping:
1/2 bag of marshmallows; large or small (In some of my jars I used the minis and others I used the new marshmallow stackers, which are kind of fun.)

In a bowl, whisk egg and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Add milk, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined. Stir in sour cream. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Mix until batter is smooth. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, divide batter evenly between jars. Try not to fill them more than half way. Place the jars in a baking dish and add about 1 1/2 cups of water to the bottom. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cake is set.

Remove cakes from the oven and press marshmallows down on top, being careful not to burn yourself. Use your own discretion here as to how many marshmallows you want to stuff in the jars. Turn the oven to broil and put jars back in. DO NOT WALK AWAY OR TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE CAKES! Marshmallows should be puffed and browned in about 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.

My notes:
-I used half pint jars, which I think is a good individual-sized portion. However, I think I would have liked the graham cracker and cake layers to be just a little bit thinner. So, for me 9 half pints would have been perfect. You can try different sized canning jars, just don't pour the cake batter in more than half way.
-I did use one pint jar and the cake was cooked the same time as the half-pint jars.

SOURCE: Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Linked to...
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Sweet Indulgences Sunday @ A Well-Seasoned Life

Asian Wonton Salad

2011-08-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

This was a fun salad to make and eat! I absolutely loved it. If you look at the ingredients, it doesn't look much different than a lot of other salads. But, what sets it apart is the delicious sesame dressing and the crunchy won tons....oh, the crunchy won tons; talk about fun to eat. I'm all about color in my salads too, because I want it to be eye appealing as well as good tasting, and there was some definite color going on here.

If you like to eat salad a lot, then add this to your repertoire. I love to change up my salads so I don't get tired of eating the same thing all the time. I don't know about you, but I'm also more likely to eat them more often as well if it's not the same old, same old.

I ate this as a main dish without any meat, but if you feel like adding something more substantial, try some grilled or shredded chicken, or even toasted cashews if you want to keep it meatless.

Asian Wonton Salad
1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
1 small head cabbage, shredded
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1 cucumber, sliced
1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/2 package wonton wrappers (save the other half in the freezer to make for another time)
vegetable oil for frying

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a small or medium frying pan. Use pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut wontons into thirds (3 strips). The oil should be around 375 degrees. Place only 3-4 strips in the pan at once; fry for 10 seconds, flip and fry for another 10 seconds or so. They go quickly so watch closely. Remove fried wontons to a paper towel-lined plate or tray. (These can be made ahead of time and kept in an air tight container.)

Shred lettuce and cabbage and place in a large salad bowl. Top with cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, carrots and red onion. If you are serving the salad immediately, pour only enough salad dressing to lightly coat everything and toss to combine; add wontons and gently toss again or just place them on top. Otherwise, dish out salad portions to each plate and top with dressing and wontons.

Sesame Dressing
2/3 cup rice vinegar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbsp sesame seeds

Place all ingredients into a pint jar (or something equivalent) and shake vigorously. If desired, make ahead of time and store in the fridge.

SOURCE: Adapted from Our Best Bites

Cheesey Garlic Bread Swirls

2011-08-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

My husband said these rolls were deceptively delicious when he tried them, because they don't look like much; according to him. Actually, they are much like the pizza rolls I make, just without the pizza sauce.

I made these to go with dinner the other night and everyone could barely keep their hands off of them before it was time to eat! That should say enough about them to make you want to try them right?

These rolls are super easy and quick to throw together. I actually didn't even plan on making them until I had already started making dinner and I was still able to get them done in time to eat. (But then again, bread raises relatively fast in my house too.)

I like to use Johnny's Garlic Bread seasoning but feel free to make or use your favorite kind.

Cheesey Garlic Bread Rolls
1 recipe Perfect Pizza Crust
2-3 Tbsp. butter, softened
garlic bread seasoning
mozzarella cheese

Make pizza dough according to directions. After it has risen, roll it out into a rectangle; about 15 inches by 6 inches. Spread softened butter over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle garlic bread seasoning and mozzarella on top. Roll the dough up jelly-roll style.

With a piece of dental floss, slide it under the roll and pinch of pieces about 1-inch thick (for a visual, see photos on my orange roll recipe). Lay the rolls in a 13x9-inch baking pan, sprayed with cooking spray. Cover lightly and let raise until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F when the rolls are just about done raising. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Serve warm.

SOURCE: Adapted from Our Best Bites

Vegan Breakfast Cookies

2011-08-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

The first time I had theses cookies I could not get enough of them! My friend Rachel created the recipe and shared them at a class she was giving and I couldn't wait to get the recipe. I love her recipes because she puts a lot of thought into them and adds things that pack a nutritional punch. For example, coconut, I've talked a little about how good it is for our bodies in previous posts, raw sesame seeds are packed with calcium, flax seed is a great source for essential fatty acids and dietary fiber, and oats are also a good source of fiber as well as protein.

These little breakfast cookies are so delicious and the perfect way to start your day. The dough makes a relatively small batch because they are best eaten fresh, preferably the same day they are made. However, they will keep for several days.

Vegan Breakfast cookies
1 banana, mashed
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1/4 cup agave
1/4 cup sesame seeds (preferably raw)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins (you could also sub dried cherries or cranberries)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together the banana and the coconut oil. Add agave and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and bake on parchment lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes.

Makes about 12 -15 cookies.

Chicken Milano

2011-08-04T07:00:00.005-06:00

With the first bite of this meal, my husband said, "this is way better than Olive Garden."....and that is why we don't go out to eat! Ok, well, not really but I'm pretty choosy about where we go when we do go out.

This dinner is a real treat. It is so packed with flavor, it practically bursts in your mouth with every bite. The sauce is absolutely amazing, and although the original called for heavy cream, I wanted to use coconut milk to avoid dairy issues with my hubby and kids. The depth of flavor it created was wonderful. I couldn't believe how good it tasted, I thought for sure it wouldn't be up to par with heavy cream, but in this instance, I really think it surpassed it. The fresh basil at the end is a wonderful addition, but if you don't have any on hand you can use dried.

Chicken Milano
olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut into halves (4 pieces total)
Cajun seasoning, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1 cup (about half a can) full-fat coconut milk (or you can use heavy cream)
5 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp.chopped fresh basil
1/4 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Fettucine pasta

Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil.

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and a bit of Cajun seasoning on both sides. In a large, deep skillet or grill pan, heat olive oil over medium and saute chicken until cooked through. (Alternately, you could grill the chicken on an outdoor grill.) Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board and cover to keep warm. Drain the fat from the juices left in the pan.

Once water in stock pot is boiling, drop pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over low heat; add a drizzle of olive oil with it. Add sliced mushrooms and saute until dark in color and tender. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet (or more olive oil if you prefer), as well as the garlic; cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth and white wine; increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Add the coconut milk/heavy cream and mushrooms and bring to a boil, stirring often. Simmer over medium heat just another minute or so; sauce will be thin. Stir in basil, Parmesan cheese and more salt, pepper and/or Cajun seasoning, if desired.

Drain pasta and pour into large casserole dish. Pour sauce over pasta and let sit about 5 minutes.

Slice chicken and serve on top of the pasta and sauce. Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese and more basil, if desired.

SOURCE: Tasty Kitchen

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance

August 2011 Menu

2011-08-03T07:30:00.007-06:00

Oops, I just typed in July menu in the title! I can't believe it's already August. The summer is flying by. Although it's been hot, I was thinking yesterday how enjoyable this summer has actually been, pregnant and all. We've spent lots of time at the park and at the pool, enjoying the outdoors as much as we can.

Last month we tried two new amazing recipes, Chicken Milano and Chicken Parmesan. If you haven't checked out chicken Parmesan, you've got to try it! The chicken Milano will be up tomorrow morning so you'll have to remember to stop by and check it out as well. AMAZING I tell you!

This month I think I have some pretty good meals lined up as well that I can't wait to try and some others that are old favorites. For those of you that are new, recipes that are linked are recipes already on the blog, that we've made before, and the rest I will post as I go.

Dinners
Spaghetti, fresh green beans and Cheesy Garlic Rolls
Black Bean Burgers with Homemade Burger Buns, Jicama and Apple Slaw, steak fries
Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Quinoa Salad, with fresh fruit
Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad, corn on the cob

Mini Lasagna Cups, veggie/salad, leftover Cheesy Garlic Rolls
Lemon Linguine with Grilled Chicken
Jambalaya, Spicy Cucumber Salad
Fire Roasted Panzanella, Sweet Potato Fries
Souvlaki Chicken Salad with Roasted Red Peppers and Feta, Greek Salad

Corn and Basil Cakes with fresh salsa, fresh fruit
Chicken Enchiladas, salad/veggie
Bacon and Wild Mushroom Risotto w/ Baby Spinach, fruit
Asian Turkey Meatballs w/ Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce, brown rice & Asian Slaw
Homemade Pizza

Shrimp, Feta & Fresh Herb Mac and Cheese, fresh fruit
Pork tacos w/ Chile Verde, corn on the cob
Lemon Zucchini Fettuccine w/ Corn, Asparagus and Basil, Grilled Caesar Salad
Asian Pork Salad, rice and beans, fresh fruit

Other Stuff
Oatmeal Pancake Mix
English Muffins
Coconut & White Chocolate Pancakes
Peach Pancakes w/ Ginger Syrup

Creamy Caprese Pasta

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

So, a couple of weeks ago I bought this nice basil plant to keep in my kitchen or window sill. Well, I left it outside a few days and all of a sudden I noticed it was being eaten alive!!! I brought it in to check it out and noticed that small beetles had taken residence in it. I wasn't too happy. Now my plant is dying. I covet my basil plants during the summer because they're so nice and convenient to have and a very inexpensive alternative to buying fresh herbs at the grocery store every time you need them. Luckily I was able to get some more fresh basil from my mom's garden that I kept in a plastic bag in the fridge. I guess I learned my lesson!

Now about this pasta. This is the perfect dish to showcase some of the wonderful fresh flavors of summer: fresh basil and tomatoes. Everything tastes better with fresh ingredients anyway. I love the tomato/basil/fresh mozzarella combo, just LOVE it. And there are so many ways to do it too; pizza, panini, salad...you get the picture. I like this way because my kids are pretty good pasta eaters and this dish in particular came together very quickly; always a plus in my book, especially after a long day. You'll love it too. It's nice and creamy and packed with flavor.

Creamy Caprese Pasta
1/2 pound whole wheat tube pasta, such as penne, rigatoni or ziti
1 cup of your favorite pasta/tomato sauce
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 bunch of fresh basil leaves; about 5-6 large leaves
Fresh grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil water and cook pasta according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat tomato sauce over low heat in a large saucepan. Once warm, stir in heavy cream and grated parmesan. Fold in mozzarella cubes (reserving some of them to top the pasta with), tomatoes and about 3-4 of the chopped fresh basil leaves.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and pour into a large casserole dish. Pour sauce over pasta and toss to coat. Top with remaining fresh mozzarella, add more if you like. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Top with additional fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

SOURCE: How Sweet It Is

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread-Updated

2011-07-30T07:00:00.003-06:00

*7/29/2011: I have updated my recipe and instructions a bit to what I have been doing for the past year or so. I think it's just about perfect!

Making bread can seem daunting, but it's really not that hard. It does take practice though. I've been using this bread recipe to make our bread for over a year and I really like it. It has a great nutty flavor. However, I wanted something a little softer to make sandwiches out of. My friend Mary suggested this recipe that she uses. I has potato flakes in it. I did a little more research on a couple other websites (The Fresh Loaf and King Arthur Flour) and found that potato flakes were used in some of the recipes and as a suggestion for a softer loaf. With that I went ahead with this recipe and was so pleased with the results! When I cut into it, the slices bent over and did not crumble. I will definitely keep this as my new sandwich bread. (If you are new to bread-making, check out some tips at the bottom.)

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
5 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour, or whole wheat bread flour
1 ½ Tbsp. instant yeast
¼ cup vital wheat gluten (I’ve used as little as 2 Tbsp. with good results.)
½ Tbsp. salt
½ cup potato flakes (I’ve used as little as ¼ cup with good results. Even if you omit the flakes, your bread should still turn out well, it just may be slightly dryer.)
1 ½ Tbsp. liquid lecithin (You can buy it at Macey’s locally- don’t measure it, it’s way too messy. Just squeeze about the size of a quarter for each Tbsp. into the mixing bowl. You can also sub about 2-3 Tbsp. butter or oil.)
1/4 cup honey (spray the inside of the measuring cup with non-stick spray before you measure the honey and it will slide right out; you could also use sugar in place of the honey but It helps with good flavor and moistness of the bread)
2 cups very hot tap water (If you want your bread even more moist , substitute ½ cup of the water for unsweetened applesauce.)

In a mixing bowl, fitted with a dough hook, measure in the flour, yeast, gluten, salt, and potato flakes. Pulse to evenly distribute, for a second or two. Add the lecithin/butter, honey and ALMOST all of the water and mix for about 30 seconds. If the dough is too dry, add more water,about a tablespoon at a time and if it is too wet, add a little more flour. The dough at this point should be wet enough to leave a little residue on the sides of the bowl. Mix for 7 minutes. Do not add any more water or flour at this point, it will ruin the dough.

When it's done mixing, the dough will look smooth and elastic. If it seems a little sticky, it will still be ok, most likely. If you have a Kitchen Aid-type bowl, remove dough hook and ball of dough. If you have a Bosch-type bowl, you’ll need a separate large mixing bowl. Spray the inside of either bowl and put the dough back in the dough to rise. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. (Time will vary greatly here, anywhere from 30 -60 minutes or so, so just watch over the dough.)

After the first rise, gently deflate the dough (spray your hands with cooking spray) and separate into 2 dough balls. For a perfect looking loaf, roll each dough ball out (on a counter coated with cooking spray not flour) the width of your loaf pan, and about 12 inches long, getting all the air bubbles out. Then, tightly roll the dough up, pinch each side closed and tuck them under a bit and lay it in a greased loaf pan. (Don't worry about the dough touching all the sides yet, as it raises, it will fill in.) Repeat with remaining dough ball. Cover bread pans with a light kitchen towel. Let dough raise again until about doubled; it should rise just above the top of the pan. Near the end of the second raise, preheat your oven to 350 F.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let loaves cool for 10 minutes, then take the bread out of the pans and completely cool on a wire rack. (Do not let the bread cool completely in the pans, it will become a sticky mess and ruin the bread.)

Makes 2 5x9 loaves (If you have 4x8 pans, just reduce the amount of flour by about ¼ - ½ cup.)

If you are new to bread-making, here are some tips from King Arthur Flour:
-If you're kneading bread by hand, it's tempting to keep adding flour till the dough is no longer sticky. Resist the temptation! The more flour you add while you're kneading, the heavier and drier your final loaf will be.
-The amount of liquid you use to make the "perfect" dough will vary with the seasons. Flour is like a sponge; it absorbs water during the humid days of summer, and dries out during the winter. Your goal should be making the dough as it's described (e.g., cohesive, soft but not sticky), rather than sticking religiously to the amount of liquid.
-When making yeast bread, let the dough rise to the point the recipe says it should, e.g., "Let the dough rise till it's doubled in bulk." Rising times are only a guide; there are so many variables in yeast baking (how you kneaded the dough; what kind of yeast you used) that it's impossible to say that bread dough will ALWAYS double in bulk in a specific amount of time.

Berry Chicken Salad with Berry Poppyseed Vinaigrette

2011-07-28T07:00:00.002-06:00

I love it when summer rolls around because I get to eat lots of salad! I didn't used to be much of a salad eater. I thought salads were rather boring, although I did eat them when they were offered but mostly because I knew they were good for you and that's what I should do.

Last summer I discovered the beauty and diversity of salads; how flavorful and colorful they can be as well. I ate lots of salad and I didn't get bored with it. I fell in love with this Asian Slaw with this Ginger Lime dressing and ate it a ton.

This year I have found a few more gems and this Berry Chicken Salad is one of them. Apparently it's similar to a more commercially made one but I rarely eat out and when I do, it's not fast food. So, I wouldn't have been the wiser. I love that the berries in this salad are so deep and bright in color that it just makes the salad pop! They lend the sweetness, then the soft feta gives it that salty contrast. This would have been the perfect July 4th salad because it's red, white and blue. Come to think of it, I think I may have actually eaten this salad on July 4th. I ate it for the first time at a family reunion that weekend and when I came home I just had to have more!

Berry Chicken Salad
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, washed and shredded
6-8 oz. baby spinach
2 chicken breasts, well-seasoned to your liking, grilled and either thinly sliced or chopped into bite-sized pieces
8 oz. strawberries, rinsed and sliced
8 oz. blueberries, rinsed
4 oz. crumbled Feta or shredded fresh Parmesan cheese (or both!)
1 c. sliced almonds
Berry Poppy Seed Dressing to taste

For serving a large crowd, toss all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and add dressing to taste. For individual servings, arrange ingredients on plates and serve the dressing on the side. Makes about 8 side dish servings and 4 main dish servings.

Berry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
1/2 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey (or sugar)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tsp. kosher or other coarse salt
About 10 cracks of freshly ground black pepper
1 c. raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries
2/3 c. oil
1http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and berries in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth and then, with the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and whisk in the poppy seeds. If possible, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

This dressing will last in your fridge about as long as the berries they are made with. So, if you want a good indicator, leave a berry or two in the fridge and about the time it starts wilting, you know your dressing is about done.

SOURCE: Our Best Bites

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Chicken Parmesan

2011-07-25T09:00:00.002-06:00

Back when my husband and I were first married, I used to make chicken parmesan often; well, my version of it anyway. It was also my favorite meal to take to my friends who had just had a baby. For some reason, over the years, I stopped making it. Then a while back I saw this version, bookmarked it and it still took me forever to try it! Call me crazy because this stuff is CRAZY good.

I'm not really a fan of fried foods, although chicken parmesan is traditionally fried. However, this version is baked, after sauteing the bread crumbs in olive oil, still giving it a crunchy texture and keeping the chicken moist and tender. For me, the flavors and seasonings are SPOT ON. There's a good balance without being overpowering. You're definitely going to want to make this soon. I will be keeping it in my monthly rotation for a while, if we ever get sick of it.

Chicken Parmesan
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 large eggs
cooking spray
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut into halves (4 pieces total)
2 cups marinara sauce, warmed
about 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. minced fresh basil
Hot cooked spaghetti noodles

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Combine the breadcrumbs and oil in a 12-inch skillet and toast over medium heat until golden, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Spread the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and allow to cool slightly; when cool, stir in the Parmesan.

In a second shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper together. In a third shallow dish whisk together the eggs.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with vegetable oil spray. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Lightly dredge each chicken piece in the flour to coat completely, shaking off the excess. Then dip into the eggs and finally coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Press on the breadcrumbs to make sure they adhere. Place the chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until the chicken is no longer pink and feels firm when pressed with a finger, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven. Spoon 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce over the top of each piece of chicken and top with 2 tablespoons of the shredded mozzarella. Return the chicken to the oven and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the fresh basil and serve as desired, with extra Parmesan and marinara sauce on a bed of hot cooked spaghetti.

SOURCE: Annie's Eats

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Coconut Curry Noodles w/ veggies

2011-07-22T07:00:00.002-06:00

Being a food blogger, it isn't often that I make the same dish twice within a short period of time. The only exception being maybe pancakes, which if you've been reading the blog a while, you'll remember I'm a little obsessed with pancakes and I have quite an arsenal of recipes. But, back to these noodles, I made them twice in 2 weeks! Now that's saying something.

I've tried many different Thai-style noodle dishes, which never amounted to more than mediocre in my book. However, when I saw this recipe, for some reason I just had this feeling it was going to work. The flavors in the coconut curry sauce are really perfect for me. I had never used or purchased curry paste before (small bottle found in the Asian section of the supermarket; about $3-4), but I really liked the flavor it lent and didn't think it was too over powering.

This dish is kind of like a stir-fry in that you can really change the veggies up to your liking. I did love the flavors of broccoli, peppers, mushrooms and carrots together and thought they gave great eye appeal as well. You can also substitute the fettuccine noodles for rice noodles, (probably more authentic) but in my experience with rice noodles, they are a bit rubbery and I don't care for them much.

Coconut Curry Noodles with Veggies
1 lb. fettuccine noodles (or rice noodles, if you prefer)
2 small heads broccoli, chopped into florets
1-2 bell peppers (red, orange or yellow), thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
8 oz. mushrooms (no need to rinse with water, just brush off the dirt with a paper towel), sliced
1/2 c. green onions
1 Tbsp. fresh, minced ginger
1 Tbsp. fresh, minced garlic
1 Tbsp. curry paste (red or green works; I used red)
Juice of 1 lime
1 can coconut milk (I always use full-fat)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2-3 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
sesame seeds, for garnish
lime wedges, for garnish

With the stove on high, bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. In the mean time, prep veggies.

Once water comes to a boil, drop pasta and cook according to package directions.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, curry paste, and lime juice. Set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a generous drizzle of olive or coconut oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add broccoli, peppers, carrots and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat until crisp-tender; about 4-5 minutes. Add the green onion, garlic and ginger and cook another minute or two. Add coconut milk mixture and allow to heat up then remove from heat.

Once pasta is done cooking, drain and pour into a large serving dish. Pour the veggies and sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to soak up some of the sauce, toss once more then serve warm.

Garnish with sesame seeds and freshly squeezed lime, if desired.

SOURCE: Adapted from Our Best Bites

*This makes about 6-8 generous portions. I halved the recipe both times I made it and it was perfect for our family. In fact, the first time I made it, there wasn't a LICK left and the second, there was only one helping left that my husband took to work the same week. If you're worried about only using half a can of coconut milk and not knowing what to do with the rest, check out my label on the side for coconut and you'll find many ways to use it up. Otherwise, you can throw some in your fruit smoothie for breakfast. Coconut is very healthy for you, fat and all! Coconut milk will keep in fridge, in an airtight container, about a week.

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Blueberry Lime Muffins with Coconut Streusel

2011-07-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

Breakfast is anything but boring at our house; well, most of the time anyway. I don't like to get in a rut, eating the same thing over and over and I try not to feed my kids too much cold cereal either. The morning is when I have the most energy and desire to do things so it's a great time for me to throw together a batch of pancakes, muffins, or whatever.

My mom and brother have been using the original recipe for for these muffins for years and always rave about how it's just the best muffin recipe they've used. The muffins are quite delectable, I've partaken of them many times. In making theses muffins, I only made slight changes, using lime instead of lemon in the batter and throwing in some coconut with the streusel. I don't think it compromised the recipe at all, they are still wonderful! This recipe makes about a dozen muffins, so you can make them one day and enjoy them for several!

Blueberry Lime Muffins with Coconut Streusel
For the batter:
1 3/4 cups flour
2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar

For the streusel:
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
3-4 Tbsp. flaked, sweetened coconut

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, lime zest and juice in a large bowl; stir to combine. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Stir well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring just until moistened.

Combine blueberries, 1 tablespoon flour and sugar, tossing gently to coat. If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw, just put them in frozen. Fold blueberry mixture into batter. Spoon into greased muffin pans, filling about two-thirds full.

Combine streusel ingredients, except butter. Cut in butter with either a pastry blender or 2 knifes, until mixture is crumble. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes, or until golden. Remove from pans immediately and let cool.

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

SOURCE: Adapted from Southern Living

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

2011-07-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

Homemade cheese? Who knew, right? I love how I can make just about anything I want from scratch. There's not only the satisfaction in doing it, you often times get a superior, more fresh product and there's not all those preservatives and additives you get from processed food products.

Let me tell you this stuff is heaven! It's rich and creamy, totally indulgent and super easy to boot! Ricotta, meaning "recooked" in Italian, is typically made from the whey from making cheese or yogurt. While that method is not difficult, this is just a few steps easier and just as delicious.

Ricotta is great in lasagna, cannoli, ravioli stuffing, stuffed shells and cheese cakes. I mostly enjoyed it plain, smeared on top of some crusty, toasted bread. I have been known to throw ricotta into pancakes as well; there's another great use!

Homemade Ricotta Cheese
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pour the milk, cream and salt into a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan. Attach a candy or deep-fry thermometer. Heat the milk to 190°F, stirring it occasionally to keep it from scorching on the bottom. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, then stir it once or twice, gently and slowly. Let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.

After an hour the ricotta will be tender and spreadable. If you like a softer spread, you'll stop straining at this point. Put it in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will also firm up a bit once it's chilled. After about two hours, the ricotta will be more like cream cheese, thick but still spreadable and still very smooth.

Discard the whey, or, save it and google the many ways you can use it. Even better yet, save it and make ricotta using the "recooked" method.

SOURCE: Smitten Kitchen

Orange Chicken with Broccoli and Peppers

2011-07-12T07:00:00.002-06:00

Stir-fry dinners are great. They are so versatile and fairly quick to throw together. My husband loves any kind of stir fry so he's always pleased when I make it. I really like stir-fry because it is a great dairy-free option for our family and my kids are pretty good about eating it. I usually like to go heavier on the veggies and lighter on the meat, with a little extra sauce that I can pour over my rice.

This orange chicken was quite a hit in our house! Both my girls ate up everything on their plate and my oldest daughter even asked for more. We all loved how tender the chicken turned out and the sauce went with it perfectly.

Using freshly squeezed orange juice was just delicious, and for me is a must in this dish, although you could use store-bought in a pinch. You'll love the little bit of heat from the cayenne, even if you don't like your food spicy. I'm not huge on spice and this was perfect and not overpowering, which balanced out the light sweetness of the rest of dish. For the veggies in this stir-fry, I used broccoli and red pepper because they add great color and complimented the flavors well, but they are also easily substituted to your own tastes.

You're going to want to make this soon, your family will thank you for it!

Orange Chicken
For the marinade and sauce:
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3-4 oranges)
1 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
6 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 lbs. chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold water

1-2 red peppers, julienned
1 bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
hot cooked rice
Sesame seeds, for garnish (if desired)

To make the marinade and sauce, combine the chicken broth, orange juice, orange zest, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cayenne pepper in a bowl; whisk to blend well. Measure out 3/4 cup of the mixture and transfer it either to a zip lock plastic bag or a small, shallow baking dish. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat evenly. Leave on the counter to marinate 30-60 minutes, prepping the veggies in the meantime.

Heat a large fry pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and add the broccoli and peppers and cook until crisp-tender. Remove veggies to a plate and set aside. Increase the heat to medium-high heat and add another drizzle of oil to the pan. Drain the chicken from the marinade and add it to the hot pan. Let it sit for a minute or two, then flip it as it turns a golden brown color. When chicken is just about done cooking, add the reserved sauce (not what you used for marinating) and bring to a boil. Combine water and cornstarch and add to the sauce to thicken. Boil about a minute or so. Turn off heat and add reserved veggies.

Serve over hot cooked rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

SOURCE: Sauce from Annie's Eats

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Sweet and Salty Cake

2011-07-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

So, if you remember a while back, in May actually, it was my birthday. My family kept asking me how I wanted to celebrate but I just kept telling them I didn't want to celebrate until all that pregnancy nausea was done and I could enjoy some really good food. (I know where my priorities are!)

So we decided to celebrate in June instead and have the family over for a pool party. I had been deliberating over three different cakes to make and finally decided on the Sweet and Salty cake from the Baked cookbook. I had recently checked the book out from the library and LOVED most everything in it. This cake is their signature cake as well as their most requested. That's what sold it for me! Well, that and the combination of sweet chocolate and salty caramel.

With a pound of both chocolate and butter, you can imagine that this cake is rich. But, it's not too sweet and the salted caramel sauce between the cake layers really balances out the flavors and brings it together.

I do have to say that if you've never made caramel or even candy, for that matter, the salted caramel sauce can be a little tricky. You may want to allow yourself some extra time to mess up the first batch, like I did, so you can make the second batch perfectly. One thing that I will suggest you do is calibrate your thermometer!! Living at different elevations will change the temperature at which your candy is ready.

Calibrating a thermometer is simple, just stick it in some water and watch it to see at what temperature it boils. Boiling point is 212 degrees F. My water boiled at about 200 degrees F; I live at nearly 5,000 ft. elevation. Since the sugar and water have to boil to 350 degrees F, I had to subtract 12 degrees F and stop it at about 335 degrees F. You have to be very vigilant, especially at the end because the heat starts increasing very quickly. It will burn and become too hard to work with.

With all that said, this cake was pretty time consuming, but also the most decadent cake I have ever made. It was really delicious, something you don't make all the time, but perfect for that special occasion.

Sweet and Salty Cake
For the cake layers:
3/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups hot water
2/3 cup sour cream
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking Powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

For the salted caramel:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. fleur de sel
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1/4 cup sour cream

For the whipped caramel ganache frosting:
1 pound dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

To assemble the cake:
2 tsp. fleur de sel, plus more for garnish

Make the cake layers
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.

In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder, hot water, and sour cream and set aside to cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and shortening on medium speed until ribbon-like, about 5 minutes. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.

Add the flour mixture, alternating with the cocoa mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment. (I made the cake layers the night before, wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and stored them in the fridge. Chilling the cake layers also helped put the cake together a little easier.)

Make the salted caramel
In a small saucepan, combine the cream and fleur de del. Bring to a simmer over very low heat until the salt is dissolved.

Meanwhile, keeping a close eye on the cream mixture so it doesn't burn, in a medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup, stirring them together carefully so you don't splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees F, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 1 minute. (See my note above about making the caramel sauce.)

Add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Whisk in the sour cream. Let the caramel cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cake. (I also did this the night before as well.)

Make the whipped caramel ganache frosting
Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over very low heat.

Meanwhile, keeping a close eye on the cream so it doesn't burn, in a medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup, stirring them together carefully so you don't splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees F, 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the caramel cool for 1 minute.

Add the cream to the caramel and stir to combine. Stir slowly for 2 minutes, then pour the caramel over the chocolate. Let the caramel and chocolate sit for 1 minute, then, starting in the center of the bowl, and working your way out to the edges, slowly stir the chocolate and caramel mixture in a circle until the chocolate is completely melted. Let the mixture cool, then transfer it to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Mix on low speed until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the butter, beating until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and beat on high speed until the mixture is fluffy.

Assemble the cake
Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Spread 1/4 cup of the caramel over the top. (I used a toothpick to poke holes in the cake so the caramel would seep in better.) Let the caramel soak into the cake, then spread 3/4 of the ganache frosting over the caramel. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the fleur de sel over the frosting, then top with the second cake layer. Spread with caramel frosting and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fleur de sel. Then top with the third layer. Spread with caramel. Crumb coat (watch this video to learn how.) the cake and put the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up the frosting. Frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting. Garnish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel.

This cake will keep at room temperature in a cake saver for 3 days. If storing in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

SOURCE: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Pina Colada Ice Cream

2011-07-05T07:00:00.005-06:00

Happy Tuesday everyone. I hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday. After sleeping on an air mattress in a tent for 4 days, it's really good to get back to civilization and my OWN BED! Today I have a delicious ice cream recipe to share with you that you're going to love.

Even though I don't drink alcohol, I still love the flavors of pina colada. Pineapple and coconut just go well together. Creamy coconut and tangy sweet pineapple-YUM! Now that the weather is warm, I've been keeping homemade ice cream in the freezer pretty much all the time. It's just too tempting not too.

This particular ice cream was a big hit in our house first of all because of the wonderful flavor, but also because it's dairy-free. Coconut milk in place of regular dairy milk and/or cream obviously works because of the pina colada flavor profile but it's also nice and creamy so you still get a good texture when you us it.

Pina Colada Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1-15 1/4-oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup coconut milk (full-fat)

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

Once sugar and water have cooled, pour into a mixing bowl and add pineapple and coconut milk. Whisk together until incorporated. I used a stick blender to more finely chop the pineapple and give it a little smoother texture, but it is not necessary.

Pour ice cream base into chilled ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon ice cream in to freezer-safe containers and freeze until set.

SOURCE:Casual Cuisine

Linked to...
These Chicks Cooked @ This Chick Cooks
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Alli-n-Son
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance

July Menu

2011-06-30T23:36:00.009-06:00

Oh my goodness, I should really be in bed rather than typing this, but I'm heading out of town for the holiday weekend and wanted to get it up before I left. After taking a two month hiatus from menu planning I am ready to get back to a little more organization (and variety) in the kitchen. At almost 22 weeks pregnant, I'm finally over all the sickness that made me want to eat nothing half the time and cheese and crackers or cereal the rest of the time.

I tried to keep July's menu pretty light and fresh, minimizing time spent over a hot stove or with the oven on, and maximizing the bounty of summer produce. I didn't do sides this time because I'm planning on using whatever I get in my CSA produce box from the current week to supplement the meals.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday!

Dinner
Greek Panzanella
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Bean Burritos
Lemon Linguine
Pesto Paninis

Chopped Barbecue Chicken Salad
Black Bean Burgers
Chicken Enchiladas
Dirty Risotto
Coconut Curry Noodles with Veggies

Asian Slaw w/ Roasted Peanuts
Greek Lettuce Wraps
Chicken Milano
Creamy Caprese Pasta
Spaghetti

Mushroom, Wild Rice and Spinach Fritatta
Chinese Chicken Salad
Coconut Curry Noodles with Veggies
Parmesan Chicken
Pizza

Other things I'll be making...
Kale Almond Pesto
English Muffins
Fresh Homemade Ricotta
Garlic Basil Cheese Spread

July 4th Recipes

2011-06-27T07:37:00.005-06:00

What's more American than red, white and blue and root beer? Hmm, maybe apple pie? Here are two desserts that I made last year for our family 4th of July celebration. Lemon desserts are some of my favorite to eat, especially when paired with fresh berries. These Red, White and Blue Lemon Berry Bars were not only festive, they were so tasty!

I absolutely loved the Chocolate Rootbeer Bundt Cake because it tasted so chocolaty and had a great rootbeer flavor. Amazingly enough, the flavors really go well together.

Below I have listed some of my favorites that are sure to be crowd pleasers at your July 4th celebration. Hope you have a great holiday!

Desserts
S'mores Bars, Pops, and Ice Cream
Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Lemonade Cake
Raspberry Almond Cookie Bars

Dinner & Sides
Chipotle-Lime Shrimp
Chopped Barbecue Chicken Salad
Basil Chicken Burgers
Broccoli & Apple Slaw
Strawberry Spinach Salad w/ Poppy Seed Dressing
Asian Slaw with Roasted Peanuts

Chiles Rellenos with Mexican Tomato Sauce

2011-06-23T07:00:00.005-06:00

A little over a month ago my friend had an overabundance of produce in her CSA basket and offered some Anaheim peppers and fresh garden tomatoes to anybody who wanted them. I was quick to take her up on her offer because really, who can pass up fresh garden tomatoes? Certainly not me, especially now that I don't have a garden anymore.

I used a few of the tomatoes for tomato sandwiches but thinking of them with the peppers, I couldn't get the idea of chiles rellenos out of my mind. I have had chiles rellenos before but have never actually made them, mostly because they are fried. I don't really eat fried foods let alone make fried foods but these just kept nagging at me.

I found a REALLY fabulous recipe on the Food Network website for the chiles rellenos that had a fresh tomato sauce to go with it. It was perfect. It called for just the amount of peppers and tomatoes I had left. It was fate I tell ya!

The peppers are stuffed with a mild Mexican cheese, then battered with a beer batter, typically, but I opted to use ginger ale instead because we don't drink beer. I don't think the quality of the dish was compromised at all by using the ginger ale instead of the beer because, I tell you, it was one of the most fabulous things I have eaten. The tomato sauce was pretty wonderful too. It tasted so fresh and has a unique ingredient that'll make you go hmmmm.

Chiles Rellenos
For the chiles:
6 poblano chiles
8 oz. Mexican style cheese, such as Queso Fresco or Cojita (you could also substitute mozzarella, or Monterey Jack if you can't find the other)

For the batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dredging
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. fine salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 12-oz bottle or can ginger ale (or lager-style beer)
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Mexican Tomato Sauce, warm, recipe follows.

Position a rack on the upper most shelf of the broiler element and preheat. Put the chiles on a foil-lined broiler pan and broil, turning occasionally with tongs, until the skin is charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover, and cool for 10 minutes or more.

Carefully rub the charred skin off the chiles. Using a small knife, make a lengthwise slit along the side of each chile to form a pocket. Carefully cut out and discard the seeds, carefully rinsing in cold water, if necessary.

Cut the cheese into 6 (1/4-inch-thick) slabs, about 3/4 the length of each chile (your chiles probably vary in length, so tailor the cheese to the chiles). Slip the cheese pieces into the pocket of each chile so they're 2/3 full. (If the cheese protrudes from the chiles, just cut a little off.) "Sew" each chile shut with a wooden skewer or long toothpick.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, cumin, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the ale/beer to a make a smooth batter.

In a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pot, pour in the oil to a depth of about 3 inches. (It is important here to make sure you have enough oil so your chilies don't stick to the bottom of the pan while frying.) Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 365 degrees F.

Put the flour for dredging on a plate. Working in 2 batches, dredge the chiles in the flour (the dampness of the chiles creates a light paste with the flour that seals over any tears), dip in the batter, and carefully add to the oil. Fry, turning the chiles once, until golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer the chiles rellenos to a dry paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Sprinkle with salt, to taste. Gently pull out and discard the skewers.

Heat the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce on a plate and set 1 chile relleno on top. Repeat with the remaining sauce and chiles. Serve.

Mexican Tomato Sauce:
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
1/4 medium yellow onion
6 cloves garlic
5 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 serrano chile (I omitted this because I was serving it with peppers already)
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (preferably Mexican)

In a blender, combine all the ingredients and puree until smooth.

Transfer the tomato puree to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until slightly thick, about 10 minutes. Makes about 3 cups.

SOURCE: Food Network

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Savory Sunday @ The Sweet Details

Recipe Rewind: Baked Oatmeal

2011-06-20T07:00:00.003-06:00

I'm taking you back to the early days of my blog, a few years ago. Baked oatmeal was added early on, had a terrible picture and no description of the dish. Let me just tell you that we eat a lot of breakfast around here; like every morning! No, really how I meant to say that was that I like to make breakfast often, I'm not into eating cold cereal every morning. My girls devour hot cereal, like cream of wheat and oatmeal, so I figured this baked oatmeal would hit the spot just as well.

No big surprise that it has been a big hit in our house over the years. It's a little sweeter than our usual oatmeal "mush," and the cinnamon and nutmeg make it even better. My favorite is the top of the baked oatmeal that gets a little crunchy, adding a little texture.

This is a really quick and easy breakfast to throw together with ingredients you're sure to have on hand.

Baked Oatmeal
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 oil (I used coconut oil, melted)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 or 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk egg and oil. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oatmeal and whisk until well incorporated. Fold in the oatmeal with a spatula.

Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared baking dish and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm, with a splash of milk and fresh fruit, if desired.

Linked to...
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Key Lime Pie Smoothie

2011-06-16T07:00:00.007-06:00

I'm a big smoothie fan, the green kind too, and I'm always up for a good recipe to put in my "keeper" file. If you're a frequent smoothie drinker you know that there can be a lot of trial-and-error when it comes to finding just the right combination to suit your palate. And on the other end, there's always that chance of getting stuck in a rut with the same old smoothie day after day, week after week.

This smoothie was a nice refreshing change from the green drinks I usually make, and chock full of goodness. I like the bright flavor of the lime and I LOVE coconut milk. Not only does coconut have great flavor, but it has some AMAZING qualities as well. Coconut milk, the typical kind you see in small cans at the supermarket, is extracted from the meat of the coconut and is different from coconut water, which is the naturally-occurring liquid in the hollow of the coconut. Read here, and here for more information on coconut.

Key Lime Pie Smoothie
2 Tbsp. key lime juice (about 8 limes) OR you can use the juice of 1 regular lime
1 Tsp. key lime zest
1 Tbsp. coconut oil*
1 cup light coconut milk
1 ripe frozen banana
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. agave syrup (or other sweetener)
2 Tbsp. graham cracker crumbs
ice cubeshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Top with additional graham crackers, if desired.

*If you do not have coconut oil, do not replace it with another oil, just leave it out.

SOURCE: Munchin with Munchkin

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
These Chicks Cooked Link Party @ This Chick Cooks
Party Mindi Style Link Up @ Bacon Time with The Hungry Hungry Hypo
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
A Themed Bakers Sunday @ Cupcake Apothecary

S'mores Pops

2011-06-11T10:41:00.011-06:00

I'm all about s'mores in any way, shape or form. They are just delicious and such a fun summer treat. It's been fun finding different s'mores treats made in many different ways, yet still resembling that classic s'mores taste. Check out these former posts for more S'more inspiration:

Giant S'mores Cookies
S'mores Bars
S'mores Ice Cream
Brownie S'mores
S'mores Pancakes

I made these S'mores pops several months ago for my daughter's 4th birthday party. They were actually really fun to make and pretty quick and easy. And, of course, they were loved by all who ate them.

I inherited the block of wood you see in the picture from my dad. He made it when we were very little kids. See, when my parents were still in college, my dad managed a gas station and my mom made homemade suckers to sell there. So, my dad made this sucker stand to hold all the suckers as they sat on the counter top. Pretty nifty if you ask me. I feel lucky to have it. I also inherited all the candy-making molds and oils, but that's another story for another day...

Show up with these treats at your next get together or family barbecue and you'll be the hit of the party!

S'mores Pops
1 bag large marshmallows
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 sleeve cinnamon graham crackers
lollipop sticks

Lay out about 20 marshmallows on wax paper and insert lollipop stick about 3/4 of the way through.

Using a food processor, whiz graham crackers until it makes a fine crumb. Alternately, you can place crackers in a zip top bag and crush with a rolling pin. Pour crumbs onto a plate for dipping.

Melt chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave for about 2 minutes at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds.

Taking one marshmallow at a time, dip in the melted chocolate, then roll in the graham cracker crumbs. Place coated marshmallow back on the wax paper to completely cool and harden.

Linked to...
Sweet Indulgences Sunday @ A Well-Seasoned Life
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Mangia Monday's @ Delightfully Dowling
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Alli-N-Son

Apple Cheddar Meatalls

2011-06-07T07:00:00.004-06:00

Apples and cheddar: ohhhh or ewwww? I say ohhhh! It really is a great combination. Have you ever thrown a few apple slices on a grilled cheese sammy? You get that gooey, salty cheesiness and then a little crunchy tangy yet slightly sweet surprise when you get that bite of apple. Well, these meatballs are kind of like that.

These meatballs are super easy to throw together, I'd say under 10 minutes, which makes for a quick weeknight meal when you throw in the noodles and a salad or veggie. Another plus is that they are kid-friendly. The flavors are tasty, yet subtle enough that it's not over powering for the developing palate.

While you can make the meatballs any size you wish, I found that a 1-inch scoop was perfect for us. It made close to 30 meatballs, which is enough for leftovers the next day or some to throw in the freezer for dinner another night.

Apple Cheddar Meatballs
1 pound ground turkey or pork
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 small, tart apple, such as granny smith, peeled and grated
1/2 small onion, grated
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
One 12-ounce package egg noodles
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large cookie sheet with either a silicone baking mat or foil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey/pork, cheese, breadcrumbs, apple, onion, 3 tablespoons parsley and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Using a medium scoop, shape into meatballs, about 1-inch in size. Arrange on baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes (or until thoroughly cooked), turning half way.

During the last 15 minutes while the meatballs are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles to al dente. Drain, then return to the pot and toss with the butter and remaining 5 tablespoons parsley; season with salt and pepper.

SOURCE:Rachael Ray via Baking Serendipity

Linked To...
Savory Sunday @ The Sweet Details
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

S'mores Ice Cream

2011-06-03T07:00:00.008-06:00

I have a thing for s'mores. Especially during the summertime. I love roasting marshmallows over a camp fire then putting them atop a Hershey's bar to make it all melty, only to eat it sandwiched between a crumbly graham cracker. Yum!

I like to kind of slow roast my marshmallows so they get evenly toasty all around and get nice and poofy. I love that toasty flavor. That's why I decided, when making this ice cream, that I would try to simulate that same toasty marshmallow flavor in the ice cream base by putting the marshmallows under the broiler. The verdict: UH-mazing! The ice cream base really tastes like toasted marshmallows and the whole deal tastes like one big fat cold s'more! Now, what's not to love about that?

I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that this only makes about a pint of ice cream, but heaven sakes go ahead a double it if you're worried about it or have more than yourself to feed!

S'mores Ice Cream
Makes about a pint

1/2 package mini marshmallows
1 cup whole or 2% milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2-1.55 oz. bars Hershey’s Chocolate (they're usually the ones that come in a 6-pack)
3 graham crackers

Put milk and cream into a medium saucepan and warm over medium heat. Meanwhile spread marshmallows out on a cookie sheet and put under broiler for about 30-60 seconds. DO NOT take your eyes away or you'll have flaming marshmallows! Cool for a few seconds then immediately scrape into the saucepan with the milk and cream. Stir constantly until marshmallows are melted and incorporated.

Pour mixture (yes, the hot mixture) into ice cream maker that has been frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions, and churn for about 30-60 minutes. It may take longer than normal to get to the right consistency since the mixture is hot when you pour it in. Add ice and rock salt, if necessary to keep it cold enough.

While the ice cream is churning, break chocolate into chunks or pieces however you like. Break graham crackers into a little bit larger pieces.

After churning is completed, turn off ice cream maker and fold in chocolate and graham cracker pieces. Pour into freezer safe container and freeze until firm.

SOURCE: Adapted from Bonnie the Baker

Linked to...
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Alli n' Son
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Sweet Indulgences Sunday @ A Well-Seasoned Life
Sweet Treats Thursday @ Something Swanky
Savory Sunday @ The Sweet Details
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce

2011-05-31T14:03:00.011-06:00

I love hoarding fresh garden tomatoes during the summer time. The last time we had a garden, I planted about 11 tomato plants. I love eating them fresh, but I like to plant so many so I can do some home canning. I love to do spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, salsa and just some stewed tomatoes as well.

It's been several months now that my supply of spaghetti sauce has ended and I can't wait to make more of it by summer's end. In the meantime, I have been trying other recipes but have not found something I like as much.

With that said, however, I did like this sauce. It is simple, easy and pretty tasty, especially if you are a fan of garlic. I like garlic to begin with but I absolutely love the taste that roasted garlic brings to a dish.

This sauce, along with a sprinkle of freshly shaved parmesan cheese, would compliment any pasta. It would also be great on homemade pizza as well.

Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
1 large onion, chopped
3 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp dried basil
2 (28 oz) cans whole Italian tomatoes, with juices
3 whole heads roasted garlic, cloves removed from peels

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel off the loose papery skins of each of the heads of garlic. Cut the top 1/4-1/2 off of each of the heads and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the garlic heads in foil and bake for about 45 minutes.

Allow garlic to cool enough to handle it without getting burned. Either squeeze the garlic cloves out with your hand, or use a small fork to pull them from their skins. Set garlic aside.

In a large saucepan saute onion in oil over med-high head until lightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute, stirring, for 1 min. Add tomato paste, salt, balsamic vinegar, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and basil, and cook for another minute longer. Add tomatoes, with their juices, crushing with your hands as you place them in the pan. Stir to combine well and bring to boil. Reduce heat to slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add roasted garlic cloves and stir to combine. Continue to simmer for 30-45 min. longer or until flavors have come together.

Serve over pasta or use as pizza sauce. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts of sauce.

SOURCE: Perry's Plate

Linked to...
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Savory Sunday @ The Sweet Details
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen

Grilling Favorites

2011-05-27T13:41:00.006-06:00

Memorial Day is a time of year where lots of things are just happening. It's the end of school, the start of pool season and warmer weather and when most people break out the grill. I personally love to grill and love to do it all summer and even into fall. For me, there's nothing tastier than meat or veggies that have been grilled on an outdoor grill. I've put together some of our favorite grilling recipes that I hope you enjoy. They are all really tasty! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Lemon Linguini with Grilled Chicken

Chipotle Lime Shrimp

Feta and Sun-dried Tomato Turkey Sliders

Basil Chicken Burgers

Spicy Cucumber Salad with Peanuts

2011-05-26T07:00:00.003-06:00

Peanuts and cucumbers, who would have thought? I would have never put them together, but they make a surprisingly wonderful combination. I saw a similar recipe one day while blog hopping and remembered seeing this recipe in my Cooking Light cookbook. I've turned past that recipe so many times, without even considering making it. I don't know what flipped the switch this time, but I couldn't get it out of my mind and just had to make it.

Let me tell you, it was a huge hit, even with my kids. We couldn't stop eating it as we prepared it, so when it was actually time to bring it to the dinner table, there was not much left. Needless to say, there were no leftovers.

This is a great salad, perfect for spring or summer. It's got some great combinations going on too: light and fresh, sweet and salty, crispy and crunchy!

Spicy Cucumber Salad with Peanuts
1 1/2 pounds cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I left these of my kids' portions)
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Place the cucumber slices in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss well. Drain 1 hour. Place cucumber slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Rinse and pat dry.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove vinegar reduction from heat; cool. Stir in onion. Combine cucumbers and vinegar reduction in a medium bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts.

SOURCE: Cooking Light

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's a Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Lemon Poppy Seed Cakes with Raspberry Filling and Lemon Buttercream

2011-05-22T08:45:00.008-06:00

Happy Sunday everyone! I've been without a computer for about three days and it feels like it's been forever! Crazy how we've become so attached to technology these days.

I have a special treat for you today. These cakes are absolutely delicious. I first had it as a layer cake that my mom made for a family dinner. As soon as I tasted it, I knew I wanted to make it as well and I had the perfect occasion for it. I was hosting a Mother's Day brunch for our little preschool co-op group so I decided to make them into little cakes to easily serve to everyone. Using a mini bundt pan was great because, first of all, it made just the right portion sizes, and secondly, it created the perfect crevice to hide the surprise filling in.

I loved every part of this dessert. Lemon anything is wonderful and raspberries are just about my favorite fruit ever! However, if I had to pick one component that was my favorite, I would have to say the frosting. I know that may sound strange, and I don't usually like frosting above the actual dessert, but it was truly amazing. When my mom made the cake, she added a little more lemon to intensify the flavor and to lighten it up added some cool whip. I think those two things made it just perfect, absolutely finger-licking good! Frost just the tops or frost the whole thing, you'll love it either way.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cakes with Raspberry Filling and Lemon Buttercream

For the cakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
zest and juice of a lemon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the raspberry filling:
1/2 recipe Berry Coulis, using only raspberries
(Raspberry preserves may be substituted.)

For the lemon buttercream frosting:
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
zest of one lemon
juice of 2 lemons
1/4-1/2 cup cool whip

Prepare raspberry filling as directed and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease a 12 cavity mini-bundt pan.

In a small mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir in poppy seeds. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the dry ingredients. Add the vegetable oil to the bowl and fold in to the batter with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. Spoon batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes cool about 10 minutes in the pan then gently slide them out. Wipe out pan and grease about half of the molds again. Spoon remaining batter into prepared molds and bake and cool as directed above.

To prepare lemon buttercream, add butter to a mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth; about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice and mix until incorporated. Then turn the mixer on medium speed and beat for another 1-2 minutes, until frosting is light and fluffy. Add cool whip and mix until just incorporated.

Assembling the cakes: Fill each cavity in the cakes with the raspberry filling. Either dollop lemon buttercream frosting on top of each cake or, using a spatula, frost as desired.

Makes 16-18 mini bundt cakes

My notes:
1)When making the raspberry sauce, I do not strain my seeds as they are small and do not bother me.
2)If you do not have a mini-bundt pan, have no fear. Simply bake them up in a cupcake pan. You can then either hollow them out to create a cavity for the filling (there are tools for this these days, or you could just use a knife) or cut them in half and spread the filling in between.

SOURCE:Adapted from Annie's Eatshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Linked to...
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Whisking Wednesdays @ Pinch of This, That & the Other
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's a Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
These Chicks Cooked Link Party @ This Chick Cooks
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Alli n' Son

Cake Batter Pancakes

2011-05-18T08:43:00.009-06:00

I love to celebrate, especially when it comes to my kids and birthdays. I love to make them feel special and make them food that makes them smile. Saturday, however, was my birthday and I got to make these fun pancakes to share with everyone.

Seriously, if you're a fan of birthday cake, cake batter or heck, even pancakes, you're going to love these. My oldest daughter helped me make the batter and was so thrilled that she could dump in all those sprinkles. That just made it for her.

This is such a fun way to celebrate a birthday and it doesn't take much effort. Even if it's not anybody's birthday, these are fun and are sure to put a smile on anyone's face.

Wondering what to do with all that leftover cake mix? May I suggest you make MORE of these pancakes? Or you can even use it to make cake batter ice cream. Keep it in an ziploc bag or an air-tight container and it will keep for months, you don't have to use it right away.

Cake Batter Pancakes
makes about 10 pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow or white cake mix
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp. oil
1 1/2 cups milk (dairy, almond, rice, etc.; I used almond)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

assorted sprinkles

Combine flour, cake mix, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix. Add egg, oil, milk and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. You want the batter to look like regular pancake batter; not too thin, not too thick. Add more milk, if needed. Let batter sit while griddle heats up.

Preheat griddle or skillet, whichever you are using. Fold desired amount of sprinkles into batter. Pour batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto skillet and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Serve with vanilla glaze and extra sprinkles, if desired.

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix milk, extract and powdered sugar until glaze forms. You may need to add a little more sugar or water/milk to reach desired consistency.

SOURCE:Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Linked to...
Whisking Wednesdays @ Pinch of This, That & The Other
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's a Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling
Savory Sunday @ The Sweet Details

Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Orzo

2011-05-14T20:13:00.005-06:00

When I made my (half) menu this month, I was looking for lots of quick and easy meals. Although I've been cooking a little more lately, I have still had many nights I've just fed everyone cold cereal. So, when I came across this recipe from Pioneer Woman I knew it would be a keeper. For one, there is minimal prep, I'm talking under 10 minutes and all you have to do is throw this stuff in the oven and put the pasta on. Secondly, everyone here just adores shrimp!

I have actually made this twice recently. The first night I made it I only had a mere 1/2 lb. of shrimp from my freezer to work with and none of us got our fill. So, of course, I had to make it again! It's amazing what a few simple ingredients can to. It may not look much, but this dish has so much flavor. That along with the simplicity of it, it'll be calling your name too!!

Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Orzo
1 pound raw, frozen shrimp, deveined, shells on
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 cups orzo pasta

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse frozen shrimp to separate and partially thaw them, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Fill a pot of water and put it on the stove to bring to a boil.

In the bowl of a food processor, add cold butter, garlic, lemon juice, salt and parsley. Pulse until combined. Sprinkle cold butter crumbles over the shrimp.

Bake until shrimp is opaque and butter is hot and bubbly. Mine was done in under 10 minutes, but times will vary depending on oven and how frozen shrimp is.

While shrimp is cooking, drop orzo into boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain pasta and pour into serving dish. Pour cooked shrimp and lemon garlic sauce over the pasta and toss gently to coat.

*If you want to add a little extra heat, add a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes to the butter sauce.

SOURCE:Pioneer Woman

Linked to...
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Whisking Wednesdays @ Pinch of This, That & The Other

Tres Leches Cake

2011-05-09T08:01:00.007-06:00

Ok, so I know I'm a day late and a dollar short on this Tres Leches Cake, but it is soooooo good! It was definitely the highlight of my weekend. And, I've been eating it since I made it Thursday night-YUM! I've been wanting to try Tres Leches for a long time. Last year I found a coconut Tres Leches Cakes that I thought would be fabulous because I love coconut. However, it wasn't so hot, so it put me off for a while. When we decided to have a Cinco de Mayo celebration, I knew this was my chance to make it again, the REAL thing this time though.

I did a little research on Tres Leches Cake and found out that the basic cake recipe is probably the most important part of it all coming together. Using cake flour and beating the egg whites separately gives the cake the perfect crumb and makes it rise enough to be able to soak up all the milky goodness. Otherwise, you may have a milk moat from a cake that cannot stand up to all that milk.

I wasn't sure how I would like eating a cake that was so moist, but after my first bite, I was blown away! The drizzle of dulce de leche was an extra special treat as well, making this actually a Cuatro Leches Cake! This dessert has lodged a place in my recipe book I'm sure for years to come.

Tres Leches Cake
For the cake:
6 3/4 oz. cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. granulated sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the milk mixture:
1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

For the whipped topping:
2 cups heavy cream
4 oz. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Garnish:
cinnamon
maraschino cherries
dulce de leche

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally spray a 9x13 baking pan with oil until well coated. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Separate eggs. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in about 1/4 cup of the sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Beat butter on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the rest of the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined; do not overmix. Add about 1/3 of the egg whites to the batter and mix on low until combined. Remove the paddle/whisk attachment from the mixing bowl and gently fold in the rest of the egg whites with a spatula. (You don't have to get them completely incorporated, it's ok if you still see ribbons of egg white throughout the batter-kind of like a souffle.)

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread to even out surface. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake it lightly golden. (Remember all ovens are different so be vigilant near the end of baking time to ensure proper doneness.)

Remove cake pan to a cooling rack and allow cake to cool for 30 minutes. Take a fork or skewer and poke holes all over the cake. Allow the cake to completely cool.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the milk mixture. Slowly pour mixture over the cake, cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the whipped topping, place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To serve the cake, drizzle some dulce de leche onto a small plate and place a piece of cake on top. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon and top with a maraschino cherry. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Some notes:
1)As always, you can make your own cake flour. For every cup of all-purpose flour, take out 2 tablespoons and replace with cornstarch. Sift well.

2)A kitchen scale really comes in handy in this recipe. They are a good investment, relatively inexpensive and I have used mine more than I thought I would. With that said, I'll give you an idea of the equivalents: 6 3/4 oz cake flour is just over 1 1/2 cups, 8 oz sugar is about a cup and 4 oz of butter is 1/2 cup or 1 stick.

3)I purchased dulce de leche in the Mexican section at my local grocery store, although you can easily make your own. I also thinned it out with a little milk so that I could drizzle it easily on each plate.

SOURCE:Adapted from Alton Brown and Pioneer Woman

Linked to...
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Sweet Indulgences Sunday @ A Well-Seasoned Life

Cinnamon-Honey Ice Cream

2011-05-05T08:00:00.003-06:00

Remember how I told you that last year I made these cupcakes for my birthday/Cinco de Mayo celebration? Well, I also made this Cinnamon-Honey Ice Cream to go with them. My sister asked me to post the recipe ages ago and here I am a year later and I still haven't posted it!!!

I love making ice cream at home and I started doing it lots last summer. This ice cream is great. It's sweet and creamy with all the yuminess of cinnamon and vanilla all swirled together.

If you're planning on celebrating Cinco de Mayo with Mexican fare, this ice cream is the perfect accompaniment either by itself or along side some sopapillas, Mexican Wedding cookies or bunelos.

Cinnamon-Honey Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
20 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Warm the half-and-half and sugar in a medium saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Temper the eggs by slowly pouring the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Tie the cloves in a small piece of cheese cloth and add them, along with the 2 sticks of cinnamon, to the saucepan. Stir mixture constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Pour custard through a strainer, or cheesecloth, then stir in the cream, honey, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Add the cinnamon sticks and the cloves back to the custard mixture, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (up to overnight).

Take out the cloves and cinnamon sticks and pour custard into ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Sweet Indulgences Sunday @ A Well-Seasoned Life

May Menu

2011-05-02T14:27:00.004-06:00

Happy days it's May! I'm so glad it's May, not only because I get to celebrate both Mother's day as well as my birthday, but we get to welcome in warmer weather and sunshine!!! After being cooped up inside with two young children all winter, I'm looking forward to spending half our days in the sun at the park with the kids running wild with their friends.

I'm also excited about Cinco de Mayo. We're getting together with some of my extended family to enjoy some good eats and smack down a pinata. On the menu so far we have fajitas, rice and beans, chips, salsa & guacamole. I'm bringing a traditional Tres Leches cake and some horchata, which is a traditional rice milk drink that I absolutely adore!

Last year we had just moved in to our new house around this time so I combined our Cinco de Mayo fiesta with my birthday party and had a great bash. My girls helped my make these Crockpot Tamales, and for dessert I made these Chocolate Chipotle Cupcakes with Chili Chocolate Ganache and Honey Cinnamon Ice Cream.

I have yet to decide what I will make for my birthday celebration. I have just passed my first trimester of pregnancy and am still feeling ill most of the time. I wanted to wait until it passed so I could really enjoy a wonderful meal, especially dessert. Dessert will most likely be something chocolate. I've had my eye on this Chocolate Malt Cake from Bon Appetit for a while, as well as the famous Sweet and Salty Cake from Baked cookbook. We'll just have to see what it comes down to.

And one last thing. Although I didn't make a menu last month and only cooked dinner a handful of times, I'm going to make an effort to do better this month. Yesterday, after looking at an empty fridge, not seeing a fresh fruit or vegetable in sight, I decided to make a menu and go shopping. I only made a menu for 2 weeks, I hope we can get through it, so here it goes....

White Chicken Chili
Lemon Garlic Shrimp w/ orzo and broccoli
Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce over Spaghetti, green beans and garlic bread
Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork Tacos with Spanish rice and beans

Chicken Divan
Mashed potatoes and broccoli
Sesame Noodles w/ snow peas and peppers
Coconut Crusted Tilapia w/ wild rice and green beans
Pizza
Apple Cheddar Meatballs, egg noodles and veggie

Classic Angel Food Cake

2011-04-30T08:18:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago we celebrated my husband's birthday. I kept asking him what kind of cake or dessert he wanted for the special occasion and he would tell me, "nothing." HELLO! You can't have NOTHING to celebrate your birthday, it's a special day. Truth is my husband is not big on any celebration, be it Christmas, birthdays or whatever. I do, however, love to celebrate anything, especially when I can make something special to eat.

Since spring has been peaking around the corner the past little while, even though we woke up to snow flurries this morning, I wanted to do a dessert that was light, fresh and tasty. I immediately went to strawberries and lemon curd. I love, love, love lemon curd. I could totally eat it off the spoon, but that's beside the point. So I was thinking of a strawberry shortcake kind of deal and had to figure out what kind of base to put all that strawberry-lemony goodness on.

Angel food cake seemed perfect for the task. I had never made one but heard they were much better than store-bought versions. Plus, I had lots of egg whites in the freezer that needed to be used. The cake was actually really fun to make and I love how it came together. I baked mine in a bundt pan, although it calls for a tube pan, because that's what I had and, it turned out fine. I was a little leery when the directions said to bake in an UN-greased pan but I trusted and went with it. I think the trick is to let it cool enough that it all comes out in one piece.

This is the perfect cake for any spring dessert with lots of fruit and cream. It would even make a great trifle! Oh, and here's my favorite lemon curd recipe.

Classic Angel Food Cake
1 cup sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
12 large egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 325°.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar, stirring with a whisk.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla, juice, and almond extract.

Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla, juice, and almond extract. Sift 1/4 cup flour mixture over egg white mixture; fold in. Repeat with remaining flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.

Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, spreading evenly. Break air pockets by cutting through the batter with a knife. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan; cool completely. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula. Invert the cake onto a plate.

SOURCE:Cooking Light on myrecipes.com

Linked to...
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Cherry Pistachio Biscotti

2011-04-25T08:00:00.001-06:00

Just about every month we have a family dinner and celebrate everyone's birthday that falls in that month. A while back it happened to be my mom's birthday and we decided to have an Italian-themed meal. I put it together with my sister and it was lots of fun and a big hit! We had spaghetti and meatballs, Zuppa Toscana, garlic bread, yummy salad and for dessert my sister got some spumoni ice cream and I made these biscotti.

Biscotti are fun to make and you can create so many flavor combinations, probably as endlessly as cookie combinations. For this biscotti, I really wanted it to just "scream" Italian and I thought pistachios and dried cherries were perfect, especially since they are two of the flavors in traditional spumoni. The biscotti turned out wonderfully! The saltiness of the pistachios worked great with the sweetness of the dried cherries. It was also a great dipper for our ice cream.

Cherry Pistachio Biscotti
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chopped pistachios
1/2 cup dried cherries

In a small bowl, beat sugar and oil until blended. Beat in eggs, then almond and vanilla extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture and mix well (dough will be stiff). Stir in pistachios and cherries.

Divide dough in half. With floured hands, shape each half into a 12-in. x 2-in. rectangle on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until set.

Place pan on wire rack. When cool enough to handle, transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 3/4-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.

SOURCE: Adapted from Taste of Home

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Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Lasagna Rolls

2011-04-21T08:21:00.005-06:00

I have had this recipe for so many years, I can't believe I'm just now getting around to posting it. The first time I made it was for some friends we had over for dinner and it was a huge hit!

I've had some serious cravings the past couple of months. Pregnancy will do that to you once in a while. I could not stop craving lasagna so I just had to make it again. Now, I don't usually make meals with so much dairy when my husband works (lactose-intolerant), but he had the week off so he said to bring it on.

I like that this lasagna uses a marinara rather than a meat sauce. I felt like the cheese and spinach mixture were definitely filling enough and more the star of the dish. However, we all loved the little crumbs of bacon here and there, which gave it a yummy kind of smoky taste.

Although these lasagna rolls may have an extra step or two compared to your typical lasagna, it's definitely worth it and not difficult. To save time when you're actually putting it together, you can do some of the steps ahead of time, like prepare your favorite marinara sauce, cook and crumble the bacon and even make the bechamel right before. You've gotta try these, you'll just love them!

Lasagna Rolls

For the Bechamel Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg

For the Lasagna:
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
6 ounces bacon
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
14 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

Turn oven to broil. Place bacon slices on a cookie sheet and broil about 4-5 minutes on one side. Flip bacon over and cook another 4-5 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Once cool, crumble bacon and reserve.

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, bacon crumbles, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. (I actually used my stick blender to blend the spinach, ricotta and egg together, before I added the rest, so my girls wouldn't pick out the spinach. And it worked too!)

Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove. Salt, if desired. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite; about 1-2 minutes shy of what the package says to cook them for. (Note: I always add 2-3 extra noodles in the pot in case I need more or they rip.) Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13x9 glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3-4 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at one end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down on top of the bechamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon the marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil.

Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes to firm up a bit.

SOURCE:Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Linked to...
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story

BLT Pasta

2011-04-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

I made something similar to this dish several months ago when I had my mom and sister over for dinner. I kept craving it, but knew I wanted to change it a little bit. I'm glad I finally got back to the dish because after a few tweaks, this dish instantly became some delicious comfort food!

I love the combination of flavors going on here. First of all tomato and basil are an amazing duo and really brighten the dish. Next, the Parmesan and bacon contrast that with a little saltiness, and, of course, the pasta ties it all together. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the spinach, which served as the "lettuce" and adds heaps of color and good nutrition.

BLT Pasta
12 slices smoky bacon, cut into half-inch dice
1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
A handful of parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
A pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 pint (about 2 cups) cherry tomatoes, quartered (or other less-juicy tomato like Roma)
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper
3/4 pound bowtie pasta
4 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves, about 20 leaves, torn or coarsely chopped

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat; add bacon and brown to crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Leave about 3-4 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet, add the Panko crumbs and toast to golden brown. Add the parsley and grated Parmesan. Toss to combine, turn off heat and reserve the crumbs.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt water and cook bowties to al dente. Drain pasta and pour into a 2-quart baking or serving dish.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions, garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook to soften, about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add fresh tomatoes, along with the reserved bacon, basil and baby spinach. Let simmer for another minute or so until the spinach just barely wilts. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour sauce over bowties and toss to coat. Sprinkle with reserved bread crumb mixture. Serve warm.

SOURCE:Adapted from Rachael Ray and Let's Dish

Oreo Cupcakes

2011-04-08T20:00:00.003-06:00

I have to admit I'm not a fan of store-bought cookies. Maybe that's not a surprise though since this is a food blog. Ever since I can remember I've had in my mind that store bought cookies are just not worth the calories (ok, maybe the huge Costco ones could come close to homemade and maybe I could eat about 4 or 5 of them in one sitting).

Oreos are pretty much one of the only store bought cookies that I could go to town on. Man, those things are addicting, especially when you have a nice cold glass of milk to dip them in and wash them down with. Once when I was first married my husband and I brought a package of Oreos camping with us and I ate so many of them that I vowed I would never eat them again. It took me several years, but I eventually caved.

When I was looking for a birthday cupcake treat for a friend, I knew these would be perfect and they were. I really loved the batter, especially the cookie bits inside. And the Oreo cookie on the bottom was a nice surprise. I used a cream cheese frosting, but a whipped cream frosting would be just as nice.

Oreo Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
24 Oreo halves, with cream filling attached
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped (I quartered them)

For the cream cheese frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. heavy cream

For the garnish:
Oreo cookie crumbs
24 Oreo cookie halves

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line the wells of two cupcake pans with 24 paper liners. Place an Oreo halve in the bottom of each liner, cream side up.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the milk and beat just until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Gently fold in the chopped Oreos with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla extract. Beat in the powdered sugar until incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the bowl and beat on medium-low speed just until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with Oreo crumbs and garnish with Oreo halves.

SOURCE: Annie's Eats

Linked to...
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Alli 'n Son
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Chipotle Bean Tostadas

2011-04-04T12:33:00.003-06:00

Have you ever made a fresh pot of beans? There is nothing like them and they don't even compare to what you buy in a can at the store. They taste so fresh and just free of "stuff." If you've never made your own beans, you should at least try once, it's about the easiest thing you can do. Just add water and boil. You can buy uncooked beans in 1-2 pound packages at your local market but they are not usually the freshest and take longer to cook, though they can still turn out a good product as long as you cook it long enough. I like to buy my beans at my local WinCo where they have a nice selection of bulk foods that tend to be more fresh since they are stocked more frequently.

I grew up eating tostadas a lot so this concept was nothing new to me, but I was used to topping them a little differently. I think these more closely resemble an authentic Mexican Tostada and boy are they good! Topped with beans, tomatoes, cilantro, radishes and queso fresco, they are pretty simple, but feel free to add salsa, Crema Mexicana (or sour cream), lettuce, guacamole, olives, you name it! You can buy pre-made tostada shells, but frying them up at home only takes a little time and effort.

Chipotle Bean Tostadas

For the beans
1 lb. dry pinto beans (about 2 cups)
2 quarts of water
salt

Rinse beans and remove any bad beans, pieces of dirt or stones.

Put the beans in a pot and cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for about 2-3 hours (time will vary depending on the freshness of the beans). The beans are done when they are soft and skins are just beginning to break open.

Strain beans of cooking water and return them to the pot. Add about 1/4 cup (or more) water and either mash with a potato masher or use a stick blender to puree the beans. Add salt to taste.

For the tostada shells
1/2 cup high flash-point vegetable oil, such as grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or canola oil
1 dozen corn tortillas

To prepare the tortillas, heat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking pan with paper towels and place next to the stove. Heat 5 Tbsp of oil in a small skillet on medium high heat, until the bubbles form immediately when you insert the edge of a tortilla in it. Using tongs, place a tortilla in the hot oil and let cook until golden brown on both sides, about 30 seconds per side. You can use a metal spatula to flatten down the tortilla while cooking.

Use tongs to lift the cooked tortilla out of the pan, allowing the excess oil to drip off of it, back into the pan. Place the cooked tortilla on the paper towels to absorb more of the oil. Sprinkle a little salt onto each warm tortilla. Do each tortilla one at a time this way. As you fill up a baking pan, put the pan in the oven to keep the tortillas warm.

Add more oil as needed. Carefully monitor the oil temperature. Don't let it get too hot, or the tortillas will burn, or too cool - they won't fry up crisp enough.

For the Tostadas
4 cups smashed pinto beans
4 tsp. Chipotle Tabasco Sauce (not regular)
1 tsp. cumin
1 dozen tostada shells
Cotija, Queso Fresco or Feta cheese
finely diced fresh tomato
thinly sliced red radishes
cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Just after finishing cooking the beans and while they are still warm, add the chipotle tobasco sauce and cumin. Adjust seasonings if necessary. If beans are too thick, add more water, if they are too thin, cook them down a bit.

To assemble the tostadas, spread 3-4 Tbsp. of the beans on each tostada shell. Either top with tomatoes, cilantro, radishes and cheese and serve or put the topping in separate bowls on the table and let each person top their tostada how they wish. Garnish with additional toppings as desired.

SOURCE:Adapted from Simply Recipes

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance

A Shout out to Classic Banana Bread

2011-03-30T10:00:00.000-06:00

I know this is not a new recipe on the blog but don't you agree that everyone needs a great basic banana bread recipe? This is my favorite basic and classic banana bread and it comes from Cooking Light. In fact, I think all but one of my banana bread recipes comes from Cooking Light, they have a great collection, many of which I've made.

I've had an over abundance of bananas lining my counter tops lately and I didn't want to get sick of just eating them plain. So, I decided a few other things were in order. First we made my favorite banana pancakes, now this banana bread and I'm planning on making some delicious banana breakfast cookies that are super healthy! Maybe I'll make some muffins too, I seem to be craving them lately. What is your favorite way to use bananas?

Classic Banana Bread
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 butter, softened (can also use coconut oil)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium)
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small mixing bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, cream together butter and sugar until well-blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add banana, yogurt and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 X 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 35o for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

More banana recipes:
Banana Bars
Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes
Jamaican Banana Bread
Bananas Foster Bread
Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

SOURCE: Cooking Light

Orange Dark Chocolate Pancakes

2011-03-25T10:00:00.003-06:00

Ok, it's been a few weeks since I posted my last pancake recipe so I figured I was due for another one. I can't believe I waited so long to make these pancakes. I mean, who can resist orange and dark chocolate together? They are an amazing duo and taste absolutely wonderful in these pancakes. I don't usually put chocolate chips in my pancakes so these were a special treat. And I didn't even eat them with syrup because they were sweet enough and a little gooey from the chocolate, I didn't think they needed it. However, if you just can't eat pancakes without something on top, a light syrup or even a dusting of powdered sugar should do you just fine. Try these soon though, they are delicious!

Orange Dark Chocolate Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
zest of 1 orange
juice of 1 orange
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt together and set aside. In another small bowl, mix orange zest and juice, egg and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and GENTLY mix until just incorporated. (Usually I don't have a problem with this when I make pancakes but the first time I made these I think I stirred too much because the pancakes were not light and fluffy. So, just make sure you don't stir too much.) Fold in the chocolate chips.

Let batter sit while griddle preheats. Ladle batter by the 1/4 cup onto griddle. Cook until bubbles start to pop, flip and cook about another 1-2 minutes.

SOURCE: Adapted from Baking Serendipity

Linked to...
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Ali-n-Son
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story

Favorite Sugar Cookies and Cherry Buttercream Frosting

2011-03-20T09:00:00.003-06:00

I know there are a lot of sugar cookie recipes out there and everyone has their favorite but today I wanted to share with you MY favorite sugar cookie recipe. It's pretty basic but it uses almond extract in addition to vanilla extract and I LOVE it! I got this recipe from a dear friend and co-worker in college. She used to bring these sugar cookies into the office every holiday and there were never any leftover!

As for the frosting, it was kind of an experiment and it worked out fabulously. I have a small collection of flavored oils for candy making and I happened upon a cherry-flavored oil that I thought would be great in a buttercream frosting. Pairing that cherry flavor with the almond in the cookies and, my friends, we have a winning combination! I told my husband that these cookies were so amazing and my favorite sugar cookies ever. He didn't believe me at the time, after all, a sugar cookie is a sugar cookie right? Well, he changed his mind after eating one; he agreed with me. You will too!

Favorite Sugar Cookies
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 cups flour

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extract and milk; mix. Add flour and baking soda and mix until combined.

Chill dough for about 10-15 minutes. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface and cut with cookie cutters.

Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes.

Cherry Buttercream Frosting
1 stick butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tsp. cherry flavored candy and baking oil
2-4 Tbsp. milk
Food coloring (if desired)

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add powdered sugar; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape bowl, add cherry oil and milk, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

SOURCE:Cookies recipe from my friend Anita; Buttercream adapted from Annie's Eats.

Linked to...
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Ali-N-Son
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Spring Green Risotto

2011-03-17T07:00:00.004-06:00

Need something green for St. Patty's Day? Although this risotto isn't completely green, it's studded with green veggies and is the perfect one pot dish that will put you in the mood for spring. I absolutely love risottos and this one sure didn't disappoint. I loved the combination of the veggies and the lemon. The lemon seemed to bring out their flavor as well as lighten it up a little. I also liked the creamy smooth texture created by adding the cream cheese at the end. We ate this as a main dish, but you could also serve it as a beautiful side with ham or grilled chicken.

Spring Green Risotto
5 cups chicken broth or stock
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 lb. asparagus (thin spears), cut into 1-inch pieces and tough ends discarded
10 oz. frozen peas, thawed (or 1½ cups shelled fresh peas)
1/2 Tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 oz. cream cheese (original recipe actually called for 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tbsp. minced fresh chives

In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken broth or stock over medium heat until simmering. Reduce the heat to medium-low, keeping the stock warm.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots to the pan and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat well with the oil and butter, cooking for about 1 minute. Add the white wine and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more.

Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus in boiling water for about 1 minute (longer for thicker spears). Drain and rinse immediately with cold water to stop cooking. (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes as well.)

When the risotto has been cooking for 20 minutes, add the asparagus and peas to the risotto. Stir in the lemon zest, salt and pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm. The entire process should take about 25-30 minutes.

When the risotto is done, remove the pan from the heat. Mix in the lemon juice, cream cheese/mascarpone, Parmesan and chives. Stir until the cheeses are melted in and the risotto is creamy. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan, if desired.

SOURCE:Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics via Annie's Eats

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen

Kale Almond Pesto

2011-03-14T07:00:00.003-06:00

If you're a Sweet Luvin' Facebook fan, you'll remember a couple of weeks ago I posted some pictures of some pestos I was working on. Three to be exact. I don't know what got into me but all of a sudden I was just in this mood for pesto. And although I absolutely ADORE traditional basil pesto, I wanted to go out on a limb and try something new.

For those of you who aren't sure what pesto is, the name pesto comes from the same Latin root of "pestle," (like a mortar and pestle) which is fitting as the sauce, in its simplest form, is made by crushing a few key ingredients together (thank you wisegeek for the definition). I like to call it a condiment rather than a sauce. You can use it in so many ways. I've thrown it in some some ground chicken to make burgers, used it on sandwiches, on cooked pasta, dipped crackers, dipped my finger...and so on.

To say that I just enjoyed this pesto is an understatement. I finished off a the leftovers one day for lunch with some tortilla chips and I couldn't stop thinking about it the rest of the day. I wanted more! I like kale. It's a different green, very hardy and a little peppery but it just feels good eating it. That's probably because it's so good for you. It's high in fiber and has lots of good vitamins and minerals.

Kale Almond Pesto
1/2 bunch kale,
1/3 cup almonds
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half a lemon)
2-4 Tbsp. olive oil
2-4 Tbsp. warm water (this will soften the kale just a little)
pinch red pepper flakes

Place kale in food processor with water and lemon juice and pulse until chopped. Add almonds, garlic, and olive oil and pulse again to incorporate. Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste and pulse again to incorporate. Continue pulsing until you reach desired consistency, adding water and/or olive oil as desired.

Serve with crackers, chips or cooked pasta. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

SOURCE: Adapted from Elana's Pantry

Linked to...
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance

Lemonade Cake

2011-03-11T11:49:00.004-07:00

Ok, maybe right now you may be thinking, what's so special about this cake, it doesn't look like much. I mean how good could a cake from a mix actually be right? Well, be prepared to get your socks knocked off. Especially if you like lemon. We have been eating this cake in my family for as long as I can remember! I've eaten it so many times and I can't even count. This is one of our absolute favorites and one my dad got just about ever year on his birthday.

The lemon flavor in the batter gets kicked up a notch by adding some lemon Jell-o, then once again, after it's baked, by using lemonade in the glaze. This cake is best eaten completely cooled and is actually better and moister a day or even two after it's made.

Now, I get asked to make a lot of desserts, which I don't mind, and I tend to go for desserts that are a little more involved. I like to challenge my culinary skills once in a while. However, I can have this cake whipped up before the oven can even preheat. This recipe, no matter how easy, will never leave my recipe box!

For the cake:
1 small pkg. lemon jell-o
1 pkg. lemon cake mix
1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup water
3 large eggs

Mix all ingredients together at medium speed for 3 minutes. Spray a 9x13 pan and pour batter in. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes. Slightly cool and poke full of holes with a fork or toothpick. Spoon glaze slowly over the top, it will seep down into the holes. Cool completely.

Glaze:
6 oz. (half a can) lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Linked to...
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Ali-N-Son
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen

Sesame Noodles

2011-03-09T12:23:00.013-07:00

We love dishes like this in our house! The flavors are amazing and the colors brilliant. It's also very quick and easy to throw together, and healthy to boot. I have made this about 4 times over the past few months and there has never been enough leftovers to get a decent picture. So, I made sure this time to take photos BEFORE we ate it all.

We have dairy issues in our house so the fact that this dish has no cheese or milk is wonderful. This is a great one dish meal because you've got your grains and veggies all together. When we have unsalted peanuts, we throw them on top to make it a little more "meaty."

Sesame Noodles
1/2 lb noodles (spaghetti, whole wheat, rice, etc.)
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2-3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1/4 head cabbage (purple or green), sliced thin
2 whole Carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen peas
1/2 cup sesame seeds

Cook noodles according to directions. Drain, rinse under cold water. Prepare vegetables and put them in a large salad bowl. Add sesame seeds and noodles.

To make dressing, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, vinegar and crushed red pepper. Pour over noodles and veggies and toss well to coat.

SOURCE: Adapted from Aggie's Kitchen

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Mangia Mondays @ Delightfully Dowling

Tortilla Soup with Southwest Cabbage Slaw

2011-03-05T07:00:00.004-07:00

I don't know what happened to all the soup I used to make. I was so good last winter to make a pot of soup about once a week and we'd eat the leftovers over the next couple of days. This year I just haven't made it as much. Soups really are wonderful and generally easy and quick to throw together. You can usually sneak in lots of veggies too.

The last soup I made like this was your typical taco soup with hamburger and prepackaged seasonings, etc. This soup is definitely a step up from that has more of a WOW taste factor where tortilla soups are concerned. This soup is really easy to customize to your own tastes. For example, I chose not to use meat, but some grilled chicken might sit nicely on top. Or you could use different beans, different veggies, whatever strikes your fancy. While not all of this is as easy as opening up a can and dumping it in the pot, it is pretty easy and so tasty!

Oh and if you don't think you like cabbage, you might change your mind. The Southwest Cabbage Slaw is a great little topper that will add flavor and awesome texture to your soup.

Tortilla Soup
1-2 dried mulato or ancho chile peppers 
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
1 small onion, sliced 
3 cloves garlic, smashed 
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 
1 tablespoon coriander seeds (or roughly 2 tsp ground coriander)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups vegetable broth 
2 cups frozen corn (or 14-oz can)
2 cups (14-oz can) black beans
2 bay leaves 
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt 

Garnishes:
crumbled queso fresco 
diced avocado 
Fresh cilantro 
Southwest Cabbage Slaw (recipe below)

Crush the dried chilies in a mortar and pestle until pulverized. Set aside. Alternately, you can place dried chiles in a small saucepan, cover with water and boil about 5 minutes. Drain, pull out stems and seeds then puree in blender, adding a small amount of water water as needed for a smooth texture.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion and cook until the onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook about a minute longer. Add the tomatoes with their juice, 2-3 Tbsp. of the dried/pureed chilies, the coriander seeds and cumin and cook about 5 minutes. Add the broth, corn, beans, bay leaves and thyme and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook about 15-20 minutes.

Serve soup warm with you choice of garnish(es).

Southwest Cabbage Slaw
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
2 c coleslaw mix or thinly sliced cabbage
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all into a medium bowl and mix well. Keeps in the fridge, covered, for about a week.

SOURCE:Adapted from Perry's Plate

Linked to...
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper

March Menu

2011-03-02T18:10:00.007-07:00

Yeah, it's March! It's already getting warmer and I'm so excited. I'm so done with being sick and ready to get outside for some sunlight and fresh air. This month I'm trying to use up what I can in my freezer and my pantry, as well as plan for the produce I get in my weekly CSA basket. I don't have a plan for anything too indulgent because I want to get outside for lots of walks with my girls and shed that "winter coat," if you know what I mean. I do, however, have my 7 year wedding anniversary coming up in a couple of weeks so I'll probably make an exception that day, but I don't know what yet.

For those of you who are new, I'll link the recipes I've made before and posted. The other recipes I'll post as I make them. Last month I wasn't able to post several dishes I made and I was totally bummed about it. I hope I can get through them all this month.

Dinners
Chicken Burgers on Homemade Burger Buns, green beans and Herbed Potato Salad
Cold Sesame Noodles
Spring Risotto and Mango Chicken Salad
Cauliflower Soup
Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Roasted Garlic Pumpkinseed Pesto, Salad

Baked Penne w/ Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarella
Parsley-Feta Pesto, Roasted Garlic Hummus & Pita chips w/ raw veggies
Spinach Orzo Ensalata w/ Grilled Chicken
Pretzel Pizza Bites
Zuppa Toscana and Breadsticks
Chipotle Bean Tostadas, corn
Fiesta Chicken Salad w/ Cilantro-lime Rice

Pistachio Chicken w/ brown rice and veggie
Black Bean and Jicama Salad w/ Roasted Red Pepper Fritatta
BLT Pasta w/ Salad
Greek Tostadas w/ Chopped Greek Salad (this is an old recipe, I plan on re-writing it this month after I make it)
Thai Shrimp Soup

Orzo Stuffed Peppers
Spaghetti w/ Breadsticks
Shrimp Fried Rice w/ veggies
Chicken Barley Soup w/ Walnut Pesto

Other
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Breakfast Cookies
Movie Theater Cookies
White Chocolate Coconut Brownies
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes
Fig, Date and Almond Granola Bars

Linked to...
Menu Plan Monthly @ Mommy's Kitchen

National Pancake Day and Chicken Pot Pie Pancakes w/ Herb-Dijon Gravy

2011-03-01T07:00:00.003-07:00

Ok, here is my last installment of new pancakes for National Pancake Day (today, if you didn't know). Don't you worry though, I have pleanty more to post in the future. Have you ever had a savory pancake? I doubt most people have. I hadn't until this summer when I stumbled across this amazing recipe for Corn and Basil Cakes. We made these many times. My girls even liked and ate them. They'll make just about anybody a believer in a pancake that is not sweet or doused in syrup.

I've only tried a few different savory pancake recipes and I have to say that these are the most creative. Chicken pot pie is the ultimate comfort food and it's pretty much the epitome of cold weather baking. I love it. I couldn't resist trying it in pancake form.

Believe it or not, these pancakes were a success! My husband commented that he'd never had mustard on pancakes before but that he actually liked them. I'm glad I wasn't the only one eating them. These are actually a really great quick dinner option when you don't have much time or much in the fridge. Just throw in your leftover veggies, chopped up fine, make a little gravy and, voila!, you have dinner.

You still have time to celebrate National Pancake Day, even if you missed it for breakfast. Check out the end of this post for some more ideas or see my posts the past two days, I've linked up my favorites.

Chicken Pot Pie pancakes w/ Herb-Dijon Gravy
For the pancakes:
Double recipe Buttermilk Pancakes
1-1/2-2 cups chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 1 large breast)
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
3 green onions, thinly sliced

For the gravy:
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp. fresh dill or tarragon, finely chopped
2-3 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and ground black pepper

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Stir in flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in stock, dill or tarragon and Dijon, and cook until well thickened and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare buttermilk pancakes according to directions. Stir in the chicken, peas, celery, and green onions until incorporated. Let batter sit while griddle heats.

Pour batter onto griddle by 1/4 cups. Cook until golden brown on each side, and continue with the rest of the batter. Place cooked pancakes on a plate and keep warm in a 250˚F oven with foil on top.

Serve pancakes warm with herb-Dijon gravy.

SOURCE:Adapted from Rachael Ray

More pancake love....
Corn and Basil Cakes

Buttermilk Pancakes

Carrot Cake Pancakes w/ Cream Cheese Topping

2011-02-28T07:00:00.001-07:00

I'll have to admit, I was a little nervous to try these pancakes because the pancakes I made previous to these were a savory veggie pancake and my kids would NOT touch them! I thought I would be doomed and banned from making pancakes after that. I actually made these pancakes the very next morning after that fiasco and I was trying to make the batter up quickly before my girls saw that I threw in the shredded carrots. I had this plan to tell them they were yummy sprinkles but my 2 year old came in and called me on it, she knew exactly what they were. Much to my surprise though, she wasn't put off by them and asked for a bite. In the end, both girls ate up their pancake and we all liked them.

Although these are carrot CAKE pancakes, don't let the name fool you. They are actually pretty healthy with whole wheat flour and flax meal, as well as little added oil and sugar. The cream cheese topping is quite a treat, but, again, not too sweet. If you like carrot cake, you'll enjoy this healthy version as a pancake.

Carrot Cake Pancakes w/ Cream Cheese Topping
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
dash ginger
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 egg
2 cups finely grated carrot

Clean, peel and grate carrots. Mix flour, flax, baking powder, nutmeg, ginger and brown sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Fold in carrots. Let batter sit while griddle heats up.

Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop batter onto preheated griddle. Cook over medium heat, flipping when the pancake bubbles and the edges become slightly dry. Continue cooking until batter is gone. Serve warm with cinnamon cream cheese topping.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Topping
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. cinnamon

Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add powdered sugar, milk and cinnamon. Beat again, until well incorporated.

SOURCE: Adapted from Baking Serendipity

Here are a few more of my favorite pancakes:
Oatmeal Raspberry Pancakes w/ Berry Coulis

Banana Pancakes w/ Peanut Butter and Maple Syrup

Gingerbread Pancakes

S'mores Pancakes and National Pancake Day

2011-02-27T00:00:00.009-07:00

Did you know that Tuesday, March 1st is National Pancake Day? That may not mean much to you, but to a pancake lover like me, that thrills me! Any excuse to make pancakes and I'll take it. I love celebrating food holidays. It gives me something to look forward to and also something fun to do with my kids.

Over the next couple of days I'll be sharing some new pancake recipes that I've made as well as sharing links to ones I've made previously. My first installment are these scrumptius S'mores Pancakes. Enjoy!

About right now, I'm longing for summer. And summer reminds me of camping and camping reminds me of s'mores. Every time I go camping and there's a campfire, I just have to have a s'more. Even if I'm stuffed from delicious Dutch Oven cooking, I still have to have a s'more. It's like a ritual. I've branched out here and there and made dump cakes in a Dutch Oven, but I just long for that s'more. There's something about that perfectly cooked marshmallow, sandwiched in between melty chocolate and graham cracker. Mmm, hits the spot every time.

Well, as you know I also love pancakes. These pancakes combine two of my favorite things. What better food to eat than that? These pancakes really were amazing! Although they are a little sweeter, studded with chocolate chips and drizzled with marshmallow syrup, than I usually make for breakfast, it was a special occasion so I felt like I could indulge a little bit.

If you are a pancake lover like me, or even a s'more lover, you will love this new take on pancakes.

S'mores Pancakes
For the pancakes:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 1 sleeve of crackers, crushed)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk (I used almond)
2 eggs
2 tablespoon oil
½ cup chocolate chips

For the marshmallow syrup:
1 cup Marshmallow Fluff
4 tablespoon hot water

Whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine the milk, eggs, and oil and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Let batter sit while griddle heats up.

Spray griddle as needed. Pour batter by 1/4 cup on to the griddle and cook until bubbles start popping. Flip and cook another minute or two longer. Remove to a plate and continue with remaining batter.

For the Marshmallow syrup: Mix the marshmallow fluff and hot water in a bowl. Whisk well to combine, until it becomes smooth in texture.

Serve pancakes warm, with marshmallow syrup and more chocolate chips, if desired.

SOURCE:Inspired by The Mixing Bowl Diary

Here are some more of my favorite pancake recipes:
Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes with Pumpkin Maple Syrup

Linked to...
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
It's A Keeper Thursday @ It's A Keeper
Sweet Tooth Friday @ Alli-N-Son
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Decadent Brownie Pie

2011-02-24T09:21:00.008-07:00

This decadent dessert was actually part of our Valentine's Day celebrations, which we had about 5 days late because I was sick. When I was thinking what kind of dessert I wanted to make, I remembered back a couple of years ago when my husband bought me this flourless chocolate cake for my birthday. It cost a whopping $40 but it was every bit worth it. It was so delicious. I wanted to try something similar this year but couldn't find a recipe for a flourless chocolate cake I was happy with. I decided to look through all my desserts that I have bookmarked and came across this recipe for a brownie pie. Hello! I totally love brownies, and ganache, well that stuff just leaves me speechless. The recipe was so simple, I was worried it would deliver that intense, dense chocolaty goodness I was hoping for. Thankfully I was wrong.

This brownie pie practically melts in your mouth. If you want to eat it straight up, with out any toppings, I would suggest letting it sit out at room temperature first; and then, maybe even nuke it for 4-5 seconds. If you want to top it, I would HIGHLY suggest something raspberry, be it preserves, sauce, fresh or frozen. The dark chocolate is a perfect match with the raspberry. Other toppings you could try are caramel, ice cream, mints, peanut butter chips, you get my drift.

Decadent Brownie Pie

For the brownie layer:
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk

For the ganache:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

In a large bowl, add melted butter, sugar and corn syrup. Whisk to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt in a separate bowl; gradually add to the butter mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Spread batter into a greased 10-inch springform pan. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 1 inch from side of pan comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

For the ganache: In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour in chocolate; let sit for 3-4 minutes, then stir until smooth. Set aside about 10 minutes until slightly cool. Pour ganache over brownie layer and refrigerate until ganache is completely set.

Take out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving and let it sit at room temperature. Garnish as desired.

SOURCE:Let's Dish

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Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

2011-02-20T10:10:00.006-07:00

Let me just tell you that these pancakes were a dream!! They were gone all too quickly, if you ask me. I make a lot of pancakes, so I don't mind the few mintues it takes to whip them up a couple of times a week. If that is a stretch for you though, you may want to reserve these for a special occasion, because they require a little more effort and time than your average pancake. But, don't give up because they are totally worth it.

Lemon and ricotta are perfect in these pancakes. The ricotta makes them super tender and moist and the lemon flavor is present but not too much. It makes a perfect pair with some raspberry preserves, in fact it was pretty much heaven. My girls snarfed down THREE pancakes each, and that is unheard of. I have never seen them eat that many pancakes in one sitting.

Make these today for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you don't have some ricotta on hand, just strain some yogurt really well over some cheesecloth (about 15-20 minutes) and it works perfectly.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup milk (I used almond, but whatever is fine)
3 large eggs, separated
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups cake flour*
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar

Raspberry preserves, warmed

*You can substitute 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespons all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch per 1 cup of cake flour.

Combine the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add in the cake flour, baking powder and salt and mix just until incorporated. In another clean, dry mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue to beat, adding the sugar gradually, until medium-soft peaks form.

Fold one third of the egg white mixture into the ricotta mixture with a spatula until completely incorporated. Add in the remaining egg whites and fold in gently until the mixture is smooth and light.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Grease as needed. Ladle a 1/4 cup of batter onto the cooking surface for each pancake. Allow to cook until bubbles begin to form on the top surface. Use a large spatula to carefully flip the pancake and cook the other side until light golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm with raspberry preserves.

SOURCE:Annie's Eats