Sweet Beginnings

Meyer Lemon Loaf

2012-03-08T06:00:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, our Daring Bakers challenge was for quick breads, and I posted Green Onion, Cheddar & Asiago Beer Batter Bread. But, when the challenge was first given to us, I had a hard time choosing just one of the breads to make. So, I made two. How could I, lover of all things lemon, not make the Meyer Lemon Loaf??? That is just absurd to think of. Hmph. And now that warmer weather is creeping in again, I think of Spring and Summer, and refreshing lemon treats, so I just had to share this one with you!

I wasn't sure how it would turn out, and I will definitely be trying it again because I think I needed to cook it a little longer, but it turned out great! Not too sweet, and full of lemony goodness. I suggest you try this....immediately.

Meyer Lemon Loaf

Source: Recipe Girl

Ingredients

LOAF

2 2/3 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
zest of 3 medium Meyer lemons
2 cups granulated white sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 tablespoons rum
3 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
pinch of salt
9 tablespoons butter (1 stick + 1 tablespoon), melted and cooled

SIMPLE SYRUP

1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup water
1 medium Meyer Lemon (juice only)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 2 8-inch loaf pans.
Sift together flour and baking powder; set aside.
Place sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl, and rub together until the sugar is lemon-scented and a bit clumpy.
Add the eggs and beat with a whisk until the mixture is a light lemon color and thickened a bit. Whisk in sour cream, then salt, then rum and lemon juice.
Gently whisk in the flour in four parts, then whisk in the butter in three parts. You'll have a thick, pourable batter flecked with lemon zest.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
While the loaves are baking, prepare simple syrup. Boil together sugar and water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice.
Turn the loaves out of their pans onto a cooling rack and brush liberally with the lemon syrup, repeat brushing as you feel necessary. Let cool.

Chicken with Prosciutto, Brie, and Arugula

2012-03-07T04:30:00.001-06:00

Today I am doing my very first Guest Post over at The Heritage Cook. Jane has an amazing blog and I was honored to be chosen as one of her guest posters for the next couple of weeks! Click on over and check out her blog and my post for this delicious Chicken with Prosciutto, Brie, and Arugula!

Secret Recipe Club: Baked Zucchini Fries

2012-03-05T11:00:00.073-06:00

It's that time again! Secret Recipe Club, of course! This month I received the blog Everyday Mom, and Kim has taken a lifetime of love in the kitchen and shares it in her blog. I had a hard time selecting one recipe, but I finally decided on these Baked Zucchini Fries and I'm so glad that I did! I've seen a few variations floating around the blogosphere and I've always wanted to try them, so this was the perfect opportunity. Not to mention that Kim found it on the Betty Crocker website, and you know how I love me some Betty!

I have finally come to the end of a week of vacations - first to Alabama, then to Colorado - and most of us tend to over-indulge while on vacation. I promised myself before I headed to Alabama that once I returned from Colorado I was going to buckle down - again. Well, today is the day of reckoning for weeks of gluttonous behavior and my scale was NOT kind. Not even remotely. Thank goodness I had these zucchini fries last night, so I feel like I got started a little early on getting back to healthier eating.

Almost all of us love fried foods, fried veggies even, and these zucchini fries are the perfect, healthy alternative to a delicious fried treat. They still have a crispy coating, but without the grease to go along with it. I whipped up a little garlic-yogurt dip to go with them and devoured them all! That was probably not as healthy as having 3 or 4 sticks, but it was the perfect way to end my gluttonous week of vacations. I suggest you try these instead of fried goodies when you have a craving for something crunchy.

Baked Zucchini Fries

As seen on Everyday Mom, Originally from Betty Crocker

Ingredients

1 cup Panko bread crumbs
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp diced fresh herbs (basil, oregano and/or thyme)
1 tsp Lemon Pepper seasoning (or lemon zest)
½ tsp Salt
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 Eggs, beaten with 1 tsp water
2 lbs. zucchini, cut into thick strips

Preparation

Preheat oven 350 and line a cookie sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray.
In small bowl combine bread crumbs, cheese, herbs and lemon pepper seasoning (or zest).
Line up 3 shallow dishes. Place flour in first dish, eggs in second, and bread crumb mixture in third. Thoroughly dredge each zucchini strip. Start with the flour, then dip in egg, followed by bread mixture.
Place coated strips on cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden.

Intro to Sammich Saturday: Chicken Shawarma

2012-03-03T06:00:00.076-06:00

Welcome, welcome to Sammich Saturdays! I am so excited to debut this second theme day for the blog. As with tacos, I love sandwiches, wraps, pitas, etc. so I could resist the chance to share that love with you all. I am a bit of a nerd, and the the chagrin of many I use terms or nicknames for many things, and food is no exception. Sammich is my cutesy word for sandwiches. I like it. And as a preface to the upcoming posts, I just want to say that these posts will include sandwiches, burgers, wraps, pitas and anything else sandwich-like. I hope that you enjoy the posts and that they are as well-received as Taco Tuesdays have been.

I knew that the first post had to be something wonderful, and when I saw this post on Jessy's blog, I knew that it would be the perfect sammich to start you all off with!! It's a little different and the flavors were so amazing. It made me think a little bit of street food, because I took a suggestion from her and wrapped mine in foil to hold it together. It made me so damn happy that it was a little ridiculous....ha! I haven't been disappointed yet with anything I found on Jessy's blog, and this is has definitely catapulted to the top of my favorites list. I couldn't have picked a better first Sammich Saturday post and I hope that you try it soon and love it as much as I do. Let me know if you do!

Chicken Shawarma
As seen on Gourmet Day to Day

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs chicken breasts

1/2 cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

For the yogurt sauce
7 oz. cup fat free greek yogurt
1/4 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp dried dill

1/4 tsp salt

6 homemade naan, pita, or flatbread
1/2 head romaine lettuce
1 medium cucumber, sliced thinly

2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/8ths

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 Red Onion sliced thinly

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Juice of 1 small lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cinnamon, oregano, salt, nutmeg, and clove for the marinade. Add chicken to the marinade, coat well, cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours. If desired, slice the chicken into strips before marinating to maximize the flavor.
Prepare the yogurt sauce for the sandwiches. Mix greek yogurt, garlic, dill, and salt in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
After marinating the chicken, grill or pan-sear until cooked through.
Wash and tear lettuce for sandwich. Set aside. Combine cucumber, tomato, red onion, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside
Build the chicken shawarma sandwiches. Spread the yogurt sauce on your flat bread, top with the chicken, lettuce and cucumber, tomato, onion salad. Roll the sandwich closed. You can wrap the sandwich in foil to help it stay closed as you eat.

Buffalo Chicken Mac 'n' Cheese

2012-02-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

The last couple of weeks have been crazy and after this upcoming weekend, things should settle down and my life should return to some sort of routine. Or at least that's my optimistic outlook. This past weekend I traveled to Alabama to visit my brother and his family, I met my niece and nephew for the first time, and I got a brand new car!! It was an amazing trip and I enjoyed the time with my family so much. The drive home to Texas, however, was a bit...long. 12 1/2 hours long, to be exact. By myself. Ugh. I will say, though, that while it was long, boring, and my back was less than happy by the time I got home...it didn't feel like 12 1/2 hours, and I got to enjoy my new car. I did get a little behind on posts, and yesterday was a missed Taco Tuesday, but I'm going to make that up to you this weekend when I debut a new theme day! Be sure to check back on Saturday to see what it is! And, of course, Taco Tuesday will be back on deck next week.

And I'll share a few pictures of the new car with you as well :)

Panoramic Sunroof!! So awesome!

But, to get back in the swing of things, I have a delicious post for your Wednesday! What's that, you say? Another buffalo chicken recipe? Yes. Yes it is. This one has been on my radar for quite some time and I was so excited to get in the kitchen and make it! I did make one mistake in the process, but I learned from my (repeated) mistake. I may have mentioned this previously, but I do not like blue cheese. Not even a teeny bit. However, from time-to-time I will leave it in a recipe if it is a small amount. I figured 1/3 cup was not too much, and only on the top, so it should be ok. I figured wrong. For those who like/love/tolerate blue cheese, this is a perfect addition to this mac 'n' cheese. For me, hater of blue cheese, it was not a good idea at all. All I could taste in my first serving was the blue cheese and it totally ruined it for me. I scraped off the topping for my second helping and found only minimal traces of the blue cheese and enjoyed it much more. My only recommendation is that if you have even a slight aversion to blue cheese, omit it from th recipe and do everything else exactly the same. If you like it...keep it in there!! Overall it was another great buffalo recipe and I will definitely make it again!

Buffalo Chicken Mac 'n' Cheese
As seen on Sunny Side Up in San Diego

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts - marinated in 1 cup buttermilk and 2 Tbsp Frank's Red Hot 2-24 hours
1 lb elbow macaroni or shell noodles, cooked and drained
4 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup celery, chopped (about 2 large stalks)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup half-half
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cups Franks Buffalo Red Hot (or other buffalo sauce), divided
1 pound cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced or 2 tsp dry parsley
Blue Cheese dressing for drizzling over top

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a grill pan over high heat, grill the chicken breasts until the juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side depending on thickness of chicken. Chop the chicken into bite size chunks, cover to keep warm and set aside.
Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for 4 minutes, or until the celery is soft and the onions are translucent.
Add the garlic, last 2 Tbsp of butter and 1/4 cup of Franks, stir to coat the celery and onions.
Sprinkle in the dry mustard and flour and stir well with a whisk. When the flour is fully combined, pour in the milk and half and half, whisking constantly. Then whisk in the remaining hot sauce and sour cream. Bring to a light simmer, continuing to whisk.
Stir in the cheese until smooth and melted. Add the chicken and stir to combine. You will have to stir quite a bit until all is well combined.
Remove from heat. Stir in cooked pasta.
In a small bowl melt 2 Tbsp butter. Add the panko, blue cheese, and parsley and stir.
Sprinkle the panko mixture over top of the mac and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Daring Bakers: Quick Breads

2012-02-27T06:00:00.026-06:00

Boy, oh boy, do I love quick breads! I was so excited when I saw that this month's Daring Bakers challenge was Quick Bread. The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles.

I had a hard time choosing which bread I would make, so I did a little poll at work to see what the girls would like. It was a tie between Green Onion, Cheddar, and Asiago Beer Batter Bread and the Meyer Lemon Loaf. So, I made both. However, I am only posting the Green Onion variety here today. Both were a big hit with the co-workers, so I'll share the Lemon Loaf another time. If you've never made a quick bread before, I highly recommend it!! So easy and so, so good!

Green Onion, Cheddar, and Asiago Beer Batter Bread
Makes one 9” x 5” (23 x 13 cm) loaf
Adapted from Recipe Girl’s Cheddar Chive Beer Batter Bread

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1 cup sliced green (spring) onion
3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup (120 ml) (2 oz) grated Asiago cheese
One (12 oz) bottle beer (such as amber ale)
¼ cup butter, melted and divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F. Spray 9”×5″ (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan with cooking spray.
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add green onion and sauté 3-4 minutes or until tender. Cool to room temperature.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture. Add onion, cheeses, and beer. Stir just until moist.
Spoon batter into prepared pan. Drizzle evenly with 2 tablespoons of butter. Bake for 35 minutes; brush with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake an additional 23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Recipe Swap: Loaded Potato Soup

2012-02-24T06:00:00.031-06:00

I may have mentioned in an earlier post that the only good thing about winter is soup...and what better way to say goodbye to winter than with a fabulous soup? The theme for this round of recipe swaps was soup, and I couldn't have been more pleased to get Caitlin's recipe for Loaded Potato Soup! Winter showed up pretty late here in Texas, and with 90 degree temps today, it seems to be on it's way out as soon as it got here...and I can't say I'll be sad to see it go! I will, however, be sad to say goodbye to this soup until winter shows itself again...

Creamy, rich, and delicious...the perfect potato soup for me! I did not use the broccoli this time around, but next time I definitely will! I suggest you give this soup a try before the wintry cold is gone...it's too good to put on hold for another 6 months.

Loaded Potato Soup

Source: Caitlin's Cooking

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
1 tsp dried thyme
4 c chicken stock or broth
2 oz cream
1/4 c heavy cream or half & half
1 c shredded cheddar, jack or colby cheese, divided
2 c steamed broccoli
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Preparation

Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon from pan to paper towels to drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot.
Add olive oil if necessary for 2 tablespoons total, and add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, then add carrots and garlic. Allow the vegetables to cook until they start to develop some color.
Add the potatoes and thyme, stirring to combine, and season with salt and pepper again. Add the chicken broth and bring the soup to a simmer. Cook until potatoes begin to fall apart, about 10-15 minutes. Break up potatoes with a potato masher to desired texture. Over low heat, add the cream cheese and cream, if using, and stir until cream cheese melts. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese.
Serve topped with the reserved bacon, remaining cheese, steamed broccoli and scallions.

What's Baking: Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

2012-02-22T06:00:00.067-06:00

Oh, February how I love to hate you. As if I don't have enough trouble steering clear of chocolate on a normal basis, you bombard me with delectable chocolatey treats for almost a month...wrapped in pretty pink and red wrappers, with fun hearts adorning them. Sigh. But what you can not tempt with with in the stores, I can make for myself at home instead.

For What's Baking? this month, Sandra, of She Cooks and Bakes, selected the oh-so-approrpriate theme of Baking with Valentine's Day Colors. I had a few ideas that ran through my head, but when I came across this Ghirardelli recipe for chocolate raspberry cheesecake, I knew that I had found what will quite possibly be the death of my diet! I absolutely adore chocolate and raspberry together, and cheesecake is one of my very favorite desserts.

I opted to show it in a regular slice as well as a heart-shaped cut-out, for options. I would have liked to have posted this prior to Valentine's Day, but hey...we don't always get what we want do we ;) Put this one on the files for a nice, romantic evening with your honey, or just as a delicious, decadent dessert for yourself or a dinner party. You won't be sorry. Your pants might not fit, and you might eat the whole thing yourself...but you'll be in absolute heaven while you eat yourself silly.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Source: Ghirardelli

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 10 crackers)
1/4 ground almonds
4 Tbl White sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted

Cheesecake

4 (oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup raspberry puree (recipe below)
2 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

Raspberry Puree

1 (10-12 oz) pkg. frozen raspberries
4 Tbl white sugar

Chocolate Ganache (optional)

8 oz Ghirardelli 60 % Cacao Bittersweet chocolate chips
2 Tbl Butter
1/2 cup heavy cream

Additional Garnishes (optional)

Fresh Raspberries
8oz White chocolate, melted for drizzling

Preparation

Preheat over to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
To prepare crust, in a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the chocolate graham crackers, ground almonds, and sugar and mix until combined. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
To prepare the puree, combine raspberries and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 3-5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds and set aside.
To prepare cheesecake, in a small pot over low heat, bring the whipping cream to just boiling. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. Set aside for 5 minutes and then stir until smooth.
In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and ¾ cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Remove approximately 1 1/2 cup of this batter and place into a smaller bowl and add 1/2 cup raspberry puree. Blend until combined.
Add the melted chocolate to the remaining batter and mix until combined. Pour the chocolate cheesecake batter into the pan. Very carefully layer the raspberry cheesecake mixture on top of the chocolate mixture. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until filling is set.
Cool in pan, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold before removing from pan. If desired, top cooled cheesecakes with one or a combination of the garnishes below.

Chocolate Ganache: In a small pot over low heat, bring the heavy cream and butter to just boiling. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. Set aside for 5 minutes and then stir until smooth. Pour over cold cheesecake to form ganache layer, or drizzle over the cold cheesecake. Refrigerate until it is set.

Raspberry Puree: Pour remaining raspberry puree over cold cheesecakes.

White Chocolate: In double boiler over hot water, melt the white chocolate until smooth. Drizzle over cold cheesecakes. Refrigerate until it is set. Fresh raspberries on top or served on the side.

Note: To make the individual heart shape cheesecakes, prepare the recipe as directed using a 13 x9 inch pan instead of a springform pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. After the cheesecake cools, cut out the hearts using a metal heart shaped cookie cutter.

Taco Tuesday: Turkey Tacos Picadillo

2012-02-21T06:00:00.002-06:00

So, I had this crazy thought the other day about Taco Tuesday posts...that perhaps, just maybe, I should be posting them to the blog on Tuesdays. What do you all think? I mean, I realize that I make tacos on Tuesday at my house, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't make the post title coincide with the day it represents, right? So, starting today, Taco Tuesday posts will actually be on Tuesday. You're welcome :-)

And stay tuned in March for an additional theme day to debut as well.

I hope you all had a great weekend and that your week has started off well. Mine hasn't had quite the start that I expected. It seems that in light of all the excitement and traveling that is coming up starting this week, that my body has gone into overdrive and mother nature decided to bless me with my very first migraine headache (or tension headache, I'm not quite sure.) Anywho...whatever it was, it kept me pretty much flat on my back all of Sunday and Monday. I'm one of the lucky few that I know that doesn't have any allergies, rarely gets sick, and rarely even gets a headache, so this was by far some of the worst pain I have had to experience. I rarely call into work, so missing on Monday due to a headache was hard for me to swallow. However, I'm happy to report that as of today, Tuesday, I am alive and well, and without excruciating head pains.

Sunday was going to be a big cooking/baking day for me, but of course that did not go as planned. I guess sometimes life steps in and tells you to slow down when you are pushing too hard for too long. I'm hopeful that this was an isolated incident and that these horrific headaches will not become a regular part of my life. I still have a few great recipes to share with you this week despite the setback, so keep an eye out for those!

As for these tacos...they were amazing! I'm really growing to love adding diced tomatoes and green chiles to my taco mixtures, and this was a very flavorful turkey taco. I made a couple of small changes from the original, but nothing drastic. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Turkey Tacos Picadillo
Source: Food Network

Ingredients

2 tablespoons corn oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 to 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chopped canned tomatoes with green chiles
3/4 pound ground turkey
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
12 prepared taco shells
1/4 head romaine or iceberg, thinly sliced
1 to 2 avocados, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Sour cream, for garnish

Preparation

Put the oil, onions, garlic, jalapeno, and spices in a medium skillet, season with salt and cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes and boil to thicken, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the turkey and chicken broth, adjust the heat so the mixture simmers and cook until the turkey is cooked through and the mixture thickens but is not dry, about 12 minutes.
Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover.
Assemble tacos with turkey mixture, topped with lettuce, avocado, sour cream, and cheese.

Braised Chicken in Tomatillo-Hominy Sauce

2012-02-17T06:00:00.018-06:00

While on a weekend trip with T to Dallas a few weeks back, we stayed with a friend, and they served white hominy with dinner. It reminded me that I haven't had hominy since I lived at home with my parents, and that I actually really like it. So, when I came across this recipe on Bev Cooks, I was stoked to see it included white hominy, along with yummy braised chicken and tomatillo sauce! The night I made this for dinner, I posted a pic on my Facebook page, and my friend SG commented on what it looked like. Let's just say I'm glad I had already eaten, because it was probably the most unappetizing thing to read!! Shame on you SG!

However, despite her playful comment, this really was a delightful meal. I really love tomatillo sauces, and the chicken was seasoned and braised to perfection. I don't usually care for dark meat, but the thighs worked well for this dish. You could always make it with breasts if you prefer, but I can't promise it will be quite as good.

Braised Chicken in Tomatillo-Hominy Sauce

Source: Bev Cooks

Ingredients

6 medium-sized whole tomatillos, husk removed and rinsed
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any excess fat
2 jalapenos, minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can white hominy, drained
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice from 1/2 lime
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups cooked jasmine rice

Preparation

Preheat oven broiler, line a baking sheet with foil, and place tomatillos on top. Broil 5-6 mintues per side, until tops begin to turn black, and tomatillos soften. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Throw the tomatillos into a food processor and pulse until combined.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high. Add the chicken breasts and sear until browned on both sides, 6 minutes total. Remove from pot and set aside.
Add a little more oil to the pot if needed, then toss in the jalapeno and onion. Saute until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and bloom for 1 minute.
Stir in the the tomatillo puree along with the hominy. Season with salt and pepper.
Nestle the chicken back in, along with the collected juices, cover the pot and simmer until chicken is cooked all the way through, 20 to 25 minutes.
Toss in the cilantro and the lime juice. Taste one more time. Season accordingly.
Serve with jasmine rice.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

2012-02-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Is it really Thursday already? The days are flying by, and before I know it I'll be on a plane to Alabama to see my brother and his family, and to pick up my new car! This trip is so exciting for me, because I'll get to see my niece for the very first time, it will be the first time I have visited my brother and his family at their home, and the first time I've been to Alabama. On top of that, I will get to drive home in a brand new car....the nicest car I have ever owned, as a matter of fact. 2012 Hyundai Sonata Limited 2.0T, with leather seats and a panoramic sunroof. My brother works for the plant there in Alabama, so I get a family discount on the car...how lucky am I? This upcoming weekend will be the only weekend I am actually at home during the month of February, which means that I have to cram in a whole lot of baking, cooking, and cleaning!

I have had this recipe on the to-make list for quite some time and I was finally able to get it on the menu. And, holy crap was it good!! Not the lightest of recipes, but definitely a great combo of pasta and mexican flavors. I may have skipped Taco Tuesday this week, but I made up for it by having taco pasta, basically! It's not something that I will make often, because it's definitely a heavier meal, but it will definitely see my kitchen again and I recommend everyone to try it at least once!

Mexican Stuffed Shells
Source: The Way to His Heart

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning 4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.
While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.
Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed. Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

Bourbon Glazed Salmon

2012-02-15T06:00:00.001-06:00

Usually on Wednesday I post the recipe from my Taco Tuesday, but this week there was not Taco Tuesday. Why, you ask? Did you forget already??? Yesterday was Valentine's Day! Now, originally I planned to go ahead with my regular routine, being single and all, but Mr. T is out of town for work, so me, T, and another girl friend, SG, got together for a girls Valentine's dinner. It was a nice change of pace and I really enjoyed the time with my girls.

In preparation for a day of overindulging in chocolate treats, Italian food, and wine a light meal was definitely in order and what could be lighter than a nice salmon dish? I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the bourbon since I don't usually cook with alcohol other than wine, nor do I drink bourbon, but it turned out really well.

Taco Tuesday posts will return next week, so stay tuned and enjoy this delicious salmon in the mean time!

Bourbon Glazed Salmon

Source: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients

1 pound fresh salmon
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
3/4 cup bourbon
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Preparation

Combine the bourbon, sugar, mustard, garlic, honey, vinegar and worcestershire in a small saucepan and whisk. Heat over high heat and allow it to come to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until mixture reduces by about half. Pour mixture in a bowl and let sit at room temperature while the salmon cooks. The glaze will thicken a bit at this time.
Preheat the broiler in your oven. Make sure the salmon is dry and season it with the coarse salt and pepper on both sides. Lay it on a non-stick baking sheet. Broil for about 5-6 minutes on each side, until the top develops a crispy crust. If your salmon is very thick, you may need to go a little longer.
Remove the salmon from the oven and brush it with the bourbon glaze.

Daring Cooks: California Turkey Burger

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

Every month I look forward to my Daring Kitchen challenges, and this month I was super excited when I opened up the Daring Cooks challenge. The Daring Cooks’ February 2012 challenge was hosted by Audax of Audax Artifex & Lis of La Mia Cucina and they chose to present Patties for their ease of construction, ingredients and deliciousness! We were given several recipes, and learned the different types of binders and cooking methods to produce our own tasty patties!

While browsing their suggested recipes, I came across a California Turkey Burger and I knew that was the patty for me! I love avocado with my burgers, and although my grocery store has been out of alfalfa sprouts for months (so they told me the day I needed them), I went ahead without them. I know they would have made it a better burger, but it was still so good! Ground turkey can be hit or miss on flavor, and sometimes a bit dry, but if well seasoned it is a great alternative to beef burgers (even though I love those too!)

I varied my version from the original, but not by too much. I added crumbled bacon to the patty mixture, and omitted the onions. I loved the sauce - a different variation of my favorite condiments and a great compliment to the burgers. I will definitely be making these again, as well as some of the other wonderful patties that these ladies shared with us! Thanks again Lis and Audax for a great challenge!

California Turkey Burger

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine September 2005

Ingredients (modified to make 2 burgers)

Sauce
¼ cup ketchup
½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise

Patties
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
¼ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 lb ground turkey breast
Cooking spray

Burger Fixings
Hamburger buns
Red leaf lettuce leaves
Kosher dill pickles
Sliced red onion, separated into rings
1 avocado,cut into slices
½ cup alfalfa sprouts

Preparation
Heat skillet or grill over medium-high heat.Prepare sauce and set aside.
To prepare patties, combine shallots and the next 7 ingredients (through turkey breast), mixing well. Divide mixture into 2 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place patties in skillet or on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the middle.
Spread 1 tablespoon sauce on top half of each bun. Layer bottom half of each bun with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 patty, pickles, onion slices, avocado slices, and about 1/4 cup of sprouts. Cover with top halves of buns.

Crab & Avocado Quesadilla

2012-02-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

Woo, what a busy weekend it was! Friday night I went to see Luke Bryan at the rodeo with friends in San Antonio, Saturday I went out with some other friends, and Sunday I went to see The Vow. I am secretly - well, not so secretly - in lust with Channing Tatum, so this was a much anticipated trip to the theater for me, and the perfect end to my friend-filled weekend. I love my girls, and getting to spend this much time with them was fabulous! But, with all my adventures I wasn't at home very much so when I was, I needed something quick to fix for lunch and I had these crab quesadillas on my to-make list and thought they'd be perfect.

I don't have much experience with crab, but I do love avocados and the combination sounded appealing and I'm glad I followed my instinct, because they were delicious! The shallots, although I like them, were a little overwhelming, so I would personally leave them out next time, but otherwise the flavors went great together. These quesadillas were a perfect lunch with not-so-ordinary ingredients.

Crab and Avocado Quesadilla

Source: How Sweet It Is

For one quesadilla

Ingredients

2 whole wheat tortillas
2 oz lump crab meat
1 slice bacon, fried and crumbled
2 slices avocado, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/4 cup low-fat, shredded mozzarella cheese
1 slice pineapple, chopped

Preparation

Combine all ingredients, except for tortillas and cheese in a bowl.
Heat a skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Assemble tortillas with ingredients in between. Make sure there is cheese on both the bottom of one tortilla and the top of the crabmeat mixture to act as ‘glue.’
Brown tortilla on both sides until cheese is melted. Cut into 4 triangles and enjoy!

Recipe Swap: Pork & Potato Hash

2012-02-10T06:01:00.001-06:00

Happy, Happy Friday friends! I am exceptionally happy about this Friday, because as soon as I break free of the workday, I'll be headed to the rodeo to see Luke Bryan with a group of my friends. I got a new pair of cowboy boots, some rockin' jeans and a flashy new haircut to boot! I am ready to let loose and have some fun!! I hope you all have some fun plans for the weekend too. I'd feel bad if I were the only one. Well, maybe not, but I really do hope you all have something exciting going on!

For the Potato recipe swap, I received Jenna's Pork and Potato Hash. Now, you all may have noticed that I have made several pulled-pork tacos recently, so when I looked over the recipe and realized that it was basically pulled pork on top of crispy potatoes I thought "hot damn I hit the jackpot!!" And then I quickly gathered my composure and realized that I was going to completely railroad my eating habits this week. Without a single second thought. I actually made my pork on the stove and in the oven instead of the crock-pot as instructed in the original recipe due to time constraints, but you can do whatever works best for you! I gobbled my plate right up, and then went back for seconds. Potato overload week complete!! :)

Pork and Potato Hash

Source: Jenna’s Cooking Journey

Ingredients

12 ounces pork shoulder or butt, cut into 3-4 inch pieces
1 carton (32 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed red potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons thinly diagonally sliced green onions

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat with 1/4 cup of the chicken broth.
Season the pork with rosemary, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper. Add the pork to the dutch oven and brown on all sides.
Pour the remaining chicken broth over the pork. Add the garlic into the broth mixture, cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove lid, turn pork pieces over and return to oven for 1-1 1/2 hours until tender, rotating pork about every 30 minutes.
During the last 30 minutes,heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potato and chopped onion,reduce heat to medium, and cook until both potatoes and onions are tender, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Once the pork is done, shred with 2 forks or in a mixer.
Plate potatoes and top with pork and green onions.

Recipe Swap: Boxty Potato Cake Salad

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's another double post Friday!! For this round of recipe swaps, Sarah chose the theme of Potatoes, since February is Potato Lovers Month and boy-oh-boy have I been loving potatoes!! This week alone I made three potato-based dinners, can you believe that?? Great for my hungry tummy, but not so great for the diet ;) One of our regular swappers wasn't able to participate this month, so I stepped in to cover her - hence the double post today :) And what a nice addition to my menu...this Irish recipe from Caitlin over at Caitlin's Cooking, was a perfect nod to my Irish heritage and a great addition to my recipe book. I enjoyed every single little cake...all by myself. And yes, I realize the insanity of that, but they were good. So good.

I'm really glad I was able to fill in for this recipe, because it truly was amazing...try it and you'll see!

Boxty Potato Cake Salad
Source: Caitlin’s Cooking

Ingredients

1 lb. potatoes, scrubbed
4 oz. bacon, finely chopped
3 scallions, sliced
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1-2 cups chopped salad greens
1-2 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
2-3 Tbsp sour cream

Preparation

Cover the potatoes with cold water in a pan and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, continuing to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Drain well, and set aside to cool. This can be done the day before.
Once potatoes have cooled, peel away the skins and grate into a bowl. (I used the grater on my food processor, and didn't bother to peel the potatoes.) Heat a pan over medium-high heat and cook bacon until crispy, 2-3 minutes, draining away most of the excess fat.
Remove 2-3 Tbsp of bacon crumbles from the pan, and reserve for garnish. Add scallions, again reserving some for garnish, and cook for another minute, until soft. Transfer bacon and scallions to the bowl with the grated potatoes. Add the egg yolk and flour, season well with salt and pepper, and mix until just combined.
Divide potato mixture into four and shape into patties, dusting with more flour if necessary. Lay on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 1-24 hours.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan, add the butter, and then add boxty cakes once butter has stopped foaming. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through and golden brown.
Place one cake on serving plates, and dress greens with dressing. Arrange greens on plate, and top with reserved bacon and scallions, and sour cream if desired.

Citrus-Crusted Tilapia with Blood Orange Salsa

2012-02-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have been noticing more and more lately, foods that freak me out. Like, whole roasted pigs...totally freak me out. Purple potatoes...not natural! And, blood oranges. So dark against that bright orange peel...the name seems eerily appropriate. But, I still felt compelled to try them (unlike purple potatoes and whole roasted pig), and I couldn't have been more pleased. They may look a little weird, but they taste amazing!! A little sour, a little sweet and perfectly delicious. And they compliment this citrus-crusted tilapia so well, that I found it hard to have only 1 serving. Mmm mmm good!! Maybe I will get up the courage to try purple potatoes...or, maybe not ;) But you should definitely try blood oranges if you haven't already!

Citrus Crusted Tilapia

Source: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients

4 fresh (or thawed) tilapia filets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
the zest of 2 blood oranges, 1 lime and 1 lemon
pinch of salt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, place a wire rack on top, and spray the wire rack with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, add bread crumbs, flour, citrus zest and pinch of salt. In another bowl, lightly beat egg whites.
Season each piece of tilapia with salt and pepper. Dip each piece of tilapia in beaten egg whites, then coat with citrus breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. Place on the wire rack and spray lightly with nonstick spray.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden. Serve topped with Blood Orange Salsa (recipe below.)

Blood Orange Salsa

2 blood oranges, segmented and chopped
1 Clementine, segmented and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/2 jalapeno, chopped
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients together and mix. Let sit for 30 minutes so the flavors can combine.

Taco Tuesday: Roasted Potato Tacos

2012-02-08T06:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Wednesday friends! I am so glad that we are half-way through this dreaded week. I am slowly getting all the pics re-posted on here, and want to thank you all for being patient while I get it done. In my menu planning I have a habit of trying to alternate which protein I use for the main dishes, but rarely do I make any sort of vegetarian dish. Mostly because I'm super picky about veggies, and I rarely find a main dish that suits my taste. However, while searching for taco recipes, I came across a few of the vegetarian variety and they looked great! And thus, they were added to the food calendar.

I love potatoes, though as I've mentioned before, I have haven't been cooking with them much until recently. Now it seems I'm in potato overload. You think I'm kidding, just wait for Friday's post! Anywho (and yes, I mean to say anywho, not anyhow), when I saw these Roasted Potato Tacos on Cassie Craves, I knew they were going to be delicious. Now, being the picky veggie eater that I am, I had to make some modifications but the flavors were amazing and I am super happy that I recently found Cassie's blog...you should check it out!

Roasted Potato Tacos
As seen on Cassie Craves, originally from Handle the Heat

Ingredients

2 large red potatoes, cubed
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp olive oil
Flour Tortillas
Sour Cream
Shredded pepperjack cheese
Cilantro for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 420 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil.
Combine potatoes, jalapeno, seasonings, and oil in a bowl. Stir until veggies are well-coated.
Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet and cooke for 30-40 minutes on the middle rack.
When cooked through and browned, assemble tacos and top with sour cream, cheese, and cilantro.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza Puffs

2012-02-07T06:00:00.003-06:00

It's been a rough week already...well, since Sunday anyway. With accidentally deleting ALL of my blog pics from the Picasa album that housed them, being out of town and not having time and/or the original pics to repost, and then the general chaotic start of Monday, I was glad to see the end of it. Today is Tuesday, and I feel it will be a better day. I'm getting my hair cut, my teeth cleaned, and I made some adorable cupcakes for a staff meeting at work. If miniature cupcakes can't start a day off right, I don't know what can. Except buffalo chicken pizza puffs...

With my buffalo chicken obsession kicking into high gear lately, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to wrap it in some delightful homemade pizza dough, now could I? And let's just say that they were so good....those crispy outside, ooey, gooey inside little puffs...that I had to take them all to work or I would have eaten every single one of them.

I used the pizza dough recipe from Pizza on the Grill, and then followed most of the basic steps from Taste and Tell, but cooked my own chicken instead of using canned. these little (well, some not so little) puffs were an amazing ball of buffalo chicken goodness that will definitely be making more appearances in my oven!

Buffalo Chicken Pizza Puffs

Adapted from Taste and Tell

Ingredients

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
¼ cup buffalo sauce
½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
Pizza dough (recipe below)
1 egg

Pizza Puff Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large pot, cover chicken with water, and boil until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, drain water, and put in Mixer bowl. Using paddle attachment, shred chicken on low speed.
In a large bowl, mix cream cheese until smooth. Add in the chicken, blue cheese, buffalo sauce, and mozzarella. Mix until completely combined.
On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12x10 rectangle and cut into 6 squares.
Divide the chicken mixture between the squares, about ¼ cup of the chicken mixture for each of the six squares. Working one at a time, pinch the edges together to form a ball of dough around the chicken mixture. Pinch to form a seam, making sure there are no holes. Place on the prepared baking dish, smooth side up. Repeat with the other 5 rolls.
Beat the egg lightly and mix in 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the egg wash lightly over the top of each roll.
Bake the rolls in the preheated oven until the dough is golden brown and cooked, about 10 minutes.

Pizza Dough

Source: Pizza on the Grill

1 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for coating the bowl
1 tsp honey
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Preparation

Mix the water, honey & oil in a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit until it gets foamy.
In another bowl, combine the flour & salt. Add the water mixture 1/2 cup at a time until fully incorporated. If the dough is sticky, add more flour; if it is stiff, add more water. Continue to mix until it feels elastic. Spread onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and easy to work with. Do not overwork or it will be tough.
Oil a third bowl, and place the dough in it, turning to coat all sides. Drizzle a little extra oil over the top of the dough. Seal tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise, about an hour. Dough will double in size.
Punch the dough down and knead on a slightly floured surface until smooth.

Secret Recipe Club: Buttery Dill Monkey Bread

2012-02-06T11:00:00.001-06:00

We took a little break in January to re-group and update some things, but for February, the Secret Recipe Club is back in action!! I received the blog Sweet As Sugar Cookies, and my goodness does Lisa have some delicious goodies to share! We share a love for cooking and baking, and for continually trying out new recipes! It took me awhile to narrow down the options since there were so many great recipes to choose from, but I finally decided to make this Buttery Dill Monkey Bread. The sweet treats were so tempting, but I figured I better steer clear for a little while longer ;) I've always wanted to try monkey bread, and adding butter and delectable dill just made it all the more appealing!

I baked mine in little ramekins, and they were almost too cute to eat! Next time I'll try it in a loaf pan, because I know those will be super cute too. I love the buttery flavor accented by delicious dill. Mmm mmm good!

As always, if you are interested in SRC, visit the link above for rules and a participation application. It has become increasingly popular over the last year, so at the moment there is a waiting list, but it's worth the wait!!

Buttery Dill Monkey Bread
Source: Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

· 2 Tbsp warm water

· 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

· 1 tsp sugar

· 2 1/4 cups bread flour

· 1/4 tsp salt

· 1/2 c. milk, lukewarm

· 1 egg

· 1 Tbsp butter, melted

· 1 Tbsp dried dill

Dill Butter

· 4 Tbsp melted butter, divided

· 1 Tbsp dried dill

Preparation

1. Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar and let sit for 10 minutes, until foamy.

2. Mix the milk, egg, butter, and dill into the yeast mixture. Add the salt and the flour gradually until the dough no longer sticks to the bottom of the bowl. Knead lightly by hand and place the ball of dough in a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the dill butter by combining 2 tablespoons of melted butter with 1 tablespoon of dill.

4. Once the dough is ready, punch it down and shape into 1-inch balls. Dip each ball into the dill butter and place in small greased ramekins or mini loaf pans (I used two mini loaf pans). The dough will rise more, so don't cram too much dough into too small of a space.

5. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another 20-25 minutes.

6. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Right before baking, brush some of the remaining dill butter over the dough. Bake for 15-20 minutes, brushing again with the butter twice throughout the baking process. Enjoy warm from the oven.

Technical Difficulties

2012-02-05T11:37:00.000-06:00

Through a chance blunder with my new Smart Phone, I have managed to delete almost every picutre from my Picasa web albums, which subsequently deleted them all from the blog!!! Please bear with me as I go back and try to find/recover, and re-post pictures. This may take me some time, but I'll get it done as quickly as possible. New posts and pics will still be coming every day, so watch for those!

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream

2012-02-04T06:00:00.032-06:00

I don't know what the weather has been like in your part of the world, but in Texas it has been exceptionally wonky this Winter. Don't get me wrong, I don't like to be cold, but when it's pushing 80 degrees in January and February, it just doesn't feel right. Besides, I have a whole slew of new sweaters to wear and the weather is not calling for that very often. But on the days where Mother Nature dealt the usual cold, dreary, wintry weather, soup was definitely a welcome meal.

Since January was National Soup Month, I tried to make as many new soups as I could fit in. This one looked good, but I have to admit I was worried that the taste would be too red pepper-y for me. Good thing I was wrong!! This soup is creamy and just plain delicious. Oh, and the cilantro-lime sour cream...amazing! Since I'm sure the winter cold is making it's presence known in many parts of the world, I highly recommend this soup to warm you up!

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Soup w/Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream

Source: Life and Kitchen

Ingredients

8 roasted red peppers packed in oil (about 1 large jar), drained and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 cups vegetable stock
2 cups half and half
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Cilantro Lime Sour Cream, recipe follows

Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream:

1 cup sour cream
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh cilantro leaves

In a mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients vigorously until light and creamy.

Preparation

Saute the butter, onions, and garlic until soft in a heavy bottomed soup pot on medium-low heat.
Add the red peppers, tomato paste, and vegetable stock. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat, and then simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the half and half, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
Mix the cornstarch with a little cold water to get rid of any lumps and add it to the soup to thicken.
Simmer 5 minutes. Let the soup cool slightly, and then blend in batches in a blender, or use an immersion blender to puree.
Top with a dollop of Cilantro Lime Sour Cream.

Blackberry-Lemon Muffin Bites

2012-02-03T06:00:00.031-06:00

I'm not a big breakfast person, but I am trying to make breakfast more on the weekends, and when I had a 3 hour hike coming up, I knew that these muffin bites would be the perfect thing to take along with me! I think blackberries might just be my favorite fruit, and paired with lemon (my foodie vice) it was a magical combination. I ate way, way too many with miniature size being my justification of course! These are the perfect little breakast on the go, and I will definitely be making them more often!

Blackberry-Lemon Muffin Bites

Source: Sunny Side up in San Diego

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Grated zest of 1 small lemon, about a heaping tablespoon
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
8 Tbsp warm melted butter (1 stick)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups (about 6 oz) chopped fresh or frozen blackberries, if frozen defrost and drain liquid

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare mini muffin tins with liners (makes about 42 muffin bites).
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside
In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, butter and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix together just until evenly combined. Add the blackberries and gently fold into the batter. Careful not to over mix, that can cause tough muffins.
Divide the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for just a few minutes, until the muffins are cool enough to handle and transfer to a wire rack.

Rosemary-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

2012-02-02T06:00:00.001-06:00

Potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes, especially when they are mashed. I noticed recently that I don't have many side dishes posted here and I'm trying to remedy that. These rosemary-parmesan mashed potatoes are a different twist of an old favorite, withouth any dairy added. Sounds like it would lack flavor without milk and butter, right? No way!! The rosemary and parmesan give such a great flavor to the potatoes, and they are just so good! I paired these with the Parmesan-Sage Pork Chops from yesterday and wow! what a combo! When you are ready to add some new starchy sides to your menu, give these babies a try!

Rosemary-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Source: Betty Crocker

Ingredients

6 medium Red potatoes
1/3 to 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation

In 2-quart saucepan, place potatoes; add enough water just to cover potatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain. Shake pan with potatoes over low heat to dry (this will help mashed potatoes be fluffier).
Mash potatoes in pan until no lumps remain. Add broth in small amounts, mashing after each addition (amount of broth needed to make potatoes smooth and fluffy will vary).
Add oil, rosemary, salt and cheese. Mash vigorously until potatoes are light and fluffy. Cover; let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with additional rosemary and Parmesan cheese if desired

Taco Tuesday: Cuban Pulled Pork Tacos with a Guava Glaze, Orange & Jicama Slaw, and Chipotle Mayo

2012-02-01T06:00:00.003-06:00

Hello February! How did you get here so fast? I feel like the time is getting away from me and it's going ot be April before I know it. 5am is entirely too early to be at the gym, but dammit I have to stick to my resolutions!! February is going to be a very busy month for me, and I will be out of town 3 out of 4 weekends, which is a major cramp in my usual routine...so I'm trying to plan ahead and make sure I can still fulfill my personal goals and obligations. It's tough, let me tell you!

When I saw this recipe on The Food Network website, I thought, "Hey, this is definitely something different!" And then as I read the recipe a little closer I noted that I would need to make some modifications as I didn't have a roaster, but I didn't realize just how many changes I would need to make until the day I was going to make it and I practically had to re-write the entire recipe! I was worried about how it would turn out since the cooking method was completely different than the original, but the results were surprisingly amazing!

I was nervous that the sauce was going to make it too sweet but the chipotle mayo was the perfect spicy off-set to all the sweetness. I am becoming increasingly fond of pulled pork tacos - 2 for 2 so far! Give these a try...and I recommend a weekly taco night, too ;)

Cuban Pulled Pork Tacos with Guava Glaze,
Orange & Jicama Slaw, and Chipotle Mayo
Adapted from: Bobby Flay

Ingredients

2 lb boneless pork loin roast, cut into large (3-4 inch) pieces
1/4 cup canola oil
3 Tbsp dried oregano leaves
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt, to taste
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of the pot
2 cups orange juice
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 guava jelly
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
4 Tbsp orange juice
2 tsp fresh lime juice
pepper, to taste
8-10 flour (or corn) tortillas
Chipotle Mayo (recipe follows)
Orange & Jicama Slaw (recipe follows)

Chipotle Mayo

1/4 cup light mayo or miracle whip
1 Tbsp chipotles in adobo, pureed
1 Tbsp lime juice

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth

Orange and Jicama Slaw

1/4 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup grated jicama (grated on large holes of a box grater)
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup orange segments, roughly chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk together orange juice, lime juice, honey, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the jicama, carrots, oranges, cilantro, and season with salt & pepper.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare the slaw and chipotle mayo and refrigerate while cooking pork.
Combine canola oil, oregano, garlic, and salt in a bowl. Take pork pieces and coat each side with the mixture.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned pork pieces and sear all sides until browned, about 1 minute per side. Remove pork from the pot.
Pour in the 2 cups of orange juice and apple cider vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze and release the browned bits of pork. Bring mixture to a boil.
Add in the seared pork. Cover and place in the oven for 1/2 hour.
Meanwhile, combine the Guava jelly, Dijon mustard, orange, and lime juices in a small pot, and heat over medium heat. Stir until jelly is melted, remove from heat and season with pepper. Set aside until pork is done.
Remove from oven, turn pork pieces and return to the oven uncovered. Cook for an additional 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender, turning 1-2 times during the process.
Shred pork with 2 forks, and toss with the guava sauce.
Warm tortillas, top with chipotle mayo, pork, and slaw.

Crispy Parmesan-Sage Pork Chops

2012-01-31T06:00:00.037-06:00

After an excruciating 3-hour hike on Sunday, getting out of bed Monday morning was definitely a challenge. Fortunately my body did not decide to hate me, so I felt only minimal soreness in my legs and bum. Energy, however, decided to completely vacate the premises of my existence for the entire day. And eating these chops for lunch, definitely did not help matters. A bit heavy for lunch, but so damn good.

I have searched high and low for pork chop recipes that would taste good after I cooked them, and this one by far takes 1st prize. While they aren't the healthiest version, they definitely tasted amazing...crunchy outside, but moist and flavorful with every bite. They don't reheat quite as well, but for a made-to-order dinner they were spectacular! Decreasing the butter and oil by half (or a little more than half) would definitely help with the healthy-factor, but still allow you to get the crispy outside.

Crispy Parmesan Sage Pork Chops

Source: This Woman Cooks!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups breadcrumb
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 large eggs, whisked
4 boneless, thin cut pork chops
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, dried rubbed sage and lemon zest.
Mix flour, salt & pepper in a shallow dish. In another dish, whisk the eggs.
Coat pork chops with flour, then dip in the egg, and finally dip in bread crumb mixture.
Melt butter and olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chops until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to oven and bake about 20 minutes (150 degrees on a meat thermometer).

Brussels Sprouts Saute

2012-01-30T06:00:00.002-06:00

I will admit that I wouldn't consider eating a Brussels Sprout a few months ago. I don't like cabbage, and they are just minature cabbage, right? So, no way would I get near one with a 10-foot pole. But, as I may have mentioned before, some of the girls at work were raving about how they love them and so on, so I tried them awhile back and discoverd that, if cooked well, I actually do like them!!

I know, I know...but really, the key is cooking them correctly. Undercooked leaves them a little hard, and quite bitter - which is not at all appealing or appetizing. But roasted or pan-sauteed to soft, browned, and caramelized perfection they are quite amazing. I've seen quite a few recipes floating around lately, and when I saw this one, I decided to give it a go. Now, the original calls for prosciutto, and I recommend trying that, but I didn't have any on-hand so I omitted that part of the recipe. Give these little buggers (not boogers!) a try and maybe - just maybe - you will be a believer too!!

Brussels Sprouts Saute

Modified from Bev Cooks

Ingredients

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
1 pound brussels sprouts, washed, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 lemon
1 Tbs. poppy seeds
coarse salt and pepper

Preparation

Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high. Add the brussels sprouts and saute until they start to brown and soften, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and saute another 2 minutes.
Toss in the poppy seeds and serve!

Pan-Seared Salmon with Ginger-Lime Sauce

2012-01-29T06:00:00.002-06:00

Mmm mmm good!! I absolutely love fish, and salmon is so good for you! I'm always on the look-out for new recipes, and when I ran across this one, I knew it would be delicious! I left out several items from the original recipes, mostly due to laziness (ha!), but the fish and the sauce alone were absolutely amazing. I am in love with the Ginger-Lime sauce, and now want to eat it on everything :) If you are looking for something delicious to add to your menu this weekend, this is the dish for you!

Pan-Seared Salmon with Ginger-Lime Sauce

Modified from Food Network

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 (6 to 7-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2/3 cup Ginger-Lime sauce (recipe below)
1 cup rice, cooked in chicken broth

Ginger-Lime Sauce

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 serrano chile, chopped
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons minced ginger
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons water

Preparation

For the sauce: combine the garlic, serrano, sugar, ginger, fish sauce, lime juice, and water in a small bowl and stir well. Let the flavors develop by setting the sauce aside for 30 minutes before serving.
Cook rice according to package instructions.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over moderate heat. Cook the salmon fillets (2 pieces at a time), until they're golden and just done, 3 to 4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness.
About 2 minutes before the salmon is done, add the garlic slices to the oil to flavor the fish. (If the fillets are thick, cover and cook a few minutes longer.) Remove the salmon and garlic and drain on paper towels.
Arrange the salmon fillet on top of rice and sprinkle a few pieces of the cooked garlic on top. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the sauce and serve immediately.

Caramelized Chicken with Jalapeno Cream

2012-01-28T06:00:00.029-06:00

Thank goodness the weekend is here!! And I must say that I have been anxiously awaiting this post, because I couldn't wait to share this amazing recipe with you!! I knew as soon as I saw it on Jessica's blog, that it had to go on my menu right away!! If you haven't noticed by now...and shame on you if that's the case...I really love spicy things, especially sauces, so topping crispy, caramelized chicken with a creamy jalapeno sauce was too perfect to pass up!!

I had a little trouble thickening my sauce up, but I believe that was user error (temp while cooking) and I eventually got it right! And I was not disappointed with my finished product...the chicken was so good, and the sauce made it's way to all of the components on my plate before I was done!! I like to share the sauce love with my veggies, what can I say? Jessica has so many great recipes, so you should try this one out and then swing over and check out her blog!

Caramelized Chicken with Jalapeno Cream

Source: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 shallot, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup low-fat or skim milk
1 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Add chopped jalapenos, shallots and garlic to a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped (not pureed). Set aside.
Tenderize chicken breasts and pat completely dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add chicken breasts (make sure they are COMPLETELY DRY) and cook for about 8-10 minutes per side, until each side is caramelized and golden. If needed, use the remaining oil when flipping the chicken.
While the chicken is cooking, heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Once sizzling, add in the chopped jalapeno mixture, stirring to coat, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once fragrant (do NOT put your face directly over the jalapenos!), whisk in flour and stir continuously to create a roux.
Cook mixture for 1-2 minutes, then add in milks, reducing the heat to medium-low. Continue to stir continuously until mixture begins to thicken (about 6-8 minutes), adding in parmesan cheese and reducing the heat even more.
Once the desired thickness has been reached, turn off heat. Stir every so often – it may thicken even more while sitting – and you can add additional milk to thin it out if needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Daring Bakers: Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

2012-01-27T06:00:00.098-06:00

Happy double-post Friday everyone!! I don't usually post multiple times in a day, but it just so happens that today I have posts due for two of my cooking groups!! First up is my Daring Bakers group. Oh how I love the challenges that this group helps me tackle!! And this month was super exciting for me! Audax of Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a.k.a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

I have never made biscuits before, and looking at the examples that Audax gave us, I knew right away that I wanted to make something reminicent of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Of course, I don't know exactly what they put in them, but they are cheesy, garlicky deliciousness, and the basic recipes given to us were the perfect place to start!

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon of baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sifted mustard powder
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ teaspoon sifted cayenne pepper
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons frozen grated butter (or a combination of lard and butter)
Approximately ½ cup cold milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to very hot 475°F.
Triple sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. (If your room temperature is very hot refrigerate the sifted ingredients until cold.) Mix in mustard powder, garlic powder, cayenne, grated cheese, and chives.
Rub the frozen grated butter (or combination of fats) into the dry ingredients until it resembles very coarse beach sand.
Add nearly all of the liquid at once into the rubbed-in flour/fat mixture and mix until it just forms a sticky dough (add the remaining liquid if needed). The wetter the dough the lighter the scones (biscuits) will be!
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, lightly flour the top of the dough. To achieve an even homogeneous crumb to your scones knead very gently about 4 or 5 times (do not press too firmly) the dough until it is smooth. To achieve a layered effect in your scones knead very gently once (do not press too firmly) then fold and turn the kneaded dough about 3 or 4 times until the dough has formed a smooth texture. (Use a floured plastic scraper to help you knead and/or fold and turn the dough if you wish.)
Pat or roll out the dough into a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle by about ¾ inch thick. Using a well-floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out without twisting six 2-inch rounds, gently reform the scraps into another ¾ inch layer and cut two more scones (these two scones will not raise as well as the others since the extra handling will slightly toughen the dough). Or use a well-floured sharp knife to form squares or wedges as you desire.
Place the rounds just touching on a baking dish if you wish to have soft-sided scones or place the rounds spaced widely apart on the baking dish if you wish to have crisp-sided scones.
Bake in the preheated very hot oven for about 10 minutes (check at 8 minutes since home ovens at these high temperatures are very unreliable) until the scones are well risen and are lightly coloured on the tops. The scones are ready when the sides are set.
Immediately place onto cooling rack to stop the cooking process, serve while still warm.

Recipe Swap: Scallops with Asian Green Bean Salad

2012-01-27T06:00:00.097-06:00

Oh Recipe Swap, how I love thee. Participating in the recipe swaps has not only exposed me to tons of great recipes, but has also allowed me to "meet" some really great ladies and fellow bloggers. Nichole of The Cookaholic Wife, is one such lady that I have been fortunate to interact with in several blogging events, and I even passed on the Liebster Award to her awhile back!

The theme for this week's swap was Healthy Recipes (in honor of all of our effort to get back on the healthy living wagon), and I received Nichole's recipe for Scallops with Asian Green Bean Salad. Sarah knew that I would love this one when she saw it was assigned to me, and she was right! Not only do I love Asian flavors, but seafood as well. This was the perfect combination and a meal that didn't need any sides or additions! Thank you Nichole for another great recipe!

Scallops with Asian Green Bean Salad
Source: The Cookaholic Wife

Ingredients

1 lb sea scallops
1/4 cup sesame seeds
20-30 green beans, trimmed
4 oz angel hair pasta
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp sesame oil

Preparation

Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing together in a large bowl and set aside.
Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.
Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Saute the celery and green beans for 10-12 minutes or until soft.
Rinse the scallops and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper and then coat with sesame seeds.
Remove the vegetables from the skillet and add to the bowl with the dressing. Add the sesame oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the scallops for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through and they develop a dark crust.
Spoon the vegetables over the pasta and top with the scallops. Drizzle with the dressing.

What's Baking - Chocolate Lava Cake

2012-01-26T06:00:00.039-06:00

Happy Thursday friends!! One day closer to another weekend, and so close to the end of January. How did that happen already?!? The weather has been a little funky lately in Texas (shocker, I know), but when the cold settles in, I tend to hunker down indoors as much as possible. I know that Texas cold is nothing compared to the Northern states, but I'm Texas born-and-raised, so 30 degrees might as well be 20-below to my body. If a little ice gets on the road, everything shuts down and we all get to stay home. Yeah, we're big babies about it, but what can I say? I would rather be home, curled up on the couch watching TV and drinking some hot chocolate, than out in the cold weather.

And what could be more perfect on a cold night than a dessert filled with ooey, gooey chocolate??? Thanks to Melissa of I Was Born to Cook, our hostess for this month's What's Baking challenge, I decided to make chocolate lava cakes to fit with the theme of a Snowday Treat. Granted, we don't really have snow days here (uh, like ever), but I knew that if I was on lock-down, this is a dessert that I could whip up to satisfy my chocolate cravings! My first attempt was a failure, the middle wasn't gooey at all but it was a different recipe and I think I left it in the oven just a minute too long. Darn it! What a waste of good chocolate!! But round 2 proved to be a success, and I had to take the remaining 3 cakes to work so I wouldn't eat them!!

Definitely give these a try...they are just too easy not to!

Chocolate Lava Cakes

As seen on Pioneer Woman, from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
½ cups Butter
1 cup Powdered Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 whole Egg Yolks
6 Tablespoons Flour

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray 4 custard cups with cooking spray and place on cookie sheet.
Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. Whisk until chocolate is also melted.
Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.
Divide between cups.
Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.
Invert cakes onto serving plates and enjoy the ooey gooey deliciousness!

Taco Tuesday: Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Southwest Cream Sauce

2012-01-25T06:00:00.041-06:00

Happy Hump Day everyone!! It's raining like crazy here in Central Texas (we may have even had a tornado touch down!) and it's a dark, gloomy day outside but we are halfway through the week and that is something to smile about wouldn't you say???

Back in October I made a version of these tacos, but after seeing Jessy post the original version I decided I needed to try them without any modifications. The marinade was wonderful and while the citrus doesn't really shine, the spiciness was right up my alley. I gobbled down more tacos than I care to admit and was sad to see it all gone. I am so glad that I tried one of the originals that I concocted mine from - it is delicious!! And now I have another great shrimp taco recipe!!

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Southwest Cream Sauce

Slightly modified from Gourmet Day to Day, Originally from Pink Parsley

Ingredients

Juice of 1 lemon (and 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest)
Juice of 1 lime
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tsp adobo sauce
2 Tbsp canola or olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt and Pepper
1 lb shrimp, tail-off, peeled and deveined
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 tomato, chopped
8 small (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas
1/2 lime, cut into wedges or slices

Southwest Cream Sauce

1/2 cup light sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Preparation

Preheat Broiler and line a large baking sheet with foil (or spray with cooking spray.)
In the bowl of a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the marinade, through the salt and pepper, and process until smooth and well combined. Pour over shrimp in a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes, but no longer than 30.
Meanwhile, whisk together all the ingredients for the southwest cream sauce.
Remove shrimp from marinade and spread onto the baking sheet in a single layer and cook 2-4 minutes, until opaque and cooked through.
Heat tortillas and top with shrimp, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato and cream sauce, with lime wedges.

Roasted Rosemary-Onion Potatoes

2012-01-24T06:00:00.057-06:00

Oh Monday, how I'm glad that you are gone. Don't get me wrong, I don't typically despise that particular day of the week, but lately Mondays have been a little more rough than they were before the holidays and I'm just glad to be past Monday and one day closer to the weekend :)

I haven't made a habit of posting many side dishes, and I'm trying to remedy that. I'm trying to branch out past the typical rice and broccoli sides and give you all a few more options as well. This potato dish is one that I discovered a few years ago, and as much as I dislike onions, the way they cook in this dish makes them tolerable...sweet, even. It takes a little time to cook them to perfection, but if you start them prior to your main dish, you can still finish dinner in under 30 minutes, and they are well worth the time. I love potatoes, and this variance from my more common mashed potato side was very welcome. I hope you try them and love them as much as I do!

Roasted Rosemary-Onion Potatoes

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients

4 medium red potatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Heat oven to 450ºF. Line a cookie sheet with foil or spray with cooking spray.
Cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
Mix remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add potatoes; toss to coat. Spread potatoes in single layer in pan.
Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, turning occasionally, until potatoes are light brown and tender when pierced with fork.

Chili

2012-01-23T06:00:00.002-06:00

I had a wonderful weekend with T, road trippin' it to Dallas to see a friend who just had her first baby. It's been a long time since we went on a road trip, and it was much needed girl-time. Of course we had baby C with us, and any time with my beloved Godson is precious, but getting away from the routine of my life and getting out of town with my bestie was what I have really been needing. Seeing her college friends, and that newborn sweet baby was refreshing, and we even squeezed in some party-planning for Baby C's upcoming 1st birthday. I can't believe he's almost a year old. Sweet little baby.

But, as much as I enjoyed the time with T and getting away from home for a bit, I was glad to get home on Sunday and get back into my kitchen. and there was nothing "sweet" about my first creation.

Last winter I came up with my own chili recipe after some experimentation and tweaking. Unfortunately that hand-written recipe did not find it's way to my new apartment and so I had to start over again. Disapponting, yes, but if I did it once, I can do it again right? Absolutely!! And I did some things differently, and came up with what I believe is an even better version than the one I lost. It has a little bit of a bite to it, but isn't overly spicy. Aaaaand, it's so simple...pretty much throw it all in a pot and let it cook for a couple of hours.

Chili

A Sweet Beginnings' Original

Ingredients

2 lbs lean ground beef
2 cans of kidney beans, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (undrained)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Preparation

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook beef over medium-high heat until browned. Drain off any excess fat.
Add remaining ingredients, stir, and simmer for 2 hours over low heat.

Blackbottoms

2012-01-21T06:00:00.032-06:00

Towards the end of 2011, we had a recipe swap for holiday cookies/treats and my good friend Sarah, of A Taste of Home Cooking asked me to be her "pinch baker" for these little goodies, when she was not thrilled with her results and thought it might be due to missing chocolate chips. Since they were her swap recipe, I decided to postpone blogging them on my site until a little later. I love a good bite-sized treat - in fact, I prefer them - so I was more than happy to step up and help my friend. They are sweet, but not overly sweet with a nice topping of cream cheese and chocolate chips...yum! A perfect little bite-sized treat, perfect for a cold winter day!

Blackbottoms

Made for: A Taste of Home Cooking, Originally from: So Tasty, So Yummy

Ingredients

1 ½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces cream cheese
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first eight ingredients together and set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, egg, salt and sugar together. Stir the chocolate chips into the cream cheese mixture.
Line a miniature muffin pan with paper liners. Add 1 tablespoon of the chocolate batter and top with 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until set.

Chicken with Mustard-Dill Sauce

2012-01-20T06:00:00.051-06:00

It’s Friday, Friday
Got to get down on Friday
Everybody’s looking forward to the weekend, weekend
It’s Friday, Friday
Got to get down on Friday
Everybody’s looking forward to the weekend, weekend

Ok, so that's not really a song I listen to, but for the past couple of Friday's it seems to pop into my head...and if you don't know what viral video song I am talking about, you're just missing out. It's sort of like Mmmbop, back in the day. Stupid song, but it gets stuck in your head and you can't help but sing it - either out loud or in your head.

What? It wasn't just me sitting in Business Computer Applications class, Junior year, singing the catchphrase just loud enough for the girl next to me to shriek because now she was going to have to sing it the rest of the day...right? Well, maybe it was, but it was damn funny and it got us through that year with more giggles than girls should have in such a "serious" class. Ah, reminiscing the days of old. Not that I'm old...watch it!

Anywho...moving right along. I love chicken and I cook a lot of it, therefore I need an arsenal of recipes to trudge through. Like many of the posts you've seen lately, this one has been hanging around for awhile, waiting it's turn to come out of the binder and aid in the creation of a masterpiece for my mouth. And boy, did it! Not only do I love chicken, but I also love mustard - all types of it - so the combination was a big hit! The sauce was so good, that I found myself dipping vegetable crackers into it while I waited for the chicken to cook. What? Don't judge me. I was hungry, and it was good! I think my mouth is watering a little just thinking about it. Damn it.

If you haven't figured it out yet from my babbling on, this is a great recipe, and the sauce definitely makes it. Serve over rice, with some sort of green veggie, and you've got a well-balanced, quick, delicious meal!!

Chicken with Mustard-Dill Sauce
As seen on Food Network*, Originally from Gourmet Today

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1/2 cup coarse-grained mustard
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

For the Chicken:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar, Champagne vinegar, or aged Sherry wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2/3 to 3/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
4 (1/4-inch thick) chicken cutlets (1-1/2 lb total)
1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in enough oil to make a smooth dressing with a balanced taste. Alternately, put ingredients in a jar, cover with lid tightly, and shake well. Stir in garlic and shallots. Place the cutlets in a glass pan, pour the marinade over, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
Meanwhile, combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and season with pepper. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead, covered and kept chilled. Let sauce come to room temperature and whisk before serving.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry; discard the marinade. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. Serve chicken over rice with sauce poured over the top.

*Since this was printed some time ago, the recipe is no longer listed on Food Network, but can be found as I printed it on The Heritage Cook blog as well.

Burgundy Pork Tenderloin

2012-01-19T06:00:00.037-06:00

As this week nears the end, I can't believe we are over half-way through January already. The days seem to come and go in moments, even though they sometimes seem to last forever. But, maybe the fast-pace of my life these days is because I am actually doing things instead of sitting in my apartment for endless hours :) It's been a good couple of weeks and the coming weeks only promise to get better. I'm looking forward to the changes and the adventures that lie ahead of me.

What better way to celebrate than to smother my dinner in a wine sauce?? And I'm not joking when I say it's a wine sauce. It's pretty potent in flavor, so if you aren't into a strong wine flavor in your food, you may want to scale back the amount just a teensy bit. I really love pork tenderloin (it is the other white mean, ya know?), and I'm always looking for new ways to cook it. This recipe has been in my binder for quite some time and I finally got around to making it....and it is a winner! It could be served as a fancy dinner for friends simply because of the sauce. Yep, that good. So, give it a try...I'll even be your dinner guest if you want ;)

Burgundy Pork Tenderloin

Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients

2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cups red wine (I used Merlot)
1 (.75 oz) packet dry brown gravy mix

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place pork in a 9x13 inch baking dish, and sprinkle meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Top with onion and celery, and pour wine over all.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
When done baking, remove meat from baking dish, and place on a serving platter. Pour gravy mix into baking dish with wine and cooking juices, and stir until thickened.
Slice meat, and cover with the gravy.

Taco Tuesday - Beef Tacos with Mango-Hot Pepper Salsa

2012-01-18T06:00:00.003-06:00

I'm not usually one to make, let alone stick to, New Year's resolutions, so imagine my surprise that I am doing both this year! I made it through last week with 4 days of exercise (as stated in resolution #1), and week two has started off strong. I feel like my determination and commitment to become more healthy overall really is spreading into all facets of my life. I feel more motivated to be productive, and that's really an improvement considering my absolute lack of motivation to do anything the last few months of 2011. I have a ridiculous amount of recipes bookmarked and filled in on the food calendar, most of which are healthy, and the rest I just pretend are ;)

I look forward to Taco Tuesday, and have deemed it my unofficial "cheat" meal every week. I was unsure how this particular one would taste, but in the end it was like a typical beef taco, with a sweet & spicy twist. The mango and jalapeno balance each other nicely and I really enjoyed it as a salsa on my taco! If you are looking for a new twist on regular tacos, this is definitely one to try!

Beef Tacos with Mango-Hot Pepper Salsa
Adapted from: Robin Miller

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground sirloin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup water
2 cups diced fresh mango
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons minced red onion (I didn't use because I don't like onions)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and ground black pepper
8-12 taco shells
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup grated reduced-fat Cheddar
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Preparation

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned. Add water, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine mango, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Serve beef mixture in taco shells,with lettuce, grated cheese, sour cream, and topped with mango salsa.

Chicken Meatball Orzo Soup

2012-01-17T06:00:00.003-06:00

Since January is National Soup Month, I've been trying to experiment and make different kinds of soup to celebrate, and to expand my cooking skills. I had some ground chicken in the freezer that I wanted to use up so I went out in search of delicious recipes and came across this one on Allrecipes, and it sounded amazing! I don't cook with orzo nearly enough and I was excited for and excuse to use it. I love, love, love anything lemon, and it came through perfectly in this soup but wasn't overwhelming. I scaled down the recipe to make only two servings for myself, but I was kicking myself, because I could have eaten this for days! A definite winner in my book, and I will be making this again before the cold weather is gone...and I suggest you try it as well!

Chicken Meatball Orzo Soup

Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
4 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 small zucchini, shredded
3/4 cup orzo pasta
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 eggs

Preparation

Combine chicken, 1 egg and breadcrumbs in a bowl until well combined. Using hands or small cookie scoop, form into round balls.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook meatballs until browned on all sides and cooked through.
Pour chicken broth into a large pot and mix in meatballs, zucchini and orzo. Season with pepper and parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 30 minutes.
In a bowl, beat together lemon juice and 2 eggs. Mix 1/4 cup hot soup into bowl, then stir entire mixture into the pot. Serve soup hot.

Broiled Tilapia with Horseradish & Herb-Spiked Mayo

2012-01-16T06:00:00.003-06:00

Last week was a loooong, busy week. It was my first full week (5 days) of work since before Christmas. I know, I know...stop complaining Jaida. I'm just sayin...that extra day makes a difference. I also kicked off my new year's resolution to go to the gym, so that takes away more than an hour from my evenings, which aren't that long as it is, so quick-fix dinners are definitely welcome now. And this fish dinner is one of those. To extra healthify, you can sub the mayo with a fat-free variety of mayo or miracle whip. I love horseradish, so I added a little extra and it was heavenly! Add this to your busy weeknight menu and you won't be disappointed!

Broiled Tilapia with Horseradish & Herb-Spiked Mayo

Source: Robin Miller

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 lemon
4 (6-ounce) Tilapia fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄3 cup light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish, or more to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preparation

Preheat the broiler. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Finely grate 1 teaspoon of zest from the lemon and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over both sides of the fish. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper, to taste, and the garlic powder.
Place the fish on the prepared baking sheet and broil until fork-tender, about 3 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest, horseradish, chives, and parsley. Serve the fish with the mayonnaise mixture spooned over the top.

Daring Cooks: Chicken and Green Chile Tamales

2012-01-14T06:00:00.048-06:00

Growing up in South Texas means an inundation of Mexican food, all.the.time. I can't even begin to say how many times I've heard friends that moved North talk about how they miss Mexican food, and that the few places they come across are just sorry excuses for the real thing. Granted, a lot of people call it Tex-Mex, and I couldn't say otherwise because I've never eaten authentic Mexican food in Mexico...but whatever it is, we Texans adore it. Tamales are one of the (supposed) authentic dishes that little Mexican mamas make by the many, many dozens around holiday time and sell to all of the white folk who can't seem to master the technique.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but my mom makes the best Mexican food (aside from Granny, of course) that I've ever eaten - and she's a white lady! My step-dad, who is Hispanic and whose parents are from Mexico and make it all "authentic", has even said that he prefers my mom's food. That's saying something! Anyhow...I have not yet followed in the family footsteps in regards to this ethnic cuisine, but I have made it a part of my 12 in '12 list to learn a few dishes this year. My mom has been making tamales for a few years now and she's pretty stinkin' good at it, so I added it to my list. Her beef enchiladas, however, are the creme de la creme, in my opinion. So much so that I won't eat beef enchiladas anwhere else but home. Those are also on my list to learn, but that comes later.

For now...Maranda of Jolts & Jollies was our January 2012 Daring Cooks hostess with the mostess! Maranda challenged us to make traditional Mexican Tamales as our first challenge of the year! How perefect is that for me?? I was very excited to take this on, but will admit that I didn't have high expectations for my first attempt. I guess it's a fortunate thing for me that I'm a stickler for following exact directions when attempting something completely new to me, and therefore I did not wind up with a complete disaster on my hands. The filling was absolutely delicious, but the dough was a teensy bit dry after steaming. I chock it up to needing a bit more broth in the initial mixing stage. Lesson learned, but still edible ;) I will definitely be making these again, and experimenting with additional fillings as well. Maybe next year I can join my mom in making a few dozen :)

Chicken and Green Chile Tamales

Source: Epicurious

Ingredients

1 – 8 ounce (225 gram) package dried corn husks

For filling:

1 pound tomatillos (can sub mild green chilies – canned or fresh)
4 – 3 inch serrano chiles, stemmed and chopped (can sub jalapeno)
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 ½ tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
4 cups cooked and shredded chicken
2/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (also known as coriander)

For the masa dough:

1 1/3 cups lard or vegetable shortening
1 ½ teaspoons salt (omit if already in masa mixture)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder (omit if already in masa mixture)
4 cups masa harina (corn tortilla mix)
1 ½-2 cups low sodium chicken broth

Preparation

Place the dried corn husks in a large pot and cover with water.
Place a heavy plate or a smaller pot full of water on top of husks to keep them in the water. Let soak for 3 hours or up to 1 day, flipping occasionally until husks are softened.
Once husks are softened, boil chicken about 20 minutes or until fully cooked.
Immediately place hot chicken into the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Turn mixer on high to shred chicken (this takes about 3-5 seconds).
Place an oven rack on the top setting. Turn the oven on broil. Peel and rinse the tomatillos.
Line a heavy baking sheet with foil. Place tomatillos on baking sheet and place under broiler.
Broil (grill) until black spots form on tomatillos, then flip and broil (grill) other side. This takes about 5-10 minutes per side depending on the strength of the broiler.
Place roasted tomatillos and juices from the pan into a food processor and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chopped Serrano chiles and process until smooth.
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
Add the tomatillo puree and boil, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes (it should turn thick like a paste).
Add in the chicken broth, stir to mix well. Reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture coats the back of a spoon and is reduced to about a cup.
Stir in the chicken and cilantro. Salt to taste.
Prepare the dough. In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium high heat, cream together the lard or vegetable shortening, baking powder and salt.
Mix in the masa harina, one cup add in 1 ½ cups of the chicken broth.
If the mixture seems too thick (you can taste it for moistness) add up to ½ cup more of the broth 2 tablespoons at a time. (The dough should be a cookie dough like texture).
Take 3 large corn husks and tear them into ¼ inch strips.
Take a large pot with a steamer attachment. Pour about 2 inches of water into the bottom of the pot, or enough to touch the bottom of the steamer. Line the bottom of the steamer with corn husks.
Unfold 2 corn husks onto a work surface. Take ¼ cup of dough and, starting near the top of the husk, press it out into a 4 inch square, leaving 2-3 inches at the bottom of the husk. Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling in a line down the center of the dough square.
Fold the dough into the corn husk and wrap the husk around the dough.
Fold up the skinny bottom part of the husk and secure it with one of the corn husk ties.
Stand them up in the steamer. If there aren’t enough tamales to tightly pack the steamer, place crumpled aluminum foil in the excess space.
Steam the tamales for about 40 minutes or until the dough deepens in color and easily pulls away from the husk.

Recipe Swap - Beef 'n' Guinness Stew

2012-01-13T06:00:00.003-06:00

As you may already know, I participate in several cooking groups each month one being the Recipe Swap, another the Secret Recipe Club. The Recipe Swap is primarily participated in by girls on my cooking board, and several girls also participate in the larger scale Secret Recipe Club, and Sarah thought it would be fun if we did a SRC-style Recipe Swap this month. What a great idea!! For the swap I received Hezzi D's Books and Cooks. I participate in most of the cooking groups with Heather, and she always does such a great job, so I was excited to browse some of her recipes that I haven't seen yet.

I had also taken a freezer inventory just before the swap assignments, and beef stew meat was one of the items on the list that I wanted to use up. How lucky for me that Heather had a recipe for Beef and Guinness Stew?!?!? Absolutely perfect for the cold weather, too! Like Heather, I am not a beer fan, so I had to crinkle my nose a little at the thought of using such a dark beer in my food, but I trusted her review that it was great with the beer and I locked in my selection. I wrote out my food calendar for the next couple of weeks, and boy did I kick myself when Wednesday rolled around and I realized that I hadn't read all the way through the instructions. Almost 3 hours to cook! Not that this is outrageous for a stew, I was just a little shell-shocked that my silly self had planned this on a weeknight instead of the prior weekend. D'oh! No worries, I got home from the gym and promptly started working on the stew, and it was done before bedtime, and packaged up for Thursday's lunch.

Hallelujah, my trust in Heather was well-placed!! The Guinness was a great addition to this stew and I'm so, so glad that I gave it a shot! Add this to your winter menu and you won't be sorry!!

Beef and Guinness Stew

Source: Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
¼ cup flour
2 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
4 cup beef broth
12 oz. Guinness beer
1 tsp caraway seeds
5 medium carrots, coin sliced
1 medium parsnip, coin sliced
3 stalks of celery, chopped

Preparation

In a Dutch oven heat the oil and butter.
Place the flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper then dredge the pieces through the flour. Add the beef to the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the beef is browned on all sides.
Add in the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook an additional minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth and beer, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits. Mix in the caraway seeds and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
After an hour uncover the Dutch oven and bring to a boil over low heat. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 45 minutes add in the carrots, parsnips, and celery. Cover the pot again and cook for 45 minutes.
Uncover the pot after 45 minutes, bring the stew to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2012-01-12T06:00:00.012-06:00

The only good thing (and yes, there is only one good thing) about Winter, is soup. Not that you can't eat soup all year, but when it's 110 degrees outside (in Texas)...piping hot soup isn't the first thing that comes to mind for dinner. I've only recently begun to make homemade soups, and so far I'm loving them all!! And not only does soup warm your tummy, but it can also warm your heart.

Fellow blogger Branny, of Branny Boils Over is hosting a Charity Souper Bowl. For every soup post submitted, she is donating $1 to the ASPCA. Such a wonderful foundation for abused animals and a wonderful charity blogging event that Branny is hosting to support them. Being an animal lover myself, and feeling like my heart is breaking every time I see those sad commercials on TV, I didn't even have to think about participating when I heard about it.

I have had animals my whole life, and I have loved them all to pieces (not in an Elmira way!), but none have touched my life and touched my heart as much as my sweet Bubba boy. He is my 12-year-old Boston Terrier that I have had for 9 years now. My friend Amber adopted him from a shelter, and when her parents wouldn't allow her to keep him, she brought him straight to me. I was in love from the moment that smushed face walked in my door. He was so playful, squeaking his little soccer ball and begging me to throw it. And his previous owners had trained him well. He was potty trained and overall the most well-behaved dog I had ever seen. He's a little spoiled, though not in the celebrity pet kind of way, but he is my baby - and in his mind he is a little person. He wants to be as close to human contact as possible at all times - well, unless you are throwing his squeaky toy that is - and although I've lost a little tolerance for his incessant need to lick my face I know he just wants to say I love you. He's totally a mama's boy, and he snuggles up close every night to spoon when we go to bed. I couldn't imagine ever harming him, and I'll never understand the people who abuse animals. I keep telling myself that he's going to live forever, because I can't imagine my life without him in it.

I hear some people say "he's just a dog" or that animals are just that - animals - but for most of us, they are so much more than that. They are friends, companions, and children. They bring so much joy and fulfillment to our lives and I'm thankful for every day Bubba is still here with me. He is 12 years old, but you would never know it by the way he is still playful like a puppy, other than the graying of the hair on his sweet little face. So, I dedicate this post to my sweet little guy, who warms my heart every day, and is a comfort to my life - like chicken noodle soup when you aren't feeling well! Below are a few pictures of my sweet little Bubba boy.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Adapted from: Tyler Florence

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock (I used Knorr chicken stock)
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Place a soup pot over medium heat and coat with the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes until tender.
Fold in the chicken, and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper.

Taco Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Tacos

2012-01-11T06:00:00.002-06:00

When I decided to start Taco Tuesdays, I thought it would be easy peasy to find an endless supply of taco variations. But, after the first 6 weeks, I discovered that there are many variations of the same types of tacos...which is not at all what I was hoping for. However, my faith was restored when I started browsing some of my favorite blogs instead of just searching google for inspiration. My friend Cassy told me about these buffalo chicken tacos...which turned out to be a blog from one of the girls on my cooking board - awesome!!

I am not a fan of traditional chicken wings...you know, the ones with bones in them. Something about nawing on a teeny-tiny chicken wing just doesn't appeal to me. I do, however, love buffalo sauce and boneless wings so I knew that these tacos would be right up my alley. And they were damn good!! I won't lie to you, they are spicy little suckers, but I love me some spicy. If you don't....well, either steer clear, or use a mild sauce. It would be sad if you had to miss out altogether though. Really sad. But then again, that leaves more for me. I may not want to share my tacos, but I will share the recipe I used...aren't I the nicest??

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

As seen on Mrs. Reguiero's Plate

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
⅓ cup flour
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce (Frank’s Buffalo Wing) , plus extra for garnishment
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Tortillas (flour or corn)
Shredded Lettuce
Avocado slices
Ranch dressing
Green onions, sliced thinly

Preparation

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season the chicken pieces with pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and once it gets hot, add chicken and cook on both sides – about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is done, set it aside in a bowl and toss with ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce.
Warm tortillas and assemble tacos with chicken, lettuce, avocado, ranch dressing and green onions.

Asian-Marinated Salmon

2012-01-10T06:00:00.002-06:00

I had a really great workout last night, I went home and I made a really great, healthy meal and I began to visualize the coming months and how much better I will feel when I drop some weight and become healthier overall. I won't lie, it's going to be tough. I have made a habit of preparing generally healthy meals over the past couple of years, but my cravings for chocolate and sweets gets the best of me. I don't drink a lot of sodas, I drink mostly water, so that is at least one area I don't have to focus too much attention on. Now it's just about balanced, healthy meals, consistent exercise, and curbing the sugar/chocolate cravings. Cross your fingers for me! I am going on a cruise at the end of April and I am determined to be bikini-ready!!

Last year a good friend of mine sent me a salmon recipe that his dad makes and insisted that I try it. Well, here I am almost a year later, finally getting around to it! He was right when he said that this dish is amazing!! Damn that email folder that has too many recipes in it to keep up with!! But seriously, if you are looking to add some new recipes to your seafood arsenal this is definitely one to try out. It's healthy, it's simple, and it can be made in the oven, on the stove, or on the grill! What more could you ask for? Oh yeah...it tastes great too!

Asian-Marinated Salmon (a.k.a. 4th of July Salmon)

Source: Food.com

Ingredients

2-4 salmon fillets (4-6 oz. ea.)
1/4 cup peanut oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Into a large zip-lock bag, make marinade out of peanut oil, soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and salt. Mix well, and add fish. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 2 - 4 hours.
Spray a skillet or grill pan with cooking spray and heat on medium-high heat.
Remove fish from marinade, add to skillet, and cook 5 minutes per side, until browned and flakes easily with a fork.

Chicken with Creamy Chive Sauce

2012-01-09T06:00:00.002-06:00

We are now a little over a week into the new year, and I will just now be starting on those new year's resolutions. Not because I was being lazy, but because the first week I was dealing with a nasty cold that kept me out of commission and out of the gym. But, I'm feeling better now, and so the resolutions have begun. You may have noticed in previous posts, the frequency of recipes that I get from Eating Well, and that is because the recipes there are healthy!

I found this recipe a couple of years ago, and it wasn't until I saw Jessy and some other bloggers on my cooking board post it that I was reminded how much I liked it. And so I pulled it out of my archives and put it on the dinner table. It was even better than I remembered it to be. I even used some of the extra sauce on my baked potato! At only 244 calories, this is absolutely fabulous for anyone looking for a healthy, low-calorie meal!

Chicken with Creamy Chive Sauce

Source: Eating Well

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup chopped chives

Preparation

Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Season both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow glass baking dish and dredge the chicken in it. Discard the excess flour.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.
Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour; stir to coat. Add wine, broth and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil, stirring often.
Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until heated through and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes. Stir in sour cream and mustard until smooth; turn the chicken to coat with the sauce. Stir in chives and serve immediately.

Salmon in Spicy Garlic Tomato Sauce

2012-01-05T06:00:00.002-06:00

Some (my mom) may say that I'm a picky eater, and to some extent I'd say that is true - with veggies, that is. But fortunately for me, I love fish. I'm not usually a fan of tomatoey sauces, but when I saw this recipe on Bev's blog, it just looked and sounded too good to pass up. Besides, it would give this girl a healthy dose of Omega-3 and fit in nicely with the 2012 declaration of healthy eating/living. What? I figure if I keep saying it every.single.day I will have to follow through. You all will hold me accountable, right? C'mon, I need you!! I am going on a cruise at the end of April, and at the moment, a bikini is not my friend. I thought that might convince you.

Anywho, salmon is probably one of my favorite types of fish, and the sauce highlights it very nicely. I, personally, will use a teensie bit less tomato paste next time, but it was fantastic as-is and I highly recommend you add this to your seafood arsenal immediately!!

Salmon in Spicy Garlic Tomato Sauce

As seen on Bev Cooks, Originally from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1 Tbsp caraway seeds
8 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 salmon fillets or steaks
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 Serrano chili, roughly chopped (leave seeds in)
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
fresh cilantro for garnish

Preparation

In a small skillet, toast the caraway seeds until they’re slightly darker in color and aromatic in scent, about 2 minutes. Let them cool a little, and then grind them in a spice mill or small food processor. Set aside.
Toss the flour in a shallow dish. Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides, and then lightly dredge them through the flour, shaking off any excess.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and sear the salmon until nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Set them on a plate and wipe the skillet clean.
In a food processor, toss in the garlic, Serrano chile, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, paprika, caraway, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Blend until the mixture becomes pasty (in texture, not appearance J).
In the skillet, heat up the last 4 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic paste and bloom for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and 1/2 cup water. Stir and mix. Add the sugar and lemon juice, and stir some more. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer 30 more seconds.
Now, add the salmon fillets to the skillet, lower the heat to a light simmer, cover and let it cook for about 6 more minutes. The salmon will finish cooking as it absorbs the sauce.
Serve topped with cilantro.

Taco Tuesday: Crispy Turkey Tacos

2012-01-04T06:59:00.001-06:00

Can you believe the first week of January is already half gone? The holidays are beginning to fade from memory as the hustle and bustle of life are back in full swing, the kiddies are back in school and I, for one, am back to work after a couple of weeks off. I've taken a brief hiatus from baking since I did so much of it in the last few weeks of December and I'm focusing more on a healthy menu for myself, but I have declared Taco Tuesday my unofficial "cheat" day. These Crispy Turkey Tacos actually rank fairly low on the caloric scale, coming in under 400 calories for two tacos, so they actually aren't much of a cheat, but you'd never know it by the taste!! So, if you are "back on the wagon" as part of your New Year's resolutions, and you enjoy a good taco, add these to your menu asap!!

Crispy Turkey Tacos

Adapted from: Eating Well

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey breast
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with jalapenos
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 small avocado, pitted and mashed
1/4 cup of salsa (I used salsa verde)
2 Tbsp light sour cream
10 crispy taco shells
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Monterrey Jack)

Preparation

In a skillet, cook turkey over medium-high heat until browned. Pour diced tomatoes, cumin, garlic powder and chili powder into skillet, stir and simmer about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile mix the avocado, salsa, and sour cream together in a small bowl and heat taco shells according to package instructions.
Spoon the avocado mixture into the taco shells, cover with ground turkey mixture and top with lettuce and cheese.

Chicken Diablo

2012-01-03T06:00:00.027-06:00

I am always looking for new recipes to add to my recipe book, and with the new year and my resolution to lose some weight and eat healthier I went out to some of my favorite blogs in search of inspiration for the coming weeks' menus. I came across this recipe for Chicken Diablo on the blog Bev Cooks, and as I read her post about the spicyness of this dish, I knew it would be something I would enjoy. I added it to the menu and anxiously awaited the day to prepare it.

The Frank's hot sauce was enough to give the dish a bit of a kick without being too hot for the average set of tastebuds, and it was super flavorful as well. Leading into the new year, this dish was something worth celebrating!

Chicken Diablo

Source: Bev Cooks

Ingredients

1/2 cup Frank's hot pepper sauce
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
4 chicken breasts, pounded out thinly
2 Tbsp canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup sliced scallions
2 cups cooked white (or jasmine or basmati) rice

Preparation

In a bowl, combine the pepper sauce, sour cream, ketchup, and honey. Whisk it all together, then add paprika and cumin and whisk again.
Pour half the mixture over the chicken breasts in a shallow dish. Cover and reserve the rest.
Cover the chicken dish and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and bloom for 30 seconds. Add teh chicken and cook until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through, 10-15 minutes.
Heat the remaining marinade in a small saucepan until lightly simmering.
Serve chicken over rice with some of the sauce spooned over the top, and garnish with scallions.

Welcome 2012!!

2012-01-01T06:00:00.018-06:00

Happy New Year to you!!

I hope you all had a fantabulous holiday season and that you rang in 2012 with family and/or friends that you love. As is archaically traditional, it's time for the New Year's Resolutions. Many people vow to drop those extra pounds they gained during the last half of the previous year, to save more money, do more charitable activities, etc. and I am not much different than those people. With all the changes that occurred in my life in the latter part of 2011, I have had to step back and evaluate my life a little more than some might. I am 31 years old, and not quite where I thought I'd be at this point in my life. It happens to the best of us, and only we can inflict change in our own life, so that's what I'm setting out to do.

Yes, losing weight is a part of my goal, but it isn't the only goal I have. My New Year's resolutions are:

Go to the gym at least 4 days every.single.week. Without exception, in an effort to drop 20 pounds - preferably by the time warm weather starts to peek it's head out again. This also means evaluting and modifying my eating habits.
Floss 2 times a day, every day, for the rest of my life. Seems like a silly goal right? Should be an easy habit to be in, especially after having braces for 2 1/2 years!! However, when I am tired at night, it's all I can do to make myself brush my teeth before falling into bed, and flossing often gets tossed aside. I need to make it a priority. I would like to keep all my pretty, straight teeth after all!! Which brings me to my next goal.
Suck it up and get a gum graft. What's that, you ask? Well it's a dental procedure similar to a skin graft, to repair a section of my gums that has receded well below a normal gum line. I can partially thank my time in braces for the need of this procedure. And not flossing enough. ::sigh:: OH, and I can't forget to mention that this little procedure will affect what I can eat for EIGHT WEEKS. Just like having braces again. Oh the joy.
Pay off all my credit cards/debt (other than student loans, because that will take forever).
Get a new car (sort of contradicts the previous goal I know...but I needs a new car people!)
Spend more time outside!! Since moving into my apartment I've become more of a hermit...I barely leave if it's not for work or to get groceries. My poor Bubba-dog must be miserable!
Save, save, save, save, save my money so I can buy a house and get out of this damn apartment.
Spend more time with family and friends.
Save up for a DSLR camera and improve on my food photography and styling (regardless of what camera I'm using!)
~~Re-design this blog!! I want a cleaner, more stream-lined template :) I have big plans for this little blog o' mine...now I just have to follow through~~ ;) Seems I got lucky on this one and got the re-design just before the new year!! Woohoo!!

With all of these goals there are conditions, sacrafices, and the need for absolute will-power in some cases, that come along with each one. I am one of those people who spends her life planning things, making lists, and having the best of intentions to follow through - but the best of intentions don't always pan out. Maybe I should make that one of my goals too...to work harder to follow through on all my plans and good intentions ;)

You may wonder why I'm posting this here, on my food blog. Well, it's because many of these goals will also affect my cooking and eating habits, so you may (or may not) notice some changes in the menus coming up. I try to cook pretty healthy most of the time anyway, so I doubt the changes will be drastic...but in case you too, are looking to drop some pounds, I will have recipes available to help you out with that journey. We can do it together!! That doesn't mean that my sugary delights will vanish, but I won't be indulging quite so much in them myself. I'll leave that for my work friends :)

Recipe Swap: Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-12-30T06:00:00.003-06:00

The theme for our last Recipe Swap of the year was Special Occasion appetizers, entrees, or side dishes - perfect timing for Christmas parties!! I received this recipe for Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms from Colleen of Does Not Cook Well With Others and knew it would be perfect to take my friend's white elephant party! I am not a fan of mushrooms myself, so I had to rely on the opinions of my friends on this one, but the responses were great!! One friend even said that he might have to camp out at the table and eat them all!! It made me wish that I did like mushrooms, because they definitely looked good. :)

Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms

As Seen on Does Not Cook Well With Others, originally from Whole Foods

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound whole baby bella or white mushrooms
1 small yellow onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess water
6 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove stems from mushrooms, and chop finely. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet, and add mushrooms stems, onion, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes, until onions are soft.
Transfer stems and onions to a large mixing bowl. Add spinach, and toss to combine, then set aside to cool.
Arrange mushroom caps on baking sheet. Add feta cheese to cooled spinach mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
Divide spinach mixture and stuff into mushroom caps, mounding in the center. Drizzle stuffed caps with the remaining tbsp of olive oil. Bake about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Soft Yeast Rolls

2011-12-29T06:00:00.009-06:00

First, let me welcome you to the newly designed page! With the help of a good friend, I now have a customized header and redesigned page!! I am so excited and I hope you all like it too!!

Christmas is nearly a week gone now, but my clothes are still feeling the stretch from all the good food!! January 1st will be here in a couple of days, and thus begins the 2012 Resolutions craze. I will fall into the "need to lose the holiday pounds" group, along with a few other short-term and long-term goals that I'm setting for myself. More to come on those later :)

I go to my mom's every year for Christmas, and I always bring a couple of items in contribution to our feast. This year I decided to try my hand at making rolls from scratch. I've never attempted this before, but when I saw this recipe on Jessica's blog, Sunny Side Up in San Diego., they looked too good not to try!! I'll have to admit that I think I flubbed them up a little. My brothers said they were good, but they seemed a little dense to me. And Jessica's definitely didn't look that way, so I'm quite sure I did something wrong. Oh well, there has to be a first time for everything, right? I'll try again another time, and make sure I do all the steps correctly :) I'm going to guess it had something to do with the rising of the dough.

Soft Yeast Rolls

Source: Sunny Side Up in San Diego

Ingredients

4-1/2 tsp (2 packets) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
7 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp butter
2 tsp honey

Preparation

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let stand for 10 minutes, until it starts get foamy and the water looks milky. Add the milk, butter, eggs, sugar, and salt and turn the mixer on low to combine. Add 3 cups of flour and beat until smooth.
Remove the paddle and replace it with a dough hook. Add 4 more cups of flour and let the mixer knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough should become smooth and elastic and just slightly tacky to the touch. Add up to 1/2 cup more of flour if the dough is too sticky. Move the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Towards the end of rising, butter two 9x13 pans. After the dough has risen, punch it down in the center and turn out on a floured surface, knead it by hand for a minute or so. Cut the dough into 24 even pieces and place in the prepared 9x13 pans. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl and stir in the honey. Brush the tops of the rolls.
Cover and let rise for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Taco Tuesday: Chili-Lime Shrimp Tacos

2011-12-28T06:00:00.004-06:00

How is it already the middle of the week again? Seems like it was just Friday...oh well. The good thing about a new week is that I get to try out a new taco!! My original plan was to make these tacos, but then I just sort of went off on a tangent and made my own version of them I suppose. I used a simple chili powder and lime juice marinade, sauteed the shrimp, and then wrapped them up in a flour tortilla with sour cream, salsa verde, avocado and cilantro. Quick, easy, tasty. Perfect for a Taco Tuesday.

Chili-Lime Shrimp Tacos

Ingredients

1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 lime
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Avocado
Cilantro
Sour Cream
SalsaVerde
Flour Tortillas

Preparation

Mix the olive oil, chili powder and juice of the lime in a bowl. Place the shrimp in the bowl and toss to combine. Allow to marinate for 10-15 minutes (no longer than 30 minutes or the lime juice will start to break down the shrimp.)
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Remove shrimp from the marinade and place in the skillet. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until opaque. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, slice the avocado and chop cilantro for garnish.
Using warm flour (or corn if you prefer) tortillas, layer with sour cream, salsa, shrimp, avocado and cilantro. Squeeze lime juice on top and enjoy!!

What's Baking: Santa Hat Brownies

2011-12-27T06:00:00.005-06:00

In honor of National Brownie Month, our December hostess for What's Baking, Nicole of Seven Ate Nine, thought it would be fun if we all made our favorite brownie. I love brownies, so I was definitely excited for this challenge. My initial thought was some sort of grasshopper brownie, since I love chocolate and mint so much. But when I saw these super adorable Santa Hat Brownies on Jessy's blog I knew they were the perfect brownie to make!!

I had a white elephant holiday party to go to the Friday before Christmas, and I knew these would be the perfect dessert to take with me. Everyone thought they were adorable and delicious - who could ask for a better dessert?? And after I had decided to make these, I saw a version of them on the show The Chew!! I thought that was pretty neat.

Santa Hat Brownies

As seen on Gourmet Day to Day

Ingredients

1 cup butter
4 (1 oz.) squares semi-sweet chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 c. flour
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
24 strawberries
Your favorite white frosting (I used cream cheese frosting)

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray mini muffin pan(s) with cooking spray.
In 2 quart saucepan combine 1 cup butter and chocolate squares. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted (4-6 minutes).
Stir in flour, eggs, baking powder, salt and vanilla until well combined.
Use a medium cookie scoop to drop batter into the mini muffin tins, each one about half full.
Cook about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
Meanwhile, cut stems off of strawberries, so that the top is flat. Turn the strawberries upside down and place one on top of each brownie.
Place the frosting into a decorating bag or bottle and squeeze around the bottom of each strawberry to represent the rim of Santa's hat. Then squeeze a small drop onto the tip of the strawberry.

Cranberry Sausage Quiche

2011-12-25T06:00:00.011-06:00

Good morning, and Merry Christmas!! After a week inundated with sweet treats, I decided that I would post a Christmas breakfast treat today. Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday filled with family and friends!!

Cranberry Sausage Quiche
Source: Treasury of Christmas Cookbook

Ingredients

1 9-inch frozen deep-dish pie shell
1/2 lb of ground sage sausage
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups half-and-half

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Let frozen pie shell stand at room temperature 10 minutes; do not prick shell. Bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Crumble and cook sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Remove from heat and drain off any drippings.
Stir in cranberries. Sprinkle cheese on bottom of pie shell; top evenly with sausage mixture.
Combine eggs and half-and-half in medium bowl; whisk until blended but not frothy. Pour egg mixture over sausage mixture in pie shell.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Mom's Blue Ribbon Fudge

2011-12-24T06:00:00.002-06:00

As much as I love chocolate and sweet treats, there are few desserts that I remember from my childhood that I crave or look forward to every year. This fudge, however, is the one dessert that my brothers and I expect every year for Christmas. In the past few years, however, the honor has been passed along from my mother to me to prepare, and I've taken it on full-force. It's a somewhat tedious process, and it will definitely work your arm muscles, but it is so worth it. No other fudge quite lives up to it, in my opinion. It makes me proud when I bring this fudge to Christmas, and my family declares that it is just as good as when mom made it. My brothers are pretty particular about their desserts, so for them to approve is a big deal. The Mint Oreo Fudge I made a couple of weeks ago is also delicious and is a close second, but mom's fudge is by far my all-time favorite!

If you have the patience and the arm strength, and you want something more old-school than the marshmallow cream varieties of fudge, you should definitely give this recipe a try!!

Mom's Blue Ribbon Fudge

Source: A photo-copied page my mom faxed to me years ago...no clue what book it came from!

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
1 6 oz can evaporated milk
2 1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate
dash salt
1 tsp corn syrup
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

Butter the sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan.
Combine sugar, evaporated milk, chocolate squares, salt and corn syrup in pan. Stir over medium heat until chocolate melts, sugar dissolves, and temperature reaches 236 degrees (soft ball stage, if you don't have a candy thermometer).
Immediately remove from heat. Add butter, but do not stir.
Cool to lukewarm, 110 degrees. Add vanilla and stir vigorously until fudge stiffens and looses it gloss.
Push from pan into a buttered shallow pan.
Score while warm, cut when firm.

Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

2011-12-23T06:00:00.003-06:00

Although I am a deeply devoted lover of chocolate, I find these cookies to be a refreshing break from the pile of chocolate goodies that I indulge in this time of year. They have a light citrus tone, and the white chocolate chips and cranberries are a perfect combo. Yum-mie! Aside from that, cranberry-anything screams holiday for me. If you need a change from the chocolate and mint desserts that are so common during this season, or you just want a delicious cookie, add these to your dessert lineup!!

Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp grated orange peel
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preparation

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat sugars, butter, orange peel, orange juice, and egg. Slowly mix in flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips.
Using a medium cookie scoop, drop onto cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake 7-9 minutes, until just set. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Chocolate Marshmallow Reindeer

2011-12-22T06:00:00.003-06:00

Let me tell you the story of how I came to find these adorable little reindeer pops. It started with an email from my good friend Torie. The email was entitled "Inspiration", and it had photos she had seen on Pinterest of cute holiday treats and these reindeer pops were one of the photos. I immediately fell in love and knew that I had to make them. I did come across one issue though. All I had was the photo and that it was seen on Pinterest. No link to the source of the photo, and no Pinterest account to track it down. I knew I could make the pops from the photo, so not having directions was not my issue, it was being able to site the source - and citing "Pinterest" was not going to work.

So, I took to Google to track down the source. Fortunately, I was able to find the link to the Pinterest page, which then linked me to the original source of the photo - Hallelujah!! Of course this discovery came about after I had already made the pops, but because I was inspired by the original photo, I will cite it for you all to see as well!! The photo is super adorable (even more so than the ones I made.) I worked long and late into the night to prepare these little pops for my co-workers on our last day before vacation and I was so pleased that they all loved them!!

Not only are these super cute, they were super easy to make. As in, my eight-year-old nieces could make them without any help, easy. If you need a last minute treat or something special for the kiddos, these definitely fit the bill!

Chocolate Marshmallow Reindeer Pops

As seen on Pinterest, Originally from Make'n Mold

Ingredients/Supplies

20-30 Large Marshmallows
1 24 oz package Chocolate Bark
40-60 mini pretzel knots
White Candy Decorating Pen
Red Candy Decorating Pen
20-30 Paper Lollipop Sticks
Wax Paper

Preparation

Melt chocolate bark according to package directions in a large, narrow bowl.
Lay the pretzel knots, in pairs, onto the wax paper, prefereably on a baking sheet. These will serve as the antlers, so place them together as such.
Take a lollipop stick and push it into the bottom of a marshmallow (slightly angled downward). Turn upside down and dip into the melted chocolate and then lay onto the pretzels on the wax paper-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to speed the drying process.
Once dried (will only take 5-10 minutes), pull out of the fridge. Prepare the candy decorating pens (these need to be softned in hot water). Use the white decorating candy to place the eyes on each reindeer, and the red decorating candy for the red nose. Allow to dry for another 5 minutes or so, and then wrap and share!!

Taco Tuesday: Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

2011-12-21T06:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was the first day of my week of vacation, and it was nice to be able to relax and not have any cooking or baking requirements. I was able to clean my apartment and then take time prepping for and making dinner. And let me tell you, these tacos were amazing!! I made myself a plate, sat in front of the TV, and watched DVDs for the rest of the night. Ah, it is so nice to not have a schedule to keep to! However, I am not the type who can lounge for long so tomorrow I'll be back in the swing of productiveness! Although I was quite productive today, cleaning and such, but I digress.

These Lime Chicken Soft Tacos had such a great flavor that I was hesistant to add the toppings, for fear that it would take away from the flavor of the meat, but fortunately the flavors came through and the toppings complimented those flavors! I think these are my favorite tacos so far!

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos
Adapted from: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons comino
10 (6 inch) flour tortillas
1 avocado, sliced
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup shredded lettuce
1/4 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
salsa verde
sour cream

Preparation

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Saute in a medium saucepan over medium high heat for about 20 minutes, or until juices run clear. Remove from pan to a large bowl. Use two forks to shred chicken.
Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic and comino to skillet, over medium heat. Add shredded chicken and simmer for an extra 10 minutes.
Serve lime chicken mixture in warm tortillas topped with avocado, tomato, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa.

Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-12-20T06:00:00.031-06:00

It's day two of sweet treats week, and also the beginning of my Christmas break. Hallelujah!!! No work and a much needed break for 8 days!! While I do thoroughly love the Christmas season and all the baking that comes with it, I did quite a number on myself this past weekend and this first day of vacation I'm going to take it easy. No baking for me today. But no worries, I have plenty of sweet treats to share with you in the coming days!!

I now debut the peanut butter cookies that I have been working to perfect for the past few years. I do not like thin, crispy cookies of any sort. I like them soft and chewy, and no matter how I tried, I couldn't get peanut butter cookies to come out of my oven as anything other than flat and crispy. Until this year, that is. I made a few tweaks based on other cookies I've made and it was a success!! Thick, soft cookies full of peanut buttery deliciousness.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Slightly adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Heat oven to 375ºF.
Mix sugars, peanut butter, shortening, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.
Using a medium cookie scoop, shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork dipped into sugar.
Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Double Chocolate Inside-Out Cookies

2011-12-19T09:40:00.001-06:00

Today begins the final countdown to Christmas and I thought, what better way to countdown than with a week of sweet treats?? I had one hell of a busy weekend with a graduation to attend and two birthday parties, plus cooking and baking for work. Last night was a long one, but I can't wait until you see the adorable treat that I made!! That post is coming soon, so keep an eye out!!

I have been making these cookies for a few years now and I usually don't add the white chocolate chips, but this year I thought it would be a nice changeup. I love chocolate, so chocolate cookies with milk and white chocolate chips are a double score!! And, it helps that the recipe makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies!!

Double Chocolate Inside-Out Cookies

Adapted slightly from Betty Crocker

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate baking chips
1 cup milk chocolate baking chips

Preparation

Heat oven to 350ºF.
Mix sugars, butter, shortening, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, mix completely and then stir in baking chips.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute, then remove wire rack to cool completely.

Taco Tuesday: Beer-Battered Fish Tacos with Chile Marinated Slaw

2011-12-16T06:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Friday my friends!! I hope you have had a fabulous week, and that you are not as behind in your Christmas shopping as I am! I hope to finish up this weekend and avoid the extra-crazy crowds next week. This week has been pretty hectic between work, baking and cooking obligations so Taco Tuesday was delayed to Thursday, but well worth the wait!! I got the idea from the Beer-Battered Tilapia with Chile-Mandarin Sauce that I made back in April. It was definitely one of the best fish dishes that I've had, and I thought it would convert to a great taco. Unfortunately, when I went to make it, my mandarin oranges decided not to be cooperative and so I had to improvise. Luckily the improvisation worked in my favor - I think this version turned out better than my original idea would have!

You see, I didn't think the taco would be complete with only the fish and mandarin "sauce", so I picked up some cabbage slaw to throw on top too. I had already mixed up the liquid part of the sauce when I discovered my soured oranges, and while I tried ot figure out if I was going to have to do a grocery store run, I had the brilliant idea to just throw the shredded slaw into the sauce and make that my topping!! Pretty crafty, eh? Ok, so not really a genius idea, but it worked out well and I had some scrumptious tacos for dinner last night!!

Beer-Battered Fish Tacos with Chile Marinated Slaw
Inspired by Robin Miller @ Food Network

Ingredients

Vegetable Oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
2/3 cup beer
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 tilapia fillets, about 5 oz each
Salt & Pepper
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp Sweet Chile Sauce
1 tsp Sriracha Chile Sauce
1-2 cups angel hair cabbage
6-8 flour (or corn) tortillas

Preparation

In a shallow dish, mix 1/2 cup flour, beer, baking powder, and egg. Put the other 1/4 cup flour in another dish.
Heat enough oil to shallow-fry the fish, in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cut fish into strips, salt & pepper both sides. Dredge the fish in the plain flour, coating both sides and shaking of any excess flour. Next, dip the fish in the beer mixture to coat both sides.
Add fish to the hot oil and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain oil.
While fish is cooking, mix the lemon juice and chile sauces in a bowl, then add slaw and mix together.
Warm the tortillas, place 2-3 strips of fish in each and top with chile slaw.

Recipe Swap: Mint Oreo Fudge

2011-12-15T06:00:00.002-06:00

The theme for this month's swap was holiday cookies or treats and I could have more elated when I received this recipe from Melissa of I Was Born to Cook. As you may have noticed, I love mint and chocolate, so this couldn't have been a more perfect for me. But not only was it perfect, it was so simple to make!!

I haven't found a fudge that I like quite as much as my mom's recipe - which takes forever and a lot of constant stirring to make - but this recipe is definitely right up there with it!! Now, instead of waiting until Christmas every year to enjoy my fudge, this recipe is simple enough that I can make it any time of the year!!

Thank you Melissa for such a great recipe!!

Mint Oreo Fudge

Source: I Was Born to Cook

Ingredients

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
dash of salt
approximately 20 Oreo cookies, broken into pieces (I used the holiday ones with the red cream center)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Preparation

In heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in cookies, mint and vanilla.
Spread evenly into wax paper lined 8 or 9 inch square pan. Chill 2 hours (or until firm) in the refrigerator.
Lift fudge out of pan, peel off paper and cut into squares. Store covered in refrigerator.