Monday, November 7, 2011

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes


I've got an abundance of pumpkin around here so you can expect lots of delicious recipes like this one. I love that it's a donut fake out because it's really mini muffins rolled in butter, cinnamon and sugar. But you really feel like it's a donut hole when you bite in.

I made these for a work meeting tomorrow and I'm sure the team is going to love them!

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes
Adapted from www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

Ingredients

1 3/4 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/3 c canola oil
1/2 c brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 c milk

Coating
4 tbsp butter, melted
2/3 c sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 mini muffin tins (24 total) with baking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. In a large bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, vanilla, brown sugar, and pumpkin. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. (I used a small ice cream scoop). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While muffins bake, combine sugar and cinnamon in one bowl. Have melted butter ready in a separate bowl. Remove muffins from oven and let cool 2 minutes. Dip each muffin in the butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Serve warm or at room temp. Enjoy!

Spinach, Steak, Mushroom, Onion, Goat Cheese Frittata


aka cleaning out my fridge and decided to make breakfast. This is what I came up with! It was seriously good and so easy, it's kind of embarrassing. Once you get the basics of a frittata, you can really throw whatever you want in it. Here's how I did it...

Leftover steak, cut into small pieces
Leftover sauteed mushrooms and onions, diced
1/2 c fresh spinach
6 eggs
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c goat cheese crumbled
1/2 c shredded mozzarella

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a pie plate with nonstick spray, set aside. Combine all ingredients except mozzarella and whisk together with salt and pepper. Sprinkle mozzarella over egg mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes until eggs are set. Turn your oven on broil just for a few minutes to make sure the top is nice and golden and done. Let sit for 5 minutes before you cut into it.

Serve with pumpkin biscuits with citrus honey butter for a 'knock your socks off meal.'

Pumpkin Biscuits with Citrus Honey Butter


Oh wow!! These biscuits are delicious on their own, but the citrus butter makes them! I've got leftover butter in my fridge and am scheming ways to keep eating it. Try this soon and it will get you in that fall spirit first thing in the morning!

Pumpkin Biscuits with Citrus Honey Butter
Adapted from www.thepioneerwoman.com

Ingredients

2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c cold butter, cubed
3/4 c milk
3/4 c pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Butter:
1/2 butter, softened
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp orange or lemon zest (I used grapefruit and lemon because that's what I had)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Using a fork or pastry cutter, blend cold butter cubes into dry ingredients until it is similar to coarse corn meal (I use my fingers and break the butter up). Stir in milk, pumpkin and vanilla, until all ingredients are equally moist and flour is Incorporated.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bottoms are browned lightly.

While biscuits are baking, make the butter. Whip butter, honey and zest together until smooth and light in color, about 2 minutes. (I think an electric mixer does this the best).

Serve warm with butter. Go to heaven. Seriously, they're that good.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Quesadilla


How unusual, right? Not sure what drew me to this recipe, but I made it and it was really good. The original recipe calls for ground pork, but I had bought a rotisserie chicken and needed to use it up. Oh, and I added spinach, which wasn't in the original.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Quesadilla
Adapted from The Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato
3 tbsp butter
1/2 lb ground pork (I used 2 c rotisserie chicken)
1 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder (I used regular chile powder and a dash of cumin)
Salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/2 c cilantro, chopped
4 burrito size tortillas
2 c shredded cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Pierce the sweet potato a few times with a fork and microwave until soft, 7-10 min. Let cool slightly, then remove the skin and mash the flesh with a fork; set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, chile powder, and 1 tsp salt and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned. Add the garlic, sweet potato, scallions and cook 2 more min. Add the cilantro and season with salt, if needed. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

Wipe out the skillet, add 1/2 tbsp butter and melt over medium high heat. Add a tortilla, spread 1/4 of the mixture on one half and top with 1/2 c cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and cook until the tortilla is golden and cheese is melted. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Continue with the other tortillas. Serve with hot sauce, sour cream, salsa, limes, etc. Enjoy!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Short Ribs in Tomato Sauce aka Best Thing I've Ever Made/Eaten


Seriously, these are the best thing I've ever made. I was blown out of the water when I had my first bite! A-mazing! Wonderful! Fantastic!

Short ribs are a bit hard to find, but are cheap and make the most delicious, tender anything. If you try anything here, please try these!! A lot of prep time because short ribs have to braise in order to break down the tough connective tissues, but SO worth it!!

Short Ribs in Tomato Sauce
Adapted from PioneerWoman.com

Ingredients

8 whole beef short ribs
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp sugar
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 whole onion, diced
1 c red wine
1 c (28oz) whole tomatoes
1 c (14oz) tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground thyme


Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium high heat. Sprinkle short ribs with salt and pepper. Brown short ribs in olive oil, about 1-1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

Pour off excess oil. Throw garlic and onions into the pot. Stir to cook for a minute or two, then add tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, salt, red pepper flakes, and thyme. Stir to combine.

With tongs, set short ribs back into the pot, submerging as much as possible. Cover the pot and place into the oven.

Cook for 3 1/2-4 hours. Short ribs should be tender and falling off the bone. With a spoon, skim off any visible fat and discard.

As they are right now, they're absolutely delicious!!! The sauce is so rich and velvety, almost. To serve, I made some polenta, which was great because it absorbed all the sauce. This is a winner!!

Apple Pie Muffins


Delicious muffins topped with a crunchy apple pie crumble topping! These were a huge hit at work! I think because of the pumpkin pie spice and diced apples, if gave everyone a lovely fall feeling!

Apple Pie Muffins
Adapted from MyBakingAddiction.com

Ingredients

2 1/4 c flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extra
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
2 c peeled, chopped Granny Smith Apples

Topping:
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/3 c flour
1/4 c oats
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, 1/2 c melted butter, vanilla and 1 1/2 c brown sugar. Stir until sugar has dissolved.

Pour butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in apples. Use a large ice cream scoop to fill each muffin well.

In a small bowl, stir together ingredients for the topping. Drizzle 3 tbsp butter, mixing until blended. Sprinkle over the tops of the muffins.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops of the muffin spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool on a wire rack and store at room temp.

Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas


Yummy! Enchiladas are pretty much my favorite thing ever! I love enchilada sauce, actually. These were a total no brainer and I had everything in my pantry. Must try!

Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas
Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey
15.5 oz can black beans, drained
4.5 oz can diced green chilies, undrained
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped cilantro
2 tsp cumin
Salt
Tortillas
Mexican cheese
Can/bottled enchilada sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the turkey and season with salt. When the turkey is brown, add onion, cilantro, cumin, tomatoes, beans, and chilies. Mix well, cover with a lid and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Remove lid and simmer another 5-10 minutes so the liquid can reduce.

Warm tortillas so they are pliable. Fill each tortilla with 1/2 c of enchilada mixture and put seam side down into your pan. Repeat until the baking dish is full. Top with enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Chocolate Coconut Almond Scones


I've decided that I love scones, basically because of their simplicity. You throw the dough together, dump it out, make it a circular shape and then cut into wedges. No cookie cutters, no rolling out, nada. I love things that are supposed to be rustic!

Chocolate Coconut Almond Scones
Adapted from JoytheBaker.com

Ingredients

3 c flour
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 c butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 large egg
3/4 c plus 3 tbsp buttermilk
1/3 c shredded coconut
1/3 c almonds, slivered, chopped (whatever you have)
1/2 c chocolate chips
Buttermilk and sugar for topping before baking

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place shredded coconut and almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Keep your eye on the coconut, it browns quickly. Remove and allow to cool. Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

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

Toss the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture. Using your hands, quickly work in the butter into the flour mixture, breaking it up with your fingers. Some butter bits will be the size of pebbles and some the size of oat flakes. Set in the fridge for a few minutes.

Whisk together buttermilk and egg.

Remove the flour butter mixture from the fridge and add coconut, almonds and chocolate chips. Whisk together and create a well in the center of the mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture all at once. Use a fork to bring the wet and the dry ingredients together. Mixture will be shaggy. Lightly flour a work surface and dump the mixture out. Bring together the dough with your hands into a 1 1/2 inch disk. Slice into 8 wedges.

Place on your baking sheet. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake for 14-18 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm!

Friday, October 7, 2011

3 Bean Slow Cooker Chili


The weather has officially turned here (I think). It just felt like the day to toss stuff into the slow cooker and eat a warm meal in a few hours. I really enjoyed this chili because it was pretty mild and had lots of beans and turkey. I hope you'll enjoy it too!

3 Bean Slow Cooker Chili
Adapted from www.SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (16oz) tomato sauce
1 can (4.5oz) diced chilies, drained
1 can (15oz) chick peas, undrained
1 can (15.5oz) black beans, undrained
1 can (15.5oz) kidney beans, undrained
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp chili powder


Directions

Brown the turkey in a large skillet. Drain off any excess fat.

Transfer meat to the crock pot. Add all other ingredients. Cook on high 6-8 hours.

When done, serve and top with cheese, onions, cilantro, chips, etc.


Blackberry Peach Crumble


I'm not sure there's anything better than warm sweet baked fruit with a crunchy buttery topping? If I had to pick a dessert, I'll pick something with fruit every time and this totally satisfied all of my requirements for a fruit dessert. And it's a great way to use up that end of summer fruit you might have laying around. Sub any combination of fruits you have!

Blackberry Peach Crumble
Adapted from The Food Network Magazine Sept 2010

Ingredients

3/4 c chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans etc)
1/2 c rolled oats
3/4 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
Salt
8 tbsp butter, softened
4 peaches, pitted and sliced
2 c blackberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.

Chop your choice of nuts. Set aside.

Combine oats, flour, salt and brown sugar. Add nuts and 7 tbsp butter. Combine with your fingers, breaking up the butter into pieces. Set aside.

Combine sliced peaches and blackberries with 1/2 c white sugar and 1 tbsp flour.

Transfer the filling to your prepared baking sheet and dot with the remaining butter. Squeeze handfuls of the crumble mix on top of the fruit. Bake until golden and bubble, about 45 minutes. Let s it 10 minutes before serving.


Grilled Steak with Balsamic Onions and Mushrooms with Roasted Potatoes


De-Licious, my friends!! This meal came to be because of a discussion with coworkers. I had some steak to use in the fridge but was feeling uninspired (a feat because you should see the cookbooks and recipe binders I've got lining my shelves). Two awesome gals I work with came up with this out of nowhere! Amazing minds, I know!!

This was SO good and easy to throw together. You probably have the ingredients already.

Grilled Steak

1 petite sirloin steak
Grill Seasoning

To cook, heat a heavy bottom pan (I used cast iron) over medium-high heat. Coat your steak in grill seasoning and a little extra virgin olive oil. Put your steak in the DRY pan (this will help get a good crust). Let cook 5ish minutes on each side for medium well-ish. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

Roasted Potatoes

3-4 red potatoes, quartered
Grill seasoning
Garlic salt
Extra virgin olive oil

Heat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Quarter your potatoes and toss with oil, grill seasoning, and garlic salt. Toss on your baking sheet and throw it in the oven. They should roast in 25 minutes or so, depending on how thick you've cut them. Turn over 1 time in the middle of cooking so they get brown on both sides.

Balsamic Onions and Mushrooms

1/2 yellow onion, sliced
5-6 cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
Goat cheese

Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Slice your onions and mushrooms and add to the saute pan. Cook until softened but not mush. Add a splash of balsamic and let cook until absorbed. Transfer to a plate and top with crumbled goat cheese.

To assemble:

Slice your steak. Add a healthy pile of potatoes. You can top the steak with the mushrooms/onions/goat cheese or just put next to. ENJOY! seriously...

Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread


Doesn't this sound interesting? This recipe has been sitting on my self for almost 4 months and today finally was the day to pull it out. I had strawberries and bananas that needed a purpose before they hit the trash and so the stars aligned. Plus, Eric is coming today and I like to have something baked because he eats out all the time and only makes PB sandwiches when he's home. That doesn't say delicious to me but this will definitely give him that feeling!

Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread
Adapted from www.JoytheBaker.com

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted and browned to just over 1/2 c butter
2 c flour
3/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c plain yogurt or buttermilk
1 1/4 c mashed banana (I used 3 bananas)
1/2 c diced strawberries (heaping), plus 2 sliced strawberries for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Butter will begin to foam and crackles as it melts. When the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown (this takes longer than you think, so be patient). When brown, remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl so the butter stops cooking. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk or yogurt, vanilla. Whisk in the mashed bananas. When butter is cool, add to the wet mixture.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry all at once. Fold together and add the strawberries. Fold in completely but try not to over mix.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and top with the sliced strawberries. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and let finish cooling on a wire rack.

Can't wait to enjoy this one!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Red Onions, Parsnips, and Potatoes


It's been a bit chilly around here off and on lately, and I wanted to roast some veggies. They get such a sweet and crunchy flavor that I really enjoy. I just picked some random veggies and ta-da!

I chopped all the veggies to roughly the same size (so they'll cook evenly). Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with foil to ease clean up and spread the veg evenly on the sheet.

Crank the oven to 450 degrees and cook the veggies for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your veggies. Finish with a little olive oil before serving. Enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Sun dried Tomato stuffed Chicken Breast


This was a creating a la Eric. A friend had made this for him before, so we just tried to recreate it as best we could. It turned out so good!!

You'll need to butterfly your chicken breasts, which means cut them thru the middle horizontally but do NOT cut them totally apart. You just want to kinda fillet them in half so they open like a book page. Good analogy, right???

Goat Cheese and Sun dried Tomato stuffed Chicken Breast
Adapted from Eric <3

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts, butterflied
4 oz goat cheese, at room temperature
1/3 c halved sun dried tomatoes in oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions

Butterfly your chicken breasts as explained so eloquently above. Spread 1/3 of the goat cheese down the middle of the chicken breast. Top with a line of sun dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Roll the chicken breast up and secure with toothpicks to keep the filling in. Season the outside with salt and pepper as well. Repeat with the other chicken breasts.

To cook, heat some olive oil in a skillet and brown the chicken on all sides. Cover and let finish cooking at a low temp. Remember to remove the toothpicks before eating!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting


We just celebrated a lot of birthdays in the last 2 weeks! Happy Birthday to my Aunts Pami, Kimberle, and Linda as well as my dearest cousin Cassady!!

I wanted to make my aunts some treats but was on a time crunch (hello procrastination...). I used a chocolate fudge box cake mix and then made my own frosting. This buttercream is really yummy and pretty easy- you just throw the ingredients into the mixer and let it go.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from SavorySweetLife.com

Ingredients

1 c unsalted butter, softened
3-4 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
up to 4 tbsp milk or heavy cream

Directions

In your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for a few minutes. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mix on low speed (otherwise you'll be wearing the powdered sugar) until incorporated. Increase the speed and add vanilla, salt and 2 tbsp milk and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If it needs a thinner consistency, add a bit more milk.

I tried my hand at piping again... it went ok. I make a huge mess and am not thrilled with my results. I'm determined to keep trying, however.




Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Zucchini Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze


I was given a 2 foot zucchini by a coworker who has an abundance in her garden. What do you do with that much zucchini? I'm not sure. I shredded the whole thing figuring the best bet was to bake with it. I've now got 9 cups of shredded zucchini in my freezer.

This was an excellent use of that zucchini. I can't believe how moist this cake is and I'm not quite sure why, but I'm enjoying it all the same!

Zucchini Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine
*Martha used orange in this recipe, but I sub'd lemon, FYI)

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
2 1/2 c flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground anise seeds (I left this out cause I don't have such a thing)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (also left this out, sub nutmeg or clove or something)
Pinch of salt
2 medium zucchini (about 2 1/2 c shredded)
3 eggs
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour your bundt pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, spices and salt.

Grate zucchini and squeeze dry in a kitchen towel or fine mesh strainer.

Stir together eggs and sugar, then stir in melted butter, zucchini, zest and juice. Stir in flour mixture. Transfer batter to your prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Lemon Glaze

1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp lemon juice
Milk or heavy cream, for thinning

Combine ingredients above minus the milk with a whisk until smooth. Add milk until you get the desired consistency. Spoon onto cake and let set for a few minutes. Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken and Veggie Salad


Been using the BBQ... it's awesome. I had some veggies and chicken I wanted to BBQ and threw them together in a salad.

Things I've learned about BBQ-ing:
- leave the food alone. If you want those pretty grill marks, don't touch it!
- don't put any sauce with sugar in it on the food until the end. Or else, you'll get burnt food.
- let any meat rest before you slice it
Remember these rules and you'll have good food (don't learn the hard way, like me).

Here's how I made the salad:

1 chicken breast, grilled and covered in some BBQ sauce, sliced
Romaine, chopped
Grilled veggies (zucchini, asparagus and yellow bell peppers), chopped

For the dressing

1 tbsp BBQ sauce
1 tsp sweet chili sauce

Slightly spicy and sweet! So good!




Buffalo Chicken Pizza


When I lived in San Diego, I'd go to BJ's and get their super spicy buffalo pizza and I still crave it almost 3 years later! I decided to try and make my own. I looked on the web for a couple different ideas and just combined what I liked from those recipes. So easy!!

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

1 chicken breast, cooked however you want to
3 tbsp butter, melted
1-2 tbsp hot sauce of your choice (I used Tapatio)
1 tbsp BBQ sauce
1/2 c cheese of your choice
Veggies, whatever you like
1/2 pizza dough (I bought mine from the store and cut it in half)

Directions

Take your dough out of the fridge 20 minutes or so before you want to use it so it can take the chill off. Roll out your dough or use your fingers into the shape you desire and put it on the surface you desire (baking sheet, pizza stone, whatevs). Spread the BBQ sauce on the pizza dough.

Dice the chicken and combine with the melted butter and hot sauce. Top the BBQ sauce with the chicken. Then add the veggies you like and finally, top with the cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so until the cheese is bubbly and the bottom of the pizza is slightly browned. Yumm!!


Lime Coconut Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Lime Glaze



My friend Jesseca taught me long ago that if you want to fancy up something, put it in a bundt pan. She's right. It immediately makes any cake look prettier because of the shape. Girls, go get yourselves a bundt pan, ok?

Lime Coconut Sour Cream Bundt Cake
Adapted from MyBakingAddiction.com

Ingredients

1 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
zest of 3 limes
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 c sour cream (or plain greek yogurt)
1/2 c sweetened flaked coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (if you have that), cream the butter until smooth.

Combine the sugar and lime zest and mix with your fingers until combined. Add this mix to the butter slowly, mixing until combined. Add vanilla.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, until completely combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder and baking soda. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in coconut by hand.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan and level with a spatula, if needed.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack.


Lime Glaze

1 c powdered sugar
5 tbsp heavy cream (or milk)
1/2 tsp vanilla
zest of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients, except milk. Add 1 tbsp milk at a time until you get the desired consistency (less milk for a thick, white glaze or more milk for a thinner glaze). Spoon over cooled cake.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Soy and Honey Marinated Flank Steak


I bought a BBQ recently and this was the first thing I made on it! I really enjoy flank steak- it's inexpensive, quick to prepare and you can use it on anything (steaks, fajitas, sandwiches, etc).

I found this recipe on a tried and true food blogging website, For The Love of Cooking. Anytime I'm looking for a recipe for something specific, I always go there first. Her food is easy and always delicious.

Soy and Honey Marinated Flank Steak
Adapted from For The Love of Cooking

Ingredients

1 lb flank steak
2 tbsp + 2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients for the marinade into a large zip lock bag, add steak. Let steak sit in the marinade for 2 to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, remove the steak from the fridge for 30 minutes to come to room temperature. If you're grilling, cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or so on each side (I like medium well, so do less if you like more pink). If you're using a grill pan, it's roughly about the same amount of time. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting so the juices redistribute. Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Fresh Peach Cake



One of my favorite things about summer is all the good fruit we get to eat! Peaches and nectarines being one of my very favorite. I'm all about desserts that involve fruit too. I'd much rather have a pie, cobbler or fruit based dessert than chocolate any day. Unless, it's fruit and chocolate... then I'm toast.

I made this for a family BBQ over the weekend and it was a huge hit! It's like a combination between a cobbler and a cake. Serve with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and you've got it made.

Fresh Peach Cake
Adapted from The Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

1/4 lb butter, at room temperature (1 stick)
1 1/2 c sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 c sour cream, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1/2 c chopped pecans (or any nut you like)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. (I don't have 9 inch sq, so I used a random one I had).

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of sugar for 3-5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixture on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches then sprinkle with two thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange remaining peaches on top and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture and pecans.

Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (mine took about 60 min).

Enjoy!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

I learned to pipe frosting!! Finally!!

You can call me Martha, Martha Stewart, that is. :)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Buttercream Frosting



College football begins today. I'm headed to a BBQ at my friend Liz's and her husband is a huge Oregon Ducks fan. Although I'm not a Ducks fan, I am a fan of Liz, her new baby Jameson, and BBQ. Therefore, it should be a great time!

I wanted to make some treats to bring for the party and had a great idea to make them green and yellow, the Ducks colors. They came out so cute! I'm so excited to show up to the party with them!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from www.kevinandamanda.com

Ingredients

For the cookies:
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 white sugar
3/4 brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 c rolled oats
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c chocolate chips

For the frosting:
2 sticks butter, softened
4 c powdered sugar (maybe more to stiffen your frosting)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp milk or heavy cream
Food coloring of your choice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray (or regular sized muffin tins, if you wish).

In a mixer, cream the butter and sugars together. When light and fluffy, add the eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and oats. With the mixer on, add the dry ingredients in several batches. When combined, add the chocolate chips and mix by hand.

Spoon the cookie mixture into the muffin tins, about 1- 1 1/2 tsp a piece. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until you feel like they're done. While still hot, run a knife along the edge to loosen them. Let cool completely before icing them. To make a well in the center of the cookie for frosting, use the back of a spoon and press into the middle of the hot cookie.

To make the icing, in a mixer, combine all ingredients. You may need to use more powdered sugar to get a stiff icing for piping. If you want to pipe your frosting, put a sandwich bag in a glass measuring cup. Fold the edges of the plastic bag down around the cup so you've got sturdy grip on the glass. Spoon your frosting in, remove from glass, and push towards one of the bottom corners. With kitchen scissors, snip off an end and there you go! Pipe away!


Nutella Coffe Mug Cake


aka the easiest cake you'll ever make. Do you know what Nutella is? It's a delicious chocolate hazelnut spread. You'll love it!

My sister gave me the heads up on this recipe and it's awesome! All you have to do is put everything in a large coffee mug and microwave. Really! Wait til you see this...

Ingredients

4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp Nutella
1 egg

Mix all ingredients in a large coffee mug. Microwave for 1- 1 1/2 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. Just keep an eye on it.

If I'd whipped cream I would have topped my individual cake with it, but alas, delicious chocolate cake will have to do... ;)

Taco Salads


The best thing about ordering a taco salad out is the crispy fried shell. However, it's not that good for you. Go figure... Anyway, I have found the solution!! I made my own crunchy taco shell 'bowl' and got all the satisfaction of a restaurant meal.

Here's what you need...
an empty tin can, rinsed and the paper removed
a tortilla
a baking sheet

Here's what you do...

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line your baking sheet with parchment or foil, if you'd like to. Place the tin can upside down on the baking sheet.

Microwave your tortilla for 10 seconds or so until its very pliable (read: bendy). Lay the tortilla on top of the can and sorta wrap it around the can. It won't stay put but you'll get a nice taco shell shape.


Bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy, not burnt so keep an eye on it. Enjoy!


Monday, August 29, 2011

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting



Delicious!!! Moist, slightly sweet, and fruity cupcakes with smooth cream cheese frosting- hits every craving you might be having! Plus, this is a pretty low fat cupcake. No butter involved and only 5 WW+ points, if you're counting.

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients

3/4 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c white flour
1 c white sugar
1/2 c flaked coconut
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger (optional)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c grated zucchini (squeeze out extra moisture in a dish towel or in a mesh strainer)
20 oz can crushed pineapple, juice discarded (squeeze out extra moisture like above)

Frosting
1 c powdered sugar
8 oz low fat cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with paper liners (I ended up with 20 cupcakes).

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, coconut, salt and spices. Mix to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, vanilla and oil. Mix well. Fold in zucchini and pineapple.

Add wet ingredients to dry. Mixture will be dry, but continue to mix until everything is evenly incorporated. Use a cookie/ice cream scoop to scoop cupcake batter into liners (this will give you perfectly even cupcakes). Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire baking rack.

Combine frosting ingredients with a mixer until smooth. Frost cupcakes using your desired method (I like an offset spatula because I haven't mastered piping frosting, yet). Enjoy!!



Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Painted Lace Tile and Lamp Project


Back to being crafty...

In this month's Martha Stewart Living magazine, they had this project with lace, tile and spray paint. Coincidentally, I've been wanting to try a spray paint project (Really, I have. Is that weird?). And this one was a very pretty project. I did it and it came out awesome! Just like Martha said it would...

Supplies

4x4 white tile squares ($0.19 at Home Depot)
Spray paint (I used a Champagne color also from Home Depot)
Lace trim ($2.59 a yard at Joanne's Fabric Store)
Spray adhesive (any kind will do)
Cork or felt

Directions

Cover the area you will spray paint on with craft paper or newspaper. Lay out your tiles in four separate areas so you don't over-spray the paint. Cut a piece of lace just slightly bigger than the width of the tile and stick it to the tile with spray adhesive. Make sure it's straight and has no bumps or wrinkles. Spray the tile with your paint color in even strokes. Immediately remove lace from tile. Let dry for 1 hr or whatever your spray paint says. Repeat with your other tiles. Line the bottom of the tile with cork or felt to protect surfaces. Use as a trivet for hot pots or coasters for drinks!

Just to be an overachiever, I had an Ikea lamp shade that was pretty uninteresting, so I did the same thing with it! Lace, spray adhesive, lamp shade, spray paint... ta da!!!! Pretty cute, if I say so myself.


Banging Good Shrimp Salad


It's been hot here lately, so I've been making a lot of salads. Not having air conditioning, I've got to do everything I can to not add heat to the house, but turning on the oven for example. No way!! I'd roast!

This salad was very simple and the dressing it a fun new twist that's slightly spicy but creamy and kinda sweet too. *Note: I did not name this recipe.*

Banging Good Shrimp Salad
Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients for 4 servings (5 WW+ points per serving)

Sauce:
5 tbsp mayo
3 tbsp Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
1 tsp Siracha (to taste)

Shrimp:
1 lb shrimp, shelled, deveined, tails on
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp canola oil

Salad Stuff (lettuce, cucumber, onion, shrooms, asparagus, etc)

Directions

Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Heat canola oil in a large pan til very hot. Mix the cornstarch and shrimp until evenly coated. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and cook 2 minutes on each side.

Remove from pan and mix with sauce. Add shrimp to your salad and you're done! Enjoy!


Trip Coasters


I'm on a crafty kick lately. I've wanted to make these coasters for a long time (like I bought the cork a year ago). This was so easy and is such a neat way to remember a trip or give a gift to a special person.

Stuff you need:

Cork (you can buy it in a roll at the craft store)
Maps
Mod podge
Paint brush

Start by picking the size of the circle you want to make. I traced the bottom of a coffee mug onto my map over the cities I wanted to focus on. Cut those out and then cut the same number of cork circles in the same size.

Use mod podge glue to secure the map circles onto the cork. Make sure you get a good seal on all edges. When that's dry, use mod podge to form a barrier on the top of the coaster. I did two coats over the map, letting it dry in between each time. That's it!! How fun!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Strawberry and Oreo Parfaits


Eric was visiting recently and it was so hot outside, I didn't feel like cooking much. We had fajitas, which were delicious, but I needed a dessert that I didn't have to bake. I'd seen this idea used all over the magazines and websites I follow, but hadn't tried it myself.

I didn't have any graham crackers but had oreos that I'd crushed for another recipe and then frozen the leftovers. I sliced and macerated strawberries in a little sugar. A little heavy whip cream, Amaretto liqueur and powdered sugar made the perfect homemade whipped topping. Assemble in layers in a glass (I used stemless white wine glasses) and enjoy! They were a big hit and so easy!

DIY Wipe Off Board




Lately, I'm obsessed with Pinterest. It's a neat community where people can post all the cool stuff they find on the web or have done themselves and then you can browse all sorts of categories (DIY, food, crafts, wedding, style, home, etc). I have been spending a lot of time browsing and have picked up a few projects that I'm got on a long list of things to do... This was the first project I tried and I couldn't believe how easy it was! I just bought frames at Target on sale for $3 and then put scrap book paper instead of a photo, bought some cute erasable markers and ta-da! I gave one to Ash, CK, and a work friend Sasha. They thought they were super cute!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Mexican Cobb Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Cilantro LIme Dressing


A great low maintenance meal for when it's hot! It's been 90 degrees around here and my house is toasty (no AC). This was a perfect light meal and easy to prepare. Plus, the dressing is great and I can use it on something else, I'm sure!

Mexican Cobb Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Cilantro Lime Dressing
Adapted from SkinnyTaste

Ingredients
(makes 1 salad with extra shrimp and dressing)

Shrimp Marinade:
12 frozen, peeled, deveined shrimp
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lime, juiced and zested
1 clove of garlic, minced

Salad
1 c spinach
1/4 c cucumber, diced
1/4 c avocado, diced
1/4 c canned black beans, rinsed
1/4 c corn, frozen and thawed
1 tbsp red onion, diced

Dressing
1/4 c low fat buttermilk
1 tbsp mayo
2 tbsp light sour cream
1/4 c cilantro
1 clove garlic
Salt
Pepper

Directions

Combine marinade ingredients and let the shrimp sit for 30 minutes.

Chop your veggies and prepare your salad.

Mix all dressing ingredients together in a blender and let whirl until its a smooth dressing.

Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes on each side.

Assemble your salad with half of the shrimp (or so) and 1 tbsp of dressing (or so). Enjoy immensely!