Greek Panzanella

Panzanella is Italian for bread salad, popular in the summer months when tomatoes and basil are prolific. I love the tomato-basil combination, but I also adore the Greek flavors of tomatoes, oregano and feta. This kind of salad is a staple at our house this time of year when the tomatoes are booming. It's fresh, quick to throw together and doesn't heat up the house.


Greek Panzanella
For the salad:
olive oil
1/2 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (4-6 cups)
Kosher salt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 red bell peppers, large diced (you could also use yellow or orange or a combination for more color contrast)
4-6 roma tomatoes, diced
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds
1/2 pound feta cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted

For the vinaigrette:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.

Place the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce and red onion in a large bowl.

For the vinaigrette: Whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion.

Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

SOURCE: Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prarie Story
This Weeks Cravings @ Mom's Crazy Cooking

Oatmeal Cookie Granola and Winner!!!

Somehow I deleted the picture I was going to use for this post and was left with this one. That just makes me crazy. Hope this one's good enough.

I've been hoarding granola recipes lately. We've gone through just about all of our cold cereal that we had in our food storage and I'm almost ready to not buy any more (except maybe Cheerios). I've made three different granola recipes lately and my girls just devour it. I'm thinking this is much better to put on the table than cold cereal any day, especially when I know what's going into it and can control the sugar.

I got this from my friend Tori and this is the only granola recipe so far I've made twice. It's pretty easy and very tasty. I halved the sugar & honey the original recipe called for. My family and I still liked it, so I see no reason in adding any more than that, especially if you are eating it with yogurt or a little milk, which are sweet anyway. The recipe below reflects those changes I have made.

8 cups oats
1/2-1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup ground flax seed (brown or golden)*
1/2 cup sucanat (you can substitute brown sugar)**
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut oil (you can substitute butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine oats, coconut, flax, sucanat/sugar, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Melt coconut oil/butter, honey and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix well once all is melted and pour over the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and coat well. Place on two large, greased cookie sheets and bake for 20 min or so, stirring once.

Let it cool. Add raisins or other dried fruit, if desired. Keep in an airtight container.


*There are 2 types of flax seed: brown and golden. When I was at Good Earth I asked what the difference in the two were. The employee told me that brown flax is higher in nutrition than the golden but the golden has a better taste. I also found out from another source that to access most of the nutrition of the flax that you have to eat it ground. Ground flax seed will only last about a week before going rancid, even in the fridge, so only mill as much as you will need in the short term. I tried grinding my flax seed in a small hand-held blender and it didn't do a thing to it. You will most-likely need a spice or coffee grinder to grind it up. I just threw my flax seed in whole in this recipe 'cause that's what I had.

**Sucanat is non-refined cane sugar.



....I used random.org and the winner of the apron is #7 Stephanie. Congrats! I have emailed you to let you know. Thanks to all for participating. It was really fun to see your answers. Please keep the comments coming, it gives me a feeler for what you like to see here on my blog.

Just Because

I know my blog is very small and inconsequential to the rest of the blogging world. I don't have sponsors and advertisements either, so I don't make any money off of it, but I love it. I love to share food with people, whether it be bringing a meal to a new mother, teaching a friend how to make something, or just sharing recipes that I love. Thanks for sharing my blog with me!

To show my thanks, I made this cute little half apron to giveaway.


I'm not going to get technical, I just want to keep it simple, so there will only be ONE entry possible per person. First, make sure you're a follower of this blog. Then, in the comments section answer these two questions:

1-How did you find my blog?
2-What is your favorite recipe here to date? (one you've tried or one you want to try)

Make sure you include a valid email I can reach you at in your comment. You have until Wednesday @ 5pm (MST), August 18, to enter. I will then choose and announce the winner.

Good Luck!

1st Giveaway!

So, I’m thinking about doing a giveaway since I’ve reached 50 followers (and beyond)! What do you think? Details to come.

Crispy Parmesan Ranch Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenders are becoming a favorite around here with my kids. Lately I've been making these pecan-crusted chicken tenders with honey mustard sauce that everyone really loves, but these sounded good when I saw them and wanted to see if they would be as well-received. I mean, who doesn't like ranch? My girls are crazy about parmesan cheese too--I know, wierd.

These were very easy to throw together. While they were cooking, I steamed some broccoli and hardly had any clean-up. My kind of meal. The verdict: delicious and very moist. My husband even said they were so good they didn't even need a dipping sauce. I'd say I'll be making these again.

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
2 cups lowfat buttermilk
1 packet ranch seasoning mix
2 cups fresh bread crumbs*
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Combine buttermilk and 1/2 packet of ranch mix in a baking dish. Add chicken tenders to buttermilk. Marinate for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or spray with cooking spray.

Combine bread crumbs, parmesan, remaining ranch seasoning and flour in a large bowl. Coat chicken pieces in crumb mixture, then lay on prepared baking sheet. Continue with remaining chicken pieces. Spray each piece with cooking spray or olive oil.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip, coat with cooking spray, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

*For fresh bread crumbs, I just toasted up about 3 slices of wheat bread then put them in a small food processor to process them until crumbly.

Spinach and Basil Pesto Pasta

This is a very easy dish, great for summer! The pesto is a cinch to throw together and if you grow your own basil, very economical. Most pestos call for pine nuts, but you can easily substitute walnuts if you can't find them or if they are too expensive. Pesto lasts a long time in the fridge and it can even be kept in the freezer for a long time as well, so if you have extra ingredients, make more and store for later.

Spinach-Basil Pesto
1 cup spinach, rinsed
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts
2-3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2-3/4 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Toss with about 1/2 lb. cooked pasta and top with additional parmesan cheese, if desired.

Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

This could possibly be the best homemade ice cream. EVER. And it has nothing to do with the fact that it's chocolate. And coconut. Ok, well maybe it has a little to do with the fact that it's chocolate. I got this recipe from my friend Carolyn and I could not wait to try it. I had some peach ice cream I was hurrying to try and finish so there would be room in my freezer for this.

Most, if not all, of the ice cream I have made in the past has used a custard base. I'm finding that I'm not such a fan. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. This does not use a custard base, no heating, no eggs, and there was a world of difference. It came out so incredibly creamy and so chocolaty! You should really make this. Even if you don't think you like coconut, using the coconut adds to the creaminess and it has a very subtle flavor.

Please, go make room in your freezer for this!

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 cup coconut milk
3 cups heavy cream
1/2-1 cup flaked coconut

Stir together the cocoa powder and sugars. Add the milk and whisk until the cocoa and sugars dissolve, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream, coconut milk and flaked coconut and whisk until incorporated. If not freezing immediately, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pour into ice cream maker and mix until the ice cream has a soft creamy texture. Top with additional coconut flakes and chopped almonds, if desired.

SOURCE: Adapted from Many Phat Sisters

(non) Cooking Class:How to make a green smoothie

I've been drinking green smoothies for a while now. It's been part of my effort to get more whole and raw foods in my diet and a great way to achieve fantastic health and energy. I try to drink between 2-4 cups a day.

My smoothies have evolved over the months as I have experimented with different greens and fruits, even the way I make them has changed. My husband used to complain that my smoothies were way too thick and he'd always have to add a lot of water to his when I'd share. Now, I think I've found a good method that makes a great smoothie that tastes good and is easy to get down. I know that there are many ways to do it, but I thought I would share what works for me.

What you'll need:
a blender (preferable high power)
1 banana
1-2 cups frozen fruit (mixed berries are the best)
any other fruit to taste
filtered water
*greens (see below)

First, gather all your ingredients. I have a small 1 quart blender which is the perfect size for what I drink.

Fill the blender with 1 cup water then fill it up to the top (or quart line) with spinach. I pack my spinach a little to get more in, but not too much. It's usually about 2 very large handfuls.


Blend the greens and water until all the greens are chopped up. It should reach about to the 2 cup line at this point.


Add your banana and frozen fruit. I think my blender is in the middle between a regular and high powered blender so I microwave my (frozen) fruit for about 20-30 seconds so I don't burn out the motor. I would suggest doing that if you don't have one. In this smoothie I put in a small handful of blueberries a banana, blackberries and mango. Power it up and blend until smooth. Add any other fruit you want to taste and do a final blend for about 60 seconds. Add more water if it's too thick.



You should have between 3-4 cups when it's all done.


Pour into a mason jar or a cup with a lid. Keep the lid on when you are not drinking to prevent oxidation. The smoothie will keep about 48 hours, just shake it up before you drinking.


NOTE: When using other greens in addition to spinach I have found that over time the smoothie gets a little sludgy. If you don't drink it all right away and it's too thick next time you go to drink it, just add a little water and shake it up.

Here are some of my favorite smoothies:
*spinach, banana, strawberries, whole orange (peeled)
*spinach, banana, blueberries, peaches
*spinach, banana, strawberries, pineapple

*Here's a tip: I try to buy fruit when it is in season and on sale. When I find a killer deal, I stock up and freeze it for smoothies later on. Plan ahead and you'll always have what you need to make your smoothie.


*(If you're a beginner, you will only want to use spinach as it is very mild. If you're a long-timer, try experimenting by adding chard, collards, beet greens and kale. My favorite to add is kale, it's kind of peppery and wonderful for your digestion. I've also used chard, which is kind of earthy and beet greens which aren't too bad. When adding other greens use both the leaf and stem and add only 1-2 at a time and taste before you add more.)

Brown Sugar Bourbon Pork Tenderloin

I have been making my Sweet & Spicy Shredded Pork for quite a while and I can't tell you how much I love it. I have made it lots for just our family and several times for pretty large gatherings. I never thought that I would find something to top that. I haven't decided if this pork tops it yet, but it certainly is it's equal. It was so delicious and super easy to make since I just threw it in the crock pot. This recipe uses a spice mix, which I don't usually do,but I love McCormick's Grill Mates marinades, especially the chipotle one, and this one is fairly new, I think. It sounded too good to pass up.

1 2-lb. pork tenderloin (or other pork roast)
1 packet (1-oz) McCormick Brown Sugar Bourbon Marinade
Juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup oil
2-4 Tbsp. water

Trim all the fat off of the pork and cut it into large chunks. Put the pork into a crockpot. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over the pork. Stir it around a little bit so that the pieces get coated with the marinade. Put the lid on and cook on high for about 2-3 hours, or until it falls apart.

After it's done cooking, shred it, either in the crock pot or on a plate. Turn the crock pot on low and let it cook another 30-60 minutes.

Serve it as you would any other pulled pork. We love to eat our with fresh tortillas with black beans and rice or like a salad with lettuce, beans and rice.

Linked to...
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
This Week's Cravings @ Mom's Crazy Cooking

August Monthly Menu

Oops! I mean to get this up a couple of days ago but then we went on a little overnight up the canyon and I forgot. I don't know why, but planning August's menu took me a little bit longer than usual. If I'm really efficient, I can whip up a menu in a day or 2 (that's with normal interruptions from every day life with kids), but this time it took me twice that.

Since the local produce stands are going to be booming here pretty soon, I wanted to take advantage of all the fresh fruits and vegetables I'm sure I will be hoarding. I tried to find recipes with a lot of fresh ingredients, or ones that would also help me clean some things out of the freezer. I'm expecting my menu may change near the end of the month, depending on my farmer's market finds, but I have some swap-outs that I've also tentatively planned just in case.

If you're new here, I have linked the recipes that I have made before and posted. The other recipes I will post throughout the month as I make them. If you see something that catches your eye, don't forget to stop back and check out the recipe later on.

Dinners:
Brown Sugar Bourbon Pork with Tomatillo Brown Rice and steamed broccoli
Zucchini Parmesan with Pesto Pasta
Tacos & fresh salsa
Parmesan Ranch Crispy Fingers & Fresh Mozzarella & Tomato Salad w/ Marinated Raisins

Greek Panzanella and corn on the cob
Penne Pasta w/ Smoked Ham and Pepper Cream Sauce & veggie
Hamburgers w/ steak fries and Spinach salad
Pineapple Chicken Fajitas and fresh fruit

Asian Slaw with Roasted Peanuts and Crispy Honey-Ginger Chicken
Pizza Rolls and fresh fruit
Quesadillas, Stuffed Poblanos and fresh salsa
Quick Chicken Jambalaya & Salad

Chicken Parm Meatball Subs w/ steamed green beans
Shrimp and Penne Pasta w/ steamed broccoli
Zucchini basil lasagna
White corn soup w/ Poblano cream sauce and quesadillas


Other things I'll be making:
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins
Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins
Whole Wheat Blueberry Banana Muffins
Oatmeal Cookie Granola
David Lebovitz's Top Granola
Peanut Butter Granola
Homemade Burger Buns
Nectarine and Gingersnap Tart
Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

Asian Slaw with Roasted Peanuts

I've always enjoyed eating salads but hardly ever took the time to make them at home. However, since embarking on a whole and raw foods quest, I find myself making them quite often and eating them as a main dish, rather than the side dish.

This salad is absolutely delicious. I didn't think I was a slaw person, I never really liked coleslaw, but I've had raw cabbage and brussel sprouts lately and have really enjoyed them. When I saw this salad on Ezra Pound Cake, I was immediately drawn because of the vibrant colors of the purple and green. I just knew it had to be delicious even before tasting it. This salad did not disappoint! Both my husband and I really liked it and will most-likely be having it again in the near future.

Update 4/26/12:Ever since stumbling upon this recipe, it has been my most favorite salad ever and my go-to in a pinch or to take to a family dinner. Even if you don't think you like cabbage you might just be surprised, so try it! I have also started using a different dressing than the original one I posted. Although the original is good, this Ginger Lime Dressing is absolutely amazing and pairs perfectly with this salad. It's sure to be your new favorite too.

For the salad:
1/4 green cabbage, shredded
1/4 red cabbage, shredded
2 large handfuls baby spinach, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bell pepper, julienned
1 cup frozen peas (thawed, not cooked)
1 carrot, shredded
2-3 green onions, sliced
Fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

For the dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

In a large salad bowl, toss together cabbage, spinach, cilantro, pepper, peas, carrots and onions. In a smaller bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Add roasted peanuts and black pepper. Serve immediately. (If you plan on having this for more than one meal, you may want to have the dressing on the side so that it doesn't wilt the salad.

SOURCE:Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

This recipe linked to Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen.

Cherry Coconut Muffins

The other day I stumbled across a couple of blogs and, for some reason, all of these muffin recipes just kept calling out my name. I saw so many I wanted to try that I had to bookmark them for later.

I thought of my friend Carolyn when I decided on these muffins because we share an affinity towards all things coconut. Also, learning lately about how healthy and healing coconut is made me want to make them even more.

I think these muffins turned out great! They stayed moist and were very flavorful. I made them a little smaller so they would be easy to grab as a snack or have a couple for breakfast.

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 heaping cup cherries, pitted, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup coconut oil, softened (or butter)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup milk; half coconut milk, half cow's milk (or whatever combination you want)
1/2 cup sour cream (yogurt works well here too)
1/2 cup shredded coconut, plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or paper line about 1 1/2 muffin tins.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl beat coconut oil and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 mins). Add eggs and almond extract and mix to incorporate. Alternately mix in by hand the flour mixture and the milk. Fold in sour cream, cherries and shredded coconut.

Spoon batter into muffin caps 1/2 to 2/3 full. Sprinkle coconut over tops. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and remove to wire racks.

Linked to...
This Week's Cravings @ Mom's Crazy Cooking

Mango Chicken Salad

I've been dying to post this salad for you all. I've made it a couple times now and just love it. The mangoes this summer have been amazing and I've found some pretty great deals so I've stockpiled a little bit. I've used some for fresh eating and in this salad and the rest I've just cut up and frozen for my green smoothies.

I love the different flavors of this salad that all seem to work so well together and compliment each other. I especially love the dressing, it's like the icing on the cake!

For the salad:
1 head romaine or leaf lettuce, shredded
3 tomatoes, diced
2 mangoes, diced
2-3 chicken breasts, grilled and diced (I seasoned my chicken with Johnny's Garlic Butter seasoning)
Feta cheese, crumbled
sesame seeds

For the dressing:
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tsp. freshly grated ginger

In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until combined.

For the salad, mix together the lettuce, tomatoes, mango and chicken. Serve on salad plates and top with crumbled Feta cheese and sesame seeds. Drizzle with dressing.


SOURCE:Adapted from Jamie Cooks It Up!

S'mores Bars

It seems like all I've been making lately is sweets. But, with summer come the outdoor parties and potlucks and we've had our fair share the past month or so. I don't complain because I love to be in the kitchen making anything delicious. These s'mores bars are a perfect summer treat because they are reminiscent of camping even when we can't go. I'm usually a dark chocolate kind of girl, except when it comes to Hershey's milk chocolate on a s'more. There's almost nothing better!


1 stick of butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
6 regular-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars
1 large egg
1 7-oz jar marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 package graham crackers, processed to a fine crumb(I think there's 9 full sheets in a package) or about 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a medium-sized baking pan (8 or 9-inch square or 8 x 11.5-inch). Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Set aside. Meanwhile,whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.

Place chocolate bars over dough, breaking it as needed to fit. Microwave the marshmallow creme for about 10 seconds and it should easily come out of the jar. Spread it over the chocolate bars. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the marshmallow creme and press down slightly, to flatten, with your hand. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Be sure to cool completely before cutting into bars. Makes 16 squares.

SOURCE:Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Basil and Fresh Mozzarella

I've wanted to try this pasta salad out ever since I saw it weeks ago on Pioneer Woman's website. I love the combination of fresh mozzarella, basil and tomatoes, and they make me think of summer. It's the perfect salad for right now. If you're a traditional pesto lover, you'll love this pesto as well with it's sun-dried tomato base. I used my own sun-dried tomatoes but jarred tomatoes work as well.

For the pesto:
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (approximately), or a 7 oz jar of store-bought sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil (or more)
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1-2 garlic cloves

For the salad:
1 lb rotini pasta, cooked and drained
1/2 cup olives, roughly chopped (you can use black, kalamata, green or a mixture)
2 large tomatoes, diced
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
10-15 basil leaves, chopped

In a small saucepan, cover sun-dried tomatoes with water and gently boil for about 5 minutes. Drain and add tomatoes to a small food processor or blender along with the rest of the pesto ingredients. Blend well.

In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta and pesto to your liking. Toss to coat well. Add the rest of the salad ingredients and toss again to coat. Garnish with extra grated parmesan cheese and basil.

Fauxstess Cupcake Trifle

I came up with this concoction the other night when I failed miserably at making chocolate cupcakes for a pot luck. By my third batch, and third recipe, I realized that my problem was an altitude adjustment. I haven't ever really adjusted for the higher altitude here (around 4,500-5,000 ft.) and it hasn't really been a problem in the past so that wasn't the first thing that came to my mind when things started to go wrong.

My first batch I had to throw away but I didn't want to trow away the other two because the cake tasted really good. So, I knew the only thing that the rest of the cake would be good for was trifle. I still had the rest of my ingredients I was going to use for filling and toping the cupcakes so I decided to use those as layers in my trifle rather than think of another trifle to make and go buy more stuff.

And thus, the fauxstess cupcake trifle was born! Once I got past all the mishap of the cupcakes, everything else went pretty smoothly and quickly and came together great. I even got my very own trifle bowl out of it! My husband came home from work with it for me. I couldn't believe how happy it made me.

This dessert will make you nostalgic for the old days you used take Hostess snacks in your lunch box to school. Make sure you have someone to share this will or you might get caught licking the bowl clean!

For the cake:(I used Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake)
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder (1/2 tsp for high altitude)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda (1/2 tsp for high altitude)
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F (375 for higher altitude). Grease and flour a 13x9-inch baking pan.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes (probably closer to 18-22 minutes @ 375) or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Cut or break into 1-inch pieces.

For the marshmallow cream layer:
4 tsp very hot water
1/2 tsp salt
2 (7 oz) jars marshmallow cream
1 cup shortening
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Dissolve the salt in the hot water and allow to cool.

Whip the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla until it begins to get fluffy. Add the water and whip well.

For the ganache layer:
1 cup heavy cream
16 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate, (chips or finely chopped)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened and cubed

Heat cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steaming, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter and chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.

To assemble the trifle, layer 1/3 of the cake in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Next top with 1/3 of the marshmallow cream and 1/3 of the ganache. Repeat with other 2 layers, ending with the ganache. (For a garnish, you could reserve some of the marshmallow cream and pipe it into curlicues across the top).




SOURCE:Hershey's Kitchens for the cake and Evil Shinanigans for the cream.

Big Fat Spicy Saté Noodles

I love anything with peanut butter, and these noodles are no exception. There is quite a flavor combination going on here with the sweet and salty peanut butter, the red pepper flakes, the lime and the fresh cilantro, but it all works. The flavors are great together. These noodles would be perfect aside some Thai or Asian-style grilled chicken and steamed green beans.

1/2 lb. bucatini pasta (or other large tube pasta)
1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1-2 large garlic cloves, chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 Tbsp temari (or soy sauce)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts (optional)
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Bring pasta water to a boil. Cook to al-dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.

Return pot to stove. Add vegetable oil, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup reserved pasta water, chicken stock and temari and bring to a boil. Cook 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat and add peanut butter and whisk. If it's too thick, add more reserve liquid. Add lime juice, noodles and toss to coat. Add nuts, if desired, cilantro and toss.

SOURCE:Rachael Ray

Chocolate Sheet Cake

If you need to feed dessert to a crowd, then this cake is for you. It's deliciously chocolaty and very moist and who doesn't like chocolate cake anyway? Take it to your next pot-luck and you won't be bringing any home!

For the cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbsp(heaping) cocoa
2 sticks butter
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking Soda
1 tsp vanilla

For the frosting:
1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 3/4 stick Butter
4 Tbsp (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing: Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Allow to cool before slicing into squares.

*You can also half this recipe and bake it in a 9x13 pan.

SOURCE: Lick the Bowl Good

Pizza Rolls

I have been dying to post these pizza rolls for a LONG time, but the last time I made them and took pictures, the pictures didn't turn out. Now, I know this is probably not a novel idea to most but I hadn't ever seen anyone do it and I thought it was pretty cool. They turned out so delicious too. We love these pizza rolls.

1 recipe perfect pizza crust
1 cup Easy Pizza Sauce
1 cup (more or less) mozzarella cheese
3-4 Tbsp. melted butter
3/4 Tbsp. garlic butter seasoning (I use Johnny's from Costco)

Make pizza crust according to directions and let raise once. After it has risen, turn it onto a counter sprayed with cooking spray and roll it out thin, in the shape of a rectangle. Spread sauce; you may only need 1/2-3/4 cup but you can use the rest for dipping after the rolls are cooked. Add cheese and start rolling the dough tightly in a neat line. When there's about an inch of dough left, stop rolling and pull the edge up and over, pinching it closed.

With a piece of dental floss (preferably not the mint kind), slide it under the roll and pinch of pieces about 1-inch thick (for a visual, see photo on my orange roll recipe). Lay the rolls in a 13x9-inch baking pan, sprayed with cooking spray. You should get 12 rolls out of the dough. Cover lightly and let raise until about doubled.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine melted butter and Johnny's seasoning and brush over the tops of the rolls. Bake for about 17-20 minutes.

Serve warm either plain or with extra pizza sauce for dipping.

This recipe linked to Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen

Chocolate Rootbeer Bundt Cake

I'm still trying to get recipes up from our family 4th of July celebration. I was in charge of rolls and dessert. I must like to make things complicated because while one dessert would have sufficed, I made 3. Yes THREE! And guess who got to eat all the leftovers?

Anyway, I'm actually glad I got to eat these leftovers. I think this is my new favorite chocolate cake. I loved the genuine root beer flavor it had. Just plop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and it tasted just like a root beer float. Really, it did.

Since I decided to use root beer flavoring, I decreased the amount of root beer in the original recipe and swapped it out for some sour cream. It was great because it made for an incredibly moist and dense cake; just like I like it. Hmm, maybe that's why me and brownies get along so well.

Oh, and let's not forget about the frosting. I love it. It's so creamy and very chocolaty-a chocolate lover's delight. This recipe does make quite a bit of frosting. I generously frosted the entire cake and still had about a cup leftover.

I will definitely be making this again and I will also be using it as my base chocolate cake and frosting recipe (minus the root beer flavoring). You should be able to swap out the remaining liquid with milk or buttermilk and have it turn out fine.

Chocolate Rootbeer Bundt Cake
1 cup root beer (not diet)
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. root beer flavored candy and baking oil

Preheat even to 325 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray, or butter generously and dust with flour, knocking out the excess.

In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten. Then whisk into the cocoa mixture until combined.

Gently pour the cocoa mixture into the flour mixture, whisking as you pour, just to combine. Add sour cream and root beer oil and whisk until just combined.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and cook for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then loosen edges with a butter knife and turn out onto a cake plate.


Rootbeer Fudge Frosting
2 ounces 60% cocoa, melted
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
dash salt
1/4 cup root beer
1/4-1/2 tsp. root beer flavored cooking and baking oil
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, beat softened butter and cocoa powder. Once combined add the melted chocolate, salt, powdered sugar, root beer and root beer oil. Beat together until smooth. Spread on top of the cooled cake. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.


SOURCE: Adapted from Baked:New Frontiers in Baking

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

Cooking Class: Butter Crescent Rolls

My mom started making these rolls years ago in place of these Two-hour rolls we grew up on (that I still love). I loved them so much, I also adopted the recipe and now it is my go-to roll recipe whenever we have a family gathering or a pot luck dinner to attend. They are so light and airy and practically melt in your mouth.

*I had previously posted these years back but I make them a little differently now and I thought I'd also show some step-by-step instructions to demonstrate just how easy they are to make.

1 cup milk
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
8 cups bread flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. instant yeast (If you don't have instant yeast, you'll have to dissolve the yeast in the cup or warm water)
1 cup warm water
2 large eggs, beaten


Heat milk until bubbles from around sides. Remove from heat and add butter. Stir until mixture cools and butter is melted. In a mixing bowl, fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Pulse to combine. Add water and eggs and gently pulse, then add the milk mixture. Knead for about 30 seconds. Dough should be sticky. If it's too dry, add more water.

Knead for about 4 minutes. Put dough into a large greased bowl and let sit, covered, until doubles. Punch down and divide in fourths. (I am terrible at evenly dividing dough so I use my kitchen scale to make sure all my dough balls weigh about the same.)

Let dough rest for 10 minutes. Take one dough ball and roll it into about an 8-9-in circle.


Cut into eighths (like a pizza); a pizza cutter is the easiest way I have found.




Starting at the wide end, roll the dough up to the tip.


Place either in a greased cake pan or cookie sheet (metal pans work better; you will need several), making sure to put the tip side down so it doesn't unroll while it raises.


Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Cover with a light kitchen or pastry towel and let raise again until doubled in size.


When the rolls are just about done raising, preheat the oven to 400°F.


Bake rolls for 12-15 minutes.


*NOTES:There are so many fun things you can do with these rolls! I have divided the dough into 8 balls, rolled it into smaller circles and made crescents half the size. These are great for bridal/baby showers or for parties. You could also make them bigger, make 3 balls instead of 4, and make larger rolls for chicken or egg salad sandwiches.

Another fun thing is to put fillings into them. I have made ham and cheese roll ups, put pizza sauce and cheese inside, of course cinnamon and brown sugar, sugar and orange zest with a little orange glaze...the possibilities are endless. Have fun with it and enjoy!

Red-White-and-Blue Lemon Berry Bars

When I saw these a while ago on another blog, I knew they would be the perfect addition to my fourth of July menu. I had already chosen a chocolate dessert, and needed something fruity and colorful to go with the holiday.

I don't just like all things lemon, I LOVE them; especially when it comes to desserts. One of my most favorite lemon desserts that I grew up eating is this Lemonade Cake that is simply light and delicious. I was also introduced to this Sour Lemon Pie by my friend several years ago on Thanksgiving and now no Thanksgiving is complete without it! One of my husband's most favorite desserts is classic lemon bars, which, I have to say, I have never made for him. Oh, and if you're into lemon too, you'll love this Lemon Linguini. It's a perfect summer meal.

Now, onto these bars. They're delicious. The graham cracker crust is crunchy and sweet and I love how the lemon is infused into it as well as the creamy filling. You could really use just about any berry or combination of berries in this filling; I think most berries pair pretty well with lemon. I chose red raspberries and blueberries to complete the red-white-and-blue theme.

For the crust:
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
Zest of two lemons

For the filling:
4 large egg yolks
2-14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
2 tsp. lemon zest
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist. Press crumbs into the prepared pan, pressing the crust mixture one inch up the side of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

For the filling, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk until well mixed. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir until mixture begins to slightly thicken. Gently fold in the blueberries first then the raspberries. Fold carefully so you don’t break the raspberries (or your filling will turn pink).

Pour the filling evenly over the graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes.

Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least one hour before serving. Cut into bars and serve. Keep bars in the refrigerator-up to five days.

*Notes:
-You can also use frozen berries. I used frozen raspberries from my garden, but they bled a little bit as they thawed and cooked.

-This makes a lot of bars. You can half the recipe and make it in an 8x8 dish.

SOURCE:Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Celebrating the 4th

We had a great day today with family celebrating the 4th of July. Although it was a little unseasonably cool and quite windy, we enjoyed swimming, picnicing in the park for dinner and, of course, yummy treats.

I hosted everyone at our home and was in charge of dessert and rolls. I started getting things ready last night. My 3-year-old loves to be in the kitchen with me whenever I'm making something. I thought it would be a fun project for her and I to make homemade suckers for all the kids to take home. We decided on red watermelon and blue rootbeer flavors. They turned out great and was a short enough project for my daughter to complete with me.

The other things I made were a chocolate rootbeer cake, butter crescent rolls (tutorial coming) and some cool berry-lemon bars. Everything was delicious and I couldn't be happier just spending time with my family. What a great day!

Giant S'mores Cookies

Boy were these fun to make! I had my girls help me with them and I think they got a sugar high from stuffing as much chocolate and marshmallows into their mouths as they were putting on top of the cookies.

A lot of people around here like to go up the canyon for the 4th of July to do their barbecuing. I don't know about you, but for me, a campfire just cannot be put out without first making s'mores. Since we're not going to be in the canyon this year, I think these cookies make a good substitute. They were delicious.

2 sticks softened butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 regular size Hershey’s Chocolate Bars, broken into pieces
3 full graham crackers, broken into pieces
5-6 large marshmallows, cut into fourths

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butter and sugars into a stand or electric mixer; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Using a large scoop, or a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop dough out onto cookie sheet. Flatten out with the palm of your hand. Gently press the chocolate, graham cracker pieces and marshmallows into the dough.


Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Makes 18 giant cookies

SOURCE:Picky Palate

July Monthly Menu

Another month has come and gone. Just the other day I was realizing that we're halfway through the year already. Wow! As I was gearing up for this month's menu, I wanted to go back through my recipes and try some old favorites that we haven't had in a while. I like to try new things a lot but it's sad when something is so good and it only gets made once then forgotten about. So you'll see many links this month to those previous recipes that I've already blogged about (well, I can't say I really blogged about some of them because they were from the very early days of Sweet Luvin' In the Kitchen and back then it was basically a recipe box).

I tried to keep about half of my recipes meatless and include a lot of fresh veggies and whole foods. I'll be making a few extra things this month, meals for mom's with babies and the 4th of July, but I haven't quite figured it all out yet so there may be a few surprises here and there.

Here's what's for dinner:
Honey-lime Chicken and Orzo with Spinach and Pine Nuts
Greek Chickpea Salad, eggplant foccocia and fresh oranges
Hamburgers w/ steak fries and green salad
Veggie Pasta Salad and fresh fruit
Orange Cashew Chicken with Broccoli and Ginger Noodles

Barbecue Chicken Bacon Pizza with Caramelized Onions
Pecan Apple Chicken Salad with Peanut Sauce
Mexican Rice Bake
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta w/Fresh Mozzarella and zucchini
Spicy Mango Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Spanish Rice

Asian Slaw with roasted peanuts and Whole Wheat Bread
Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce and steak fries
Basil Chicken Burgers and steamed green beans
Bean Curry and Thai Coconut Rice
Pizza Rolls and fresh fruit

Lemon Linguini
Brown Sugar Bourbon Pork with Tomatillo Brown Rice and steamed veggie
Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Apricot Sauce, homemade bread and zucchini
quesadillas and sauteed fresh corn
Stuffed Poblanos and pico de gallo


Other things I'll be making:
Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
Quinoa Granola
David Lebovitz's Top Granola
Cracked Wheat Blender Pancakes
Homemade Burger Buns

Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

I think my ears were deceiving me the other night when I served this because my 3-year-old asked for THREE servings of this chicken! Wow, that's amazing for her, especially because I haven't seen her eat more than a morsel of chicken in I don't know how long. My husband said it was also better than the restaurant food we had the last time we ate out. This was super easy and really quick to prepare. By the time the oven was preheated (about 6 minutes) I had the chicken cut, dipped, rolled and ready to go in the oven. The chicken comes out really moist and cooks quickly because it's cut thin.

For the chicken:
4 chicken breasts, cut length-wise into tenders (about thirds or fourths depending on how big the breast is)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (Italian-style, plain, panko or homemade, whatever you have)
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 egg
2 Tbsp. water
flour (for dipping)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Set up your breading station with three shallow dishes (like a pie plate) next to each other. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set it after the last dish in your breading station. Add flour to the first dish. Mix the egg and water and put them in the second dish, then mix the pecans and the bread crumbs and put them in the last dish.

Dip the tenders into the flour, then egg mixture and last, the pecan mixture, turning so that they are coated on all sides. Lay them in the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all tenders are breaded.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with honey-mustard dipping sauce.

For the sauce:
Mix one part honey to one part honey dijon mustard and add a little squirt of mayo. Mix well.

SOURCE:Adapted from This Mommy Cooks

Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

These pancakes are right up my alley! For one, I love breakfast; two, I love pancakes and three, apples and cinnamon are a great combination. You can feel extremely good eating a short stack of these for breakfast. They are very fresh and very healthy. I like that they are not too sweet, especially if you plan on eating them with syrup. I really love using all whole wheat as well. It just feels good going down and the nuttiness of the wheat goes well with the apples and cinnamon. I make a double batch of these and then freeze the extra for a quick breakfast another time.

1 apple cored and grated
1 T lemon juice
2 cups freshly milled whole wheat flour (regular ww flour is fine too)
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 1/2 C buttermilk
1/2 C applesauce (no sugar added)
2 eggs
2 T oil

Core apple and either in a food processor, or a hand-held grater, shred (I leave the peel on). Put the shredded apple in a bowl and add the lemon juice to it. Stir to coat, preventing oxidation.

In large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients and slowly add them to the dry ingredients, mixing until well-incorporated. Let batter rest while griddle heats up.

Pour batter, by the 1/4 cup, onto a hot griddle and cook until bubbles on top start popping. Flip and cook another minute or two longer. Remove to a plate.

Serve with your favorite preserve or syrup.

Makes about 1 dozen.

SOURCE:Adapted from Jaime Cooks it up

NOTES:In Jaime's original recipe, she used 1 1/2 cups water and 6 Tbsp. powdered milk instead of the buttermilk. That may be a good alternative for you if you want or need to use shelf-stable products from food storage. Otherwise though, I just LOVE buttermilk in my pancakes.

This recipe linked to Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen, and Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms.

Brownie S'mores

When the weekend rolls around, I am always in the mood to bake something fun for dessert. I had actually planned to make somthing different but I thought my girls would enjoy these brownies I spied on Picky Palate the other day. When we were buying the marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers at the store, my three-year-old asked me if we were going camping because she recognized the ingredients for s'mores. I had to chuckle. This is a yummy treat that will be enjoyed by all!

1 box of your favorite brownie mix
4 1/2 full Graham Crackers
3 1/2 Full size Hershey’s Bars
16 large marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Spray an 8x8 inch or brownie pan with cooking spray.
Pour half the brownie batter into the pan. Layer graham crackers over brownies followed by Hershey Bars and marshmallows. Pour remaining brownie batter over the marshmallows. Bake for 35-38 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean. Cool completely and cut into squares.

SOURCE:Picky Palate

Chinese Chicken Salad

This is really a no-brainer. We love this salad. It's quick, easy and very tasty. Lately, I'm all about throwing things together as quickly as possible. Ya throw the chicken on the grill and in the 5 minutes it takes to cook, you have the cabbage shredded, the onions chopped and the rest of it ready to throw on top. You could really use just about any leaf lettuce or cabbage for this salad. Try purple cabbage and mix it with another leaf lettuce for a more vibrant color! I just stuck with plain old cabbage because it's so healthy.

Did you know that cabbage is high in vitamins A, C, E, & B as well as fiber? It can also lower the risk of some cancers and inhibit infection.

1 head cabbage
2 chicken breasts
1 bunch green onions
Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
mandarin oranges
Sliced Almonds
Chow Mein Noodles (optional)

Preheat barbecue grill on medium setting. While grill is heating up, brush the sesame dressing on both sides of each chicken breast. Grill 3-4 minutes per side, maybe more or less depending on thickness. While chicken is cooking, shred cabbage and put in a large salad bowl. Cut off just the tip from both ends of the green onions then cut them up on the diagonal, using both the green and white part. Toss green onions and oranges in with the cabbage. Place almonds and noodles separate serving dishes to add to individual salads.

When chicken is done cooking, let rest for about 5 minutes. Either cut into 1-inch strips or small cubes.

To serve salad, scoop cabbage, onions and oranges onto a salad plate and top with chicken, noodles (if desired), almonds and salad dressing.

Skillet Tacos

I've been making these skillet tacos for about the past 3 months. It's pretty much a homemade hamburger helper meal, only better. I try to stay away from the boxed stuff and a lot of processed foods, and this is pretty easy to put together. My kids and I really like American-style tacos, with hamburger and taco seasoning, so I'm all for cooking something they like and will eat. While my 3-year old would eat a taco in a shell, I would have to help her and it can get pretty messy. When I saw this version popping up on several blogs, I knew it would be a great alternative for our little hands to handle.

1 lbs. lean ground beef
8 oz. rotini
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4-5 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup taco seasoning (or 1 pkg. taco seasoning)
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the beef is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the beef is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in most of the diced tomatoes, reserving some for garnish, and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, sour cream and reserved pasta water, if needed, and continue stirring until the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese and fresh tomatoes.

SOURCE:Adapted from Annie's Eats