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

Orange Rolls

These orange rolls take me back to the honeymoon phase of our marriage. When my husband and I were first married, we lived in this little old 4-plex in the basement. I think we must have felt pretty invincible when it came to sweets because we ate them like there was no tomorrow! On our honeymoon in St. George, we discovered Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk and Chubby Hubby ice cream flavors. They were our favorite and still continue to be (although we restrain ourselves much better now than we used to).

Rhodes Orange Rolls were another treat we indulged in quite often. And what made it better was that there would always be a $1.00 off coupon on the package so we'd use it to buy the next one. Mmm, we would pop these rolls in the oven at night after work and school and snarf a couple of hot ones while watching TV. We'd always leave 2, one for each of us for breakfast the next morning. I'm not sure when we stopped doing that, but It was probably a good thing or we'd each be about 500 lbs!

I got this recipe from my sister years ago and I think it is every bit as good as those Rhodes rolls. I'm not sure where she got it, but it is just delicious! The dough is a basic sweet roll dough and really could be used for many different kinds of rolls. You could do cinnamon rolls, or even try cream cheese and chocolate chips rolled up inside. What do you put in your rolls?

For the dough:
4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. dry active yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs, well-beaten
1 1/4 cup warm water

For the filling:
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange

For the glaze:
juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
powdered sugar

In mixing bowl fitted with dough hook, combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix for a few seconds. Add remaining ingredients and mix for about 30 seconds. Make sure it's not too wet or dry and add water or flour if necessary. Knead for about 5 minutes on low speed. Dough will be slightly sticky. Remove dough to another bowl, sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Gently deflate dough and divide dough in half. Roll one half of the dough out into a rectangle. Spread half of the butter onto the dough, followed by half of the sugar and orange zest.


Roll up and pinch off slices about 1-1/2 inches thick with a piece of dental floss.


Place rolls into 2 foil pie tins, about 7-8 per tin.


Bake at 375 degrees F for 13-17 minutes or until slightly golden on top.


Mix glaze in a medium-sized bowl and whip until smooth. Spoon over warm rolls.


*NOTE:By putting these in two different tins, they are perfect to give away. You could also bake one and freeze one to pull out later. No need to thaw frozen rolls, just stick them in a cold oven. Turn on the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden. Make all of the glaze at one time and just freeze half of it in a small tupperware with the rolls. Thaw completely before glazing rolls.

*This recipe linked to Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen.

Cooking Class: Classic Baguette

I'd like to start a new segment on my blog (not sure about how frequently yet), featuring how to do different things so if there's anything you'd like to know, leave a comment and I'll see if I can help you out. Feel free to leave your feedback as well.

Today's Cooking Class I'd like to feature a simple and classic baguette.

As I've said before, making bread is not really that hard, it just takes practice and "getting it." Over a year and a half ago I endeavored to make bread for our family instead of buying it. I found a good recipe from my husband's great aunt in a family cookbook we had and since I actually knew her I gave her a call. I had her talk me through her recipe and I wrote down notes and I thought I was good to go. However, I made the bread and my loaves turned out like bricks!

For me, the "getting it" part didn't happen until I actually saw for my self how to do it. I took a bread-making class and my bread has been forever changed; for the better. Hopefully these step-by-step instructions and photos will help you "get it" as well and make beautiful bread.

This recipe takes some forethought and several hours from start to finish, but minimal effort on your part. Most of the time the dough will be sitting on the counter while you go about your business.


First of all you'll need to mix together the flour, water and a little yeast for the starter. Cover and let sit. You'll want to let this sit at room temperature on your counter at least 4 hours, up to 14 hours. I just do mine overnight. The picture above shows what it will look like after you've let it rest.


The next day, add your flour, salt and *yeast to your mixing bowl and whiz a second or two to mix it up. Then, add all of the starter and water.

*I use instant yeast and just throw it in with my dry ingredients. If you are using active dry yeast, you'll want to add the warm water to your starter then sprinkle the yeast on top to proof it. Stir it around a little bit to get the yeast off the sides of the bowl, then add it to your dry ingredients.

You may have to adjust the amount of water you use because it will vary depending on type of flour, yeast, weather conditions, etc. I measure approximately the amount in the recipe then when I've poured almost all of it in, I turn on the mixer for a second to see how it's coming together. You don't want it too dry so it's already pulling off the sides of the bowl at this point, you want it just wet enough to leave a little on the sides. Knead the dough in the mixer for about 5 minutes until it's cohesive and somewhat smooth.


Dump it out into a greased bowl and form a ball. Cover with either a lid, light dish towel or plastic wrap. Let raise about an hour (or until doubled).


Gently punch it down and flip it over. Replace cover and continue to let it raise. After about another hour, punch it down and turn it over again. Replace the lid and let it rise for the third time.


This was my dough at the end of the third rise.


Turn the dough onto a lightly greased work surface and divide the dough into 2 equal balls (you can do 3 if you want skinny baguettes). Cover with a light towel or greased plastic wrap and let rest about 10-15 minutes.


Roll out the dough into a rectangle. Fold the dough in half, flatten it and seal the edges. Fold the dough over again and seal the edges. Turn the seam under and gently roll it back and forth, starting from the center, to lengthen and shape it.


Pinch the ends closed and tuck them under if you wish.




Gently lay the loaf on a greased baking sheet. (Obviously I have trouble dividing my dough evenly. You could use a kitchen scale to weigh each dough ball if you wanted to get them the same size.)


Once the loaves have been formed, cover them again with either a light kitchen towel or greased plastic wrap. Let rise until puffy but not quite doubled. Near the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Liberally spray the loaves with warm water.


Take a very sharp knife and, holding it at 45 degree angle, make 3 diagonal slashes down the baguette.


Throw them in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. Make sure you bake them long enough, they should look pretty golden.


When you take the loaves out of the oven you will hear them snap and crackle. Listen closely! From the cross-section here you can see, I rolled my dough up and didn't flatten it very well so air was trapped in between.

Typical artisan breads are holey. While these homemade loaves won't be quite as holey, they'll be holey enough to hold onto some garlic butter or herbed olive oil. Hope you enjoy!

The Recipe

For the Starter
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cool water
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) Bread Flour
1/16 teaspoon instant yeast

For the Dough
All of the starter
1 teaspoon instant yeast or 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) lukewarm water*
3 1/2 cups (14 3/4 ounces) Bread Flour*
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

*If you use bread flour, increase the water to 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (9 ounces).


For the starter, mix together the flour, water and a little yeast for the starter. Cover and let sit. You'll want to let this sit at room temperature on your counter at least 4 hours, up to 14 hours (or overnight).

The next day, add your flour, salt and *yeast to your mixing bowl and whiz a second or two to mix it up. Then, add all of the starter and water. Knead the dough in the mixer for about 5 minutes until it's cohesive and somewhat smooth.
*I use instant yeast and just throw it in with my dry ingredients. If you are using active dry yeast, you'll want to add the warm water to your starter then sprinkle the yeast on top to proof it. Stir it around a little bit to get the yeast off the sides of the bowl, then add it to your dry ingredients.

Dump kneaded dough out into a greased bowl and form a ball. Cover either with a lid, light dish towel or greased plastic wrap. Let raise about an hour (or until doubled).

Gently punch it down and flip it over. Replace cover and continue to let it raise. After about another hour, punch it down and turn it over again. Replace the lid and let it rise for the third time.

Turn the dough onto a lightly greased work surface and divide the dough into 2 equal balls (you can do 3 if you want skinny baguettes). Use a kitchen scale to make them the same size if you wish. Cover with a light towel or greased plastic wrap and let rest about 10-15 minutes.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle. Fold the dough in half, flatten it and seal the edges. Fold the dough over again and seal the edges. Turn the seam under and gently roll it back and forth, starting from the center, to lengthen and shape it.
Pinch the ends closed and tuck them under if you wish.

Gently lay loaf on a greased baking sheet. Once the loaves have been formed, cover them again with either a light kitchen towel or greased plastic wrap. Let rise until puffy but not quite doubled. Near the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 450degrees F. Liberally spray the loaves with warm water.

Take a very sharp knife and, holding it at 45 degree angle, make 3 diagonal slashes down the baguette.

Bake the baguettes for about 25 minutes. Make sure you bake them long enough, they should look pretty golden.

Remove loaves to a cooling rack and let cool completely.


SOURCE:King Arthur Flour

Sticky Coconut Chicken

My cooking tends to go through themes and lately I've had this thing for coconut ANYTHING! I think it all started when I made this Thai Coconut Rice that I absolutely fell in love with, to go with my mom's Honey Curry Chicken. It's divine! Then, I saw this sticky coconut chicken from Amber @ This Mommy Cooks and I knew I wanted to try it. I love how moist this chicken is and the glaze makes it yummy and sticky. My husband doesn't usually say too much about the food I make, even though he eats it without complaint, but he said he really liked this chicken. This is so easy and quick to prepare; I'll be adding this to my menu more often.

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Marinate chicken in coconut milk, ginger, pepper and red pepper flakes at least one hour (You could probably get away with marinating it overnight). Grill on barbecue.

Glaze:
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

While the chicken is grilling, bring above ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Once it starts getting really thick, immediately take it off the heat. Glaze both sides of chicken the last few minutes of grilling.

SOURCE:This Mommy Cooks

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

I am loving this salad lately. I have had it several times at my mom's house and finally made it for us. It's very quick to throw together, and so tasty. I love the feta and walnuts. Drizzle a little poppy seed dressing on top and it's heaven! The poppy seed dressing I tweaked a little from my sister's mother-in-law's recipe. It's one of the best poppy seed dressings I have had.

Throw some grilled chicken on top to make it a main dish salad, or serve it up as a side on any summer menu. Be ware though, if you take it to a pot luck, you'll come home empty-handed!


For the salad:
1 10-oz. bag baby spinach
feta cheese, crumbled
1 quart strawberries, sliced
walnuts

Put everything in a large salad bowl and gently toss. Add dressing and toss again. (Note: Add dressing to the whole salad only if you do not plan to have leftovers; otherwise it will wilt.)




For the dressing:
1 cup sugar
2 t salt
1 t dry mustard
1 t Dijon mustard
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 T red onion (about 2 slices)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Put everything but poppy seeds in a blender and whiz until well-blended. Add poppy seeds last and pulse breifly just to combine.

Store in fridge for 3–4 weeks

Garlic Rosemary Roast Chicken

Ok, I seriously did not want to post this recipe because I just could not get a good picture to save my life! But, it was so good, I couldn't NOT post it. I know the recipe is for a whole chicken, but I actually cooked a turkey breast, of about the same size, I have had sitting in my freezer; I think it worked just as well.

I love brining my birds. It makes them so incredibly moist. My first experience with brining was with this Cider Roasted Chicken, which we loved. I think this is equally as good. I love the flavor of roasted garlic and rosemary is one of my favorite herbs to cook with; especially with poultry.


For the brine:
½ cup table salt
10 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cups hot water
1½ quarts cold water

1 whole chicken (3½-4 lbs.), giblets discarded

For the garlic-rosemary paste:
2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/8 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

For the sauce:
10 cloves garlic, unpeeled
½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup water
¼ cup dry white wine
1 spring fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste

To prepare the brine, combine the salt, and hot water in a large bowl or stockpot. Smash the garlic with the flat side of a knife and add it, along with the rosemary, to the pot. Let stand 10 minutes to release the flavors. Mix in the cold water and stir to dissolve the salt. Immerse the chicken in the brine, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (I did mine overnight).

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. With an oven rack in lower-middle position, preheat the oven to 450˚ F. With a rack inside a roasting pan, spray the rack lightly with cooking spray.

To prepare the garlic rosemary paste, combine the rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small bowl. Mix well. Rub 1½ teaspoons of the paste inside the cavity of the chicken. Gently loosen the skin over the breast and thigh on each side of the chicken. Divide the remaining paste between the two sides of the chicken, slipping it underneath the skin. Rubbing over the surface of the skin, distribute the paste over the breast and thigh on each side. Tie the drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Brush the surface of the chicken with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Season with freshly ground pepper. Place the chicken breast-side down in the roasting pan and bake for 15 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, toss the garlic cloves with the oil for the sauce. After the chicken has roasted for 15 minutes, add the garlic cloves into the roasting pan and bake for 15 minutes more.

Remove the pan from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 375˚ F. Rotate the chicken so it is breast-side up. Brush the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil over the breast. Add the chicken broth and water to the roasting pan. Return the pan to the oven and continue roasting until the chicken is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 160˚ F. Transfer the chicken to a large serving platter and cover loosely with foil.

Transfer the roasted garlic cloves to a cutting board. Pour the liquid from the roasting pan into a liquid measuring cup (or a gravy separator); let sit a few minutes, then skim the fat off the surface. You should have about 2/3 cup of liquid (add water if needed). Peel the garlic and mash the cloves into a paste with a fork. Combine the roasting liquid in a small saucepan with the mashed garlic, the remaining ¾ cup broth, wine and rosemary. Heat over medium-high heat until simmering. Reduce heat and continue to simmer about 8 minutes, until partly reduced. Discard the rosemary sprig and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Carve the chicken and serve with the sauce.


SOURCE:Annie's Eats

June Monthly Menu

Well, it's a new beginning. The start of a new month and a new menu. I don't have school age kids yet so I haven't been anticipating the end of the school year, but I sure have been anticipating the warmer weather. It has been so strange here. It's June 1st and it's in the low 60's, cloudy and rainy. I don't think we've had a really hot day yet this year. Well, I guess I shouldn't complain because I'm sure the days of summer will bring plenty of sunshine and heat. I'm so excited to have a pool where we live now so I can take my girls often. When I was growing up I was a "pool rat" and hung out at the pool all summer.

On to my menu for this month. I am excited to have so many fresh foods and a lot of variety. I'm trying to cut down on how much meat we eat and make lots of different salads. My menu will be shorter than usual because we're going on a week long vacation to Oregon for my husband's family reunion. I'm really excited, I've never been there and I hear the Redwoods are amazing!

Most of my recipes this month came from my Cooking Light Cookbooks. I know I've said it many times, but I LOVE those books. They have some great recipes. If you see something that sounds yummy make sure to check back for the recipe later in the month when I post.

Lunch Salads
Apple-Pecan Salad w/ Peanut Sauce (Making this w/o the chicken)
Orange Edamame Salad
Strawberry Mango Jicama Salad

Dinners
Sticky coconut chicken with rice and roasted cauliflower
Mexican Rice Bake
Bourbon steak w/ mashed potatoes and Strawberry Spinach Salad
Spaghetti Pie with green salad and whole wheat baguette
Pad Thai w/ tofu

Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad with Fresh Mozzarella
Baked Penne w/Caesar salad
Creamy Taco Mac
Pizza Rolls

Grilled portabellos, wild rice & Sugar Snap Pea Salad w/ Ginger-soy dressing
Pecan-Crusted chicken with honey-mustard dipping sauce, mashed potatoes & green beans
Greek Chickpea Salad w/ homemade whole wheat pitas and Feta Spinach Tarts
Honey-Lime grilled chicken w/ Creamy Parmesan Orzo
Stuffed Poblanos w/ Chipotle bacon cornbread

Other Things I will be making
Coconut French Toast
Apple Pancakes w/ Butter Cream Syrup
Ricotta-honey Mousse w/ berries
Apple-Walnut Flax Seed Bread

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

If you're going to be having a gathering for Memorial Day, you should really make this! It is a definite crowd-pleaser and someone might go as far as to lick the bowl clean! It's that good. I made it for a family gathering, not thinking all of it would get eaten. However, once the first serving was dished, it was a mad dash to get it before it was gone. This makes a whole trifle bowl full, perfect for a few more than usual for dessert.

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle
1 (9x13) pan of baked brownies, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (5.1 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 (8 ounce) container thawed Cool Whip, divided
20 peanut butter cups, crumbled (or more if you're using minis)
6-8 peanut butter cups to garnish.

Mix pudding according to package directions. With a whisk or beaters, beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated. Fold in 2 cups cool whip.

Layer in trifle dish 1/2 the brownies, 1/2 the crumbled peanut butter cups, ½ the pudding mixture. Repeat. Top with cool whip and peanut butter cups. Chill at least four hours before serving.



SOURCE:The Girl Who Ate Everything

Linked to...
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
These Chicks Cooked @ This Chicks Cooks

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bread

Wow, if you're a fan of blueberries and cheesecake, you're definitely going to love this bread. I spied this recipe months ago and have been waiting to try it. With the weather warming up, I have started to find blueberries at a more affordable price so I decided to grab some at the store last week. The original recipe called for a box muffin mix for the bread but I prefer to make my own so I used a homemade version.

This bread is an absolutely delicious treat. The lemon glaze on top keeps it moist and gives it a little something special, then when you bite into the cheesecake middle you'll think you've died and gone to heaven. If you can't find blueberries at an affordable price, frozen work well too.

For the bread:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
1/2 milk (or buttermilk)
1 cup fresh blueberries

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 egg

For the glaze:
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a mixing bowl, fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 1-2 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until incorporated. Add vanilla and lemon zest and mix together. Alternately add the dry ingredients with the milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix well. Fold in the blueberries.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the filling and whisk together.

Prepare a loaf pan by coating with cooking spray. Spoon about half of the batter into the pan, then spread the filling over the top. Spoon the remaining batter on top of the filling; you may want to drop by spoonfulls to get an even distribution as it will be hard to spread over the filling.

Bake bread for about 55-65 minutes, checking for doneness after 55 minutes. While bread is cooking, prepare lemon glaze. In a small saucepan, bring to a boil lemon juice and sugar. Stir until completely dissolved. Remove from heat. When bread is done, remove to a cooling rack and spoon on warm glaze. Let cool 10-15 minutes in the pan then remove the loaf to a cooling rack to cool completely. Resist the urge to cut into the loaf while it is hot, it needs time to set up.

SOURCE: Adapted from And Baby Makes Five and The Joy of Cooking

Chocolate Chipotle Cupcakes with Chili Chocolate Ganache and Cinnamon Ice Cream

Woo! Fire and ice baby. These cupcakes pack a punch. About two years ago I first visited Bakerella's blog. I saw this post for cupcakes using chipotles and a chocolate chili bar for the ganache. I was intrigued and wanted to try it. Time passed and I never found a chance to make them. Several weeks ago when I decided to have a little Mexican party for my birthday, I knew I was finally going to get to try these out.

If you like chipotles and little bit of heat, you'll enjoy these cupcakes. The cake itself is really moist and the toppings just take it up another notch. To balance out the heat, I served it with Cinnamon Honey Ice Cream. YUM!

For the cupcakes:
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup boiling water
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp chipotle powder*
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
4 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 Tbsp canned chipotles in adobe sauce, pureed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with baking cups (36). Puree canned chipotles and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, mix boiling water and cocoa until the cocoa is dissolved (it will be thick). Set aside.

In another bowl, mix the rest of the dry ingredients together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, mix sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating after each addition. Add buttermilk and vanilla and mix well. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three additions, alternating with chocolate mixture in two additions, ending with flour mixture. Beat until combined with each addition. Add pureed chipotles and beat until combined.

Scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins and bake for 13-15 minutes. Cool completely.

*If you cannot find chipotle powder, just use dried chipotles and pulverize them either with a mortar and pestal or a spice blender. It takes about 2 for this recipe.


Chili Chocolate Ganache:
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
3 oz. chocolate with chili pepper
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Combine chocolates in a bowl. Heat cream and sugar until it just begins to bubble. Pour over chocolate and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Stir until milk and chocolate are completely incorporated and they are silky and smooth.

Let cool.

Additional ingredients:
Cinnamon Ice Cream -store bought or homemade
Dulce de Leche, warmed and slightly thinned with milk

To assemble cupcakes, first remove wrapper from cupcake. Cut cupcake in half and place a small scoop of ice cream on the bottom half. Replace the top half and put another small scoop of ice cream on top of that. Drizzle with chili chocolate ganache and dulce de leche. Garnish with chocolate shavings, if desired.

SOURCE:Adapted from Bakerella

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

Crockpot Tamales

WOW! They worked. Let me back up. I think I had my first tamale months ago when I went out on a limb and got one at my favorite restaurant. Since then I get them every time we go there. I love them. I kept craving tamales and really wanted to make them at home but I knew you had to have a large pot and a steamer, which I didn't have.

In my search for a tamale recipe I came across The Crockpot Lady who had made them in the crockpot with success. My search ended and it was only a matter of time before I could make them. I originally wanted to make them for Cinco de Mayo but we were still unpacking from our move so I decided to have a little Mexican party for my birthday last weekend and made them. We invited guests and the party was great. I served the tamales, with my Spanish rice, black beans a little pico de gallo and some virgin pina coladas. For dessert I made Chocolate Chipotle Cupcakes with Chili Chocolate Ganache and Cinnamon-Honey Ice Cream. Everything was delicious!

The tamales were surprisingly easy to make, despite all the comments I had read and heard that they were so labor intensive. I takes minutes to get the dough ready and it only took me about a half hour to fill the tamales (and that was with 2 little helpers too). I guess if you were making double or triple the batch for a big gathering it would take a bit more time. I do suggest making the pork the day before since it takes several hours to cook and it also uses the crockpot.


Crockpot Tamales
For the tamale dough:
2 cups Maseca or masa harina for tamales
2 cups warm water or chicken broth
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
a few dashes of chipotle tabasco sauce
2/3 cup lard, vegetable shortening, or coconut oil

For the tamales:
1/2 recipe Cafe Rio Sweet and Spicy Shredded Pork
tamale dough
1 (6-oz.) package dried corn husks (I found mine in the Mexican section of Walmart)


Soak the "ojas," or corn husks, in hot water while you prepare the masa.

Combine maseca, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Remove wrapper from the chipotle seasoning cube and crumble it in with the dry ingredients. work broth or water with your fingers to make a soft moist dough.

In a small bowl, beat lard or shortening until fluffy. Add it to the masa

and beat until dough has a spongy texture.

 

Prepare tamales with filling. First spread out an oja on a work surface.

 

Next, with a paddle or a small putty knife, spread the masa evenly on the lower, wider half of the oja. Make sure it is thick enough that you don't see the oja through the dough.

 

Put about a tablespoon or so of the shredded pork

in the middle of the dough,

 

roll it up,

 

then fold the bottom half up

 

Place the tamales in a dish with a lid while you finish assembling the remaining tamales.

 

When you've finished assembling the rest of the tamales, place them in the crockpot facing upwards. Cover and cook on high for about 2-3 hours. (Note:The crockpot recipe I used said they were done in about 6 hours. On my first batch, I just happened to check at about 2 1/2 hours and they were a little more done that I would have liked, some around the edges were even a little crispy. My second batch, I cooked them closer to 2 hours and they came out fine. 2-6 hours is a very wide range to work with. I suggest you aim closer to 2 hours and check often after that. Use the same tester tamale each time. The ones around the edges will probably be done a little sooner than the others.)




To serve, unwrap 1 or 2 warm tamales, place them on a plate and top with the extra sauce from the pork. (I added an extra can of tomato sauce after the pork was done and shredded so I would have enough to put on top of the tamales.)

Makes enough dough for about 16 small tamales.


**Update 5/16/2013- I no longer use vegetable shortening in my cooking. Use coconut oil in it's place; it whips up similarly.

SOURCE: Maseca and A Year of Slow Cooking

Pecan Apple Chicken Salad with Peanut Sauce

Woohoo, I finally got to make this salad. I think I have put it on my monthly menu for the past 3 months and just have not gotten to it. It was totally making my mouth water when I saw it on Tasty Kitchen, featuring The Noshery. This was a total hit. My husband usually likes most everything I make, and even if he doesn't he eats it and even finished the leftovers. He doesn't say much about it most of the time but when he bit into this salad he said it was delicious! I was so thrilled. I think I'll be working this into our spring and summer menus often.

This would also be delicious as a meatless salad. You could beef it up with more veggies and add whole, or roughly chopped, pecans.

For the chicken:
6 chicken tenderloins
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg, whisked
salt & pepper

For the salad:
1 red apple, thinly sliced (I used Gala, it was perfect)
1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
green leaf lettuce, about 2 bunches (enough for 6 people)
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
raisins

For the sauce:
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce, a couple splashes

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees, spray baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with a silpat. Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper.

Combine chopped pecans and breadcrumbs together with cinnamon and nutmeg. Lay out on a pie tin or a large plate. Use another tin or large plate for the egg.

Set up a breading station by setting the egg tin first, the pecan mixture next to it and the baking sheet right next to that. Dredge chicken tenders in the egg, then the pecan mixture and place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the chicken is baking prepare the sauce and salad. For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a blender and give it a whirl until smooth. (You can also use a whisk in a bowl if you don't have a blender.)

Make sure all the vegetables are washed. Chop everything and mix it together in a large salad bowl.

To serve, place the salad on a large plate, top with chicken tender and drizzle with sauce.

Serves 6

SOURCE:Adapted from The Noshery

Homemade Burger Buns

I always have these good intentions to make bread to go with some of my meals, but somehow time always gets away from me and by the time I remember, it's too late to start making it. Today I was proactive. I made a batch of bread AND the burger buns for these basil chicken burgers for dinner all in good time.

While I love the warm weather of the spring and summer for grilling anything and everything, I just cannot stand store bought burger buns. Once and for all I finally decided to make my own and hello! it's so easy. The dough is quick to whip up and you can be doing other things while they rise. These are light and tasty and will compliment even your best burger!

3 tbsp. warm milk
1 cup hot tap water
2 tsp. instant yeast
2½ tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
Sesame seeds

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flours salt, sugar and yeast. Pulse to combine. Next add the milk egg,and butter. Pulse again to combine. Last, add the hot tap water. Pour the water a little at a time, mixing a second or two in between. Only add enough water so that the dough is slightly sticky; you may need more or less than a cup depending on where you live and the climate. Knead dough on low speed for about 5 minutes. The dough will be a little sticky, but do not add any extra flour at this point.

Spray your hands with cooking spray to get the dough out of the mixing bowl and transfer it to another bowl that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Cover loosely with a light towel or lid and let rise in a warm place until doubled; time will vary depending on climate so watch closely.

Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart. Cover and let rise again until puffed up and nearly doubled.

Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.


SOURCE:Adapted from Annie's Eats

This post linked to Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen.

Bean Curry

Wow! I was not planning on making this curry or even curry from scratch but I found this recipe from my sister. They are huge Thai and curry fans. To be honest, I chose it more because it had some of the ingredients I needed to use up in my fridge and I knew the box of Golden Curry would last in my cupboard. I started getting excited about making the curry when I realized it had dairy in it. That meant a dairy dinner two nights in a row (corn chowder from Sunday) that my husband couldn't eat and that he may have to scrounge for something from the freezer again!

Then, a light went on and I remembered my love for coconut and that it paired perfectly with curry. So, I swapped the dairy for coconut milk and let me tell you, this curry was divine. Even if you think you don't like curry, you'll like this. The flavors are mild enough for those not so inclined to spicy food (me) but still showcase a fantastic curry flavor.

I served the curry with this Thai Coconut Rice that I discovered recently and Naan, an Indian flat bread. You can buy Naan pretty readily at your local market (I found mine at Walmart), or, if you're ambitious, you can make your own. Other flat bread or pita bread would also go great with this curry.

Oh, and I just have to mention the cilantro. At first I just sprinkled a little bit on, but after I took a bite, I added a lot more. I loved the freshness the cilantro brings.

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped (you could really add a whole onion, but I'm not a huge fan)
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger*
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. Garam Masala
3/4-1 cup coconut milk
1 cup vegetable stock or chicken broth
2 cups white beans (I cooked from dry beans, but you can certainly substitute a can of beans.)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes or until translucent and slightly browned. Add in garlic and grated ginger root, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn; about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes then the turmeric, salt, paprika, and garam masala. Stir to combine. Add coconut milk, stock, and beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in some cilantro and then use a little more for garnish. Serve with jasmine or Thai Coconut Rice.

*I like to freeze my ginger if I don't use it often enough, then when it's time to use it, I can just grate it frozen over my microplane and it works great!

SOURCE:Adapted from my sister who got it from My Kitchen Cafe.