Alyssa's Two Bites

Pear-Caramel Ice Cream

2012-01-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I had a bunch of ripe pears that needed to be used so I decided to make David Lebovitz' Pear-Caramel Ice Cream. This ice cream is SUPER yummy -- it's so rich that I can only handle a 1/2 cup serving at a time (crazy I know!).

I did end up substituting 1/2 of the heavy cream with 1% milk because I didn't have the full amount on hand, but it still turned out great. If you have an ice cream maker I highly recommend David Lebovitz' The Perfect Scoop cookbook. I found it on Amazon for less than $15 and it's full of mouth-watering ice cream, gelato, sherbet, sorbet, and granita recipes.

Pear-Caramel Ice Cream
Summarized from The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz
Makes about 1 quart

3 medium-sized ripe pears, peeled and cored
3/4 c. + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
a few drops of fresh lemon juice

Dice the pears into 1/4-inch pieces.
Spread the sugar in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, carefully watching and stirring occasionally with a heatproof spatula until melted.
When the sugar is a deep amber, stir in the pears. The caramel will seize, that's ok. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally for ten minutes. The sugar will have dissolved.
Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the cream, then mix in the rest of the cream, salt, and lemon juice.
Cool to room temp, puree until smooth, press through a strainer.
Chill according to your ice-cream maker manufacturer's instructions.

Enjoy!

Bacon-Corn Chowder with Shrimp

2011-08-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

I decided to make this soup on a whim tonight because I had most of the ingredients on hand and it looked delicious. Seriously, you can never go wrong with big chunks of bacon! This soup came together pretty quickly and is super yummy. I love the smokiness that the bacon adds. It also doesn't hurt that one serving is 294 calories. Thank you Cooking Light~

Bacon-Corn Chowder with Shrimp
Cooking Light, August Issue, pg. 26

Ingredients:
6 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
1 cup prechopped onion
1/2 cup prechopped celery
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 cups fat-free, lower sodium chicken broth
3/4 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/3 cup half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon to pan; saute 4 minutes or until the bacon begins to brown. Remove 2 slices bacon. Drain on paper towels. Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through minced garlic) to pan, and saute for 2 minutes. Add corn, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Place 2 cups of corn mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape), and secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in the blend lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return pureed corn mixture to pan. Stir in shrimp; cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are done. Stir in half-and-half, pepper, and salt. Crumble reserved bacon over soup.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups)

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 294
Fat: 7g (sat 2.7g, mono 1.3g, poly 1.2g)
Protein: 26.8g
Carb: 34.8g
Fiber: 4.3g
Chol: 144mg
Iron: 31mg
Sodium: 547mg
Calc: 94mg

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake

2011-06-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

I've been on quite the baking spree lately! I'm guessing it's due to the fact that all of the Williams-Sonoma cookbooks I have are filled with scrumptious, mouth-watering photos.

I'm definitely planning to bake this again~ it's simple to pull together and would also taste great with other fresh fruits. Fresh raspberries maybe?

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake
The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book, pg. 131

Makes one 9-inch cake

For the Streusel:
3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract
2 firm, ripe peaches, 1 lb total, peeled, pitted, and sliced 1 inch thick

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan or square baking pan or baking dish. If using a glass baking dish, set the oven temperature to 325F.

To make the streusel, in a bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form.

To make the cake, in a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wire whisk, beat the egg, melted butter, milk, vanilla, and almond extract until creamy, about 1 minute. Add to the flour mixture and beat just until evenly moistened. There should be no lumps or dry spots. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. If using a springform pan, arrange the peach slices in concentric circles from the pan sides to the center. If using a square pan, arrange slices in rows. Gently press the slices into the batter. Sprinkle evenly with the streusel.

Bake until the topping is golden brown, 40-45 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the sides of the springform pan, if using. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges or squares.

Steamed Salmon with Charmoula

2011-06-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

Mouthwatering...this isn't the overcooked, dry piece of salmon you're used to eating. It's so much more.

I stumbled on this recipe in The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: The Essential Recipe Collection For Today's Home Cook the other night when looking for "light" recipes my dad would enjoy for Father's Day. I decided to stick with fish and this particular recipe stood out to me with all of the fresh herbs, lemon juice, and spice blend. I decided to give it a try and let me tell you, it is super flavorful, quick, and delicious.

The cookbook gives a brief history on the "Charmoula" sauce:

Charmoula is a classic Moroccan preparation that can be used as a marinade or a sauce and is commonly served with fish. It features many familiar Mediterranean ingredients, but extra doses of paprika and cumin give it a distinctly North African character. To make the sauce without a food processor, mince the garlic or crush it through a press, chop the cilantro and parsley leaves finely, and combine with garlic and herbs in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Everyone, including my picky husband, loved the flavor of the sauce and said they would "definitely eat this again". One thing to note, I didn't have time to marinate the fish beforehand and it still tasted great.

Steamed Salmon with Charmoula
Williams-Sonoma Cookbook, pg. 172
Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I only had lime juice on hand and it still tastes bright and fresh)
Salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 center-cut salmon fillets, about 6oz. each, skin removed

To make the Charmoula, with the motor of a food processor running, add the garlic cloves one at a time until finely minced. Then add the cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, 1 tsp. salt, the paprika, cumin, and cayenne to taste and puree until smooth. Slowly add the oil, processing until smooth and emulsified. Measure out 3 Tbsp of the sauce and reserve. Put the remaining sauce in a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Put the salmon on a platter and rub both sides of the fish with the 3 Tbsp sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerated for at least 2 hours.

Remove the fish and the remaining sauce from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Pour water to a depth of 1 inch in a large steamer pan or other large pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Set a steamer rack or other large, round rack over the simmering water. Arrange the salmon fillets on a heatproof plate, place the plate on the rack, cover the pan tightly, and steam until the fish is firm to the touch and is barely opaque when tested with a knife, about 8 minutes {I brought the water to a boil, and then added the fish to a steamer basket that sat inside by soup pot and left the temp on medium-high, and worked just fine}. Transfer the fish to warmed individual plates and top each fillet with a generous spoonful of the charmoula. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.

I served the salmon over a couple spoonfuls of couscous and some grilled asparagus. you decide to make this, please let me know what you think!

Mango-Coconut Sherbet

2011-06-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

This Mango-Coconut Sherbet is pretty much amazing. I've had my KitchenAid Ice Cream Mixer attachment for over a year or two now, but I've never attempted to make any sherbets! I was also pleased that this recipe comes together so quickly. As long as you have your ice cream maker ready, all you need to do is puree the ingredients and then churn! Within 30 minutes you could be enjoying some homemade goodness.

You can find this recipe in the June 2011 issue of Cooking Light (love that magazine!).

Mango-Coconut Sherbet
Cooking Light, June 2011

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed peeled diced mango
1 (13.5 ounce) can of light coconut-milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Directions:
Combine cubed mango, sugar, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and coconut milk in a blender; process until mixture is smooth, scraping sides as necessary. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions to soft-serve consistency. Spoon sherbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 2 hours or until firm. Sprinkle each serving with coconut.

Nutrition Information:
Cal: 171
Fat: 4.1g
Sat Fat: 3.8g
Mono Fat: 0.1g
Poly Fat: 0g
Protein: 1.1g
Carb: 35.4g
Fiber: 1g
Chol: 0mg
Iron: 0.4mg
Sodium: 26mg
Calcium: 4mg

Angel Food Cake Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

2011-05-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

Each month I bake cupcakes for a co-worker who purchased the "Cupcake Package" at our company's United Way auction last fall. This month she asked for a Angel Food Cake Cupcake with some sort of berry frosting. I ended up baking this "Heavenly Shortcake" cake recipe and adding a Vanilla American Buttercream frosting with a couple of fresh blueberries on top. Although it tasted good, it was too sweet for my liking. I've decided I'm a fan of Swiss Meringue Buttercream because of its velvety texture and subtle sweetness.

Within a couple of days I decided to bring these cupcakes over to my in-laws for dessert on Easter. I used the same cake batter recipe, but changed the frosting to a Fresh Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Let's just say, this combo rocks. It's a spin off of Strawberry Shortcake dessert, but wrapped up in a cute cupcake. I highly recommend making these for your next event. They are light, fresh tasting, and not too sweet (the whole family loved them). The buttercream has egg whites in it so I recommend making it the day of the event and if it needs to sit out for a while, just throw it in the refrigerator. An hour or so before serving pull the cupcakes out and let them come to room temperature.

Heavenly Angel Food Cake

allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

12 eggs

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

Directions:

Separate eggs; discard yolks or refrigerate for another use. Measure egg whites, adding or removing whites as needed to equal 1-1/2 cups. Place in a mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift confectioners' sugar and flour together three times; set aside. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Gently spoon into lined cupcake tin. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool completely before removing cupcakes from pan.

Fresh Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

"Martha Stewart's Cupcakes" cookbook

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (8 oz.), rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature

Directions:

Puree the strawberries in your food processor until completely smooth (or you can chop them really fine for larger chunks). Add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer (or any heatproof bowl) and set it over a pan of simmering water. Heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar has dissolved - you can test with your fingertips, if the mixture feels grainy, it's not ready yet.

Attach the bowl to your stand mixer (or transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer if you used a separate bowl) fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks
form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 6-10 minutes. (The bowl
will be cool to the touch.) Reduce the mixer to medium-low speed and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time. Let each addition incorporate before adding the next. (The frosting may look soupy or curdled once you add the butter - just keep beating and it will come together.) Scrape down the sides of
the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the strawberry puree to the bowl. Beat until combined - the mixture will probably look curdled again when you add the strawberries, keep beating!)

Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes with a large star tip and garnish with extra strawberries, if desired.

Enjoy!

Turkey Marinara Burger

2011-04-07T21:44:00.000-07:00

This burger was fantastic! The turkey stays moist and flavorful, few ingredients are needed, and it tastes great. Enjoy...

To start, combine 1 package of Jenny-O 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey with an Italian seasoning blend. I decided to add dried parsley, some roasted garlic, fresh basil (the kind you find in a tube, it's weird I know), and s&p. I also added some red pepper flakes to give it a little kick. Once combined, add 1 egg and 1/3 cup of panko bread crumbs (or any bread crumbs). Combine until all ingredients are incorporated and shape into four patties.

Then in a deep dish skillet over medium high, heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Grill the burgers until brown on the first side, then flip and brown on the other side. Warning! Don't flatten the burger with the back of your spatula! It forces all those yummy juices out of the burger and makes the burger dry later on, gross. Once the burger is browned on both sides, add one jar of premade marinara sauce. Lift the patties up slightly so it rests on top of the marinara, but is covered slightly as well (if that makes sense). Cover partially and let cook for 10 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165F when inserted in the center of one patty.

Once the burgers are cooked through, add to a toasted bun (I only had sesame on hand, but I recommend ciabatta) and top with a couple spoonfuls of marinara. Top with a couple slices of fresh mozzarella (or 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella). Place on a cookie sheet and broil until the cheese melts.

Enjoy! I didn't go to the store to grab any of the ingredients (tried to use only what I had on hand), but if I were to make it again (I plan on it) then I would swap the sesame bun for ciabatta and add fresh basil to the finished burger. I can't get over how moist and delicious these burgers were.... if you give it a try please let me know what you think!

Turkey Marinara Burger
Alyssa Talley, April 2011

Ingredients:
1 package Jenny-O 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey meat
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped or squeezed from tube (tubes can be found in produce section near packaged fresh herbs)
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. roasted garlic (used the jarred roasted garlic you can find in the produce section, I would substitute with fresh garlic or garlic powder if needed)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flake
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 egg
1/3 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 jar Marinara sauce (I used Barilla classic marinara)
4 ciabatta buns (or one loaf of ciabatta cut into four slices to make buns)
Mozzarella cheese (2 slices per burger)
Fresh Basil

Directions:
1. Combine ground turkey, all seasonings, egg, and bread crumbs. Shape into four burger patties.
2. Heat olive oil in deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add burgers and cook 1-2 minutes on each side, until brown. Once browned on both sides, add entire jar of marinara sauce and lift each burger patty so the burger rests on top of the marinara, but is still covered slightly. Partially cover and cook for 10 minutes or until internal temperature of turkey burger is 165F.
3. Toast ciabatta and add burger with a couple spoonfuls of marinara. Top with 2 slices of mozzarella and broil until cheese melts. Add a couple fresh basil leaves and enjoy!

Blueberry-Almond French Toast Bake

2011-03-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like the smell of cinnamon and a sweet french toast bake infusing the house early on a Saturday morning, nothing! I found this recipe in Ellie Krieger's So Easy cookbook last night and decided it would be the perfect Saturday morning breakfast for my niece Shelby who is 11 years old. I invited her over for a girls night, to which consisted of making chocolate chip cookies, dance battles on the Kinect, and lots of laughs! I hope you enjoy this recipe, it's healthy and super easy to make.

Blueberry-Almond French Toast Bake
Ellie Krieger, So Easy, pg. 55

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray
1 whole-wheat baguette (about 18 inches long, 8 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
8 large eggs
8 large egg whites
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Directions:

Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange the bread in a single layer in the baking pan. Whisk together the milk, eggs, egg whites, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan, spreading it around so the liquid saturates the bread. Scatter the blueberries evenly on top. Sprinkle with the almonds and brown sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350F. Uncover and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1 4x3-inch piece

Per Serving:
Calories: 270
Total Fat: 8g (sat 2.5, mono 2, poly .75)
Protein: 16g
Carb: 35g
Fiber: 3g
Cholesterol: 220mg
Sodium: 280mg

Excellent source of: Iodine, Manganese, Protein, Riboflavin, and Selenium
Good source of: Calcium, Fiber, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamin K, Zinc

Shrimp Thai Pasta

2011-03-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

I usually try to make a handful of recipes each month out of the Cooking Light magazine and this month I found a recipe for Shrimp Pad Thai. I didn't have any rice noodles on hand, but decided to substitute with some organic whole wheat fettuccine. The one thing I recommend is to wait until the water starts boiling to begin making the sauce. I started the sauce too early which was fine, but you risk overcooking the shrimp if you're not careful.

Heat up a pot of water for the noodles (or pasta). While the water is heating, combine sugar and the next 4 ingredients (through Siracha) in a small bowl.

Adding the lower-sodium soy sauce...

and fish sauce (and lime juice)...

and Sriracha (my favorite!).

Then, dice up some green onions and mince the garlic (I used a press). You also need to peel and devein some shrimp.

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion pieces, shrimp, and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes or until shrimp is almost done.

Then you are supposed to add the cooked noodles, toss to combine, and then add the sauce, but my noodles were still cooking so I added the sauce first (it still tasted great).

Once the noodles are ready, toss with saucy shrimp mixture so all of the noodles get coated. Transfer to a plate, top with fresh bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, and some thinly sliced fresh basil (which I'm missing) and enjoy!

If you like spicy food then I would probably bump up the amount of Sriracha to your liking. I've made this a couple of times, bumping up the amount of Sriracha each time and I haven't quite found the perfect amount. If you decide to make it let me know what you think!

Shrimp Pad Thai
Cooking Light, March 2011 pg. 123

Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked flat rice noodles (or pad Thai noodles)
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Sriracha
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup (2-inch) green onion pieces (I chopped mine smaller)
8 ounces peeled and deveined large shrimp
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:
1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
2. While water comes to a boil, combine sugar and next 4 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl.
3. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion pieces, shrimp, and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes or until shrimp is almost done. Add cooked noodles; toss to combine. Stir in sauce; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to combine. Arrange about 1 cup noodle mixture on each of the 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts,1 tablespoon peanuts, and 2 teaspoons basil.

It's a little high on sodium, but for a "take out" style dish, much less than you would actually get from a restaurant.

Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional Info:

Calories 462
Fat 16.1g (sat 1.6g, mono 9.1g, poly 4.8g)
Protein 15.8g
Carb 64.3g
Fiber 2.6g
Chol 86mg
Iron 3.7mg
Sodium 779mg
Calcium 90mg

Adele's Brownies

2011-03-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

While I was in London the week before last, one of the girls I met, Adele, brought in these delicious brownies! They are super fudgy and easy to make.

I decided to make them for my client's birthday on Friday and everyone who tried them thought they tasted great. Kyle was less of a fan, but it's probably because they are made with more cocoa powder than normal brownie recipes, so more on the bitter side, but they still taste great. Enjoy!

First you will need to melt the butter, then add in "caster" sugar which is superfine sugar sold in Britain. You can either buy the sugar online, use regular granulated sugar (what I did), or you can add sugar to a food processor and process for a few minutes to make it more fine.

Mix, mix, mix...

The add in some vanilla extract...

And some cocoa powder (use a high quality cocoa powder if possible)...

Mix, mix, mix...

Add in the baking powder...

And flour, and mix, mix, mix!

Keep mixing!

Add in the eggs...

And mix until everything is combined.

Add in the chocolate chips and mix again.

Pour into a square baking dish, sprayed with cooking spray or rubbed with butter.

Bake and enjoy (full recipe below)!

Mmmmmmm...! This picture came out WAY over exposed, so pardon the post production editing (it still looks funny to me, but wanted to share the finished brownie regardless).

The ingredients are in grams, which I don't cook with in the states, but if you go online to Bing and search for "gram conversion" you can see the equivalent in ounces, etc. I had a scale that measured in grams so I was good to go!

These are so good! Thanks Adele!

Adele's Brownies
Serves 16-20

Ingredients:
250g butter, melted
300g caster sugar
60g flour
80g good quality cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs, beaten (I just added them whole and stirred into the mix and it turned out fine)
200g chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, baking powder, and flour together. Then add in the eggs. The mixture will seem really runny, but don't worry. Then add in the chocolate chips. Put into a lined square tin. Bake in a low oven (160 oC or 325F) for 40 minutes or until cooked through (do the spike test... when it comes out clean they're ready). Cool and cut into bite sized chunks!

Chocolate Malted Cupcake w/ Dark Chocolate Frosting

2010-12-19T21:54:00.000-08:00

Every year our work donates to United Way and kicks off the donation season with a United Way auction. Different clients, organizations, and people within our work donate items to be a part of the silent / live auctions. This year I decided to donate two dozen cupcakes for 12 months. Well...

it ended up raising $120 for United Way. I was excited to find out that Susan, a girl I work with, won my cupcake package. It makes my life super easy because I can just bring the cupcakes to the building I work at (all of us usually work at different client sites).

So here are the December cupcakes -- Malted Chocolate Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting out of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook. Her recipe calls for vanilla frosting, but Susan and I are both suckers for Chocolate Frosting. These cupcakes tasted great and retained their moisture, the only downside was I couldn't taste the malted milk powder (you know, that malt milkshake taste?). I'm not sure if it's because I used chocolate frosting or what. Regardless they tasted great and Susan was pleased.

My recommendation is to stick with the Devil's Food cupcakes if you want the chocolate taste. The malted powder didn't stand out like the recipe claimed and the ingredient can be hard to find (usually it can be found in specialty stores like Central Market).

Chocolate Malted Cupcakes
Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook
Makes roughly 28

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powdered
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cup malted milk powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
With oven preheated @ 350 Degrees F.

1.Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugars, baking soda & salt. in another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until dissolve.

2.With mixer on Med- High, beat flour mixture, milk mixture and oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Add sour cream and vanilla. Beat until just combined.

3.Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filled half way. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until until cake tester comes out clean or baked about 20 minutes.

Mushroom and Sausage Ragu with Polenta

2010-10-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

This budget friendly meal has become an instant favorite in our household. If I haven't told you already, you need to go buy the October 2010 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

This dish is relatively quick to make and Kyle loves it because it's really hearty and filling (and only 428 calories/serving).

Mushroom and Sausage Ragu with Polenta
Cooking Light, October 2010 Issue, pg. 210

Cook the polenta while the ragu simmers so everything will be ready and hot at the same time. Use mild sausage, if you prefer.

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 (14.5 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked polenta
4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon butter

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Remove sausage from casings. Add sausage to pan; saute 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove sausage from pan.

2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; saute 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in sausage, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium; simmer gently for 15 minutes.

3. Bring broth and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add polenta, stirring well. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 20 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, cheese, and butter. Serve with sausage mixture.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup polenta and 1 cup ragu)

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 428
Fat: 18.7g (sat 8.4g, mono 8.5g, poly 1.4g)
Protein: 18.2g
Carb: 46g
Fiber: 4.6g
Chol: 53mg
Iron: 3.3mg
Sodium: 821mg
Calcium: 74mg

Enjoy!!

Buffalo Chicken Panini

2010-09-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

Kyle and I were both starving tonight and I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner. I didn't feel like making anything an almost opted for Chinese delivery or pizza delivery or anything delivery for that matter. Luckily, I came to my senses and decided to make this Buffalo Chicken Panini from the October 2010 issue of Cooking Light. Kyle had mentioned wanting something spicy so this was the perfect meal. It also rolls in at 402 calories per sandwich which is even better.

My only recommendation is to add more hot sauce (if you like it spicy). The amount in the recipe gave it the buffalo wing taste, but didn't have any heat.

Buffalo Chicken Panini

Cooking Light, October 2010 Issue, pg. 206

1/4 cup hot pepper sauce, divided

1 pound chicken breast tenders

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

6 tablespoons canola mayonnaise

8 (1-ounce) slices white our sourdough bread

Directions: Preheat broiler; coat broiler pan with cooking spray. Combine 2 tablespoons hot sauce and chicken in a medium bowl , tossing to coat. Arrange chicken in a single layer on broiler pan; broil 4 minutes on each side or until done. Place chicken in a bowl; toss with remaining 2 tablespoons sauce. Combine cheese and mayonnaise. Spread 3 tablespoons cheese mixture on each of 4 bread slices; top each with one-forth of the cooked chicken and 1 bread slice. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Arrange two sandwiches in pan. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of the sandwiches, press gently. Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until bread is toasted (leave skillet on sandwiches while they cook). Repeat procedure with remaining 2 sandwiches. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich).

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 402

Fat: 16.2g (sat 4.9g, mono 6g, poly 3.5g)

Protein: 32.4g

Carb: 29.1g

Fiber: 3g

Chol: 75mg

Iron: 0.8mg

Sodium: 724mg

Calcium: 100mg

Loaded Potato Soup

2010-09-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

In the October 2010 issue of Cooking Light I stumbled on this recipe for Loaded Potato Soup. I was instantly intrigued with this "healthy" soup that had cheese and bacon nestled on top (yum! I love bacon). I was surprised to find that 1 1/4 cups of this soup is only 325 calories. It's the perfect amount for a light meal, especially if you serve it with some chicken breast and a salad.

I decided to make it the following day for dinner and let's just say it got RAVE reviews from my husband. I also really enjoyed it. Kyle said it makes him feel like taking a nap. I say it makes me feel like curling up in front of the fireplace to watch a movie on a cold night. Did I mention I'm excited for Fall?

Another bonus is that it only takes about 30 minutes to make and it's a fairly simple recipe. If you try this out please let me know. It tastes like a super delicious loaded baked potato, but has all the goodness a hot cup of soup can provide. Did I mention it has bacon? ;)

Loaded Potato Soup
Cooking Light, October 2010 Issue, pg. 42

4 (6-ounce) red potatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup prechopped onion
1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 bacon slices, halved
1/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 teaspoons thinly sliced green onions

1. Pierce potatoes with a fork (no need to wash). Microwave on HIGH 13 minutes or until tender. Cut in half; cool slightly.
2. While potatoes cook, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 3 minutes. Add broth. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk; add to pan with 1 1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil; stir often. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, salt, and pepper.
3. Arrange bacon on a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a paper towel; microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Crumble bacon.
4. Discard potato skins. Coarsely mash potatoes into soup. Top with cheese, green onions, and bacon.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 325
Fat: 11.1g (sat 5.2g, mono 4.5g, poly 0.8g)
Protein: 13.2g
Carb: 43.8g
Fiber: 3g
Chol: 27mg
Iron: 1.3mg
Sodium: 670mg
Calcium: 261mg

Recommendations:
~Watch the milk mixture carefully!! When it starts to boil, if it gets too hot it may boil over your saucepan (if it's not big enough) before the 1 minute mark.
~Make a double batch. Although 325 calories is great per serving, if you don't pair it with a protein and side vegetable you may still be hungry. Doubling the batch will ensure there is plenty to go around (just make sure you watch the calories, you know, if you're watching that kind of thing!)
~Freeze it! The night before you want to have it for dinner, pull it out of the freezer and stick it in the fridge.
~For you photographers out there... I watched a video at Fro Knows Best that talked about using flash and how to make your images look less flat. I'm always stuck with the problem of photographing food at night during the winter, so this was a great tip! Instead of keeping your DSLR on auto and using the pop up flash, change it to Shutter priority and decrease your shutter speed to 1/10 or 1/8 (instead of 1/100 or 1/200 that auto typically chooses). Then, while keeping your flash popped, take the picture. The flash with freeze whatever you're taking a picture of while leaving the shutter open to account for the ambient light (see the yellow light in the background of my photo from the overhead kitchen lights?). I tested it out this morning when I had poor lighting and I was happy with the results! Thanks Fro!

Tiramisu Cupcakes

2010-08-22T23:40:00.000-07:00

I've been on quite the cupcake baking spree this last week! Danielle, a friend of mine, is turning 30 this week so we decided to throw a birthday party for her. We went with an Italian theme for dinner so I recommended making Italian sodas and I brought Tiramisu cupcakes.

This is a Martha Stewart recipe out of the Martha Stewart Cupcakes cookbook. I'm never disappointed with a Martha Stewart recipe ~ everyone who tried these cupcakes (the girls at the party, my friends husband, Kyle, my in-laws, and my friend Lindsay) all loved them. They have a rich coffee flavor and the mascarpone frosting is delicious. The recipe was also simple to make (but does call for some special ingredients like a vanilla bean, mascarpone cheese, and marsala wine for the coffee-marsala sauce that gets basted over the top).

If you're going to have an Italian-themed party, or if you just love Tiramisu, I recommend giving this recipe a try.

To check out this recipe, click here (will take you to the recipe on Martha's website).

Enjoy!

German Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-08-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

I decided to make Martha Stewart's German Chocolate cupcakes for my dad's birthday last week. This is hands down his favorite cake. Last year I made him a three layered German Chocolate cake from scratch. It was my first time ever making a layered cake and I've got to say, it was quite fun! I went to go find a link to the cake on my blog and realized that was one recipe I never found time to blog (how lame). Here is a picture I found to give you and idea of what I made:

(next time I'll try to get a picture with a slice missing that way you can see all of the layers)

These cupcakes were fairly simple to make and tasted d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s. Everyone in my family who tried them thought they were pretty good (at least, that's what they told me!). I love how they look like a mini two-layered cake.

If you like coconut and pecans - you seriously need to give this recipe a try. Your tummy will thank you for it.

The recipe can be found on the Martha Stewart website here.

Happy cupcake baking, photographing, blogging, and eating (the best part)!

Garvey's Organic Traditional Scones

2010-07-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

When I was at QFC the other day I decided to look at the scone mixes. I've only made scones from scratch once and was wondering what the box mixes were like. I decided to pick up Garvey's Organic Traditional Scones - it cost around $3.50.

Last night I had a friend over for tea and scones. She is super picky with box mixes (because they usually don't taste as good as homemade) so I wanted to see what she thought about the mix I picked up. I ended up making the lemon variation and let me tell you we both thought they were delicious! They were simple to make and came out of the oven golden brown and flaky (what more could you ask for?!).

Doesn't it look scrumptious?

Quick Coconut Ice Cream

2010-07-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already mid-July and I've only made one homemade ice cream recipe!! I've had my ice cream maker attachment (for the KitchenAid mixer) since Christmas and the only ice cream I've made is the Double Chocolate Mint Chip (it was also healthy). This was the first ice cream recipe I made that called for heavy cream and let me tell you, it was delicious. It was also super easy to make!

I was craving a cool, coconut treat so I searched for coconut ice cream recipes. I stumbled across a lot of recipes that called for a list of around 10 ingredients of which one of the ingredients was coconut cream (not coconut milk). Does anyone know where to find this?? I wasn't in the mood to search for specialty food items so I kept looking. I then came across this site. I was instantly excited for the recipe because it calls for four ingredients! I left out the saffron, but I'm sure it adds a really great touch to it (like I said... wasn't in the mood for finding specialty items). This coconut ice cream I made calls for three ingredients: heavy cream, unsweetened coconut milk, and granulated sugar.

I hope you give this recipe a try, it is delicious! You could really fancy it up and serve on top of some sort of cookie, shortbread, cake, etc. and top with toasted unsweetened flaked coconut. Yum.

Quick Coconut Ice Cream Recipe
*adapted from Delicious Days

2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup coconut milk (I used unsweetened)
1/4 cup granulated white sugar

In a medium saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil (right when it starts to really boil it will look foamy and start to rise in the pan. If you're not watching enough it may boil over so watch closely because when it really starts to go you need to go the next step).

Reduce heat (to about medium low, a 2.5 on my gas stove dial) and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and chill the mixture thoroughly (I place the pan in a wooden bowl with ice to submerge it. Then I stick the whole thing in the fridge. This process usually cools the mixture in about 30 minutes.).

Once chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the instructions (in the KitchenAid mixer it took approximately 20 minutes).

Some Tips/Notes:
-Make sure the ice cream maker attachment bowl is completely chilled and frozen prior to churning the ice cream (at least 12 hours). I leave it in my freezer at all times so I can have ice cream quickly ;)
-Some ice creams require an additional "riping" period in the freezer. This ice cream sets up really nicely in the churn process and is thick enough to scoop and eat right away. If you freeze the ice cream after it does get harder and may require some time to soften gently prior to scooping.

Grilled Goodness

2010-07-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

I was in quite the grilling mood last night so on my way home from work I stopped by the store and picked up some steak, a sweet potato, yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, and some white mushrooms.

I simply drizzled all of the veggies in EVOO, salt, and pepper, and grilled over medium heat until soft. This meal was so delicious!!

What have you been grilling??

Cupcakes Cupcakes Cupcakes

2010-06-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

My mom hand picked the cupcakes she wanted me to make for her birthday this year. She was looking through my Martha Stewart Cupcakes cookbook and decided to select the Coconut Cupcakes. Here is a link to another post that includes the recipe. The only difference between the last post and this one was in the last post I made the cupcakes with Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting and this time I stayed true to the recipe and made a Coconut 7 minute frosting.

I actually preferred the cupcake with the 7 minute frosting because it's so light and fluffy and delicious. I also topped this cupcake with the flaked unsweetened coconut I found in the bulk food section at Central Market instead of using sweetened flaked coconut from the store.

In addition to making some Coconut cupcakes for my mom's birthday, I was also happy to help make 70 cupcakes for my niece's graduation (congrats Bree!!).

My mom really wanted to go with a smiley face theme so here is how they turned out...

Thanks to my momma for the cupcake stand and for making all of the cute graduation hats. She made all of them with a "L" for Lynnwood High School and laminated them too so they would stay nice sitting in the frosting. I made french vanilla cupcakes with lemon American buttercream frosting and chocolate cupcakes with banana American buttercream frosting. Thanks momma and Shelby for all of your help frosting and decorating!!

Aren't their little faces so cute!!

MMmmm Mmmm delicious!!

Happy cupcake making everyone!!

~Alyssa

Good Pounds

2010-06-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

Wow these photos and this post has been sitting in my blog buffer for over a month now! I made this delicious pound cake in early May for a dinner party with some friends. Ok seriously, don't judge me, but I made it from a box mix - I KNOW! It's actually really good and if you're looking for something you can quickly throw together I recommend this. It's a Betty Crocker Pound Cake mix. After baking mine I decided to make an orange glaze with some orange juice, powdered sugar, and some orange zest. Just poke holes in the top with a fork, drizzle glaze, and enjoy!

Tastes the best when enjoyed with a good cup of tea!

Happy Baking everyone!

Woof Woof Woof

2010-06-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

Last year for Christmas Kyle bought me a silicon University of Washington "W" cake pan and last Friday I finally got a chance to use it!! A close friend of ours had a guys night to celebrate his birthday so I thought this would be the perfect dessert to bring (they are Husky fans like us.. go Dawgs!!).

Here is a picture of the white cake hot out of the oven. Unfortunately, after I let it cool and turned it out on a dish the center was not quite cooked enough and a little gooey. I was pretty bummed, but decided to stop by the store, purchase another cake mix (I know.. I never use mixes, but I did this time) and try again. This time I split the batch in half. Half went to making the most delicious, moist cupcakes, and the other half I tinted with purple food coloring, added mini chocolate chips and baked in the silicon mold. Here is how everything turned out...

The white cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream frosting, yellow and purple sprinkles, and a piped "W".

The frosting was so yummy. I used the Buttercream frosting off of the Wilton's site.

The finished display after turning out the "W" cake and frosting the cupcakes. I can't wait to use this again for tailgating this fall! Woof woof woof!

Favorite Cream Scone

2010-05-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

I love scones. Love them! The funny thing is... I've never made them before - I KNOW!!! So I decided to ask my friend Katrina for some recipes. I knew she would be the perfect one to ask because she has a lot of books on scones and tea party type goodies - yum!

This is her favorite Cream Scone recipe. What can I say... it is SO simple. Especially if you have a food processor (or pastry blender, but I used my food processor). I love how in a matter of minutes you can have scones hot out of the oven. I also love how unlike cupcakes, you use the butter, eggs, and cream straight out of the refrigerator - no waiting for room temperature my friends! That got me all excited!

Ok, so the picture above is one cream scone served with a little amount of apricot preserves and some homemade whipped cream - so delicious. I'm going to make another batch of these soon and add some frozen organic blackberries.

She also sent me a Simple Sweet Scones recipe that I also plan to try. Oh the possibilities!

Favorite Cream Scones
from Katrina

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter (right from the fridge! ~ it's actually really important that it's cold)
2 eggs, well beaten (also right from the fridge)
1/2 cup heavy cream (ya baby!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lightly butter a cookie sheet (or use a Silpat like I do).
3. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl (I just added everything to my food processor).
4. Work in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal (I cut the butter up into cubes, added to the food processor and pulsed until it resembled coarse meal).
5. Add eggs, cream, and vanilla and stir until blended (I added to the food processor and hand stirred with a spoon until it was together enough to take out - why dirty another bowl???)
6. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for about 1 minute.
7. Roll dough about 3/4 inch thick and cut into rectangles or form into a circle and score 6-8 wedges (I just used my hands to flatten into a circle and cut 8 wedges).
8. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes being careful not to over cook (at 9 minutes it wasn't long enough so I ended up needing to leave them in for ~11 min.).

Lastly... enjoy!!! I like to have my scones with some fresh whipped cream, sometimes with whipped cream and preserves, and always tea.. yum!! Kyle also really liked them too with just whipped cream.

Off to make the next batch...

Grilled Caprese Sandwich

2010-05-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Grilled Caprese Sandwich. So simple, yet so delicious. I decided to make these sandwiches the other day as a late lunch before serving some friends dinner. This recipe is super easy! Take a french baguette and slice it in 4 inch long pieces, then cut the pieces in half, and drizzle with olive oil. Top one of the halves with basil leaves (I used Genovese), tomato slices, and fresh mozzarella. Heat up a grill pan, panini press, or in my case a George Foreman and grill until the crust is golden and the mozzarella just starts to melt. Would be good with Creamy Basil Tomato soup.

Enjoy! This is the ultimate fresh tasting sandwich.

White Cupcakes with Tinted Buttercream Peaks

2010-05-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

I made these White Cupcakes with tinted Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting on Saturday for a Mother's Day Tea event my church had. I was a table hostess and my theme was cupcakes - this was my centerpiece. Most people really like the cake batter in this recipe. It's super light and fluffy (thanks to the stiff egg whites folded in). I got mixed reviews about the frosting. It's not super sweet like an American Buttercream that has a lot of powdered sugar. A SMB does not have any powdered sugar. It has egg whites, butter, vanilla, and some granulated white sugar. It's very simple and light. In my opinion it pairs well with intensely flavored cupcakes. This cake batter was also lighter in taste so I can understand why some did not think there was enough flavor in the frosting. One way to make this frosting sweeter (without switching to American buttercream) is to add 4oz. of melted white or dark chocolate. I've done this before and it tastes great.

Here is the recipe (from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook):

White Cupcakes with Pastel Buttercream Peaks (or in my case, tinted - I went dark on the tints)
Pg. 154

3 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
5 large egg whites, room temperature
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Gel-paste food colors

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir vanilla into milk.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until just combined after each.

3. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form (do not overmix). Fold one third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten. Gently fold the remaining whites in two batches.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Firmly tap the tins once on the countertop to release any air bubbles. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozn up to 2 months in airtight containers.

5. Divide buttercream into four portions; leave one untinted and tint remaining three to desired colors. Place each portion in a pastry bag fitted with a coupler. Using a small open-star tip (#20), pipe peaks: Squeeze gently while lifting the tip, the release at the halfway point, and draw up until icing forms a point. Starting with untinted buttercream, pipe a single peak in the center of each cupcake, then pipe more peaks in a ring around it. Switch to tinted buttercream; pipe rings of peaks around the plain, until you reach the edge. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Pg.304

Recipe can be found on Martha Stewart's website, here. Please note this recipe is double the amount needed for the recipe above.

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2010-04-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

I made these Martha Stewart Red Velvet Cupcakes on Monday night for a client's birthday. A coworker and I decorated his office with 90+ balloons, streamers, and a Happy Birthday sign. I picked this recipe because I really like red velvet cake. The one thing that was weird with this recipe is that it called for baking soda and vinegar. I'm not sure what it did to the cupcake (maybe made it more air-y??), but it tasted pretty good. I was disappointed that it didn't turn out super red. It looks more brown and that bummed me out, but it still tasted good. I love love love this cream cheese frosting. It tasted great on this cupcake, but it also pairs well with pumpkin spice and the banana pecan cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Martha Stewart Cupcakes (pg. 30)
Makes 24

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Cream-Cheese Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.

3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

5. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 4 cups

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and then vanilla, and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting

2010-04-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

I love baking cupcakes. Anytime I can find an excuse to make them, I usually do. This weekend I made some cupcakes for my brother-in-law because he's celebrating his 24th birthday this week, Saturday actually - Happy Birthday Kevbro!

His favorite cake is yellow cake with chocolate frosting. His mom usually makes this for him every year, but this year I offered to make cupcakes. I knew instantly I wanted to make his favorite - yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I already had frosting made from the Chocolate Chip Cupcakes I made last week, so I was good there. All I needed to do was buy some buttermilk for the cake batter.

This yellow buttermilk cake batter is pretty good and would pair nicely with any frosting - chocolate, fluffy vanilla, maybe a caramel swiss meringue buttercream or a white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream. It's the perfect base. I would also be a good cake batter for decorative cupcakes.

If you try these let me know what you think! Happy cupcake baking!

Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes

Martha Stewart Cupcakes Cookbook (pg. 26)

Makes 36

3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/4 cups sugar

5 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature

2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Dark Chocolate Frosting (recipe in this post)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium. Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add yolks, and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Beat in vanilla.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through (this is only if you are baking two 12 cup tins at once, if you are only baking one tin, then you don't need to rotate), until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a cake tester (aka a toothpick) inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

4. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature and, if desired, decorate with sprinkles before serving.

Oatmeal Coconut Scotchies

2010-04-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Gross. Not the cookies, but having to dig through the garbage this morning (luckily I didn't have to go far) to recover this recipe. This last week I was craving cookies and it was one of my client's 40th birthday so I thought.. why not bake some cookies. I didn't have much on hand, but managed to have all the ingredients for this Oatmeal Scotchies recipe on the back of a Nestle TollHouse Butterscotch morsels bag. I used to make coconut butterscotch biscotti so that is why I had them on hand. I was excited to try this oatmeal cookie recipe because I already knew I liked the coconut and butterscotch pairing. Trust me. If you haven't tried this combo.. it is SO good. The recipe on the back of the morsel bag did not include coconut, it was something I added at the last minute, but these would be equally as good without it. This recipe is now a favorite of mine because of the flavor and the texture. This cookie has a slight chew on the outside (like a corner brownie..mmm) and is soft on the inside. It melts in your mouth (because of that butter.. aren't your proud of me Paula?!).

I definitely recommend baking these for yourself and for others as they will love you for it.

Oatmeal Scotchies
Nestle TollHouse
Makes about 4 dozen cookies (or about 3 batches of 9 large cookies)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened (butter all the way baby)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange (I used vanilla extract)
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) Nestle TollHouse Butterscotch Flavored Morsels
1/3 cup sweetened coconut (something I added)

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by the rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. I rolled into a 1 1/2 in. ball and flattened will my palms so it looked like a little flat disk about 1/2 in. thick. I could fit 9 of these on a standard baking sheet. I also used a Sil Pat.

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies; 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. I cooked mine for about 9-10 minutes (when making 9 to a batch). I definitely recommend leaving them on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes. I left them until they cooled completely and they removed nicely (largely because it was on a Sil Pat).

Three Cheese Tortellini with Basil

2010-03-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

I rarely buy pre-made fresh pasta, but one day it was on sale so I bought some and threw the pack in the freezer. I enjoy eating stuffed pasta tossed in olive oil and topped with fresh parmesan, but this time I wanted something more. I decided to defrost 1/4 cup of tomato paste from the freezer and add 2 tablespoons of milk to thin it out and give it a creamier taste. Once the pasta was cooked, I drained and tossed the tortellini with the tomato mixture. I plated just over a cup of the pasta and topped it with some fresh julienned basil and grated parmesan. For being a quick, simple, throw together meal, I liked it. If I were to make it again, I would probably thin it with some more milk. The basil definitely gave it that Italian touch.

Three Cheese Tortellini with Basil

Recipe By Me

Serves 2

1 container of fresh three cheese tortellini pasta (about 9 oz.)

1/4 cup of tomato paste

2 tablespoons of milk

1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan, plus more for garnish

6 large basil leaves, julienned

1. Add pasta to a pot of boiling water and cook for 7-9 minutes (or according to the directions on the package).

2. While the pasta is cooking, mix the tomato paste with the milk and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Julienne the basil leaves and grate the parmesan.

3. Drain the cooked pasta and add back to the pot. Toss with the tomato mixture and grated parmesan. Plate half of the mixture on a plate and garnish with more parmesan and julienned basil.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

2010-03-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been on a chocolate kick. I had a bag of Dove milk chocolates at my desk all week a couple of weeks back and finally finished them when I received another bag from my secret prayer partner (who turned out to be Nancy). So last week I finished that bag. At least I was smart enough to bring them to bible study and spread the wealth - I still ate too much. Outside of my Dove milk chocolate obsession, I've also been eating semi-sweet chocolate chips. I know, I know. Who on earth eats chocolate chips straight out of the bag to curb their chocolate addiction? Well, me of course. So, when I stumbled across Martha's Chocolate Chip Cupcakes recipe in my Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook, I couldn't resist. I ended up bring these cupcakes to Kyle's work and everyone who tried one loved them. The texture and flavor of these cupcakes remind me of chocolate chip banana bread (minus the banana). It's a crumbly, bread type consistency. I prefer a moist, chewy cupcake, but all in all, it was good.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, pg. 22

Makes 30

3 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
5 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together 3 1/4 cups cake flour, the baking powder, and salt. Stir the vanilla into the milk to combine.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter until smooth. Adding the sugar in a steady stream, beat until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk mixture, and beating until just combined after each.

3. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed (I did medium-high), whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form (do not overmix). Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten. Gently fold in the remaining whites until just combined. Toss chocolate chips with remaining tablespoon cake flour, and gently fold into batter.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean and the tops are springy to the touch, about 22 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

5. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature and, if desired, decorate with sprinkles before serving.

Dark Chocolate Frosting
pg. 302

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled (see page 323)

Combine cocoa and the boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioner's sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month, in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.

Mango Shrimp Kebabs

2010-03-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love kebabs?! I mean come on. It's the ideal meal on a nice, sunset afternoon... riiiight?!

Well, I thought so. After getting home from work last Tuesday I decided to make these kebabs because I saw them in the April issue of Cooking Light and well, they looked, fabulous - and easy.

There are only a handful of ingredients. Shrimp, red bell peppers, mangoes, red onion, limes, and some s&p. I told you this recipe is easy.

It's also suprisingly delicous if you like simple flavors. I love simple flavors. Shrimp always tastes amazing to me no matter how you prepare it, you get subtle sweetness from the grilled mangoes and bell pepper, and the lime juice on top rounds out the meal nicely. Did I mention you get two full kebabs for only 277 calories? Awesome.

Mango Shrimp Kebabs
Cooking Light, April Issue, pg. 185

1 1/2 lbs. large peeled and deveined shrimp
1 large red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 mangoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 limes, cut into wedges

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshy ground black pepper. Thread shrimp, bell pepper pieces, mango cubes, and onion pieces alternately onto each of the 8 (12-inch) skewers. Place skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until shrimp are done. Squeeze lime juice from lime wedges over kebabs.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 skewers)

Calories: 277
Fat: 3.3g (sat 0.7g, mono 0.5g, poly 1.2g)
Protein: 35.8g
Carb: 27.1g
Fiber: 4.2g
Chol: 259mg
Iron: 4.5mg
Sodium: 551mg
Calcium: 109mg

Tart & Tangy Bulgar Salad

2010-03-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in the April edition of Cooking Light magazine on page 202. I always like to take these sort of recipes to work for lunch during the week because they are easy to make and they are the type of recipes that get better the longer they sit in the fridge.

One caveat, you need to enjoy green olives. If you don't like green olives, I recommend swapping with kalamata olives. In addition to the green olives, there is lime juice, salt, basil, garlic, red onion, and tomatoes.

This recipe would also be really good with chicken to add some more protein.

Tart and Tangy Bulgar Salad

1 cup uncooked bulgar
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 large basil leaves, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
12 large olives, sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 large tomato, chopped
Lime wedges (optional)

1. Combine bulgar and boiling water in a large bowl. Cover and let stand for 45 minutes.
2. Combine oil and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until combined. Add oil mixture, onion, olives, and tomato to bulgar; toss well. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Nutritional Info:

Calories: 210
Fat: 8.7g (sat 1.2g, mono 6g, poly 1.1g)
Protein: 5g
Carb: 31g
Fiber: 7.6g
Chol: 0mg
Iron: 1.5mg
Sodium: 420mg
Calcium: 35mg

If you make this, let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

2010-03-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

This recipe will knock your socks off it's that good. I found this little gem of a recipe in my bi-monthly Cooking Light magazine in the January/February edition. I like to try new recipes all time. Kyle likes to too, but he could eat the same things day in and day out. Not me. I like to eat different lunches and dinners throughout the week. We ate cobb salads and steak salads for two weeks straight and now I don't even want to think about them!

So back to this recipe. It's fantastic. The flavor is so delicious, rich, and sweet all at the same time. The chicken gets a rub made of salt, crushed fennel seeds, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano. If you've never had fennel seeds, or fennel before, you need to try it. It has a licorice flavor and usually I don't care for it, but it suprisingly goes well in this dish.

The bell pepper mixture is also full of flavor. You saute red and yellow bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary in a skillet over medium high heat. After 3 minutes you add the chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes. After it simmers, kick up the heat to medium high, add the balsamic, remaining salt, and remaining pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Serve the chicken with 3/4 cup of the bell pepper mixture on top.

The full recipe (with calories) is included below. Enjoy..!

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Pepper
Cooking Light, January/February, pg. 78

Serves 4

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Cooking Spray
2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; sprinkle spice rub over chicken. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute. Arrange chicken in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until done.
3. Heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary; saute 3 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve bell peppers mixture over chicken.

Serving size: 1 breast half and about 1/2 cup bell pepper mixture

Nutrition Information:
Calories: 282
Fat: 11g (sat 2.1g, mono 6.4g, poly 1.7g)
Protein: 35.9g
Carb: 8.8g
Fiber: 1.9g
Chol: 94mg
Iron: 2mg
Sodium: 644mg
Calcium: 38mg

Pasta Salad with Salmon, Peas, and Herbs

2010-03-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

Ok so I know the picture doesn't look that appetizing, but this pasta is really good I assure you. You have to like salmon though, and whole wheat pasta, oh.. and peas (which I usually hate, but they are suprisingly good in this dish).

I tried this Ellie Krieger recipe out for the first time yesterday. I needed to bring a salad to the Women's Spring Luncheon at our church and wanted it to be healthy so I opted for this one.

The dressing is super rich and creamy - it's made with greek yogurt, lemon juice, mayonnaise, lemon zest, dill, and salt and pepper. It's also super simple (ok, did I really just say super simple? Sandra Lee says that about a bazillion times during her show Semi Homemade and I can't stand it!!!). I'll just say it's simple, better yet, so easy (you can find this recipe in Ellie Krieger's cookbook, So Easy). Once the pasta is cooked and cooled, you toss with the dressing, some herbs, the peas, and salmon and you're good to go.

I will definitely make this pasta salad again and potentially even bring it to work.

Katrina, thank you for the compliments on this salad. As promised, here is the recipe:

Pasta Salad with Salmon, Peas, and Herbs
Ellie Krieger, So Easy

Makes 4 Servings

2/3 cup plain Greek-style nonfat yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14-ounce) can wild red salmon, drained, skinned and boned, cut into chunks (I suggest buying the salmon in a pouch, if they have that, already skinned and with the bones taken out b/c this took the most time)
1 10-ounce package frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 pound bowtie or corkscrew pasta, cooked according to package directions and cooled (I substituted with organic whole-wheat pasta, farfalle, and it tasted really good - more fiber and better for you)
2 scallions (white and green parts), minced (about 1/4 cup)
8 cups chopped red-leaf lettuce

Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, mayonnaise, lemon zest, dill, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to incorporate. Add the salmon, peas, pasta, and scallions and toss to incorporate. The pasta salad will keep up to 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

To serve, mound 2 cups of the lettuce onto each plate or into to-go containers and scoop about 1 3/4 cups of the pasta salad on top.

Sweet Things

2010-03-12T18:38:00.000-08:00

Wow it's been forever - good to finally be back! Although I haven't posted in a while that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking or baking. I've actually been cooking up a storm. I try at least 2 or 3 new recipes a week to keep things interesting. Some recipes I've tried recently are Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast, Garlic Basil Shrimp, Shrimp Fra Diavlo, Shitake and Sweet Pea Risotto, and many others. This weekend I'm going to try Ellie Krieger's Beef and Taco Salad as well as a Balsamic Chicken with Sauteed Bell Peppers.

On to much sweeter things...

like Stuffed French Toast. To be quite honest, I wasn't thrilled about the flavor of this dish. It's a healthy recipe so it doesn't have any syrup. None. Nada. Zilch. I usually don't like a lot of syrup anyway, but this dish would benefit from a tsp. of pure maple syrup drizzled on top. The chocolate and strawberry combination was fabulous though (who doesn't love chocolate and strawberries together?!) and I will definitely try this again just with a touch of syrup.

Another recipe I tried was this White Cake Cupcakes with White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream. A mouthful to say, but so delicious and light and fluffy and yum. This reminds me somewhat of the cakes you can buy in the store, but there is something to be said about using Swiss Meringue Buttercream instead of an American Buttercream that's much sweeter. I added a few drops of yellow food coloring to give it a fluffly yellow color and added multi-colored sprinkles for a fun touch. I served these at a church function at our house (for the junior / senior high school kids) and they loved them.

The last recipe I'm going to include is by far one of my favorites. It's a Devil's Food Cupcake with Chocolate Ganache glaze. Yum. I've also made the cupcakes with a chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream and those were good as well, a little less chocolatey in flavor. You definitely need to give this recipe a try. Sour cream keeps this cupcake super moist and flavorful. The ganache frosting is time consuming to make so I made a glaze instead and it tasted great.

If you would like any of these recipes just email me at alyssa.talley@gmail.com and I will send the info.

Happy Friday Everyone!

MSC: S'mores Cupcakes

2010-02-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

This month Mary Ann from Meet Me in the Kitchen chose Martha Stewart's S'mores Cupcakes. If you haven't stopped by Mary Ann's blog you must do so! She updates often and has a lot of good recipes.

I made these cupcakes late last Wednesday night in preparation for a 5-hour workshop on Thursday at work. I was happy to find that everyone really enjoyed them. A couple of people even mentioned it was the best cupcake they ever had. Maybe it's just me and I'm super critical of my own baking, but I didn't think they tasted that great. The cupcake batter did taste like graham crackers and the frosting was practically a marshmallow so it definitely resembled a s'more, but it wasn't my thing. I would rather have swiss meringue buttercream frosting and a light fluffly white or chocolate cake batter for my cupcakes. It was also quite labor intensive, but a pretty presentation. Thanks Mary Ann for picking this month's recipe - Kyle really liked them :)

CEiMB: Emerald Stir Fry with Beef

2010-01-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? After almost six months of being a part of the Craving Ellie in My Belly group, it was finally my chance to pick the recipe! Of course, like any other foodie blogger, I was eager to choose one that most everyone would like. I hope I did a good job. I've been eyeing the Emerald Stir Fry with Beef for a while now. All of the fresh vegetables looked so good that I had to pick it. I was so disappointed after making it the first time for my parents and husband. I ~~know~~ think it didn't turn out so well because I over cooked the beef. Although Ellie recommended so many minutes (I think it was 3 or something) I ended up cooking it longer because the meat was still pink and it freaked me out a little. I'm used to eating my steaks medium rare, but because I cut the steaks into little strips there was pink on the outside (which is what freaked me out). In the future I would probably grill the steak separately and slice after on a 45 degree angle against the grain. Other than the texture of the steak, the flavor was good and I really enjoyed the vegetable blend. As you can tell from the picture... I decided to make the recipe again!! This time I substituted shrimp for the steak and added seasame seeds for a garnish. The verdict.... awesome! I love this recipe with the tender shrimp and this version instantly became a staple dinner at our house. It's full of flavor and lower in calories than the traditional stir fry. Shrimp is also lean, low in calories and high in protein. It's the perfect substitute for steak and I didn't have to worry about how tender it would be because once they turn pink they are done.

Unfortunately I don't have Ellie's cookbook in front of me because I'm in Dallas for the week on a business trip, but you can find the recipe here.

To make my version of the recipe, thaw the shrimp in cold water. Peel and marinate the peeled shrimp in the sauce mixture (OJ, white wine, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and water). Let the shrimp take a swim, if you will, in the marinade while you stir fry the veggies. After the veggies have done their frying for 3 or 4 minutes, add the shrimp with the marinade and cook for an additional 3 or 4 minutes until the shrimp is pink and the vegetables are tender, but still have some bite. Add the cornstarch mixture and let sit on low heat for a few minutes to thicken. Serve over brown rice. Mmmm.. enjoy!

Thanks to all my CEiMBer's who took the time to cook with me this week. I really hope you liked the recipe and let me know how yours turned out / if you had substitutes of your own.

Happy Blogging!

Alyssa

Coconut Cupcakes

2010-01-15T13:09:00.000-08:00

I participate in the Martha Stewart Cupcakes Club blog group and this month the recipe was Coconut Cupcakes chosen by Jennifer of Cinema Cupcakes. I was totally skeptical about this cupcake. I like coconut, but I don't usually make anything with it. I was super happy with this recipe and I will definitely make it again. The cupcake is flavored with sweetened shredded coconut, unsweetened coconut milk, and coconut water. Now, the recipe doesn't call for coconut water, but I decided to use it as a flavoring for my swiss meringue buttercream. It was the first time ever that I made SMB frosting and I was afraid I ruined it, but it actually turned out just fine! I also used the sweetened coconut as a garnish instead of the unsweetened coconut flakes that Martha called for. If you love coconut... you need to try this recipe. It rocks! Thanks Jennifer for such a great pick! To view the recipe on Martha's site, click here.

Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas

2010-01-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

Today I made one of the tastiest quesadillas I've ever eaten. It's loaded with chicken, cheddar cheese, baby portobella mushrooms, red onions, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Here is the best part, it's healthy. I've been eyeing this recipe in Ellie Krieger's So Easy cookbook for awhile now. The lovely ladies in my Craving Ellie in My Belly group made it a few weeks back, but I didn't have the time. Well, I'm glad I took to time to make it today. I only modified the recipe slightly. I did not have any spinach on hand (which would have been really nice in this) and I substituted baby portobella mushrooms for button mushrooms because I love the flavor. I also ran out of dried oregano so I used dried basil and it worked just fine. Dallop the serving with some lower fat sour cream and you're good to go. Now.. go make this. It seriously tastes so good.

Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas
So Easy, Ellie Krieger (pg. 138)
Serves 4

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounces of white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups) -- I left them sliced and they were awesome
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked diced skinless boneless chicken breast (1 breast half)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 10-inch whole wheat flour tortillas
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom water has evaporated and they begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes (my portobella mushrooms did not have a lot of water so I only browned for a couple of minutes). Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Add the chicken, cumin, chili powder, and oregano and stir until all the spices are incorporated. Stir in the spinach, salt, and pepper and cook until the spinach is wilted, 2 minutes more.

Lay the tortillas on a flat surface. Sprinkle half of each tortilla with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Spoon 1/4 of the chicken mixture on top of the cheese on each tortilla, then top each with 2 more tablespoons of cheese and fold the tortillas over into half-moons, pressing down slightly to seal them closed.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas in the pan and cook, turning once, until lightly browned and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side (I only did it for about a minute on each side). Repeat with the remaining quesadillas. Slice each quesadilla in half. Serve with the salsa and sour cream.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

2010-01-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

I love cupcakes. I bought Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook in September and joined the Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Club I love them so much. So far I've made the Zucchini-Spice, Bananan-Pecan, Pumpkin Patch, Candied Sweet Potato, Gingerbread, and Coconut cupcakes. They were all tasty and anytime I bake and bring Martha's cupcakes anywhere they all get rave reviews. This recipe is my favorite so far. I love snickerdoodles and meringue-esk frostings. I actually made these for my grandma's 80th birthday and the whole family loved them. You can view the recipe on Martha's Stewarts site by clicking here. If you don't have her cookbook, I hands down recommend it.

Enjoy!

CEiMB: Sweet & Spicy Peanut Soup

2010-01-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

Popsicles and Sandy Feet chose this week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe. I wanted to make it again, but had no time this week so please click here to check out the post from way back when.

Oh.. and apologies up front on the lighting. It was night and I was too impatient to wait until the morning to take more pics with good lighting. If only I knew about the Tungsten setting on my camera at that time.. oh well!!

Cheers!

CEiMB: No-Cook Lemon Bars

2009-12-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Amy from Playing House for choosing Ellie Krieger's No-Cook Lemon Bars for this week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe. Ellie lightens up this dessert by using reduced-fat cream cheese, fat-free sweetened condensed milk, Egg Beaters, and whole-grain graham crackers. Adding the gelatin allows the bar to set. If you have never used unsweetened gelatin, it's super easy. All you have to do is mix the gelatin powder with boiling water. Once it cools for a couple of minutes you simply add it to the cream cheese batter.

I would recommend this recipe if you enjoy cream cheese as a base in your desserts. For being a "lighter" version I couldn't really taste the difference.

I've included the recipe below, but here are some tips that may be useful when you are making this:

Buy at least 4 lemons -- I only bought 3 and I barely managed to squeeze out 1/2 cup
After you chill the bars for 8 hours, throw the whole dish in the freezer for an hour or so -- this will make the bars easier to cut / hold their shape
Save some extra lemon zest for the top -- Ellie doesn't recommend this, but I think these bars would be even better dusted with a little powdered sugar and lemon zest on top

No-Cook Lemon Bars
So Easy, Ellie Krieger
(serves 16)

If you love cheesecake and you love lemon, you will double-love these delicious bars. They have a velvety, cream cheese filling with just the right citrus kick and that crave-able classic graham cracker crust. All that and you don't even need an oven to make them.

Crust:
14 whole-grain graham cracker squares (7 full sheets)
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Filling:
1 - 8oz. package Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese), softened at room temperature
1 - 14oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup pasteurized egg product (such as Egg Beaters)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
3 tablespoons boiling water

Place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until crumbs are formed. Add the butter, brown sugar, and salt, and pulse until crumbs resemble wet sand. Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray and pack the crumbs firmly into the bottom of it. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, condensed milk, and pasteurized egg product and beat on high with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and zest and beat until fully incorporated, another 30 seconds. In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and boiling water and whisk until the gelatin is entirely dissolved; let cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir the gelatin into the cream cheese mixture until incorporated. Pour the filling over the crust. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Slice into 2-inch squares using a chilled knife coated with cooking spray.

CEiMB [Rewind]: Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs

2009-12-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Tessa from Handle the Heat, chose Ellie Krieger's Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs recipe for Craving Ellie in My Belly. Unfortunately I've all but dropped off the planet from food blogging -- what's with me?! I'm sure a lot of people get tied up with the holidays, tons of gatherings, and the extremely small window of light available during the weekend (if you work full time).

Lucky for me I have off all this week! Just ask my husband, I have been cooking / baking up a storm the last couple of days. I really wanted to do a CEiMB recipe because I haven't done one in FOREVER. I decided to go with the Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs recipe for my rewind because I had everything but the chicken on hand. I looked at the recipe and it was simple too - bonus. I did make one minor change. I substituted chicken drumsticks for chicken thighs. I think next time I make this recipe I might even just opt for chicken tenders. I always have those around and they are somewhat better for you since it's all white meat.

So, I ended up making these yesterday for Kyle's Guys Night and they were a hit! I think I made the sauce a little too wet by not measuring the maple syrup. I thought it was around 3 tablespoons, but with the way I guess on things it was probably a 1/4 cup. Next time I plan to add a little less maple syrup or more mustard that way the sauce actually stays on top of my chicken and doesn't run off. Now that I think of it, it probably ran off because I used drumsticks and not thighs (which are more flat).. hmm.. oh well!! They were still tasty and I definitely plan on making these again. Thanks Tessa!

Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs

The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life

Ellie Krieger

The grainy mustard and maple syrup form a delectable tangy-sweet crust on these juicy chicken thighs. This recipe may have a small ingredient list, but it has really big flavor!

8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lbs.), skin removed

1/3 cup grainy French mustard

1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

3/4 teaspoon dired marjoram

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 375F. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the mustard, garlic, marjoram, and maple syrup in a small bowl. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the mustard mixture evenly on top of each chicken thigh, being careful to cover as much of the surface as possible to form a "crust". Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a large baking dish. Bake until mustard mixture has formed a crust and is slightly hardened, and the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced in the center, 45 to 50 minutes.

Mari's Clam Lovers Chowder

2009-12-27T14:17:00.000-08:00

I love clam chowder. Whenever I eat clam chowder at Pike Place Chowder or at Anthony's I always add a ton of crackers and fresh cracked pepper. Ahh.. perfection. I'm not a thick chowder lover. I would rather have a rich and creamy chowder with a thinner broth. I find it funny how much I enjoy clam chowder, yet I have never attempted to make it myself?! Craziness. Then I tried it. The most wonderful clam chowder recipe I've tasted in awhile. It was rich, creamy, thin, and full of clams. My friend found the recipe on Allrecipes.com. It's Mari's Clam Lovers Chowder recipe.

Click here to view the site with a link to her recipe. The recipe is also included below after a couple of photos. Enjoy!

Mari's Clam Lovers Chowder
Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
8 (6.5 oz.) cans minced clams, drained with juice reserved
4 oz. bacon, chopped
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
2 qts. water
2 cups chopped celery
2 tbsp. minced parsley (I substituted dried parsley because that's what I had on hand)
5 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 1/2 cups butter (Paula Deen would be proud!)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 qts. heavy cream (don't ask, just do it-- it tastes fantastic)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. white sugar
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Directions:
1. In a large stockpot, saute bacon until almost crisp. Drain fat. Add clam juice, onion, carrots, water, celery, and parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Add potatoes and simmer 20 minutes more. At the time you add potatoes start the cream sauce.
3. In a Dutch oven (I used a medium sauce pan) melt butter and add flour; blend until smooth. Slowly pour in cream, stirring constantly. Do not boil! When smooth, transfer to the stockpot.
4. Stir in clams, salt, pepper, sugar, and red wine vinegar. Simmer, never let boil, until smooth and slightly thickened, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Double Chocolate Mint Chip Ice Cream

2009-12-26T14:55:00.000-08:00

Guess what I got for Christmas from my lovely In-Laws.....the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Mixer Attachment! This attachment is so cool. You pop the bowl in your freezer for 15 hours, make your ice cream mixture and let chill completely, then pour your chilled mixture into the mixer and let it do its thing for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, spoon the very soft ice cream into a container and let it "ripen" in the freezer for at least an hour.

So simple and delicious. I love the fact that I know exactly what went into the ice cream - no fillers or junk.

I took this Double Chocolate Ice Cream recipe off of Cooking Light and made a few changes.

Double Chocolate Mint Chip Ice Cream

Adapted from Cooking Light

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk,divided (I substituted with 1% milk and it still tasted great)

3 large egg yolks

1/2 cup half-and-half

2 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I substituted with 2 1/2 oz. of Hershey's Dark Chocolate & Mint chips)

Combine sugar and cocoa in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in 1/2 cup milk and egg yolks. Stir in remaining 2 cups milk. Cook 12 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Place half-and-half in a microwave-safe dish; microwave at high 1 1/2 minutes or until half-and-half boils. Add chocolate to half-and-half; stir until smooth. Add half-and-half mixture to pan; stir until smooth. Place pan in an ice-filled bowl. Cool completely, stirring occasionally.

Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm.

Nutritional Information*

*May change somewhat since I substituted 1% milk

Calories:255 (30% from fat)
Fat:8.4g (sat 4.3g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.3g)
Protein:5.6g
Carbohydrate:44.5g
Fiber:1.8g
Cholesterol:87mg
Iron:0.9mg
Sodium:51mg
Calcium:38mg

Look at all that calcium! You need to give this recipe a try! Oh, and if you don't have one.. buy the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker attachment -- it rocks! (No ice or salt needed).

Enjoy!

Chocolate-Hazlenut Meringues

2009-12-26T14:24:00.000-08:00

I surprisingly made a lot of recipes this year from the Holiday Issue of Cooking Light magazine. I made their Cooking Light Dinner Rolls, Chili-Spiced Almonds, Frisee Salad with Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette, and Chocolate-Hazelnut Meringues (substitued with pecans because that's what I had on hand).

My husband bought me a Sil Pat from Williams and Sonoma for Christmas this year so I had to use it on something. I decided to venture out and make meringues. When I previously looked through my Holiday Issue of Cooking Light, I saw a recipe for Chocolate-Hazlenut Merginues. I had everything except the hazlenuts so I decided to substitute pecans. They are so good! Without the chocolate and pecans they taste like the top of a perfectly browned marshmallow.

I think these will become another gift to give away next year during Christmas. Enjoy!

Chocolate-Hazlenut Meringues

Cooking Light

5 large egg whites

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 oz. semisweet chocolate

1/3 cup blanched whole hazlenuts, toasted and finely chopped (I used pecans)

1. Preheat oven to 250F.

2. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt, beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugars, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla; beat 1 minute.

3. Cover two baking sheetswith parchment paper (I used my Sil Pat). Spoon 24 (2-inch-rounds) mounds (I piped rosettes) onto prepared baking sheets. Place in oven; bake at 250F for 1 hour or until dry to touch, rotating pans halfway through cooking. (Meringues are done when surface is dry and meringues can be removed from paper without sticking to fingers.) Turn oven off. Cool meringues in oven 1 hour. Remove from oven; carefully remove meringues from paper.

4. Place chocolate in a medium glass bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Dip side of meringue in melted chocolate and chopped hazlenuts. Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2 meringues).

Nutritional Info:

Calories 135

Fat 4.3 g (sat 1.4g, mono 1.7g, poly 0.3g)

Protein 2.6g

Carb 22.7g

Fiber 0.4mg

Chol 0mg

Iron 0.6mg

Sodium 51mg

Calc 13mg

MSC: Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cookie Cutouts

2009-12-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Kayte from Grandma's Kitchen Table chose this month's Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Club recipe, Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cookie Cutouts. I was really excited to make these, but unfortunately by the time I got around to making these I had already baked over 100 gingerbread cookies and 5 gingerbread house kits (for a gingerbread house making party I had last Friday). I almost considered skipping this month, but didn't want to get axed from the club so I made a half batch. The normal batch yields 22 standard cupcakes, but half a batch definitely does not yield 11 cupcakes. I spread the batter into 11 lined cupcakes and they only baked about halfway up the liner - so lame! Next time I'm going to fill them 3/4 full even if that means I only get 5 or 6 in a half batch.

I used a Royal Icing for the top -- it was way too runny. It was the same recipe I used to frost the gingerbread house and cookies. I've decided that I'm a big fan of fluffy tall frosting piped on top of my cupcakes so next time I would probably make something different.

I don't know if I would make the cupcakes again, but I will definitely continue to make the gingerbread cookies and gingerbread house. I've never made a gingerbread house from scratch, but I loved doing it and I hope to make it a yearly tradition.

Thanks Kayte for such a great seasonal pick!

Juliann's Special Pancakes

2009-11-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Kyle and I went a visited some friends of ours from church. Their daughter, Juliann, makes these special pancakes that are really good. I asked for the recipe and as her mom started to let me in on the secret she got "sushed" from Juliann to not give it away. Juliann finally gave in when I agreed to let everyone know it was her Special Pancake recipe. I obliged. They are special and very tasty.

The recipe starts with 1 1/2 cups of pancake mix. The homemade pancake mix recipe that their family uses is:

Mix together 5 cups white flour, 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. baking powder, and 2 tsp. salt.

To make traditional pancakes, you mix 1 1/2 cups of the pancake mix above, 2 eggs, and 1 1/4 cups of milk (this makes a pretty thin and flat pancake (which I love), but if you want a thicker pancake, reduce the milk).

Now... on to the Special part!

You add, in no certain amount, some vanilla extract and cinnamon. I loved seeing her handwritten recipe on a paper towel that said there was no certain amount to the vanilla and cinnamon - so cute. So for mine I added a splash of vanilla and a few shakes of cinnamon.

Here are some action shots of the pancakes sizzling:

The finished product. So good! I added a few chocolate chips to a couple and those were good too. Kyle also loved them which is a plus. I will definitely be making these babies again. Thanks Juliann!!!

CEiMB: Peach French Toast Bake

2009-11-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

The Not So Skinny Kitchen chose this week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe, Ellie Krieger's Peach French Toast Bake. For being a lighter, healthier version of a french toast bake it wasn't bad. It had great flavor with the cinnamon and nutmeg I added and I also really enjoyed the warm peaches nestled on top.

I did make a few substitutions... I used really stale bread (which usually is perfectly fine for recipes like this) and I left out the lemon juice and vanilla extract because I was out. I decided to add nutmeg in place of the vanilla extract and it seemed to work just fine.

I will definitely make this again if I'm craving a french toast bake, but don't want all the calories that come with the normal ~~Paula Deen~~ butter and cream laden recipes. Trust me.. those are rich and extremely decadent, but you'll pay for it on the scale. If that doesn't bother you, check out a really good French Toast Bake recipe here.

Enjoy!

MSC: Candied Sweet Potato Cupcakes

2009-11-15T21:53:00.000-08:00

The Martha Stewart's Cupcakes recipe this month was chosen by Karen at Karen's Cookies, Cakes, & More. I'm not going to lie - I really didn't want to make this for some reason. Maybe it was the thought of sweet potatos in a cupcake recipe, I'm not sure. Regardless, I made it. And it was wonderful. It reminded me of the pumpkin patch cupcakes I made last month. I couldn't really taste the sweet potato - they had the same fall-like taste with nutmeg and cinnamon.

I decided to bring them to Oscar Night at my church and a lot of people like them. I talked to a few people to see what they thought and they both wanted the recipe. My mother-in-law also loved them.

My only recommendation is to put the candied pecan pieces on the marshmallow pile before they get toasted. I sprinkled the candied pieces on top after I transferred the toasted mallow piles and they didn't seem to stick that well.

I definitely recommend you give this recipe a try. Thanks Karen for such a great pick!

CEiMB: Linguini with Shrimp and Vegetables

2009-11-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

I was excited to make this week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe because I love shrimp, garlic, and asparagus. I never thought I would add asparagus to a pasta dish, but it was surprisingly good and crunchy - the perfect bite.

It's also really simple and fairly quick to make. Heat some olive oil in a skillet and sauté the asparagus and garlic. Add the shrimp and cook until pink. Remove mixture and use the same skillet to make the sauce (lemon juice, reserved pasta water, and white wine). Add the mixture back once the sauce is reduced and add parsley and halved cherry tomatoes. Add cooked linguini noodles and toss until combined.

Yum! It also tasted great reheated this week at work. Another plus, my husband also really liked it. I was happy that he did too because this dish has a lot of good brightly colored vegetables.

Thanks Confessions of a Novice Baker for such a great CEiMB pick! To view the complete recipe, click here.

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

2009-11-01T14:23:00.000-08:00

I've made this recipe a couple of times and it never fails to please those who are lucky enough to get some. I believe my mom first introduced me to it - Paula Deen's Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup.

It's the perfect Christmas morning breakfast. You prepare almost everything the night before and all you do in the morning is add the pecan topping and bake for 40 minutes. It makes your house smell wonderful and it tastes delicious. It has the perfect texture - crunchy and soufle like.

Recipe below.

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

Paula Deen

Ingredients:

1 loaf of French bread (13 to 16 ounces)

8 large eggs

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash salt

Praline Topping, recipe follows

Maple syrup

Directions:

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9x13 inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and beat with a rotary beater until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all is covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well.

CEiMB: Pumpkin Pie Muffins

2009-10-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

I adore pumpkin pie. Just ask anyone in my family, especially my mom. We like to buy extra pumpkin pie from Costco around the holidays so we ~~can eat it for breakfast~~ have more leftovers.

I really do like making muffins, especially Ellie Krieger's. I know they are a healthy treat that I can eat with my cup of coffee in the morning or as a snack later in the day. I usually make a big batch, individually wrap them in wax paper, and store in a big plastic bag in the freezer. Just take one out the night before and place in the refrigerator and they will be ready and thawed in the morning.

Earlier this month I made Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes. They got rave reviews from family and coworkers, so I was excited to see how Ellie's would match up since they have half the amount of brown sugar and no butter.

They tasted great - super moist thanks to the pumpkin puree. My only recommedation is to not put them in cupcake liners. I'm not really sure why I used them, but half of the muffin stuck to the bottom liner. Muffin tops anyone?

Thanks Amanda of Oddball Oven Mitt for such a great Craving Ellie in My Belly pick!

Pork Piccata with Spinach and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2009-10-27T22:48:00.001-07:00

Last week I was pleasantly surprised to see my new Ellie Krieger cookbook in the mailbox. Her new cookbook is called So Easy - and she doesn't lie.

She breaks the book into 4 main sections - breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Within each section she has two categories - one quick section (recipes you can make ahead of time or recipes that take less than 5 minutes to make) and one longer section (recipes that take 20 to 30 minutes to make).

I really like the recipes too. I've tried 5 or 6 so far and one of my favorites is the Pork Piccata with Spinach and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Can you believe this whole recipe rolls in around 460 calories? Full of flavor and it only took 20 minutes to make - my kind of meal.

Pork Piccata with Spinach and Garlic Mashed Potatoes (pg. 131-133)

Ellie Krieger

Pork Piccata

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 lbs. pork tenderloin, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch thick medallions

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons drained capers

2 tablespoons chopped parsle

Directions:

Combine the flour and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a sealable plastic bag. Place the pork medallions in the bag and shake until well-coated.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillt (not nonstick) over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, cook the pork until it is browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a plate.

Add the garlic to the same skillet, then immediately add the wine and cook over medium-high heat. As the wine reduces, stir to dissolve the small bits and juices remaining in the pan from the meat. Cook until the wine is reduced by about half, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, capers, and remaining salt and pepper and cook until the mixture has reduced slightly, an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Return the medallions to the skillet along with the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat until the sauce thickens and the meat is cooked to medium doneness, about 3 minutes.

Serve over the Express "Steamed" Spinach and Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and top with the parsley.

Express "Steamed" Spinach

Ingredients:

5 ounces pre-washed baby spinach leaves

Directions:

Place the spinach in a large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly. Microwave on high for 90 seconds.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, left unpeeled, and cut into 1 inch pieces

4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and quartered

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place the potatoes and garlic in a steamer basket fitted over a large pot of boiling water. Cover and steam until the potatoes are knife tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Warm the chicken broth in a small saucepan on the stove or in a glass container in the microwave. Remove the steamer basket and drain the water from the large pot. Transfer the potatoes and garlic to the pot, add the oil, salt, and broth, and mash until smooth.

Definitely a dinner worth trying. The lemon in the piccata sauce is refreshing.

On Vacation..

2009-10-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

So no posts for a week or so!! Hope everyone else is doing well.

MSC: Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

2009-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

This Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Club recipe was chosen by Kim of What the Whisk. I had very good intentions of making these for an after church potluck last Sunday, but couldn't find time with all of the festivities on Saturday for the UW vs. Arizona game. I ended up making the cupcakes late Sunday night. I started at 9:30 and climbed in bed by 11:00 or so. On Tuesday I finally found time to make the frosting. I decided to color the cream cheese frosting green to resemble the patch in 'pumpkin patch' cupcakes. I didn't have any time at all to figure out how to make / buy marzipan to shape into pumpkins. Although I do someday want to use marzipan, I decided to buy the Branch's mixed candy bag with candy corn and pumpkins. I picked out all the pumpkins and ate the candy corns.

My husband and I ate these cupcakes hot out of the oven on Sunday night without the frosting and they tasted great - almost like dough because they were so moist.

On Monday I brought in a couple unfrosted cupcakes as a morning snack for myself and a coworker and she really liked hers.

On Wednesday (after I made the frosting and frosted the cupcakes Tuesday night) I brought in a whole plate full to work. I sent out an email at 9:30 and within 5 minutes I had the first person stopping by. By the time I left work around 6:30 I had 2 of the 17 I brought.

I would definitely make these and recommend them. I wouldn't recommend making the mini ones.. for some reason I couldn't taste the pumpkin or spices as much and they weren't as moist.

I did get to use my Halloween cupcake liners - so much fun.

Happy cupcake baking, photographing, blogging, and eating!

UW vs. Arizona... and the food that made the day.

2009-10-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we were faced with a small dilemma. We didn't have a RV for tailgating. We usually always tailgate before the Husky football games in my father-n-law's RV. We couldn't resist the thought of missing out on all the pre-game good eats, so Kyle and I decided to invite everyone over to our house before the game.

We had French Style Grilled Potato Salad, Tangerine-Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks, the Bacon Explosion, no bake cookies, and root beer floats. We also grubbed on some cheese and crackers, chips and salsa, and salmon spread with wheat thins. Oh, did I mention we also had steaks? Well, not all of us decided to have a steak after the mountain of glutenous eating, but some us did. Hint: Kyle and I actually decided to pass. I know, right? Big surprise. Seriously.

So, here are some pics of the French Style Grilled Potato Salad I made, courtesy of Bobby Flay.

This was a really good potato salad if you like mustard. I'm a big fan of mustard (especially on hot dogs with relish and onions) so this salad hit home. I liked the idea of grilling the salad and let me tell you, its what made the salad.

This is the perfect dish for a potluck or picnic. To view the complete recipe, click here.

... and then there was the grill.. and meat...

A whole plethora of chicken drumsticks.. slowly cooking away on the grill for the Tangerine-Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks recipe.

I was really drawn to this recipe because the chicken is cooked at a lower temperature on the grill for around 25-30 minutes. The end result is a moist, flavorful piece of chicken with a crunchy skin. Yum.

What makes this dish fabulous is the tangerine-maple glaze. I had to be a little creative this week because Kyle couldn't find Orange-Tangerine juice. I used Orange-Pineapple instead and I think it tastes near the same.

Garnish with green onions and a grilled slice of tangerine and you're good to go!

If you want to view the recipe, check out the post here.

... and then there was the Bacon Explosion. Kyle's ultimate tailgating food that he insists he has to make every football game.

I'm going to have to admit, this weekend the Bacon Explosion tasted great! Kyle bought hot Italian sausage from the market and it really gave the kick I love.

To see more detailed post on how to make / smoke the bacon explosion, click here.

And how could I forget the chocolate?

Although I bought vanilla ice cream and root beer for root beer floats, I couldn't resist making some quick no bake cookies.

I grew up eating these as a kid and I L-O-V-E them! My mom always would whip up a batch on the fly.

No Bake aka Mountain Bar Cookies

12-15 cookies (depending on size)

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup or one stick of butter

1/2 cup milk

3 Tbsp. cocoa powder (hehe Jen, thanks for the reminder!!)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups quick oats, plus more for setting

Directions:

Heat the sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa on high heat over the stove. Once the mixture begins a rapid boil, start the timer for ~ 1 minute, 8 seconds, or 1 minute, 15 seconds if you're my mom :)

After the mixture cooks for 1 minute and 8 seconds, turn off the heat and add the vanilla and peanut butter. Stir in quickly and immediately add the oats. Stir until combined.

Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a strip of wax paper and let dry (or set). If when you are stirring the mixture looks a little too loose or glossy, add a handful of oats.

Enjoy!!

Note: if you make mondo cookies like I do... they need to set for a lot longer.

Oh, and as for the Husky football game... we won!!! Yipee!! Seriously, the most amazing, well, second most amazing game I've been to this year. Well, I've only been to two home games, but they were both great!

Check out my post on the USC game here.

Cheers.

Tangerine-Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

2009-10-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't felt too good the last few days, so I've been at home with a little extra time to watch the Food Network than normal. I usually cook solely out of Ellie Krieger's cookbook, The Food You Crave, and occasionally I cook out of Cooking Light, but I try my best to stay clear of Paula and other chefs who cook with a lot of fat.

This time I was watching Boy Meets Grill with Bobby Flay. I couldn't help but drool over this Tangerine-Maple Glazed Drumsticks & Thighs recipe. He also made a french potato salad that I'm going to try this weekend, but last night I was craving some good grilled food.

I actually never, never buy chicken with the bone in and skin on. Major no-no for healthy eating, however, I haven't been feeling well, and comforting, real flavorful food sounded good.

I was surprised to find I only needed to buy a few things at the store for this recipe. Let me warn you, this recipe is off the hook!! Kyle was raving when he got home about the smell of the house and the flavor of the chicken.

The trick to this recipe is to cook the chicken on the grill on a low temperature for a long period of time, like 25 to 30 minutes. The skin is brushed with canola oil and it gets nice and crunchy. About 5 minutes before they are done, you brush with the tangerine-maple glaze.. mmmm.

Ok, so here is the recipe, you have to try this!

Tangerine-Maple Glazed Chicken Drumsticks & Thighs
Bobby Flay

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons canola oil
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
1 quart tangerine juice or orange-tangerine juice, not from concentrate
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tangerine or orange zested
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
8 chicken drumsticks (I only cooked drumsticks)
8 chicken thighs
Salt
2 green onions, sliced for garnish
Grilled oranges or tangerinces, for garnish

Directions:

Heat the grill to medium high.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat, add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the juice and thyme, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to approximately 1/2 cup, 20 to 25 minutes.

Strain the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the syrup, soy sauce, and black pepper and let cool to room temperature. Can be made 2 days in advance and brought to room temperature before using.

Brush chicken on both sides with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through. Begin brushing with the glaze during the last 5 minutes of grilling. Remove to a platter and sprinkle with the green onion. Garnish with the grilled citrus.

To find the complete online recipe, click here.

Try this!

CEiMB: Chicken Chop Suey

2009-10-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

My grandma could always get us to her for dinner by promising to make this dish. My version incorporates more fresh vegetables than she used and gets its crunchy topping from the baked wonton skins instead of canned fried noodles. The result is a sumptuous stir-fry of chicken, meaty mushrooms, and tender cabbage melded together in a thickened, mildly flavored sauce that would make Grandma proud. This recipe is a great way to use leftover rotisserie chicken or turkey.

Chicken Chop Suey was the Ellie Krieger recipe chosen this week by The Healthy Hostess in the Craving Ellie in My Belly group.

Don't you love my picture of the dish?! Ha. I'm not kidding when I say I really need to figure out how to take photos during the winter. By the time this was ready for dinner on Monday night it was dark outside. I then packed it for lunch on Tuesday and I was so not going to take a camera phone photo of the dish in my Glad tupperware dish!

So, please be satisfied with this shot of my cookbook. I think the best option for me is to start making the food after church on Sundays for an early dinner.

I really did enjoy this dish. I made quite a few substiutions and I have some recommendations. Here are the substitutions I made:

Beef stock for chicken stock (this was an accident! I totally grabbed the wrong can)
White button mushrooms for the shitake (still tasted great)
Water instead of the dry sherry (for the thickener)
Peanuts instead of wonton chips (I was too lazy to find the wonton papers and knew I wouldn't have the time to bake)

Some recommendations:

Don't use beef stock-ha!
Add salt.. I know everything is low-sodium, but Ellie wasn't lying when she said it was a mildly flavored sauce. I recommend adding some salt.
Add more scallions and garlic to enhance the flavor
Add something to kick up the heat-if I were making this at home again, I would add red pepper flakes. When I was at work on Tuesday I added some red chili sauce and that added the perfect spicy touch - mmmm.

I hope everyone else enjoyed this recipe and I'm excited to see what you all thought and how you changed it.

Cheers

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup

2009-10-03T20:07:00.001-07:00

This soup has exotic African origins but the ingredients are all comfortably familiar; chances are you already have everything on hand you need to make it. Its sweetness, from sweet potato and carrot, is heightened with honey and balanced with the clarity of ginger and hot pepper. Peanut butter brings it all together and makes it extra rich and satisfying. And don't forget the fresh scallions. Much more than a pretty garnish, they add an essential zingy freshness and crunch.

This last week I made Ellie Krieger's Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup (recipe is on page 77). It's officially fall and I wanted to make some sort of soup I could bring for lunch. I've made Ellie's Curried Butternut Squash Soup in the past and was quite pleased with the thickness of pureed vegetables in my soup. It makes it hearty and I love that.

This soup is super good for you. One serving, about a cup and half, rolls in around 295 calories, 6.5 grams of fat, 56 grams of carbs, and 12 grams of protein. It has an excellent source (at least 20% of your Daily Recommended Value) of calcium, fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, protein, thiamin, vitamin a, vitamin b6, vitamin c, and vitamin e.

Don't be scared off by the peanut butter, honey, and vegetables. They surprisingly work well together.

I really need to figure out how to take photos in the winter or else this is going to be a long winter...

Ellie Krieger, The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life
Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup (pg. 77)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed (2 cups)
6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
One 14.5-ounce can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices
2/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup chopped scallion greens (about 3 scallions)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and carrots and cook, stirring, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cayenne, black pepper, garlic, and ginger and cook for 1 minute more. Sitr in the sweet potato, broth, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in the pot using an immersion blender or in a regular blender in two batches and return the soup to the pot. Add the peanut butter and honey and stir, over low heat, until the peanut butter melts. Server warm, garnished with the scallions.

Enjoy!

Searching...

2009-09-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

It always amazes me what people search for on the internet. I myself have probably searched some pretty ridiculous things..

... so I thought it would be fun to do a post on the key words that other people searched that led them to my blog.

I've only see three things so far:

1. Caper & Fish (which led them to this post)
2. Butterscotch Biscotti Recipe (which led them here)

and my favorite... drum roll please....

....

....

....

3. Can you put shrimp cocktail tails in a garbage disposal? (which led them here)

HAHA.. made me laugh, and I had to share.

MSC: Banana-Pecan Cupcakes

2009-09-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

The September Bonus Round recipe was the Banana-Pecan cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Frosting on pg. 41 of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook.

I instantly knew I was going to make the bonus recipe this month because I love, love, love anything reminiscent of banana bread. The banana-pecan cupcakes are just that.. little pieces of banana-bread with a glorious tasting caramel buttercream frosting.

I actually made these early on a Friday morning, before work, at 4:30am. Call me crazy.. I know I am. I got up super early to make these because I wanted to bring them to my Aunt for her birthday and we were going to see her that very night.

This recipe took quite a while. Not sure how everyone else in the MSC club did, but it took me 2 - 2.5 hours to bake, cool, and frost.

After taking some photos in the morning sunrise, I hopped in the shower, got ready, and headed to work. I decided to bring a few to share the love, and share the love did I. Everyone enjoyed them, or at least said they did.

I will definitely make these again. The caramel buttercream was killer. The perfect touch.

Happy cupcake making!

Bacon Explosion

2009-09-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

Sometime ago my husband discovered the Bacon Explosion recipe. I believe he heard it from a co-worker, but I can't remember. Regardless, this recipe is true to its name - bacon explosion. The recipe can be found here on BBQ Addicts website.

It's the ULTIMATE tailgating recipe, so my fellow CEiMBer's beware.. this thing is not in Ellie's healthy cookbook.

I believe it clocks in around 5000 calories and 500 grams of fat, but I can't remember, nor choose to.

1. Start with thick cut bacon and weave:

2. Spread 2 lbs. of Italian sausage on top of the weave:

3. Cook up some more bacon:

4. While cooking the additional bacon (did I mention you need about 1.5 packages of bacon?), add a generous amount of pork rub:

5. Smile at your wife while you're cooking the extra bacon ;)

6. Chop up the cooked bacon:

7. Add the cooked bacon to the top of the seasoned sausage:

8. Add some of your favorite BBQ sauce, like Sweet Baby Rays:

9. Roll up the sausage into a log and wrap with the bacon weave:

10. Add more seasoning to the bacon explosion:

11. Cook in a smoker for 4 hours until 165 degrees:

12. Slice and serve (usually on a dinner roll):

Mmmmm, if that doesn't give you a heart attack, I don't know what will...!

If you love to smoke food, or love tailgating, or simply just love a lot of meat.. you need to make this.

-Alyssa

CEiMB: Sweet & Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

2009-09-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe was hosted by Lethally Delicious. I cannot even tell you how much I love grilled cheese sandwiches!! As a kid, my mom always made these and served it along side a bowl of tomato soup. My favorite thing to do was dip the grilled cheese in the tomato soup --- mmmmm.

So, naturally, I was excited to see this recipe. A little more grown up, but still a grilled cheese. Ellie's recipe is pretty simple.

Grill onions until translucent, spread on one slice of whole wheat bread. Top with cheddar, pepperjack, and a slice or two of tomato and grill on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side.

I was a little rushed to find something to eat before the gym on Monday so I decided to make this recipe. I had onions in the freezer, but had no time to cook them, so I left them out. I also had tomatoes, but they were cherry tomatoes off the vine in the backyard and I was too pressed for time to go pick them, wash them, slice them, and add them to the sandwich.

So... I had a plain grilled cheese with just cheese. Two slices of whole wheat bread with shredded sharp cheddar and 1 oz. of pepperjack cheese. I grilled it to perfection on my George Foreman grill for 3 minutes, I think. I can't exactly remember how long I grilled it for because after I put it on the grill I ran upstairs and got ready for the gym, fed the dog, and then finally checked and it came out perfect - when does that happen? I usually end up burning everything when I turn my back and start doing something else. I won't even bring up the fact that I left the grill on high heat outside for over an hour last night while I caught up on Survivor and blogged about the recent UW win - go Dawgs!

Then on Wednesday night, I was able to make these again for Kyle and I. This time around I had tomatoes so I added them and it tasted great. I think the key is slicing them thin, that way they warm up between the melting cheese.

Click here to view the complete recipe. To check out what the other ladies thought in the CEiMB group, visit the blogroll. Thanks Lethally Delicious!

Cheers!

NY Cheesecake w/ Blackberry Compote

2009-09-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the picture is not going to do this dish justice, I promise. This cheesecake is phenomenal. I've never made cheesecake before, but decided to make it for this last Saturday's UW game vs. USC (in which we won, go Dawgs!!).

Click here for the link to the recipe I used to make the NY cheesecake.

I probably would change some things the next time I make this. For instance, I didn't let the cream cheese come to room temperature. As a result, it cracked on top (this is what I read). I also didn't cook it in a water bath. Next time I will probably do this and turn down the temp slightly. I also read that if you turn down the temp slighty and cook it longer than it won't brown as much (and boy did mine brown). Regardless, it tasted great and everyone loved it.

Here's the recipe for the blackberry compote:

Alyssa's Blackberry Compote

Ingredients:

3 cups blackberries (or other fruit, mine was frozen)
3/4 cup of white sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat on medium-high for 3-4 minutes until thickened enough to coat a spoon. Let cool and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Enjoy! You definitely need to try this one.

I'm considering making an oreo one in the near future.. ahh the possibilities.

Steak Salad

2009-09-18T22:51:00.001-07:00

My husband works a lot, but now that my husband's 'busy season' has slowed down, I get to see him more!

And this is what I came home to the first night he got off at a normal time (even beating me home from work) - a steak salad.

He's been eating it for dinner lately at a restaurant near his office and he really likes it so he decided to make it for us. First of all, my husband rarely cooks. So this was a treat for me. I mean, he grills, but rarely plates a whole meal.

The salad starts with a bed of baby spinach leaves, it's topped with crumbled blue cheese, sliced tomatoes, grilled steak, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegarette.

Kyle's Version:

It was so good that I decided to make it the next night.

My Version:

So good! We both rubbed some Johnny's seasoning salt and brown sugar on the steak before searing on the grill. I also added Montreal seasoning to balance out the brown sugar.

I also love how quick this was to make - perfect for an end of the summer dinner.

Kyle's Steak Salad
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
Two - 5oz. cuts of chuck steak
1/2 tsp. Johnny's seasoning
1 tsp. Montreal seasoning
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/2 bag of baby spinach leaves
3 oz. blue cheese
1 tomato
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegarette

Directions:
1.) Preheat grill to high.
2.) Place steaks, seasonings, and brown sugar in a gallon ziploc bag.
3.) Rub seasoning mixture into steak.
4.) Grill steaks on high, 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your likeness.
5.) Take steaks off grill, place on a cutting board to sit for 5 minutes.
6.) In the meantime, place 1/2 of the spinach leaves on a plate.
7.) Sprinkle 1 1/2oz. of blue cheese crumbles over the spinach.
8.) Thinly slice tomatoes and fan on half the salad.
9.) Slice steak on a 45-degree angle, into thin strips.
10.) Add sliced steak on the other half of the salad.
11.) Drizzle salad with 1 Tbsp. of the balsamic vinegarette.

Enjoy!

CEiMB: Black Bean Mexican Style Pizza

2009-09-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

The tortilla is spread with spicy black bean dip and crowned with cabbage that softens slightly when cooked while still retaining a nice crunch. A sprinkle of fresh cilantro adds color and a bright citrusy flavor.

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe was chosen by Joanne at Apple Crumbles. When I heard this week's Mexican pizza recipe included black bean dip on a tortilla, I didn't really think it sounded like a pizza. I mean.. pizza has cheese and this recipe did not. It was also served on a tortilla, not doughy, delicious bread. Regardless, it tasted great and reminded me of an open face quesadilla or tostada or something of that sort.

At first, I'll admit, I completely forgot to add all the additional ingredients to the food processor. I added the black beans and sauteed mixture, but completely left out the lime juice, cumin, cilantro, s&p, and water. No wonder it was a pain to process until smooth. I managed to settle with the thought, 'hey, I like texture, texture makes it look rustic and authentic, ya, no problem, it'll make it stand out.' Once I realized I forgot to "add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth," I decided to add half of the remaining ingredients since I used half of the bean dip on the already baking "pizza".

After correcting my dip mixture to include the correct ingredients, I spread it on a large sun-dried tomato & basil tortilla and added the toppings.

The recipe called for cabbage, but I thought that was weird and knew I would have an abundance left over if I bought it, so I stuck with romaine.

Let me tell you, the adjusted recipe tasted great. I really think the lime and cilantro (yes I actually like cilantro Sara) brightened the dip and made the overall "pizza" taste great.

My husband tried a bite and his only recommendation was to cut down the cilantro. He is not a cilantro fan, especially when it's raw and sprinkled all over the top of a dish. He did like it though and we both agreed it would make a good appetizer at a party.

Next time I host a fiesta, I'll probably cut a large tortilla into squares (maybe 3" x 3"), spread a teaspoon of the dip in the middle, and top with the remaining ingredients. I really like the crunch factor on the edges.

Thanks Joanne for such a great pick!

To see what other CEiMB-er's thought, check out the blogroll on this site.

Black Bean Mexican-Style Pizza (pg. 174)
Ellie Krieger, "The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life"

Ingredients:

Four 6-inch-diameter corn or whole-wheat tortillas (I used two large sun-dried tomato & basil tortillas)
1/2 cup Black Bean Dip (recipe follows)
1 medium ripe tomato, seeded and diced
1 cup shredded green cabbage (I used romaine)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (F).
2.) Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and spread 2 tablespoons of the black bean dip on top of each.
3.) Top with the tomato and cabbage and baked until the tortillas are crisp and the cabbage is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
4.) Remove the pizzas from the oven and sprinkle with the cilantro.
5.) Let cool slightly, then cut each one into 4 wedges and serve.

Black Bean Dip (pg. 174)

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeno pepper
One 15.5-ounce can black beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1.) Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
2.) Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
3.) Stir in the garlic and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute.
4.) Place the beans in a food processor.
5.) Add the onion mixture and the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Just thought I would remind you all since I seemed to leave that part out!

Enjoy!

MSC: Zucchini-Spice

2009-09-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Seeing has how this is my first Martha Stewart Cupcakes Club post, I should probably give an introduction.

So here it is.

We all know I love to bake and cook. Currently I'm a part of the Craving Ellie in My Belly (CEiMB) blog group. At least twice a month, usually it's once a week, on Thursdays, I bake one recipe from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life with my fellow CEiMB bloggers and blog about it. This group is great because I already own and love Ellie's cookbook. For the most part her recipes taste great and are healthy for you - not just in calories, but in nutrients as well.

I'm now a part of the Martha Stewarts Cupcakes Club blog group and it operates in a similar way. This group bakes one cupcake recipe per month out of Martha Stewart's Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook and blogs about it on the 15th. Occasionally there are bonus recipes anyone can make, but they are not required.

So now that we have that covered...

I present to you - Zucchini-Spice cupcakes:

Don't they look delicious?

Down right scrumptious actually.. just like this post I did on Sadie Lynn.

Do you know why I love these cupcakes? I love them because they remind me of Christmas. Filled with cinnamon, ground clove, and fresh ground nutmeg, these cupcakes pack a ton of flavor.

I don't know about you, but the smell of a spiced cake baking in the oven is so warm and inviting. It makes me want to light a candle, grab a cup of hot cocoa, snuggle in a blanket (not to be confused with a snuggie) and watch a good romantic comedy. I love romantic comedies..! Has anyone seen The Ugly Truth? Side note: I want to see that.

So these cupcakes taste great. Martha's recipe includes a cream cheese frosting, but I actually prefer them without. If I were bringing them to a party I would probably leave the frosting on, but I think in the future I'm going to make these without the frosting and throw them in the freezer for a quick treat.

I also thought about how these would be good gifts to give during Christmas. I might try baking them and giving them as a gift in a cute mini loaf pan. My sister sent some sort of bread (I think it might have been banana) as a Christmas gift a few years back. She baked them up the night before the gift exchange in a separate dish she owned that was the same size, let it cool, then put the loaf back in the loaf pan she was gifting us with. The loaf looked perfect because the gifted pan wasn't the one she baked the bread in so when I opened the gift, there sat a wonderful looking loaf of freshly baked bread.

I was also thinking you could bake this batter in a normal size loaf pan. Once the bread cools, frost with the cream cheese frosting and slice. Serve spread out on a long platter at your next get together.

This recipe was hosted by Tracey from Tracey's Culinary Adventures. What a great pick Tracey, perfect for the upcoming holidays - thank you.

Happy cupcake baking, photographing, blogging, and finally enjoying!

CEiMB: Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2009-09-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

Pamela from Cookies with Boys selected this week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe. I know it's pathetic, but I like to buy Lloyd's shredded BBQ chicken in the tub. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I always have one tub stocked in the freezer so I can pull it out to thaw for an easy and quick dinner.

I was pleased to find that Ellie Krieger's Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches is the perfect substitute! It's easy to put together and it tastes great. It took less than 30 minutes to put together.

Some recommendations:

Add red pepper flakes (if you like spicy food) to give it some kick
Leave out the liquid smoke, or at least, cut back on it

I don't know what everyone else thought, but the liquid smoke added a depth of flavor, but it was almost too much. Maybe it was the fact that I was putting fake (smoke flavor) in it that made me instantly pick the flavor out and think it was too strong and slightly repulsive.

Regardless, I'm definitely going to make this again and it was a wonderful pick (thanks Pamela!). I think next time I'm going to leave out the liquid smoke and add another smoky element like cumin.

Click here to see the recipe or check out what everyone else thought on the CEiMB blogroll.

Sea Bass with Tomatoes, Olives & Capers

2009-08-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

If you like fish...

this Ellie Krieger dish is fabulous! It's her Sea Bass with Tomato, Olives & Capers recipe. She uses sea bass in the recipe, but recommended any white fish so I used wild cod (instead of farm raised).

The one thing I love about this recipe is that it's super quick to put together. Less than 20 minutes from start to table (and that includes the orzo I made with it).

I love this recipe because it's packed full of flavor. It has some red pepper flakes, capers, calamata olives, spinach, tomatoes, shallots, and a white wine reduction.

Eating fish twice a week is also important in a healthy diet because of the Omega-3 fatty acids it packs. This article explains everything you need to know about the health benefits of consuming fish in your diet.

The dish also packs a ton of color.

The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life
Ellie Krieger

Sea Bass with Tomato, Olive and Capers (pg. 228)

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons olive oil
Four 5-oz. skinless sea bass fillets (or other white fish)
1 small onion, diced (about a cup)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices
1/2 cup pitted and chopped calamata olives
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2-oz. baby spinach leaves (about 2 lightly packed cups)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
*In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook until opaque in the center, about 2 1/2 mintues per side 1/2-inch thickness. Transfer the fish to a serving platter and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

*Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the same skillet; add the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the olives, capers, and red pepper, if using, and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the spinach and cook until it is wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

*Spoon the topping over the fish and serve.

Serves 4 (serving size is: 1 fish fillet and 1/2 cup of the topping)

Per Serving
Calories: 250
Total Fat: 9.5 g (Mono: 5.3 g, Poly: 1.7 g, Sat: 1.5 g)
Protein: 29g
Carb: 7.5g
Fiber: 2.5g
Chol: 62mg
Sodium: 421.5mg

Excellent Source Of (20% of Daily Recommended Value): Phosphorus, Protein, Selenium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin B6

Good Source Of (10% of Daily Recommended Value): Fiber, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E.

Try this recipe! It tastes great over orzo.

CEiMB: Chicken Sate w/ Peanut Dipping Sauce

2009-08-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

This week has been super busy with training going on at work all week, our 3rd anniversary, a girls night last night...

so finally I'm getting around to posting about my Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce recipe. This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe was chosen by the lovely Tortefeasor. Please take the time to check out her blog.. it's always a good read.

I hands down love this recipe. Although I stuck with just chicken and peanut sauce in the photos below, I make this EVERY week for my husband for lunch (yes, he loves it that much) and I usually serve the chicken over brown rice. I also top with basil, chopped peanuts, and bean sprouts and it's delicious!

I really like this marinade as well. I think this chicken would also taste great tossed over the aromatic noodles.

Excited to see what everyone else thought - thanks Tortefeasor for such a great pick!! To see the complete recipe, visit her site here.

Soba Noodle Salad

2009-08-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

So last week I went on a cooking frenzy and I decided to make Ellie Krieger's Soba Noodle Salad. It looked so bright and fresh in the photos and I already had soba noodles on hand so I thought... why not, right? It was great - the perfect thing to pack for lunch. It's also a recipe that would be great to bring to a potluck. It has soba noodles, lime juice, carrots, red bell peppers, red pepper flakes, garlic, shallots, and cilantro. If I can remember right.. this recipe rolls in around 134 calories per 3/4 cup - even better.

I'm off to Anthony's Homeport for a crab feed with my husband to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary coming up on August 25th - mmmmmmm. crab. love. it.

CEiMB: Grilled Thai Beef Salad

2009-08-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly pick is from Jen at Jen B's Cooking Carveout.

I'm interested to see how many people forgot to read the recipe before attempting to make it. I definitely did and it says to marinate the steak 4 hours or overnight. I briefly saw a comment from Sara reminding everyone to marinate so I at least put the marinade together last night instead of the day of.. which probably would have been last second on Thursday. I have a way of doing that.

I did get to marinate it, but didn't have any ginger around. I actually did have some a couple of days before, but used it on the Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce recipe (my husband eats this for lunch every week). I completely spaced on needing more ginger for this recipe and ended up using it all.

I also failed to read in the directions that I was supposed to use 1 tbsp. of the lime juice in the dressing and 2 tbsp. later in the marinade (which consisted of half the dressing). I totally squeezed both halves of the lime directly into the dressing without thinking. I was probably distracted by the fact that I needed to swap out trays of Triple Chocolate Cookies that I was making for a Fantasy Football drafting party later in the week. I was quite the cooking diva on Tuesday night.

So I marinated the steak overnight.. for almost 20 hours. I don't recommend this. I think I'm going to just marinate it for 4 hours like it also recommends in the recipe. I think marinating my steak that long caused it to start turning grey-ish. When I grilled it the color wasn't as bright pink on the inside as I would have liked and I'm assuming it's from the marinade.

Other than all that... it was great. The flavor of the steak was amazing! (I love thai flavors so I'm easy to please). I also really liked the dressing. I think the brown sugar did a great job sweetening it up.

Thanks for the great pick Jen!! To view what other CEimB-er's thought.. visit the blogroll on the CEiMB site. You can also view the recipe here on the Food Network site.

Cheers!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

2009-08-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

Ellie Krieger has a recipe for triple chocolate cookies and let me tell you they are fantastic. I made a trip to World Market yesterday to buy some dark chocolate for the recipe. Yes I could have hit up the local grocery store, but I wanted some table placemats too. I even found this cute little Nutella packet!

These cookies are super chocolatey with three chocolates: cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate.

They also come in at just over 100 calories per cookie - score!

For the complete recipe, visit the Food Network site.

Mmmmm... so good.

Nutella Find

2009-08-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

How cool is this individual Nutella pack I found today at World Market?! It's so cute!! I've never tried Nutella before, but I'm going to definitely try it tomorrow on some toast - yum!!

For those of you who don't know about Nutella.. it's a creamy chocolate hazelnut spread.

I also bought these place mats for our new table - aren't they cute?

It's shaped like a little bottle of Nutella, but it's only a couple of inches tall.

Why is it that mini things are so cute?

Tuesday Blog Hop: Another Favorite Recipe

2009-08-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

Kyle and I have been loving my Coconut & Butterscotch Biscotti w/Pecans recipe. It's absolutely delicious with a cup of coffee and also works great as a gift! I usually give mine away in a new coffee cup.

Visit this post to view the complete recipe with photos.

Enjoy!

CEiMB: Stuffed Turkey Burgers

2009-08-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

The Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe this week was chosen by Pantry Revisited. What a wonderful pick!

Mental Note: take photos of all Ellie Krieger recipes made

Ok.. just had to get that out there. I love Ellie's cookbook so much that I cook constantly out of it (in addition to the recipes for CEiMB). I made these turkey burgers a few months back when I had a coworker over for dinner. They were great. I really like the roasted red pepper as I felt they added a great kick. My only change would be to add a smidge more of cheese. It was good, but there could have been more cheese.

All in all, it was a wonderful pick. Check out Pantry Revisited's blog for the compete recipe or visit this link.

And sadly.. no fabulous photos to share.. apologies!!

Ok.. this is sad. I'm posting this right now.. Thursday night.. thinking it's Wednesday night and that I'm ahead of the game. I was even going to set the post options to post tomorrow a.m. Ha!! I'm a nerd.. extremely tired and going to bed.... now.

Night everyone.

Coconut & Butterscotch Biscotti with Pecans

2009-08-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

Do you like biscotti?? Until recently I've hated it. What a poor pathetic excuse of an overly cooked cookie. Like duh Alyssa..! Biscotti means twice baked! It wasn't until I saw Ellie Krieger dip her Honey Pistachio biscotti in her coffee that I realized its purpose in life. Until then I thought it was a crunch cookie that people liked with their coffee. Once I found out it was a cookie you dipped in your coffee I was hooked!

I tweaked another biscotti recipe I had and made this one my own by adding pecans, coconut, and butterscotch - this threesome rocks.. I definitely recommend giving this one a try!

Coconut & Butterscotch Biscotti with Pecans

(Recipe By Me)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups white flour

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup chopped pecan pieces

1/4 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit

1.) Combine both flours, the baking powder and the salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the mixture to combine and set aside.

2.) Beat the sugar, eggs, canola oil, and vanilla in a mixer. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough forms a ball.

3.) Knead the dough a few times on a floured surface. Shape into a log that measures 10 inches long and 3 inches wide.

4.) Bake the log on parchment paper in the oven for 25 minutes.

5.) Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes.

6.) Cut the log with a serrated knife on a diagonal. You should have 12 pieces and they should be ~ 1/2 inch wide.

7.) Place the pieces cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for another 10 minutes on 350 degrees. Turn over and bake an additional 7-10 minutes or until the biscotti is toasted / golden brown.

8.) Remove and let cool. Store in an air tight container (should hold for up to two weeks).

Enjoy!

Candied Pecan Marshmallow Bar with Dark Chocolate

2009-07-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

As I find myself reading food blogs (bad idea!!.. ok, well, not really) I always crave something sweet. Especially today after I stumbled on Emily's blog, Sugar Plum. I decided to glance through my cupboards to see what I could come up with and found dark chocolate, pecans, marshmallows and popcorn. I decided to do a spin-off of a Rice Krispie treat. Let me tell you, it definitely hit the spot. Afterwards you'll be craving a big glass of milk so baker beware.

Candied Pecan Marshmallow Bar with Dark Chocolate
(Recipe By Me)

Ingredients:

For Candied Pecans:
1 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1/8 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Pecans

For Marshballow Bar:
4 cups Air Popped Popcorn
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
6 oz. Marshmallows (about 1 1/2 cups)

For Dark Chocolate Drizzle:
1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
1 tsp. 100% maple syrup

Directions:

For Candied Pecans:
1.) Melt 1 Tbsp. of butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
2.) Add sugar and pecans.
3.) Turn burner down to medium low and cook the pecan mixture for 3-5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
4.) Spread over a cookie sheet to cool.

For Marshmallow Bar:
1.) Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
2.) Add marshmallows and turn the burner down to low.
3.) Stir continually until the marshmallows have melted.
4.) After the marshmallows have melted, add the cooked popcorn.
5.) Stir until all the popcorn is coated.
6.) Press mixture into a buttered loaf pan (or any smaller dish).

For Dark Chocolate Drizzle:
1.) Put the 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips in a small bowl.
2.) Cook in the microwave on 50% power for 1 1/2 minutes or until melted. It may take more/less time depending on the microwave. Also make sure you stop the microwave every 30 seconds and stir.
3.) Add the maple syrup and stir.

Assembly:
1.) Chop up the cooled candied pecans.
2.) Sprinkle over the marshmallow mixture and gently press into the mixture.
3.) Drizzle the melted dark chocolate over the bars.
4.) Cool (to let the chocolate harden), cut into bars and enjoy!

CEiMB: Cobb Salad

2009-07-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: I swaped out the old pics with these new ones since I had more light this morning to play with.

The Feast Within choose this week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe, the Cobb Salad. This was a really great pick! My husband and I L-O-V-E cobb salad so naturally I was excited to try it. It's like a traditional cobb salad with a few great substitutions. First, instead of two full eggs, the recipe calls for one full hard boiled egg and one hard boiled egg minus the yolk. Don't laugh, but I've never hard boiled eggs before.. crazy huh?! I remember watching my mom boil them, then run them under cold water, but that was about it. I decided to search online for some great tips and followed these instructions. It took a little while, but they turned out great. The yolk was bright yellow (not orange or grey). The recipe also swaps ham for bacon. Everything else (avocado and blue cheese.. yum!!) are served in moderation. I really enjoyed this salad and the dressing. The blue cheese I bought was really strong (I love blue cheese) so it really made the dish taste great. I also love the presentation. Thanks Meet Me In The Kitchen for giving me the idea to use a similar dish.

So filling and delicious. Perfect for a 94 degree summer night.
Did I mention I love avocado?? It also has great health benefits

If you haven't made it yet I definitely recommend you try it - cheers!

CEiMB: Oven Baked Onion Rings

2009-07-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it's already Thursday again. This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe is hosted by Meet Me In The Kitchen. I actually made these onion rings around the 4th of July for a BBQ we had at our house. They were fairly easy to make, but extremely gross to handle. I usually don't mind batter sticking on my fingers, but this one caked up and was gross. It felt like more of the crumb mixture got on me instead of coating the onion ring, but oh well. Overall I liked them. Not sure if Iwould make them again. If I did I would find a way to use tongs or something else so the mixture doesn't get too wet from handling it. I would also make them thinner maybe (?) because they weren't as crunchy as I would have liked. It's a good healthy sub if you want Onion Rings w/o all the fat, but for me... I would just eat real thing if I truly wanted them next time. I also ran into the same issue of cooking an Ellie recipe while entertaining and then informing my guests I needed photograph the food - felt like a dork.. hence, the lack of photos. Actually they were cool about it, but I didn't want to spend so much time photographing my food that it would be cold by the time I ate it (maybe that's why it was a little soft ??). The recipe is also real simple and easy. It calls for onions, baked potato chips, buttermilk, flour, s&p, and some cayenne. I believe that's everything. Check out the recipe here and what other CEiMB bloggers thought about the recipe here.

Thanks again Meet Me In The Kitchen!

Blog Hop Tuesday: Favorite Recipe or Dish

2009-07-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

This week's blog hop theme is - Favorite Recipe or Dish. Recently, I added a new favorite recipe to our list of repeat dishes. I made the Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce last week as part of the Craving Ellie in My Belly group. I highly recommend you check that post for more details and pics. It wad delicious, healthy, and it tastes like you're eating take-out! Yum!

Another good go-to and REALLY easy recipe is my Chicken Taco Stew. I also make this recipe a lot when I want to throw everything in the crockpot and let it do the work for me. I also like how a lot of the ingredients come from the pantry, so I usually always have everything on hand for that last minute dinner. Check out this post for the complete recipe.

Happy Blog Hoppin'!

CEiMB: Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce

2009-07-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

The Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe this week was hosted by Supplicious. What a great pick! It reminded me of Ellie Krieger's Chicken Sate with Peanut Dipping Sauce. I make that for my husbands lunch and he eats it every day, yes everyday. This dish had the same peanut-y effect. You cook some whole wheat pasta, toss the pasta with the peanut sauce and top the noodles with steamed veggies and toasted peanuts. My only recommendation when making this dish is to take the steamed veggies out of the steaming basket and let them cool while you finish preparing the rest of the items. I left the veggies in the pan with the lid on (even though I drained the water) and they continued to cook. I really missed the "bite" of the veggies so I will definitely make this adjustment, er, follow the directions next time! Although the photos don't look all that appetizing (the veggies didn't hold their form) it is I promise. Thanks Supplicious for hosting such a tasty recipe! To check out what others thought of this week's recipe, visit the blogroll on CEiMB.

CEiMB: Lobster or Shrimp Roll

2009-07-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe is the Lobster or Shrimp Roll chosen by the Lonely Sidecar. I originally didn't plan on making this, but then discovered I had almost all the ingredients on hand so I decided to give it a try. Unlike traditional creamy dressings, this shrimp (I used shrimp because it's cheaper and what I already had on hand, but Lobster would have been just as great) mixture primarily contains non-fat plain yogurt in place of gobs of mayo. It does call for 3 Tbsp. of mayo, because, let's face it, mayo does make a dressing taste rich and creamy. The recipe also calls for mixing in lemon juice, chopped celery, chopped scallions, salt, and pepper. Finally, add the chopped cooked shrimp and serve over a toasted whole wheat hotdog bun. I really did enjoy this recipe. I love all things seafood and being that it's summer I prefer colder dishes. I do agree with thenotsoskinnykitchen that it tends to be a little bland. The next time I make this I will probably toss the shrimp with a cajun seasoning before cooking (I boiled frozen shrimp and peeled after - no fuss, the way I like it). When making this dish I recommend two things:

1) Take out your trash right away! Believe me.. shellfish left in the garbage overnight, does not make for lovely smell the next day when you expect to be wafting in the aroma of fresh brewed coffee.
2) Don't pack this sandwich for lunch!! Although healthy and enjoyable.. even cooked shrimp smells like.. shrimp. crazy. The fish smell that welcomes each coworker bringing their lunch to the company refrigerator does not go well.

Kyle did get the chance to try one bite and thought it was good. His only recommendation was to serve it over a crunchy baguette as an appetizer or as a shrimp cocktail. He's never been a whole wheat bread type of person.

If you make it, let me know what you think and if you changed the recipe at all.

bananas over oatmeal. literally.

2009-07-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

I love oatmeal in the morning for breakfast and usually I eat mine with a little maple syrup and dried tart cherries. Today I got the brilliant idea to add bananas and peanut butter! I mean, seriously, who doesn't love bananas and peanut butter? Ok, well maybe some don't, but I do and it was great!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal:

1/2 cup 1 minute quick oats
1 cup water
Splash of milk
1 banana
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 tsp. brown sugar

1. Cook the oats and water in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.
2. Stir and add a splash of milk.
3. Top with a sliced banana, the peanut butter and brown sugar.
4. Stir and enjoy!

Gourmet Brownies

2009-07-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

Kyle and I are having some friends over for a BBQ before we head to Emerald Downs - our local horse-racing track. I have quite the agenda today:

Make brownies

Prep food

Clean kitchen

Mow the yard

Lay out in the sun (I need color people!!)

Entertain

Emerald Downs for horse races and fireworks

So, I'm going totally lazy for dessert today when I totally should have done something over the top because it's the 4th of July weekend and it's a good excuse to do that (maybe I'll do that for my nephews 3rd birthday BBQ tomorrow...). In the end I decided to use a box of brownie mix.. but rather than making traditional brownies, I had to find a way to "gourmet-them-up-a-bit" - technical term, I know.

I decided to pour the fudge brownie batter into a 12 count muffin pan. From there.. I kind of went crazy. I add roughly chopped dried tart cherries to the first three... left the second three plain (just the brownie mix)...dark chocolate chunks to the third three.. and dark chocolate chunks plus crumbled Oreos to the last three.

After taking them out of the muffin tin they seemed pretty sturdy, but I never let brownies completely cool so maybe that's what they're supposed to be like.

Hopefully everyone likes them!

CEiMB: Breakfast Cookies

2009-07-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

This week's Craving Ellie in my Belly recipe is from What's For Supper? Although I wanted to follow the recipe to a "T" (where did this phrase come from??), I decided to opt for the easier, lower calorie version that Johnstone's Vin Blanc put together. You can visit the blog to view that version of the recipe. Ellie's version includes bran flakes, carrot baby food, amongst some other things. I read Johnstone's Vin Blanc's post before making and decided to try her version out. It comes in at 50 calories per cookie (on their blog. I couldn't get 30 small cookies out of the batch, only 20.. so I'm guesstimating 75 calories per cookie). I really enjoyed how simple this version is. Simple ingredients: quick oats, apple sauce, dried cherries, honey, baking soda, canola oil, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, whole wheat pastry flour, and some vanilla.. all things I had in my kitchen already (I left out the flaxseed). Although my pictures don't do the cookies justice, these were really good! The applesauce made them super moist and the dried cherries add a nice tart kick. They reminded me of the consistency of a muffin, but overall really good. Kyle enjoyed them too. I packed them up for snacks for work this week and he always ate them so that's a good sign ;) Remember on this post how I said it was hard to find snacks for him... well, Ellie is doing a great job. So far he likes to eat the Nutty Granola and the Breakfast Cookies (modified version). I do plan to try Ellie's original recipe, but I like the idea of using un-refined sugars like honey and lower fats like applesauce. I recommend this cookie as a healthy snack for kids and adults a like. Thanks What's For Supper? !! To check out what everyone else thought of the recipe or to see the different variations, visit the blogroll on CEiMB.

One of these days I'll get a camera that takes better pictures ;)