Sunny Side Up in San Diego

Garlic and Herb Crusted Pork Loin

2012-02-22T19:15:00.004-08:00

Years back I wasn't a big fan of pork. It always seemed chewy and tough and flavorless to me. Then my mom tried a new recipe for pork tenderloin and it opened my mind to world of pork. Now I think it's safe to say that it's one of my favorite meats to prepare and eat at home. Just as versatile as chicken and when it's prepared correctly, and not overcooked, the result is tender and juicy, the perfect vehicle for a huge variety of flavors.

I think you already know about my love of Pulled Pork, and this Island Pork Tenderloin really knocked my socks off. Now I can add this Garlic and Herb Crusted Pork Loin to my list of pork loves.

Knowing that I was going to be making the Lemon Garlic Potatoes for a side dish, I added just a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the crust. Not only did it add a nice flavor to the pork, but it also gave the crust a beautiful golden brown color. The inside of the pork was juicy and even though the crust was on the outside, the herb and garlic flavor was infused into the pork. Really a simple dish you could throw together for company. Or if you're in the position I was in, pack while it's cooking, plate and photograph, then eat on the floor surrounded by half full boxes. Whatever fits your needs. :)

Garlic and Herb Crusted Pork Loin

Ingredients
1 (4-pound) boneless pork loin, with fat left on
1 Tbsp kosher salt (scant 1/2 tsp if using table salt)
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2-3 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves (1 tsp dried thyme)
2 tsp chopped fresh basil leaves (1 tsp dried basil)
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary (1 tsp dried rosemary)

Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Place the pork in the bottom of a roasting pan. In a small bowl combine the salt, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, thyme, basil, and rosemary to form a thick paste. Spread the mixture over the entire surface of the pork, massaging it into the meat with your fingers.

Roast for 25 minutes at 475 degrees. Then reduce the heat to 375 and roast for 45-60 minutes, using a meat thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. *Once the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145 degrees (Fahrenheit), remove from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes before carving and serving.

*When it comes to cooking meat it's always best to go off of temperature. 30 minutes into the second roasting start checking the temperature every 5-10 minutes. You may find your pork has reached 145 degrees in less than an hour. You should also note that these times and temperatures have been adjusted from the original recipe from which I made my adaptations. My research has shown that 145 degrees is now the standard for cooking pork and in my experience 155 degrees will yield dry, overcooked pork.

Adapted from Paula Deen via Foodnetwork.com

Instagram

2012-02-18T23:40:00.000-08:00

4 years ago Jesse gave me my dSLR camera. It is a Canon Rebel Xti and even though I haven't explored a lot of lenses (just the kit lens, 50 mm and 70-300 mm) I absolutely love it. One day I hope to upgrade both the body and lenses, but for now it serves me well. I have captured a lot of shots with that measly kit lens of my mine and the nifty 50 is my best friend when it comes to food photos. But.... I have a confession to make... Since arriving in China I have only taken my camera out of the bag once, and the battery was dead so I didn't even take it with me.

I have totally fallen in love with an iPhone app called Instagram (It might be on other smart phones, like Android, as well. Anyone know?). In case you somehow haven't heard about it yet, it's a photo app that moonlights as a social networking app. You use it to take a photo, then you choose one of the preset filters (or leave it as is), give it a title or description, and upload it to your feed. You can find your friends and follow their photo feed and in return they can follow you. Another cool feature is the ability to link it to Facebook and Twitter. So if you really like a photo, you can post it right to your Facebook wall from the app.

Needless to say, I've been having a lot of fun using this app. I love it so much that I am thinking about trying to do a weekly Sunday post with my favorite Instagram photos from the week.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from this week!

Last weekend we found a grocery store with a huge selection of butter. SCORE!

On Tuesday (Valentine's day) we had dinner at the hotel then hung out in the hotel's bar for a little bit. Isn't my Valentine handsome?

My new friend, Joyce, took me to a new place for lunch on Friday. Mushrooms, rice and soup!

Jesse's coworker and friend, Derek, took us to lunch on Saturday. How about that fish?! It was actually really really good. Sweet and sour fish with NO bones!

After lunch on Saturday we took a little walk around the pier next to the restaurant.

Today Jesse had to go in to work for a few hours so I'm doing some blogging in the lounge.

Are you on Instagram?? If you are, look for me! My username is Jigginjessica. Let's share the photo love. :)

Basic Chocolate Cake

2012-02-13T17:15:00.000-08:00

Hello from China and happy Valentines day!

Well after months of anticipation and weeks of hard work, packing, moving, and flying, I have finally arrived in Suzhou. So now what?

It's a bit strange because I have pretty much always been a busy person. Much of my adult life has been spent working a full-time job and teaching dance part-time or working a full-time job, a part-time job and teaching dance part-time or going to school full-time, working part-time and teaching part-time or packing/moving and working part-time/full-time. See the pattern? Busy girl. So this abundance of free-time feels a little funny.

Of course I can't sit still for too long so I am working on filling my time back up. I'm in the process of enrolling in a online BSN program, I also want to start taking classes to learn some Mandarin, and we will be looking for an apartment soon. We went out the other night and found a great grocery store, so once we get in an apartment I can hopefully get back on the cooking and blogging bandwagon. In the meantime I will appreciate the time I have and just be thankful that I am able to take it. I definitely understand how lucky/blessed I am right now.

On the topic of keeping myself busy, in the weeks leading up to the move I did my best to build up a collection of photos and recipes. I also told you that I wanted to share some great baking basics, that might not be the fanciest of techniques, but were great jumping off points and good for when you're in a pinch and need a go-to dessert recipe.

I've already started to compile a collection (and gave it it's own label of Baking Basics) that includes go-to recipes for Chocolate Chip Cookies, Brownies and Blondies. I wanted to add to that list of basics a recipe for both classic chocolate cake and yellow cake.

Today I'm sharing the chocolate cake recipe. You might be confused because the picture is clearly of chocolate cupcakes. And you're going to be even more confused when I tell you now that this recipe is much better suited for regular layered or sheet cake, and not cupcakes. The crumb is super light and airy and it just doesn't lend itself to being a sturdy cupcake. It's also perfect for a layer cake because it *doesn't* dome up much, which is what you want when you're stacking cakes but isn't what you're looking for when you make cupcakes. Are you sufficiently confused now?

I can't tell you why I decided that night to make cupcakes instead of pouring it into cake pans and making a regular cake. It probably had something to do with the mountain of boxes and missing kitchen supplies that were surrounding me at the time.

After realizing how ridiculous it would look and sound to tell you it's better suited for cake, I wanted to remake it and get new pictures. Alas, I ran out of time. Now it's Valentines day, I am craving chocolate cake and it just feels like the right time to share it.

So again, this recipe makes a KILLER CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE. The crumb is light and airy, but still rich and chocolatey. It uses regular all-purpose flour (which most everyone has on hand) and not cake flour which I look at as a bonus. It calls for coffee, but don't be worried. It doesn't taste like coffee it just enhances the chocolate flavor. It can obviously be made into cupcakes, but, again, it's better suited for CAKE. It's one of those do what I say and not what I do things. And actually the cake tastes just as rich, moist and delicious in either form so it's not like making the cupcakes would be wrong... Eek, I should stop before this turns into the worlds longest novel about cake vs. cupcake.

Basic Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 8-inch cake pans with butter, flour, and parchment paper. (Grease pans with butter. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of each pan. Butter the parchment paper then add about a tablespoon of flour to each pan, shake and tap until it's evenly distributed)

In a glass measuring cup stir together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a standing mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment). With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, mix until evenly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and, with the mixer on low, add the hot coffee. Mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl one more time.

Evenly distribute the batter between the two cakes pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then flip out onto the wire racks. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting.

Source: Ina Garten via Food Network

Lemon Garlic Yukon Gold Potatoes

2012-02-07T20:49:00.000-08:00

Hey there strangers! I've missed you!

Right now I'm at my parents house in Ohio cuddled up in bed with my cats. I only have 2 more days left with them before I leave for China and I am going to love their faces off while I still can. It's been a pretty traumatic couple of weeks for them so I think they're appreciating this cuddling down time.

2 weeks ago Tiffany flew home with my sister. Then Biggie had to adjust to her being gone and I moved everything out of the apartment and she was really not happy about that. Then, 1 week ago Biggie flew home to Ohio with me. Once in Ohio I expected a beautiful reunion between the 2 of them but that just didn't happen. Instead Biggie hissed at Tiff and Tiff sat there with a sad look on her face and it took 3 days for them to get back to normal. It didn't help that there are 2 other cats in my parents house so tension is already high and they have basically been locked up in my room for the past week.

Wish there was a way I could explain all of this to them. I know they will get lots of love and attention at my parents house but it doesn't make this process much easier. I'm sad, they're sad, and there is just no way to tell them why it's all happening. So while I can I am cuddling with them, playing with them, and, like I said, basically loving their faces off. :)

But today's post isn't just about cats. I also have a recipe to share today. (woohoo!) I made these potatoes a few weekends before the mass craziness of moving ensued. Lemon Garlic Potatoes are a great way to add variety to your menu by taking a break from your usual side dishes. They come together quickly, require minimal work, and I love the subtle but fresh flavor of the lemon. Plus, it's nice that the ingredients are all things that I usually already have on hand. The baking time is a little longer than some side dishes, but since that time is basically hands off you can work on the main course or just sit back and watch and episode of FRIENDS.

Lemon Garlic Yukon Gold Potatoes

Ingredients
1-1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into quarters
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
Juice of one whole lemon
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium baking dish, toss the potatoes with the melted butter, garlic, and salt, then drizzle with lemon juice. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered. When they start to turn golden brown and are fork tender, they are done.

Slightly adapted from Pennies on a Platter

Bear with me please!

2012-01-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

I realize the main reason people visit food blogs is to see (learn about/read about/ pin/drool over) food. I also realize that it may appear that I have been slacking lately. While I haven't been the best food blogger recently, I most certainly have not been slacking. I've been buried beneath boxes and stuff and planning and more stuff and stress... Oh and more boxes!

Also, while I do have recipes and photos ready to share, I thought it might be in my best interest to wait until I'm more clear headed to post actual recipes. One too many "I see this on the ingredient list but not in the recipe" recently. I don't want to be that girl!!

For now you can point and laugh at the ridiculous amount of boxes I have for my KITCHEN! No other rooms included in this pile (except a few of the photos leaning on the right). How it ever fit into that tiny space will forever be a mystery to me.

So for now I'll be buried in boxes. Tomorrow the movers come, Wednesday Biggie and I fly to Ohio, and next Thursday I'm off to China!!!

再见！（that's good bye!)

Quinoa Mexican Soup

2012-01-23T20:17:00.000-08:00

I've been known in the past to have what my friends and family call "Shiny Things Syndrome." I can be in the middle of a conversation or on my way to another room to do something and all of the sudden something "shiny" will catch my eye and the next you know I'm lost in the conversation or have completely forgotten what I was trying to do. What can I say, I can be easily distracted.

That's exactly what happened a few weeks ago after I read a post on Branny Boils Over. She's hosting a blogging event called the "Souper Bowl" and for every entry she will be donating $1.00 to the ASPCA. All you have to do is dedicate a post to a pet and share a recipe for soup. Sounds perfect for me! I love soup. I love my cats. I had a minestrone recipe just begging to be made. Then I posted my soup.... and realized about a day later that I just shared my entry for the Souper Bowl without actually making it an entry. DOH!

Then I found this recipe on Nicole's blog and fell in love. Soup for me. Dedication to my cats. Post for the Souper Bowl. Win, win, win!

I love everything about this soup. Nicole said she wasn't sure if she would like it but tried it anyway and liked it a lot. I, on the other hand, knew I would love this soup at first glance. The only thing that surprised me was the fact that I didn't have to de-veganize it by adding sour cream and cheese. Of course I added a little cheese to one bowl. But I quickly found that it just wasn't needed. There is flavor jam packed into every square inch of this soup and I love it. Did I say that already?

So in honor of both of my beautiful cats (who have to fly home to Ohio for the next couple of months while I'm in China, SO SAD!!!!!!!) I bring you Quinoa Mexican Soup.

Bigun

Tiffany

Quinoa Mexican Soup

Ingredients
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, cut in half, seeds removed
1 red bell pepper, cut in half, seeds removed
1 jalapeno, cut in half and seeds removed
1 cup dry quinoa
1 Tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 bay leaves
pinch ground cinnamon
1 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 lime, cut into wedges (I forgot the lime!)

Directions
Turn your oven to broil, the high temperature if you have the option. Lay the poblano, red pepper and jalapeno skin side up on a baking sheet. Broil for 4-5 minutes, keeping an eye on them to make sure they don't burn, but just the skin chars. When the outsides are charred carefully remove from oven and place in a ziploc bag and let steam. Peel and dice the peppers.

In a stock pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and let cook for 4-5 minutes or until they just start to stick to the bottom of the pot. Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth. Cook again for another 3-4 minutes and deglaze again with more vegetable broth. Repeat this process 3 or 4 more times until the onions have caramelized and are dark golden brown with a slightly sweet taste.

While the onions are caramelizing, cook the quinoa according to the package.

When the onions are caramelized, add the rest of the broth, fire roasted tomatoes, poblano pepper, jalapeno, bell pepper, and seasonings. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, add the quinoa and stir.

Serve with fresh cut avocado and lime wedges (if you don't forget them like me).

Source: As seen on Prevention, RD originally from Virtually Vegan Mama

Blackberry and Lemon Muffins

2012-01-19T22:53:00.001-08:00

I can not believe how quickly this last month has gone. I swear it was Sunday and now it's already Friday again. In fact every night this week I would think, "I need to get a post up tomorrow." Guess that didn't work out so well since this is my first post this week. Oops.

The good news is that I am T-minus 21 days to China! Of course, as with every move in my life, I am full blown denial and shut down mode. Denial and shut down mode is when I reach the point of knowing that the move is right around the corner and knowing that there are a bajillion things I need to do and somehow being completely unable to complete any one task. Seriously, I require the assistance of person with the ability snap me back to reality. Lucky for me my sister will be here Saturday to [hopefully] do just that.

In the meantime I have managed to whip up some goodies to share on the blog in the coming weeks. Since it's Friday, you know I had to share something sweet.

I have a huge soft spot in my heart for muffins. It might be because it's kind of like eating a cupcake for breakfast. That, and it love a good breakfast on the go. Since I have zero time in my morning for "extras", a breakfast that I can grab and eat while walking to my car is really ideal. These muffins have a fresh lemon flavor (yay for lemon trees in SoCal backyards!) with bursts of berry goodness. I chopped my blackberries up pretty finely (part of my weird cooked fruit texture aversion) but you could also leave them more chunky, if you're into that sort of thing. Definitely don't skimp on the lemon zest because it really brightens them up!

Blackberry and Lemon Muffins

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

*Yes I realize blackberries are not in season. They just looked so good and I was craving them, so I bought them. You can always use frozen berries and brands like Trader Joe's are pretty good.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 2 muffin tins with 18 liners.

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 18-20 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.

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Basic One-Bowl Blondies

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'm one of those people that thinks it's really fun to be in the kitchen all day, whipping up something fancy and delicious. I love desserts with multiple steps and ingredients, I can plan every detail out weeks in advance. Perfect example, my birthday cake. It required cake, chocolate ganache, vanilla bean mousse, and vanilla butter cream. And it was awesome. But I'm also one of those people that can be sitting on the couch and have an immediate urge to bake something. In those times I need something quick, reliable, delicious, and maybe even versatile. That's why I think every baker, beginner, novice, advanced, whatever, should have a few basic go-to recipes.

I think the staple "basic" recipes in baking are Chocolate Chip Cookies, Brownies, Blondies, and good Yellow and Chocolate Cake. I've already shared my go-to Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownies, and thought that in the next few weeks (while I'm totally overwhelmed with packing, preparing, cleaning and looking for a good reason to procrastinate on those things) I'd share my baking go-tos. Because that's the point of them, they're not overly complicated, they don't take a ton of time, and they're still delicious. Good basics, that I can whip up while ~~procrastinating~~ packing.

These Blondies can made in one bowl and are great jumping off point for pretty much any flavor combination. When I made these I had a handful of random chips that I threw in, butterscotch, white chocolate, and semi-sweet, but really the sky is the limit. Have left over Christmas or Halloween candy? Chop it up and throw it in. In the mood for nuts? Chop them up and throw them in. Go wild and get creative!

The only other thing I want to add is that I have a horrible habit of way under-cooking my Blondies. I usually take mine out a minute or two less than the written time because I like it when the center is barely done and gooey and messy. Before I was able to stack these for the picture I actually had to throw them in the fridge to firm up. If that's not how you like them then don't take them out early and make sure to test with a toothpick. If it comes out clean you should be good. If it looks wet or comes out with dough on it, let it cook a few minutes longer.

Basic One-Bowl Blondies

Ingredients
7 Tbsp butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 cup mix-in of your choice (I used chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking pan.

In a large microwave safe bowl melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar to the melted butter and stir to combine. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Add 1 cup of flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined. Toss the mix-ins with 1 Tbsp flour and fold into the batter. Pour into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into squares.

Adapted from Deborah's Culinary Confections, originally from Baking Blonde's Weblog

Shanghai Stir-Fried Pork and Cabbage

2012-01-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

If you've read this little blog for any amount of time over the past year you have probably noticed that I mention China a lot. That's mostly because it seems like Jesse is always there. In 2011 he was there for a grand total of almost 6 months. That's a lot of time apart. Of course I was happy to get to spend time in China with him last summer but it still seemed like we were apart so much. Now that we know he is going to spend a significant amount of time there again this year, I'm headed back!

This trip is going to be almost 2 months and I couldn't be more excited. There are only a few weeks before I leave and I have been so busy getting ready for the trip.

With traveling to another country and living out of a hotel for 2 months I probably won't be cooking much but don't worry. Part of my getting ready for the trip has been making a plan and building a nice back-log of recipes and pictures so I can continue to post while I'm gone. I'm still deciding exactly how I want spread things out, but I will have recipes to post and I'll also probably be doing a weekly recap of foodie finds and exciting sites in China. I may have other tricks up my sleeve, but you'll just have to wait and see. :)

I know the food is what really makes a food blog, but I hope you'll stick with me as I work my way through this craziness. In the meantime I bring you Shanghai Style Stir-Fried Pork and Cabbage to celebrate my traveling to Shanghai.

This recipe jumped right out at me as I was flipping through last months Food & Wine Magazine. Of course I was immediately drawn to the name and the picture sealed the deal for me. The ingredient list might not look that exciting and you may wonder if you should tweak it and make some additions. Trust me, it doesn't need a load of garlic or dash of ginger. It's one of those "less is more" kind of things. The pork is juicy, the mushrooms are savory, the cabbage is a little tangy, and it's all brought together nicely with a simple sauce.

Shanghai Stir-Fried Pork and Cabbage

Ingredients
3/4 pound boneless pork loin, trimmed of fat
8 dried shitake mushrooms
2 tsp corn starch
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 cup peanut oil
Kosher salt
1 pound Napa cabbage, halved lengthwise, cored, and cut into thin strips
Cooked rice and Red Chile Sauce for serving

Directions
Place the pork loin in the freezer for 15 minutes to make cutting easier.

While the pork is in the freezer, reconstitute the shitake mushrooms by covering with boiling water and letting stand for 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the water and press out the water. Remove stems and cut mushroom caps into strips. Set aside on a paper towel.

In a small bowl whisk together the corn starch, rice vinegar, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, pepper and sugar. Remove the pork from the freezer and cut into 1/4" slices. Stack the slices on top of each other and cut into 1/4" strips. Place the strips of pork in the sauce and stir to evenly coat.

Heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until the oil just starts to smoke. Using tongs, carefully add the pork strips to the hot oil. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the pork is no longer pink and the edges just start to turn golden brown, using tongs to stir the pork to evenly cook . Remove the pork from the wok and set aside on a paper towel.

Add another tablespoon of oil and a pinch of kosher salt to the wok and allow to heat for about a minute. To the wok, add the shitake mushrooms and half of the cabbage. Stir-fry over high heat until the cabbage has wilted. Return the pork to the pan and add the other half of the cabbage. Cook just until the cabbage is tender, but not completely wilted.

Serve with rice and red chile sauce (I was so hungry I forgot to add the sauce and get a picture, don't be like me, don't forget the red chile sauce!).

Source: Food & Wine Magazine, January 2012

Wheat Brioche Sandwich Buns

2012-01-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

Bucket lists seem to be quite the thing lately. I've seen a lot of blogs doing "30 by 30" or "12 in 2012" series on their blogs. While I think that's an awesome idea, I'd kind of rather keep my list in my head. That way if I don't get to everything on it, I'm the only one that's disappointed. Besides, my list is ever evolving. It needs space to grow.

Homemade hamburger buns have been on my mental bucket list for WAY too long. I have no idea what I was waiting for, but I can tell you that now that I have made them, they're here to stay. I did a lot of research and even when I found one that sounded perfect I still decided to make a small tweak. I like trying to include whole grains in my baked goods when I can so I hoped that I could make that substitution and still have a good result. I didn't do a full half and half substitute because I didn't want the buns to be too heavy. It worked! And the buns were everything I hoped they would be.

If you've been considering making your buns, give these a try! They are not nearly as intimating as you might think. Really, they're no more difficult than making any bread. I used my standing mixer, but I'm fairly certain you could do the whole process by hand if you needed to. The results you get and the pride you'll feel when you see those beautiful buns (snicker) will make every ounce of effort well worth it! Not to mention the benefit of knowing EXACTLY what is going into your food and avoiding things like HFCS.

Wheat Brioche Sandwich Buns

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
3 Tbsp warm milk
2 tsp active dry yeast
2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 large eggs, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened*
Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions
Combine the water, milk, yeast and sugar in a measuring cup. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to proof, you'll know it's working when the top gets foamy and the yeast is dissolving. In a small bowl beat 1 egg.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk together the 2 flours and salt. Add the butter* and use your fingers to rub it into the flour, it should start to look like wet sand. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture and egg. Fit the mixer with a dough hook. Knead on low speed for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. It will be sticky, and that's OK. If it seems dry, add a little extra water a tablespoon at a time.

Shape the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover with a clean towel and set in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size. (Mine took an hour and 15 minutes).

Line 2 baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down the dough and turn out onto a very lightly flour surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place 4 on each baking sheet, allowing room for rising. Gently press down on each one so they are a little flatter. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.

While the buns are rising, beat the second egg with one tablespoon of water. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a shallow baking pan filled with water on the flour of the oven, or on a rack in the lowest position.

When the buns have risen, brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using). Bake for 15 minutes, turning the pans halfway through, or until the tops are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Excellent, when lightly buttered and toasted and topped with something delicious like a burger or shredded chicken or pulled pork.

*To make the butter step easier, I actually used cold butter and used a cheese grater to grate the cheese into the flour. From there it was easy to rub together.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from the New York Times and Comme Ca Restaurant

Shredded BBQ Chicken

2012-01-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

I've got a real thing for shredded or pulled BBQ sandwiches. Obviously using a fatty cut of pork is going to make for a moist flavor base for any BBQ sandwich. Sometimes, though, it's nice to save a few a calories but that doesn't necessarily mean you have sacrifice flavor (or have a dry sandwich).

That's where this recipe comes in. Using boneless skinless chicken breasts means saving quite a few calories. Using a slow cooker, big onion chunks, and flavorful base sauce means you still get the flavor. Now, this is going to sound really weird, but cutting the onion into big chunks and leaving them in there with the sauce and shredded chicken, was *almost* like some of the bits of fat you would come across in traditional pulled pork. I realize that sounds weird, but the onions soak up a lot of flavor from the sauce and they stay moist and a little chewy. So the burst of flavor and melt-in-your-mouth feel I got when I bit into them with the chicken just reminded me of, well, fat. But you know, without all of the guilt associated with eating a fatty piece of pulled pork. Call me crazy I guess.

As for the sauce, it wasn't exactly perfect when I first tasted it. It was missing some depth so I added 1/4 cup of brown sugar and slightly increased the tomato paste. I also upped the garlic because one clove seemed like way too little for my garlic loving self. That did the trick and really gave the sauce the flavor I was looking for. Below you'll find the recipe exactly as I made it with all my final alterations.

Finally, that beautiful sandwich bun? Yeah I made that myself. Wheat Brioche Sandwich Buns coming your way Friday!

Shredded BBQ Chicken

Ingredients
1 8-ounce can reduced-sodium tomato sauce
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground chipotle chile powder
1 tsp Kosher salt (only use 1/2 if using regular table salt)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small onion, roughly chopped

Directions
Add all of the sauce ingredients to the bowl of a crockpot and stir to combine. Add the chicken and onion and use a spoon to coat with sauce. Cook on low for 5 hours. Remove the chicken from sauce and shred*. While shredding the chicken, increase the crockpot heat to high and let cook for another 20 minutes, with the lid off, to thicken the sauce. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce and stir to evenly coat with sauce.

*Have you seen the trick where you use a standing mixer to shred chicken? Genius and crazy easy all at the same time. Just put it in the bowl and use a paddle attachment and let your mixer do all the work. Alternatively, feel free to use 2 forks, 2 knives, or 2 caveman hands. Your call.

Adapted from EatingWell.com

Minestrone Soup

2012-01-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over and with the drop of a ball it's officially a new year. There's a good chance that a few of you have decided to start the new year off on a healthier foot. I'm not personally one for making resolutions, for me they rarely stick. Instead, I try to use moderation as a guide and make any changes I want through out the year. I started using the gym on a regular basis in the middle of August and just this past fall I started twice weekly yoga classes.

Still, after a month of heavy holiday foods, my body is just screaming for vegetables and "good for you" meals. What a body wants, a body gets. So I decided my first homemade meal of 2012 was going to be something chock full of vegetables, but still filling and comforting. Just what I needed on the day that I drove Jesse to the airport AGAIN for another trip to China. At least this time I get to meet him out there in February!

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 small yellow squash, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 small carrots, diced
1-2 celery stalks, diced
1/3 cup frozen lima beans
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 (15 oz) can reduced sodium diced tomatoes, with juices
2 (15 oz) cans vegetable broth*
3 cups hot water
1 (15 oz) can Kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups kale, finely chopped (tough stems discarded)
1/2 cup small pasta shape
Pinch of kosher salt, if needed

*Make sure to check the labels when you buy your broth. I found that my store brand had almost 200 mg LESS sodium than the national brand. I try to use as much reduced or lower sodium canned goods as possible when making this soup, especially since the cans are being layered together.

Directions
In a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, zucchini, squash, celery, lima beans, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until onions turn translucent. Add the dry spices and bay leaves to the vegetables and stir. Make a well in the center of the pot and add the tomato paste. Stir to coat the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the diced tomatoes with juices, vegetable broth, and water. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Increase the heat the high and bring to a boil. Add the kale and pasta* and cook for 8 minutes.

Remove bay leaves before serving. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan.

*If you plan to make this soup and eat it later, you might find that cooking and storing the pasta separately will prevent "too chewy" or soggy pasta. Personally, in soup, I kind like the next day soggy noodles.

Adapted from Food.com

2011 Recap

2011-12-29T11:11:00.000-08:00

First, let me get the cliche stuff out of the way... I can not believe that it's already time to ring in a New Year. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like the older I get the faster the year goes. It feels like just yesterday I was still living in Ohio, away from Jesse, finishing up school.

As fast as it's gone, I think 2011 has treated us pretty well. I graduated from nursing school and passed my NCLEX, I moved to San Diego, I started blogging again (thank goodness for everyone I decided to go back to food blogging or else there might be more weirdo posts about squirrels!), I visited China for 5 weeks, I went to my first blogging conference, and I wrapped the year up by spending time back in Ohio with Jesse and my family.

Of course I can't forget about the food! In this post I'm going to recap my top 3 favorite savories and sweets from 2011 along with the top 3 reader favorites. Picking only my top 3 favorites was super duper hard, but I didn't want to this post to be too overwhelming. Clearly I liked all of the recipes on my blog enough to put them on my blog, so for this post I wanted to highlight the ones that I make over and over again or that were just so good I can't stop thinking about them.

My Top 3 Favorite Savory Recipes from 2011

Pineapple Teriyaki Glazed Salmon was one of the best meals of I made this spring. The glaze was so delicious I thought about slurping it up with a straw.

I must have made this Coffee Chipotle Pulled Pork 4 or 5 times this summer. The dry rub makes a ton so I kept it in an airtight container and any time pork was on sale I pulled it out (only had to make a full batch twice). We looove cheesy grits and serving the pulled pork over the grits has become my new favorite way to eat it!

The sauce for this Spinach and Artichoke Mac n' Cheese was another one I wanted to slurp up with a straw. I ate way more than my fair share of this before finally putting

My Top 3 Favorite Sweet Recipes from 2011

I LOVED these home made Milano cookies. They were so much better than the last bag of store bought Milanos I had. The PERFECT coffee dunking cookies. And of course I love finding a way to make things from scratch in my own kitchen.

Perhaps I am a little biased about this one because it was MY birthday cake. But I put a lot of time and thought into creating this Not-Ice Cream Sundae cake and I couldn't have been more pleased with the results. It's not one that I can make time and time again, because even my elastic waist pants probably wouldn't fit, but it's definitely one I'll never forget and I will most certainly make it again for special occasions.

Over the years I have tried more Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes than I care to admit. Many of them yielded really tasty results. I've even thought that I had found "the one" a few times before. But there is just something about this recipe... It's definitely my new go-to and in the dozen or so times I've made them since posting I have had consistently (darn near) perfect results and rave reviews. Not one flop. That says a lot to me.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

2011-12-27T15:17:00.000-08:00

We landed back in San Diego late last night and I'm hoping that now that our holiday travels are coming to a close, I can get back to blogging a regular basis. More importantly I hope that I can get back in the kitchen and spend some quality time with my cutting board, skillet, and stove. :)

While we were in Ohio I really only had one chance to get in the kitchen and cook. I made these buffalo chicken bites for my dad's family Christmas Eve party. I was lucky to get one decent picture before my dad swooped in and started stealing them, and they were totally gone not long after his first stolen bite.

With New Years Eve coming up and playoff/Super Bowl parties, you might find yourself looking for an appetizer, and I HIGHLY recommend these. Spicy and creamy on the inside, crispy on the outside. Also easy to grab, dunk, and eat while socializing or watching a football game. Win, win, win. And if you still need convincing, these can be made ahead of time and frozen or kept in the fridge.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Ingredients
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (About 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin discarded)
1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce - to taste (I used Frank's Buffalo Sauce)
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp ranch or bleu cheese dressing
1 3/4 cups sharp or medium shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 cup all-purpose flour*
3eggs, lightly beaten
2-3 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl stir together the cream cheese, hot sauce, and ranch (or bleu cheese). Add the chicken, cheddar cheese, and green onions, stir to combine. For larger bites, use a medium cookie scoop to create even portions. For smaller bites roll 1 heaping tablespoon into a ball. Place the rounded portions on a cookie sheet. For easier coating, refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Place the flour, egg, and crushed corn flakes in three separate bowls. Roll each ball in the flour*, shake off any excess flour and dip in the egg, then roll the ball in the cornflake crumbs until evenly coated. Place back on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with ranch or bleu cheese dipping sauce.

The coated balls can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen for later. To freeze, place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheet and place in a freezer bag for storage. When ready to use them, place the frozen balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

* I TOTALLY forgot to roll mine in the flour, they still came out just fine. The purpose of the flour is to help the corn flake coating adhere a little better. It's your call to use the flour or to omit.

Yields 2 dozen larger bites or 3 dozen smaller bites

Slightly adapted from Pennies on a Platter, originally from The Food Network and as seen on Macaroni and Cheesecake and Made by Melissa

Chicken Pesto Lasagna Roll-Ups

2011-12-22T12:20:00.001-08:00

Would you believe that this is the first time I have turned on my lap top in over a week? I know I can't! I'm one of those people that is a compulsive email, facebook, and general internet checker. Even if I don't have time to respond to or interact with what I read, I still constantly check. I guess smart phones and laptops will do that to you.

Last Thursday I hopped on a plane to head home for the holidays; while I was on the plane I watched 5 episodes of Modern Family and watched my battery go from 100% to 2%. Once I landed it was go, go, go right from the start. I never even had time to recharge the battery, literally and figuratively. Unfortunately that means this poor little blog of mine was seriously neglected!

While I haven't had time to make anything new this week, I do have a few aces in my back pocket, including these Chicken Pesto Lasagna Roll-Ups. I wouldn't exactly call this a fast weeknight dinner, but it can certainly be made easier by using store-bought sauce and pesto. Homemade is nice (and often better) but it's all about doing what you can with the time you have.

Chicken Pesto Lasagna Roll-Ups

Ingredients
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
Salt
Pepper
1 cup shredded chicken
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup homemade or store-bought pesto sauce
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 cup of your favorite chunky marinara sauce, divided
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add flour and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Stream in milk, whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper and cook until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the white sauce to the bottom of an 8x8 pan.

In a medium size mixing bowl, stir together the chicken, ricotta, pesto 1/4 cup of mozzarella, salt and pepper, until combined. Spread ~1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture over each lasagna noodle. Roll up the noodles and place seam side down in the 8x8 pan. Top the lasagna rolls with the rest of the white sauce, a spoonful of red sauce and the rest of the mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Serve on a bed of red sauce with Parmesan cheese for garnish.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally from Sargento

Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish

2011-12-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

As I slowly come out of my Christmas cookie induced coma, I thought it would be nice to share a recipe that is savory, delicious, and way more nutritious than Christmas cookies!

It seems like everyday I add something new to my already long list of new recipes to try. Occasionally I come across a recipe that can not be kept at the back of the line. That's exactly what happened when I saw these Black Bean Patties on Elly's blog. She had me at black beans and sealed the deal with avocado cream sauce.

We really really loved these and the only reason I didn't blog these right away is because I was so busy trying to get all of my Thanksgiving recipes up I forgot, then I moved right into Christmas cookies. I think it's worked out nicely though, I could use a break from holiday food just as much you probably can. So even if you have to wait till the week after Christmas to make these, that's fine. Just make them! It will be welcome change of pace from a lot of the heavy holiday food you're undoubtedly consuming.

Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream Sauce

Ingredients

Black Bean Patties*
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
2 roasted red bell peppers, divided
2 eggs
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic
1/2 chipotle in adobo, chopped
1 red onion, finely diced
1/2 – 2/3 cup cornmeal, breadcrumbs, or panko (I used cornmeal)
salt and pepper
Canola oil

Corn Relish
2 tsp. canola oil
2 cups corn
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (I forgot to buy one, so I left it out this time)
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1 lime, juiced (about 2-3 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Avocado Cream Sauce
1 avocado, pitted and cut into a few pieces
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

*As is, this recipe makes a ton. It could easily be cut in half and still feed 2 or 3 people a good size dinner.

Directions
Add 1 can of black beans, 1 roasted red pepper, eggs, oregano, cumin, garlic, and the chipotle pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Process until combined and smooth. Add the finely diced onion and pulse to combine. Add the other can of black beans and roasted red pepper and give it a few 5-10 second pulses. You want it to be combined but not not completely smooth.

Transfer the black bean mixture to a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup corn meal/bread crumbs. Add more cornmeal/breadcrumbs as needed to form a firmer mixture that can be rolled into a ball between your hands. Place the mixture in the fridge and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the fridge and shape into 3-inch patties.

Heat canola oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the patties in batches and cook, flipping once, for 5-7 minutes.

To make corn-relish, heat canola oil in a medium skillet. Add the corn and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for another minute. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients.

To make the avocado cream sauce, puree all of the ingredients until smooth.*

Top the cooked patties with the corn-relish and avocado cream sauce.

* If you don't puree your ingredients, then please don't try put them in a squeeze bottle. A clogged tip on the bottle and lots of squeezing can only end one way, a mess. I may have first hand experience with that.

Source: Elly Says Opa

Slice and Bake Almond Flavored Sugar Cookies

2011-12-09T10:22:00.001-08:00

It's day 5 of my week of Christmas cookies. My pants are fitting a bit tighter, but I'm still smiling. I love cookies. :)

These cookies are just fun and festive. You can let your imagination run wild as you make these cookies. Red and green swirls, white and green swirls with multi-colored sprinkles, plain white swirls with sprinkles in between... my mind is racing with the possibilities. Keep in mind you could also change the colors up for pretty much any holiday.

Another great thing about these cookies is that you can make a roll, keep it tightly wrapped in the freezer and pull it out if you have unexpected company and need a quick dessert. Another typically store-bought convenience item made from scratch. I love it!

On top of all of that, you can also use a variety of mix-ins. Deb, from Smitten Kitchen, has a list of different mix-ins you can try. I wanted to keep mine simple and festive, so I left out the mix-ins and went for a strong almond flavor.

Slice and Bake Almond Flavored Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
Food coloring, as desired
Sprinkles, as desired

Directions
In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat butter until light and smooth. Add the sifted confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Add the egg yolks, salt, and extracts and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix just until combined, be very careful to not over mix.

To make a 2 color swirl, divide the dough in 2 and color each half as desired. Shape each half of the dough into a ball, wrap in saran wrap and chill for 20-30 minutes. After chilling roll half of the dough, on top of a piece of parchment paper, to 1/8-1/4-inch thick. Roll the other half of the dough the same way. Carefully flip the dough you want on the inside of the swirl on top of the dough you want on the outside of the cookie (option to sprinkle the first layer with sprinkles before placing the second layer). Remove the top sheet of parchment paper. Roll the stacked dough into a log, using the bottom sheet of parchment paper to keep the log even. Once it's shaped, you can roll the outside of the log in your choice of sprinkles. Wrap the log in saran wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. You can also double wrap it with aluminum foil and freeze it for up to a month.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the log from the fridge and use a sharp knife to cut into 1/3-inch cookies. Place the cookies on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Dorie Greenspan

Homemade Milano Cookies

2011-12-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

Day 4 of my week of Christmas cookies and things are starting to get really good.

I would like to petition that instead of putting out sugar cookies and milk for Santa, we put out these homemade Milano cookies and a hot cup of coffee instead. Santa has got to be exhausted with all of the flying around the world and army crawling down chimneys. He's going to need some replenishment. He's also probably getting tired of the same old boring cookies. I have a feeling that once you give these cookies a try and dunk them in a really good cup of coffee, you'll agree.

These cookies are indeed, all that and a bag of chips. Milanos were always a favorite of mine growing up, then I got a bag a few weeks ago and I was kind of disappointed. They didn't have that same flavor I remember loving so long ago. But this homemade version has restored my love. The cookie by itself tastes almost like a crispy bite of angel food cake: light, airy and sweet. The chocolate is exactly what chocolate ganache should be, rich and decadent - without the waxy after taste. Together, they make the perfect coffee dunking cookie.

The only changes I made to the recipe were to exclude the citrus stuff. I didn't want my cookie tasting like lemon or my chocolate tasting like orange. So I only used the vanilla extract in the cookie and just left the orange out of the chocolate. I'm glad I did, to me it would have ruined it. But if you're into the chocolate citrus flavor combo then you can check back with the original recipe and give it a try.

Homemade Milano Cookies

Ingredients Cookies
12 Tbsp butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour

For chocolate ganache filling
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with either a silpat baking sheet or parchment paper*.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter until pale and smooth. Add the powdered sugar, and, starting on low speed, mix in the sugar. With the mixer running on medium speed, gradually add the egg whites and vanilla. Add the flour and mix just until combined. It should look like thick cake batter. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 1/4" round tip, with the dough. Using medium pressure, pipe the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet in 2-inch long sections, 2 inches apart.**

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies just start to turn golden brown. Let cool on the cookie sheet.

To make the chocolate ganache filling, scald the heavy cream (bring to a boil) in a sauce pan. Place the chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. While the ganache is cooling, carefully remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and match up your cookies by similar size and shape.

Using a spoon, spread the chocolate over the smooth (bottom) side of one cookie. Carefully place the matching cookie on top of the chocolate and gently press down. Place bake on cookie sheet and allow to set for about 30 minutes (you can also place them in the freezer for 10 minutes).

Serve with a hot cup of coffee. :)

Slightly adapted from Gale Gand, Food Network

*I recommend using a silpat.I used silpat for one batch and parchment for another. The parchment I used wasn't completely smooth so those cookies turned out really wonky. For the third batch I went back to the silpat. However if you don't have one, parchment paper will work, just make sure it is completely smooth and level on the cookie sheet. **You don't want the dough to be too skinny, as this will result in thinner cookies, so go kind of slow as you pipe the 2-inch cookies. Think of a thicker tootsie roll.

And feel free to use any reject cookies as dippers for the left over ganache!

Gingerbread Cookies

2011-12-06T20:16:00.001-08:00

I am really excited about day 3 of my week of Christmas cookies. First, it's another traditional Christmas cookie. Possibly even THE Christmas cookie.

Who doesn't think of Gingerbread men when they think of Christmas cookies? Second, they are just fun. My Gingerbread men especially had a lot of fun during their photo shoot... up until the end....

And in case you're not into the destruction of Gingerpeople, you can make something more delicate, like mittens.

As for the recipe, I think it hits the nail on the head. Thick, chewy, and spicy.

Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
12 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces and softened slightly
3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
2 Tbsp milk

Directions

To the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda. Run for about 20 seconds, until well combined, then give a few 3 second pulses. Add the chunks of butter and process for another 20 seconds, until it starts to resemble sand. Turn the processor on and stream in the molasses and milk. Process for 1 minute or until it starts to form a dough ball.

Turn the dough ball out onto a floured surface. Knead a few times with your hands to make sure it all sticks together. Divide the dough into 2 and roll each half between 2 pieces of parchment paper, until 1/4 inch thick. Stack the dough and place in the freezer for 20 minutes or the fridge for at least 2 hours (up to overnight) until the dough is very firm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the dough from the fridge or freezer and gently loosen the parchment paper on both sides of the dough. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and cut with cookie cutters. Place the cut cookies 1-inch apart on a a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (use the top piece that you removed to be less wasteful!). Bake for 8-10 minutes or until you can barely see a finger print when you gently touch the tops of a cookie. Allow to cool for 2 minutes then move to a wire rack.

Decorate with icing of your choice. Royal icing is a great choice if you want the design to last and harden. Buttercream or cream cheese are great for taste, but don't stack well. It's up to you!

Source: Cooks Illustrated, November/December Issue, 1999

Thumbprint Cookies

2011-12-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

Day two of my week of cookies! Today I bring you a classic Christmas cookie!

I stumbled on this recipe probably 4 years ago and it quickly became a part of my yearly cookie baking tradition. It's not super fancy, there are no surprising ingredients, it's not exotic, it's just classic. And that's what I like about it.

A soft, chewy cookie with a buttery shortbread flavor and of course, my favorite part, sweet and tangy black raspberry preserves. The saying is true, sometimes less is more!

Classic Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
Seedless Raspberry or Blackberry Preserves
Powdered sugar for sprinkling, optional Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, just a few minutes. Add flour and salt, blend at low speed. If the dough is too soft to roll into a ball, chill for 30 minutes.

With floured hands, roll the dough into 1” balls (about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie). Place cookies 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Press a thumbprint into the top of each cookie. Fill the thumbprint with raspberry preserves. Bake for 15-18 minutes, the cookies will still look pale. Cool on racks and sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like. Makes about 4 dozen.

Adapted from Vintage Victuals

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

2011-12-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to day one of my Week of Christmas Cookies! Like most of my mornings, it just seemed right to start it off with a coffee kick.

You know it's the holiday season when Starbucks rolls out their red cups and special holiday drinks. I probably get a little too excited about it, to be honest. The excitement that comes over me as I take my first sip of a hot Peppermint Mocha is shameful. It's probably only second to Pumpkin Spice. Am I the only one that can't imagine a Target Christmas shopping spree without a Peppermint Mocha in my hand?

After deciding to include a Peppermint Mocha cookie in my week long feature, I started an online search for recipes already floating around out there. Some of them looked good, but none of them had everything I was looking for. I wanted the cookie to have a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate quality, with a hint of coffee and cool peppermint finish. I also didn't really want to use candy canes IN the cookie. So I had to adapt a recipe I already have.

My first attempt was a flop. I tried using chopped up York peppermint patties, but they melted and spread and the cookies weren't really cookies as much as they were melty dough patties. Not wanting to stick a peppermint patty in the middle of my cookie, I had to go a different route. Attempt number two was a total SCORE, to say the least. They hit all of my criteria and then some.

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Ingredients

8-ounces Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp real peppermint extract
1/2 cup plus 2 1/2 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 Tbsp espresso powder (instant espresso, found in the coffee aisle at my grocery store)
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a microwave safe glass bowl, microwave the semi-sweet chocolate for 1 minute on high power. Remove from the microwave and stir, continuing heating in 20 second increments until it can be stirred smooth. (Mine took 2 minutes total) While the chocolate is melting, sift together the flour, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. To the melted chocolate, add the butter, brown sugar, and eggs, stir until blended then stir in the peppermint extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Finally, add the chocolate chips.

Using a cookie scoop, place dough 2-inches apart on the cookie sheet*. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until the tops no longer look wet. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, while cooling garnish with crushed candy canes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

*Do NOT chill the dough in the fridge. It will look wet, like it will spread and make a mess, but it won't. Chilling will make the cookies more tough and less visually appealing. Spoken from experience.

Adapted from The Cookie Bible

Comfort Food

2011-12-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you can read a few simple words and your stomach will immediately sink. You don't know what is coming next, but you know it can't be good. That' s what happened on Thanksgiving day when I went over to Annie's Eats and saw, "Our Thanksgiving did not go as planned."

As I read those words, I hoped that it was something food related, maybe her oven went out... But paired with the sweet photo of her father and daughter, I knew deep down it was more. And it was.

What was supposed to be a day of family, giving thanks, and delicious food, quickly turned into what I am sure was horrible nightmare with a phone call. That morning, Annie's father passed away suddenly at the age of 59. You don't need to read very far into her blog to find the words that will show what an amazing man he was and how much he meant to Annie.

When something awful like this happens, the first thoughts that usually run through your head are, "What can I do?" And when it's someone close to home it's inevitable that as you start thinking of ways to comfort that family, food has a way of coming right to the top of a short list of things that seem both comforting and appropriate.

The blogging community can be a really close one, despite the thousands of miles that can separate it. One such community that I belong to decided that since we can't bring a covered dish right to Annie's door, we would do the next best thing and bring a comfort food to her through our blogs.

It will never heal the hurt in Annie's heart. It will never make her families sadness go away. But I hope that the thoughts and prayers we put into our comfort foods and blogs can close the gap between us and that Annie and her family can feel our support for her, from however far away we each are. If you haven't already, maybe you can stop by her blog and leave some words for her.

Annie, I am so sorry. I know your dad was an amazing man.

As for my comfort food, this was the very first thing to come to mind. Chicken and Dumplings are one of my favorites, one of Jesse's favorites and always warm and comforting.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients
3 chicken breast, roasted and shredded*
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 celery stalk, finely diced ~1/4 cup
1/2 of a small onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp butter
1 32-ounce carton low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp butter, just slightly softened and cut into chunks
1/2 cup of milk

*I always use my fingers to shred chicken. It feels like I'm better able to get rid of all of the gristly stuff that's really unpleasant when you bite into it.

Directions
In a large stock pot melt the butter. Add the vegetables and garlic and cook for 5 minutes to soften, add salt, pepper and thyme to season. Next add the chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. While the broth is coming to a boil make the dumpling dough by whisking together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Use fingers to incorporate the butter into the flour, then stir in the milk. It should be wet and stick together, but not runny. Drop the dough one spoonful at a time into the boiling broth. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes then add the shredded chicken and carefully stir. By this time the broth should have thickened but if it hasn't, you can stir together equal amounts of flour and milk (a tablespoon or two) and add that to the broth.

Remove the sprigs of thyme before serving. Serve hot over mashed potatoes or by itself.

Sunny Side Up original recipe, dumplings dough adapted from Allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Praline Cake

2011-12-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

Originally I was thinking that if Jesse wasn't going to be home for Thanksgiving I would just fly back to Ohio. Unfortunately we found out too late and the cost of airlines tickets was outrageous. How annoying is it that the airlines can get away with charging so much more for tickets during the holidays? So I had to stay in San Diego for Thanksgiving.

Since a few friends were also staying in town, I decided to host a not-Thanksgiving dinner. Going in a completely different direction I planned a Mexican feast, complete with chicken enchiladas, shrimp enchiladas, black beans, and rice.The friends I had over were also at our turkey dinner 2 weeks earlier, so I don't think they missed the traditional meal too much. And I have to say, I forgot how much I love enchiladas at home.

But when it came to dessert I couldn't get the traditional pumpkin out of my head. I found this recipe and even though it didn't really "go" with my theme, it was still awesome. Pumpkin cakes are always super moist, and the crunch from the pecans and the flavor of the caramel was perfect. And don't even get me started on the cream cheese, whipped cream frosting fusion. Last minute I felt like the frosting needed a little kick so I sprinkled in some cinnamon and it was like heaven on a spoon when I tasted it.

Quick blog announcement: If you follow me on Facebook, then you already know this, but if you don't (maybe you should :)) then I just want to share that starting Monday I am doing a week long feature on Christmas cookies! Stop by all next week for some Santa- friendly treats!

Pumpkin Praline Cake

Ingredients
Caramel Praline
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 Tbsp whipping cream
1 cup pecans chopped, and toasted

Cake
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Frosting 4 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 – 1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper, then butter the parchment paper.

In a small sauce pan over low heat, stir together the brown sugar, butter and heavy whipping. Keep stirring occasionally until it has all melted together, about 5 minutes. Then divide the mixture between the two cake pans. Sprinkle the pecans into the cake pans, over the brown sugar mixture. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

In another bowl, with a hand held mixer (or standing mixer), beat together the eggs, vegetable oil and sugar until well blended. Slowly add the dry ingredients, and with the mixer on low speed, combine. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top of the cake is spongy and the edges start to pull away from the sides. Let the cakes cool in the pan or 5 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks*. Allow to cool until no longer warm to the touch, at least 1 1/2 hours, before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until light and creamy. Add the whipping cream 1/4 cup at a time, beating on high speed until smooth, and scraping down sides of the bowl after each addition. After the last addition beat until it has the consistency of whipped cream. Finally stir in the cinnamon.

Frost the top of each cake then stack one on top of the other. Garnish with whole pecans.

Adapted from Beantown Baker

Spinach and Artichoke Macaroni and Cheese

2011-11-28T20:48:00.000-08:00

Starting out in the kitchen I was pretty lucky. I didn't have a lot of flops and I had enough success to keep me motivated in trying newer, some more complicated, things. But let's get real here for a second. Not everything I make turns out great the first time. Getting even more real, some things never quite turn out the way I want them to. I tried making pad Thai a few months ago.... We had pizza for dinner that night.

Of course, I'm not going to share things here that just don't work, not really the kind of blog I'm going for. Keeping that in mind, I always have high hopes that whatever dish I make will be good and what I like to call "blog worthy." Occasionally, a meal I expect to be good exceeds that expectation.

This Macaroni and Cheese is one of those meals. I found myself licking my bowl clean, going back for seconds and sneaking a few extra bites when putting the leftovers away. Plus there's spinach in it, so it's got to be healthy right? OK, maybe not. But turning one of my favorite appetizers into a meal this good is a win in my book. It's also pretty easy to put together. Lots of stirring, and adding the ingredients in steps, but not at all difficult. From start to finish (including all the chopping) I think it took me just over 30 minutes.

Spinach and Artichoke Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients
*12-16 ounces macaroni shaped pasta
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup frozen spinach, excess moisture removed and chopped (mine was pretty finely chopped)
1/2 cup frozen artichokes, thawed and chopped
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup cream cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

*I had ditalini pasta in my pantry, but macaroni, penne, or even rigatoni would work. With the smaller pasta pieces I used an entire 1-lb box. With a larger pasta, like penne, you may need less, which is why I give a range.

Directions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente, according to directions on box. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil and butter, in a stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat, until the butter is melted. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Next, stir in the spinach and artichoke and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, then sprinkle in the flour and cook, while stirring, for another minute. Add the cream cheese and stir until mostly melted. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook until the milk starts to thicken, about 2-3 minutes, keep on stirring. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cheese in several increments, waiting until each increment is melted before adding the next. Finally, add the pasta.

If you wanted it to be more reminiscent of the dip, you could top the pasta with extra cheese and bake until the top is bubbly. I was just a little too hungry for that. :)

Inspired by What's Cookin Chicago

Red Velvet Cake

2011-11-25T09:56:00.000-08:00

As you slowly come out of your Thanksgiving food coma (or Black Friday shopping frenzy, for that matter) many of you are probably getting ready to shift into to Holiday gear. Now that Thanksgiving is over I feel like I can open up to you and confess that my tree has been up for 2 weeks. It's always been my goal/tradition to put my tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving and this year we did ours early so, technically, my turkey was well respected. Plus I wanted Jesse to be able to enjoy it a little before he left for China. Oh, and my cats love it when the tree is up. They just curl up under the lights and sleep the days away. Just look at their little silhouettes.

I made this cake for a friends birthday, but how fun would this be at Christmas party? The festive white and red. Also, because our friend has a thing for cake balls, I saved a little cake batter and put it in a small ramekin and baked it, crumbled it and made a few cake balls to sit on top. Wouldn't it be cool to roll them around in some sparkly sprinkles and make them look like snow balls? I know what I'm doing next time!

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 to 3 TBSP cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp white vinegar
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
5/8 ounce bottle red food coloring (or 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp)
2-3 ounces white chocolate for melting and coating cake balls - optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper, then butter the parchment paper. Flour the pans (shake about 1 tablespoon of flour in each pan).

In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vinegar until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and beat to combine. While still beating, slowly add the buttermilk, then the vanilla and food coloring. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. To make the cake balls, reserve 1/3 cup of batter and place in a greased ramekin to be added to the oven in the last half of baking.

Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes, until the cake feels spongy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then turn out the cakes onto the cooling racks.

Once the cake has cooled completely, place one of the cakes on a cake platter or cardboard circle, then spread 1/2 cup of frosting on top. Place the other cake on top and work the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. To make the cake balls, reserve a few tablespoons of frosting. Once the ramekin of cake has cooled, crumble the cake. Add the reserved frosting to the cake crumbles and shape into balls. Place in freezer for about 20 minutes. Then dip each of the balls into melted white chocolate and allow to cool/dry on sheets of parchment paper. Use any remaining cake crumbs (without frosting mixed in) to garnish the cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) block of cream cheese, softened
1 (4 ounce) stick of unsalted butter, softened
1 lb confectioners/powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp milk
pinch of salt

Directions
Cream together the softened cream cheese and butter. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, increasing the speed as it becomes incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Before adding the last cup of sugar, add the vanilla, 1 tablespoon of milk, and pinch of salt. Beat to combine then finish adding the sugar. If the frosting seems too stiff, add the extra tablespoon of milk. If it seems too soft try adding a little more powdered sugar.

Cake recipe adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, Cream Cheese frosting as I always make adapted over time from many different sources

On a more somber note, if you have a minute to please say a prayer for a fellow food blogger, Annie of Annie's Eats, her dad passed away very unexpectedly yesterday. I know he meant so much to her and by the way she has described him in her posts he sounded like a terrific man. Please keep her family in your thoughts as you celebrate this holiday with your families and give your loved ones an extra tight squeeze today. My heart is aching knowing this will be a rough road for Annie and her family.

Island Pork Tenderloin

2011-11-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, when I was blogging over on the old blog, I watched on the sidelines as some of my favorite blogs participated in a little event called Eat to the Beat (EttB). EttB was hosted by Elly from Elly Says Opa and it called on bloggers to tap into their inner creativity by relating a song and a food or drink. How fun is that? Like I said though, I was watching from the sidelines, just call me a whimp. But when Elly announced that she was bringing it back for her 5 year blog anniversary, I couldn't just sit on the sidelines.
Deciding to participate in the event was the easy part. Coming up with a good idea, not so easy. First, I kept thinking of really weird songs, and not coming up with anything to relate them to food. Then I thought it might be easier to make a dish and then try and match it up with a song. Which oddly enough led me to a song with the name of my dish in the title... and "explicit" lyrics. Not really the vibe I was going for. So I took a little break from thinking about it.

Realizing the deadline was fast approaching, I had to start thinking again. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks! This was one of my favorite meals this month AND the song is one of Jesse's favorites and one I also like. Oh, and no explicit lyrics. Ready for the reveal? For my EttB entry I made Island Pork Tenderloin and the song is 'Islands' by the XX. Sounds like fun? There's still time to participate! Deadline is November 27th! Read more about it by visiting Elly's blog!

This pork is possibly the best pork tenderloin I've ever had. The meat could be cut with a fork it was so tender and the flavors are dynamic with just a touch of sweet and heat. I can't wait to make it again when Jesse's back from China! In the meantime I'll listen to this song and send him pictures of delicious food with the caption "Wish you were here." Ok, that last part might be a little mean, I'll just leave the pictures caption-less. :)

Island Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients
*2 pork tenderloins (2 1/4 – 2 1/2 pound total) trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil

Spice Rub:
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
2 Tbsp Pineapple juice
Splash of Tabasco sauce

*I cut this recipe in half when I made it, halved it would feed about 3 people.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients for the spice rub then rub into the pork tenderloins.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, sear the tenderloin on all sides for a total of about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat, leaving in pan.

While the tenderloin is browning, stir together the ingredients for the glaze. Spread the glaze over the tenderloin and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Roast until a a thermometer inserted into the meat reads 140 degrees, about 20 minutes. Remove the meat from the oven and tent with foil, let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Adapted from Pennies on Platter, originally from The Gourmet Cookbook

Apple Cider Vinegar Glazed Green Beans

2011-11-22T18:59:00.000-08:00

I have nothing against the traditional green bean casserole that is found on so many Thanksgiving tables. I've even been known to sneak an extra spoonful or two when going back for seconds. But it's also not my favorite way to eat green beans. I like them crisper and, like so many other things in the world, with bacon. So when the menu planning was entirely up to me, I opted for my style of green beans.

After doing an online search I knew what kind of flavor I wanted to go for. Tangy and savory, and of course with bacon. But I also wanted to bring in something "fall" like. So I adapted a recipe to use apple cider vinegar and the broth/drippings from the turkey. Like most of the things I made for our Thanksgiving dinner, the picture was AWFUL! So I recreated the dish, only using regular chicken broth, to get a better picture. Of course it was a little richer with the turkey drippings, but both ways we were good enough for me to eat half of them all by myself!

Apple Cider Vinegar Glazed Green Beans with Bacon and Shallots

Ingredients
1 lb fresh green beans, blanched or steamed for 4 minutes (I used fresh "steam in bag" beans)
3 strips of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 shallots, cut into strips
1/4 cup broth
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Directions
In a large skillet or wok, cook bacon over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the shallots and cook for another minute. Remove bacon and shallots from pan and set on a paper towel lined plate. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the green beans to the pan, stir to coat with bacon grease. Add the broth, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook over medium high heat for 7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and thickened, stirring often. Remove from heat and return the bacon and shallots to the pan.

Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Adapted from Cooking Light, via My Recipes

Salted Herb Roasted Turkey

2011-11-21T20:28:00.000-08:00

If you're still on the fence about how to prepare your turkey this weekend, then stop right here. This turkey doesn't require any special bags or a sanitized cooler. Just a nice coating of salt and herbs and an overnight chill in the fridge. I've never brined a turkey, so it's tough for me to give an honest comparison. But I can honestly tell you that with results like this, it's unlikely that I ever will go through the trouble. This turkey is just too good.

Salted Herb Roasted Turkey

Ingredients
Overnight salt mix:
6 Tbsp coarse kosher salt (4 tablespoons if finer-grained kosher salt)
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 Tbsp fresh sage, minced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 small bay leaves, coarsely torn
1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
1 tsp finely grated lemon peel

Turkey:
1 14- to 16-pound turkey (make sure to remove all the icky stuff inside!)
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
1 large celery stalk, cut into large chunks
1 whole lemon, cut into large chunks
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh sage
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups broth

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients for the salt, set aside.

Rinse the turkey inside and out, but do not pat dry. Coat the turkey inside (both cavities) and out. Use your fingers to loosen the skin over the breast and carefully rubs some of the salt under the skin. Place the turkey on a large plate (preferably with a lip to keep any loose juices on the plate and not on your fridge) and cover tightly with foil. Refrigerate for 24-48 hours.

Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the turkey inside and out; pat very, very, dry (I also set it on top of a wad of paper towels for about 15 minutes). Rub some of the butter on the inside of cavities then divide the onion, celery, lemon, and herbs between the cavities. Truss the turkey (tie the legs together and wings in with cooking twine).Rub the rest of the butter on the outside of the turkey, getting under the breast skin as well. Place the turkey, breast side down, in a roasting pan, using extra carrots and celery to keep the turkey off the bottom of the pan if you don't have a rack in your roasting pan. Pour the broth into the bottom of the pan.

Roast at 425 for 45 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven, then use wads of paper towels to flip the turkey breast side up. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees. Continue to roast turkey until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees, 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours longers (my 16 pound turkey took another 2 1/2, but keep an eye on it). 3 times during roasting, carefully baste the turkey with drippings and then quickly close the oven door again.

Tent the turkey with foil for 30-45 minutes before carving and serving.

Adapted from Epicurious (Bon Apetit) as seen on The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Me carving the turkey in my messy kitchen

One last thing. The family I work for is out of town for Thanksgiving, and tonight as I was writing this post I got a text. It was a picture of food that the youngest took. I told her I would put it on my blog so here it is. And can I just say I've taught her well? Look at that plate presentation (and no, that's not her glass of wine).

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-11-19T02:00:00.000-08:00

Oh man, I'm excited about this one!

First, I love re-purposing foods. I knew that cranberry sauce would go over like a lead balloon with my Thanksgiving crowd, but I like it and it's traditional so I made it. As much as I love it, I can only handle a few spoonfuls with my meal. Needless to say, I had a ton left over! But I didn't want to throw it away so I needed to come up with a new way to use it. I asked around for ideas and then overnight I had a very vivid dream about turning it into muffins.

Which brings me to the second reason I am so excited about these. I couldn't find a recipe that matched what I had been dreaming of. So I headed to the kitchen with the goal of making my own. And it was a success! Score!

I should also mention that everyone that turned their nose up at the cranberry sauce at dinner, gobbled up the muffins and said they were awesome.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup flour plus 2 Tbsp, divided
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1-2 tsp orange zest
3/4 cup sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup cranberry sauce*

*I only used 1/3 cup but once they baked it like they could use a little more, so I recommend a full 1/2 cup. Also, I'm sure you could substitute cranberry sauce from a can, especially if you can find some with whole cranberries in it.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degree. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/4 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In glass measuring cup stir together the greek yogurt and milk; set aside.

In another medium bowl (or a standing mixer with paddle attachment) beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until combined. Next, alternate adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and wet ingredients in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, making sure there are not patches of unmixed dry ingredients. Toss the white chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of flour then use the spatula to mix them into the batter. Next, carefully fold in the cranberry sauce, so it creates a marbling effect in the batter.

Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Yields 12 muffins

Sunny Side Up original, with the muffin base adapted from Sunday Nite Dinner as I previously posted it here.

Cranberry Sauce

2011-11-17T22:04:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving less than a week away now, I thought it might be a good day for a double dose of sweetness. Don't forget to check out today's other post, pumpkin pie!

Sometimes instead of picking out the melon from my fruit salad, I'll give it a try, just to see if I suddenly like it. I don't (still tastes like watered down perfume to me) but I try because you just never know. Like for example butterscotch, cooked carrots, and small pieces of apple in foods like Stuffed Acorn Squash or Asian Lettuce Wraps. I never liked any of those things, but over the years my tastes have evolved. Which is really great for someone that loves food as much as I do.

That's sort of what happened with cranberry sauce. Every Thanksgiving I would put a little on my plate, give it a try, and pretty much always decide that there were just more important foods on the plate.

That may still be a little true (the part about there being more important foods on the plate) but I've really come around in the cranberry sauce arena. It's not my favorite food on the table at Thanksgiving, but it's totally necessary, especially when you have a delicious recipe.

With hosting a Thanksgiving meal on my own for the first time this year, I searched for the perfect recipe. And I think I found it! A little sweet and a little tart. The only changes I made were to cut the recipe in half (and it's listed that way below). And bonus, I re-purposed the leftovers into a killer muffin.

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients
1 12-ounce bags fresh cranberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
scrapings from half of a vanilla bean (optional, they can be expensive, but if you have one use it!)

Directions
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugars and salt in the water and orange juice. Add the cranberries and cook until the cranberries begin to pop (this part is fun! sounds like popcorn!) Cook cranberries, stirring occasionally for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Once thick, remove from heat and add stir in the orange zest and vanilla bean. Cool to room temperature and store in fridge until ready to serve. For a nice touch, garnish with a little orange zest when serving.

Adapted from Joy the Baker

Pumpkin Pie

2011-11-17T20:08:00.001-08:00

With Thanksgiving less than a week away now, I thought it might be a good day for a double dose of sweetness. Don't forget to check out today's other post, cranberry sauce!

See that lonely little guy? That's all that was left for me to photograph. I'm actually pretty lucky I even got this photo, Jesse was sitting down at his desk to eat it right out of the pie pan when I ripped it out of his hands to get the shot. With only crumbs left on plates and in the pie pan, I'd say it was a hit.

Here's what to like about this recipe: It's homemade. It's made with cream (instead of evaporated milk). The spice is well balanced with the cream. Optionally, you can use fresh pumpkin puree (read about making pumpkin puree). It's just an all around great pumpkin pie. Make this a new part of your Thanksgiving traditions!

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
1 9-inch pie crust
3 large eggs
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree or 1 - 15 ounce can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

*this time I used Trader Joe's pre-made crust, I'm still looking for the perfect pie crust recipe. Any suggestions?

Directions
In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell and place on a large baking pan to catch any spills. To keep the crust from burning, you can cover just the edges of the pie with foil for up to half of the baking time. Bake the pie for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust has browned (the center will still look wet with just a slight jiggle and a knife inserted about 1 inch from side of pan will come out almost clean.)

Allow to cool on a wire rack, serve at room temperature with whipped cream.

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Soft Yeast Rolls

2011-11-15T22:53:00.000-08:00

These yeast rolls were one of my non-negotiables for my 48-hour Thanksgiving. I love, love, love these rolls. They're buttery rich with a soft, fluffy texture. Yes, a bag of store bought rolls would have been faster. But it wasn't something I was willing to budge on, even if it meant a little extra work. Not that I really mind that kind of work. I mean, extra work doing dishes, not my cup of tea. Extra work watching dough rise, punching it down, and shaping it, my idea of a good time.

Let's say you have more than 48-hours to plan your meal. Perfect! You can make this dough ahead of time! To do that, follow all the steps through the shaping. Once the dough is shaped, freeze them on a cookie sheet until hard, then you can transfer them to a Ziploc bag if you like. The day before you need them take them out of the freezer and let them thaw in the fridge. Bring them to room temperature and then let them rise another 30-45 minutes before baking.

All in one day or frozen for later, you're going to love these rolls!

Soft Yeast Rolls

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

Directions
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.

*Usually I do 12 rolls per pan (and 1/2 recipe for just one pan) but for Thanksgiving I made smaller rolls. For smaller rolls divide into 40 pieces (20, 4 rows of 5, per pan).

Adapted from Taste of Home

Zesty Carrots

2011-11-14T02:00:00.000-08:00

At the end of yesterday's post I told you that the one thing I would have changed about my early Thanksgiving dinner would be to calm down a little bit towards the end and get better pictures of each food item. This dish especially deserves a better picture, but we were all into our first bites when I realized that I hadn't taken pictures of it. After hearing a round of compliments from everyone at the table, I knew I needed to get at least one picture so I could share it here before Thanksgiving. Hopefully somewhere down the line I'll get a new (better) picture to really do this side dish justice, but for now this'll do (and it's a good thing I snapped it when I did because after everyone's second helping there wasn't much left!).

Zesty carrots are an absolute requirement at my Thanksgiving meals. The recipe goes back to my mom's mom, but it's appearance every Thanksgiving goes beyond nostalgia. It tastes unlike anything else at the Thanksgiving table. I will admit that it took me several years to finally put it on my plate and give it a try, but once I did there was no turning back. It's possibly one of my favorite sides each year. This year I included it in my menu plan, not knowing how it would be received. Everyone loved them. Between mouthfuls I heard lots of "Mmm, these carrots are really good," and two of my guests commented that they don't usually like carrot dishes but loved this zesty take.

Don't let the ingredients throw you off. I realize that seeing "miracle whip" among the ingredients for a carrot dish is weird, but there's a balance of flavors here. A little spice from the horseradish, a little sweet from the carrots, a little zest from the miracle whip. There's also a good balance of texture; creamy from the sauce and crunch from crumb topping. You may be tempted to skip right over this odd pairing of ingredients, but I dare you to just give it a try.

Grandma Shirley's Zesty Carrots

Ingredients
6 large carrots, scraped and cut into very thin slices*
1/4 cup reserved cooking water
2 Tbsp prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Miracle Whip (not Mayo)
2 Tbsp onion, grated or finely chopped

Crumb topping ingredients
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Pinch of salt

*I use the mandolin blade for my food processor to cut the carrots.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the sliced carrots in a cooking pot (with a lid) and cover with about 1 inch of water with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil then cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain but reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

Move the carrots to a 2 quart baking dish. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the reserved cooking liquid with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Pour the sauce over the carrots and use a spoon to evenly coat the carrots (use just enough sauce to cover the carrots, there may be an extra tablespoon or 2 of sauce if your carrots are smaller).

In a small bowl, toss the melted butter with the Panko bread crumbs, parsley and salt. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the carrots.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the crumbs start to turn golden brown and the sauce is bubbly.

Adapted from my grandma Shirley

Thanksgiving

2011-11-13T01:25:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been dreaming of a big beautiful Thanksgiving feast, only to find out 2 weeks before hand that one of the key participants (ie your husband) has to be out of town for work? Bummer, huh? Well that is no reason to give up on your dreams or for him to have to miss out on the turkey fun. So you decide to jump in head first and host a Thanksgiving 48 hours later. This is a true story, in case you haven't picked up on that already.

The short title of this post is Thanksgiving. The long title of this post is The Last Minute Thanksgiving: Planning, Preparing, and Eating a Thanksgiving Meal in 48 hours (and still have time for 2 loads of laundry). So let's just jump right in, shall we?

The very first step to this process is to give yourself a break. Don't put too much much pressure on yourself. Patty (the Millionaire Matchmaker) often tells her clients to come up with a list of 5 non-negotiables and to be prepared to negotiate on other things. Why? To keep from having a mile long list of things they have to have which essentially means nothing will ever make them happy. So think of your Thanksgiving plan like this. What are 5 things that are really important to you, and what are some things you might have to negotiate to keep your 5? I love to bake, I love to cook, I love it even more when I do it all from scratch, but there wasn't enough time to make everything from scratch. I gave myself permission to take a few short cuts, like store bought pie crust. So just relax! This should be fun!

Now that you've taken a chill pill, it's time to do your quick plan. First, your guest list. How many and what, if any, special requests or needs do they have. My group wasn't too big (7 total) and the only special request I had was to keep it close to tradition (and have an awesome pumpkin pie).

This brings us to the meal plan. Make a list of the foods you want at your dinner. Go back to the previous paragraph and remember to not put too much pressure on yourself. The only recipe I hadn't already tried was the turkey, so I picked one that wasn't so intimidating. I found an awesome recipe (without brining) from a very trusted source. Then get all of your recipes together in one place. Also go through your dishware and decide what pieces to use for what dishes and make sure you have enough flatware.

Now that you have your guest list and meal plan, make a grocery list. Use your recipes and check your cabinets, don't assume you have enough flour, off the couch and look! Then check your list. Check it twice. Heck, check it 3 times. There isn't a lot of room for extra grocery trips in the 48 hour Thanksgiving. Oh, and remember, you're going to need a fresh turkey (which'll be better than a frozen one anyway). I got mine at Whole Foods, but Trader Joe's also has fresh turkeys and they were cheaper (would've been nice to know before I panicked and went to Whole Foods). If you don't have either of those stores then check your white pages and call around.

Here was our meal plan, along with my plan of attack and/or short cuts:

Appetizers:

Stuffed Mushrooms -made a million times before and always a crowd pleaser
Cheese plate with crackers -what's easier than a cheese plate?
Hummus and pita chips - Gotta love Trader Joes hummus!

Dinner:

Salted Herb Roasted Turkey - No brining! Yay!
Gravy
Mashed Potatoes - Pre-cut the potatoes the day before and soak in cold water.
Cornbread Dressing - Short cut here, I bought the cornbread and used a bag of regular stuffing instead of trying to make my own breads and wait for them to dry out
Apple Cider Vinegar Green Beans with Shallots and Bacon - Stove top recipe to save oven space
Creamed Corn - CROCKPOT! Throw it all in when you put the turkey in the oven and let time do all the work!
Zesty Carrots - Totally prepped the day before. Day of only requires a 20 minute bake.
Cranberry Sauce - Totally prepped the day before. Day of only requires being set on the table
Soft Yeast Rolls - This was one of my non-negotiables. If it's not that important to you, buy some already made from the store!
*Herbed Compound Butter - Totally prepped the day before.

Dessert:

Pumpkin Pie - Shortcut here, store-bought pie crust, also made the day before
Pecan Pie Cups - Store-bought pie crust, also made the day before

Drinks (asked a guest to take care of the drinks):

Wine
Beer
Sodas

*Recipe to come in the following 2 weeks

Next, you need to work out a time-line. Things that can be done on day 1, things that can be done on day 2 and things that need to be done the day of. Once you place the work in the correct days, start working the hourly time-line for the day of. It's easiest to start working backwards. For more ideas on how to do this, check out Annie's Eats. She has an excellent Thanksgiving planning post, which served as a good reminder for a few things I almost forgot about! To see a breakout of my days and time-line click here.

So how did the day go? Fantastically! At 1:20 I was sitting on the couch just waiting for the turkey to cook. I was so glad I decided to do most of the cooking the day before. The food still tasted great and my kitchen was saved from being a total disaster the entire day. Looking back the only thing I would change is to calm down right before the meal and take better pictures of each food item. I was so excited about everything I didn't get a good picture of some of the foods I wanted to share with you (especially the cornbread dressing, I love the recipe but unfortunately didn't take a picture!)

That's it. Can't wait for my next chance to host!

Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Pecan Cookies

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'm going to keep this short today. You see, yesterday we learned that Jesse will have to go back to China before Thanksgiving. So, yesterday (Thursday), I decided to host our Thanksgiving early so he could be a part of it. On Saturday. Start to finish, planning, prepping, eating in 48 hours. Am I crazy, maybe? So like I said, I'm keeping this post short because I have a lot to do today. (If I can pull this off, I'll be posting about next week!)

The good news is that these cookies don't need a lot of fluffy filler descriptions. They were almost life changing for me. I thought I didn't like butterscotch. But I do. Even more so when paired with chocolate and pecans in the perfect chocolate chip cookie The outside of the cookie has almost a crisp shell and the inside is chewy and delicious. Every bite with a butterscotch chip is like biting into cookie dough concentrate. So try these. TODAY!!

Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Pecan Cookies

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all purpose all purpose
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar (pref. dark brown)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup pecans, chopped (fine or course, your call)
coarse salt, optional for sprinkling (I forgot)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat again for about 30 seconds. Turn the mixer down to a low speed and slowly add the flour, mix just until incorporated. Add the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and pecans and stir to combine.

Using a medium cookie scoop (or rolling 2 tablespoons into a ball), place the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes. No more than 11 minutes! The edges should have just a touch of golden brown and the tops should not look wet, but they should still feel soft to the touch.

Adapted from Baking Bites

Chicken Marsala Pasta

2011-11-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

So guess what - Jesse got to come home from China early! Actually, he flew home the same day I was flying to SanFran for the festival (go figure!). He has to go back again soon, but he's home now and that means that right now all is good. Especially because I've been in such a funk when it comes to making real meals. Not that I didn't eat while he was gone, but let's be honest - nobody wants to see a post about plain grilled cheese or carryout Chipotle or the ingredients I bought but never got around to using.

Like last week, when he was still gone, I bought 2 portabello mushrooms and never got to them. They were working their way into the "use it or lose it" phase so I whipped up a pasta dish. The variation on classic Chicken Marsala was just what I needed to pull me out of my rut. The smell of chicken browning in butter, then onions caramelizing, and of course the distinct Marsala flavor, mmmm. And bonus points for me for lightening it up a little!

Chicken Marsala Pasta

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks and seasoned with salt and pepepr
4 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
10-12 ounces mushrooms, cut into chunks (I used portabello because that's what I had)
1 small onion, sliced into thin 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Marsala cooking wine
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 pound penne pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, drain and reserve some of the cooking liquid.

In a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the seasoned chicken pieces and brown and cook through. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.

Melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter and add the onions to the pot, cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. After 3 minutes, stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes. The onions should be starting to get a little color by now.

Slowly pour half of the Marsala wine into the pot and scrape up any bits stuck to the pan. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, then add the rest of the wine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly stir in the evaporated milk. Add the cheese stirring constantly. Cook the sauce for several minutes until it starts to thicken, then add the pasta and chicken. Stir to coat the pasta. If it needs extra liquid add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta liquid until you get the consistency you're looking for.

Garnish with additional Parmesan and fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated via What's Cookin Chicago

Foodbuzz Festival 2011

2011-11-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday night and I'm curled up on the couch blogging and watching the Walking Dead, absolutely exhausted from my weekend. I won't bore you with tons of details but there are a few moments that must be shared. Oh, and I just want to say how fabulous it is to be surrounded all weekend by people who share my interests... and more importantly, don't look at me like I'm crazy when I take a picture (or 10) of grilled cheese.

So here are some highlights -

I met my friend Nikki at the airport and after navigating the BART we walked up the station stairs and immediately pulled out our cameras.

After meeting up with Joelen, Krystal, and Jessica (and her awesome mom, Ginger) we taxied over to the Ferry Building for some browsing and eating. And guess who walked by with her entourage. Martha Stewart. In leather pants.

(Since the only thing I could do was stare, I had to steal this picture from Krystal. I'm glad someone had the sense to run after her with a camera)

Later we went to the Foodbuzz welcome reception. That's where I met Joy (the Baker), only one of my favorite bloggers ever. Don't worry I was as uncool and awkward as ever. What was supposed to come out as, "You're such an inspiration and I love your blog" came out as, "You're like a celebrity." Head, hand, slap.

From left to right: Me, Jessica (My Baking Heart), Nikki (Pennies on a Platter), Joy (Joy the Baker), Joelen (What's Cookin' Chicago), Jess (Forgiving Martha), and Nicole (Prevention, RD)
(I stole this picture from Nikki)

The next morning there was a panel discussion and break-out sessions. Lots of things to ponder!

At the Taste Pavillion later there was a surprise visit from TYLER FLORENCE. No more words necessary.

Tyler made another appearance later for a cooking demonstration at the banquet dinner. I also had a chance to redeem myself with Joy (who, by the way, is even more awesome in person!)

We wrapped up the weekend with the large bowls of coffee and pastries at a nearby bakery. The good bye hugs were tough, but luckily there are lots of ways for us to stay in touch. Especially now that I'm on "the Twitter" (that's for you Jessica!) Woo hoo for joining in on the 21st century fun!

Spiced Roll-Out Sugar Cookies

2011-11-04T02:00:00.000-07:00

These little guys taste just as festive as they look, like rich bites of pie crust that have soaked up the spices of a pumpkin pie. Mmmm... How cute would these be as a part of your Thanksgiving dessert spread? If you'd like the recipe then hop on over to Dainty Chef where I am guest posting today!

Cheddar and Ranch Cheese Ball

2011-10-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! As I promised yesterday, here is the recipe for the BRAINS!! If you're still looking for an appetizer to take to a Halloween party tonight why not give this a try? It's super simple, tasty, and will impress/gross out all of your friends! This would also be good for non-Halloween events, just skip the brain shaping and roll into a ball and then in sliced almonds instead!

Cheddar and Ranch Cheese Ball

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups shredder cheddar cheese (I used a mix of sharp, mild, and Vermont white)
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional, I skipped)
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (1 ounce) package Ranch-style dressing mix (Hidden Valley brand)
1 cup sliced almonds (Obviously omit if you're making the brain)
2-3 drops of black food coloring, if you want a grayish hue
3-4 drops red gel food coloring, for "blood"

Directions
Add the cheese to the bowl of food processor*. Pulse a few times for 3 seconds each. Add the cream cheese and Ranch seasoning packet and process until smooth.

To make the brain, remove half of the mixture and form an egg shaped ball, place on a plate. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, or a ziploc bag with the corner cut, with the remainder of the mixture. Starting in the middle of the formed ball pipe a straight line length wise to the edge of the egg shape. When you reach the edge start zigzagging your way back to the middle. Repeat on the 3 parts of the egg shape. I used the picture below as a model when I piped. If you have a lot left, try piping a second layer directly over top.

Place the brain in the refrigerator for about an hour. Before serving spread red food coloring on a knife and stick it cheese ball. Serve with crackers. (The left overs were also really good spread on a bagel!)

*If you don't have a food processor this can also be done in a bowl with just a spoon (or a hand held mixer), but the food processor does make it extra smooth for piping.

Adapted from What's Cookin, Chicago?

Foodbuzz 24x24: Boo-tiful Cookie Decorating

2011-10-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

If you ask me in November what my favorite holiday is, I'll probably say Thanksgiving. Ask me again in December and I'll probably say Christmas. And if you ask me right now, I'll say Halloween. What can I say? I just like holidays and all of the festive things that go along with them. Right now black cats, ghosts, zombies, and sweet treats are putting me in the holiday spirit. So when Foodbuzz put out the call for fall-inspired ideas for this month's 24x24*, a lightbulb went off.

*Each month Foodbuzz showcases 24 food bloggers as they host a meal in the same 24 hours and blog about it on the same day.

My idea was to host a cookie decorating party - for kids. The girls that I watch were each allowed to invite a few friends and as soon as the invitations were delivered we started the party planning.

Coming up with the menu was pretty fun. I had about a million ideas for fun gross variations of food. But at the end of the day I had to keep in mind my audience so I needed to keep it simple. Oh, and I am apparently no good at making deviled eggs, so at the last minute I had to give up my dreams of creepy eyeballs.

First up was the main course. Mummy calzones. Each one was filled with cheese and pepperoni and then finished with a green olive eye. Most of the girls didn't eat the "eye" but they loved the rest of it!

Next up was the "Bone Crunch" or popcorn. Not homemade, but I knew the girls would like something simple to munch on while they worked their cookie magic.

Despite the fact that some of the girls were a little afraid of eating the brain, it was a big hit! Everyone that tried it loved the flavor and EVERYONE loved the way it looked. The "brain" is just a cheddar cheese and ranch cheese ball that I piped into the shape of a brain. *recipe to be shared on Halloween day!!

For dessert I made "Graveyard Cups". Super simple but a pretty fun effect. Just yellow cupcakes, and frosting, with crushed Oreos for dirt and a Milano cookie for a tombstone.

To drink I once again kept it simple with a jazzed up lemonade. The night before I filled 2 rubber gloves with water and red food coloring, then I tied them up and put them in the freezer. Right before the party started I cut the glove away from the hand shaped ice and added it to the bowl of lemonade. Two things to note about this: First the red food coloring dyed the heck out of my hands as I was cutting away the glove. Maybe wearing gloves while cutting the glove would be a good idea. Second, I wanted a "mangled hand" effect so I froze it with some folds and that made the fingers weak. As soon as the glove was cut away the fingers fell off. Still fun though.

I set the mood with a black and purple spider theme and Halloween music playing in the background. I also made Halloween themed signs with each spooky food name (and what it really was below in parenthesis).

Finally, the main attraction! The cookies!!! I made 5 different shapes; cats, owls, ghosts, pumpkins and circles for spiderwebs/spiders. In another post I'll be sharing how I planned and spread out the work, but for now how about some pictures of the girls working on their masterpieces? It's fun to see how creative kids get. Purple pumpkin - of course! Pirate spider - you bet! Polka dotted cat - well yeah!

The masterpieces!

I asked each girl to pick their favorite creation and these are the winners!

The aftermath

Giant Triple Chocolate Cookies

2011-10-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

These cookies are giant. And delicious. And rich. I dare you to try and eat one without a glass of milk. If you can eat more than one in one sitting you should probably get an award. That's how chocolaty they are. And delicious. Did I mention that?

This would actually be the third time I have tried to make and blog about these cookies. Because these cookies are so dark, it is nearly impossible for me to get a picture of these that I am satisfied with. I really hate it when that happens because the purpose of this blog is to share delicious foods and when I can't that makes me sad. Finally this time I was able to get some decent (though not fabulous) pictures, so now I can finally share them with you

Giant Triple Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup dutch processed (or Hershey's Special Dark) cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. And prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the cocoa powder until well blended. Add the flour, salt and baking powder to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead briefly by hand to be sure the ingredients are well combined.

Divide the dough into 4 ounce portions (or divide into 12 equal pieces, this was is about 1/2 cup per cookie). Roll each portion of dough into a ball and flatten just slightly into a disc. Place on the prepared baking sheets, a few inches apart. Bake 16-20 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Very slightly adapted from Annie's Eats

{Vegetarian} Black Bean Soup

2011-10-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday I went to the grocery store for the first time since Jesse left for this go-around in China. For some reason this trip has really thrown me through a loop and I needed to get back into a groove and in order to do that I needed groceries.

Unfortunately I went to the store hungry, craving a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, and without a plan. I got my latte.... and an assortment of random what-the-heck-will-I-do-with-that groceries. Lots of snack things made there way to my cart. Like hummus, tortilla chips, and Snyders Honey Mustard and Onion Pretzels. A few real ingredients did made the cut. One such ingredient was a bag of dry black beans.

I love, love, love black beans. By themselves, in a burrito, on top of rice, as a pasta sauce, in a quesadilla - you get the picture. So I go through a lot of cans of beans. But for some reason I usually shy away from the dry ones. I think it's because black beans are typically a part of a quick dinner, and dry beans are not quick. This weekend, however, I needed a small kitchen project to get me back into the groove.

Black bean soup sounded perfect and using the bag of beans I bought and other things I already had in my kitchen, I was able to get a soup going. It wasn't as big of a kitchen project as I probably needed, but the apartment sure did smell delicious all day. Hands on time for this soup is just about 15 minutes. The rest of the time is hand off simmering. Oh and as an added bonus this soup can be vegetarian (even vegan) just by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth (and obviously not topping with sour cream or cheese if you're shooting for vegan)! It was my plan to make it vegetarian today until I realized I only bought chicken broth. That's what happens when you shop with out a real plan...

{Vegetarian} Black Bean Soup

Ingredients
1 cup Onion, chopped (1 medium or a little more than half a large onion)
1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Dry Parsley
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp Tomato Sauce
1 lb bag Dry Black Beans, rinsed and sorted
1 32 oz carton Reduced Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1 cup (or more) Water

Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Stir in the seasonings, bay leaves, and tomato sauce, cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the black beans and liquid and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low then simmer covered for 1 hour and uncovered for at least 1 more hour, until beans are soft. If the liquid starts to go below the level of the beans just add a little water (unless you want a thicker bean soup).

Serve with sour cream and cheese, if desired.

Heavily adapted from the back of the Safeway Brand Black Beans

Cookies and Creme Oreo Cake

2011-10-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

I picked up a copy of Family Circle magazine almost 2 years ago because of the picture on the cover. It was of a cake that I knew Jesse would love. I tucked it away, planning on making it for his next birthday. Then our world was flipped and flopped and he spent the next birthday in China. I made it up to him by bringing cupcakes the next month when I flew to San Diego for a visit, but I didn't forget about this cake. Thankfully (for my cake baking sake) this year he didn't have to leave for China until after his birthday!

After cracking open the magazine and getting a good look at the recipe, I decided to make a few changes. The magazine recommended a cream cheese frosting filling between the layers and whipped cream to frost the outside. I love cream cheese frosting, but it's probably Jesse's least favorite, and honestly it didn't fit with my cookies and creme vision. So I decided to go with what is quickly becoming my go-to frosting for chocolate cakes, Fluffy Vanilla Frosting. Like I said when I used it for the Cherry Coke Cupcakes, the milk in it gives it a whipped cream like taste but it's as sturdy as a buttercream. So I decided to use it instead. And it worked perfectly.

Cookies and Creme Oreo Cake

Ingredients
Cake
1 1/4 cups All-purpose Flour
2/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (or Hershey's Special Dark)
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
3 large Eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups Buttermilk

Frosting
Scant 1/2 cup Flour
1 1/2 cups Milk
2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
25-30 oreos

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 8-inch cake pans with butter and flour.

Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, or a large bowl using a hand held mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated and scraping down sides as needed.

With mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, mix until incorporated. Then add 1/2 of the buttermilk, mix until incorporated. Repeat until the last 1/3 of flour has been used. Mix until incorporated and then beat for 1 additional minute.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the sides begin to pull away from the edges. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the racks and allow the cakes to cool completely.

While the cakes are baking, prepare the frosting. In a saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens (I would compare it to mashed potatoes). It is very important to whisk continuously so clumps don't form. This took me about 4-5 minutes, but it's best to go by texture.

Set milk mixture aside in an ice bath and allow to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, (or bowl of a standing mixture fitted with a whisk) beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat on high for 3-5 minutes. If it looks separated, keep beating.

Cake Assembly

When the cakes are completely cool, cut each cake in half* horizontally. Use 1/3-1/2 cup of frosting to fill between each layer. When all the layers are stacked, set aside 1/2 cup of frosting then use rest to frost the outside.

Using a ziploc bag and a rolling pin, crush all but 6 of the Oreo cookies. Apply the cookie crumbs to the sides of the cake**.

Use the reserved 1/2 cup of frosting to create 6 swirls on the top of the cake, place a cookie in each swirl.

Serve with a very tall glass of milk.

*If you don't have cake leveler tool, you can use a knife to score the cake half way up all the way around. Then place a clean piece of fishing wire or floss in the groove and slice away.

**I set my cake plate over a large piece of parchment paper to catch the extra crumbs. It can get a little messy.

Cake adapted from Family Circle Magazine, February 2009. Frosting as I previously posted here, from Tasty Kitchen

The 3 Ingredient Pasta Sauce

2011-10-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

This may or may not be groundbreaking news for you. If you read a lot of food blogs, it probably won't be because it's gone around like wild fire. If you don't, or if you haven't already seen this, it will be because this sauce is one of the easiest things I've ever made but it's also simply delicious.

A 3 ingredient sauce is perfect for weeknights or weekends when you have lots of running around to do or a laundry pile that is waist high. You can get this sauce started (ie. throw 3 things in a saucepan) in less than 5 minutes and then you're basically free to do anything that needs to be done for at least the next 45 minutes.

As for the flavor, it's simple, smooth, and mellow. The tomatoes are the star player in this sauce so it's important to go with a good brand of canned tomatoes. I've had luck with Trader Joe's brand as well as San Marzano. Once I tried it with Von's store brand and I wasn't as happy with the results, so keep that in mind. Also something to note, almost every time I see this online people include salt on the ingredient list (as will I) but they all say they didn't need it. This was true with me too, no extra salt, hence the title 3 Ingredient and not 4 Ingredient. I did however top mine with lots of fresh Parmesan before eating (not pictured) because that's how I roll. Some may disagree that this sauce needs the cheese, but to me all sauce needs it.

3 Ingredient Pasta Sauce

Ingredients
28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes from a can *
5 Tbsp butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste, though I have never needed it

* Once I accidentally bought a can of whole tomatoes with basil, and it also did well. Some would say the basil takes away from the simplicity of the sauce but it tasted good, so it can't be "wrong".

Directions
Place the tomatoes, onion, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 45 minutes, occasionally stirring and using the spoon to begin to break down tomatoes. At the end of the simmer remove the pan from the heat, discard the onion, and use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes on the side of the pan. Season with salt only if needed.

Serve with pasta shape of your choice and grated Parmesan cheese for topping. I also served with a side of broccoli.

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Stuffed Acorn Squash

2011-10-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

There isn't a lot of fall weather that goes on in San Diego. In fact, the temperature last week was higher than it was for most of the summer. But that hasn't stopped me from craving my favorite fall foods. Especially when I read posts on Facebook from all of my friends back in Ohio, which is exactly how I came across this recipe for Stuffed Acorn Squash.

It's not something that I have ever made before, but I could tell by the ingredient list it was a winning combination. The squash adds a mellow flavor with just a touch of sweetness that balances perfectly with the somewhat spicy sausage. As with the Asian Lettuce Wraps, I was wary about using the apple. Typically fruit and savory is not a combination I like, but it works in this so don't be afraid. Jesse kept asking, "What's in this? It's really good". Which is always is a good sign.

Really quick before I get to the recipe - Today is the day that Jesse heads out for another month in China. Please excuse me while I cry like a baby having candy taken away. You'd think that maybe it would get a little easier each trip, but alas, it has not. Don't get me wrong. I'll be OK. I'll do what I did last time and keep myself busy and honestly a month is a whole lot shorter than his last trip. 4 Mondays. Totally doable. Now that my temper tantrum and pep talk are over, I'll move on to the post.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients
2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoon butter, melted
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1 lb mild sausage (I used turkey)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 apple, cored and chopped (macintosh)
1 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon sage
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the melted butter, garlic, and 1/4 tsp sage. Brush the inside and outside of each squash with the butter mix. Place the squash on a cookie sheet, cut side up, and roast for 50-60 minutes, or until fork tender.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage. When the sausage is browned, remove it from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate, set aside. To the skillet add the onions, celery, and mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Add the apples and cook for another 2 minutes.

Return the sausage to the skillet then remove from heat. Season with sage, salt, and pepper. Stir in the panko and Parmesan. Add the egg and stir to combine.

Divide the stuffing evenly among the four squash halves. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.

Serve with extra Parmesan for garnish.

Adapted from Food.com

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-10-14T10:22:00.001-07:00

Today Jesse and I celebrate 6 years of marriage! It's one of those things that is kind of funny because on one hand it feels like way more than 6 years, like I can't imagine life when we weren't married. But on the other hand I can remember the wedding like it was just yesterday and it feels like we are newlyweds.

These cookies are easily in Jesse's top 5 favorite things I've ever made. They are definitely in the top 5 most requested food items. In fact I don't really know why I didn't include them in my top 30 (uh, 31) when I did my big import. The only thing I can think is that I somehow skipped over them. Regardless, they deserve a spot on this blog. And today seems like just the occasion to make them for him and share them with you.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (I used half smooth and half crunchy)
3/4 cup plus sugar - plus up to 1/4 cup more for sprinkling
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the peanut butter and butter. Add the the sugars and cream until light and fluffy. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix for 1 minute. Next add the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour 1/4 cup of sugar into a bowl and set aside. Using a cookie scoop, or rounded tablespoons full, portion out the dough. Roll the dough between your hands until it forms a ball. Place the ball into the sugar and coat half of the ball. Place the dough on a cookie sheet, sugar side up. Use the bottom of a cup or a fork to press down dough.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Careful not to over bake. Cool cookies on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack. Try not to eat all the cookies at once.

Source: Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, via Smitten Kitchen, previously posted on my old blog

Southwest Turkey Meatballs

2011-10-12T02:00:00.000-07:00

I can remember a point in my life when I would say, "Corn is not an ingredient!" It was actually a subject I felt pretty passionate about. To me corn was a side dish that went along with mashed potatoes, not a part of soup or salsa. What in the world was I thinking? I can't tell you why I thought that or what changed, what I do know is that now I love it! Especially when paired black beans and cilantro. Yum!

That combination of corn, black beans, and cilantro was one of the reasons I loved this meal so much. But really, it's one of those meals that is an all around winner. It's healthy, it's filling, it's quick, and it's easy. I knew the moment I saw the post on Rachel's blog (Good Thymes and Good Food, fun blog name, huh?!) it would be a hit in my house and it was.

Southwest Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients
1 cup corn (frozen or fresh cut off the cob)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained & rinsed well
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
juice & zest of 1 lime
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup panko crumbs
1/2 tsp onion powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ c. chicken broth

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the corn, beans, tomatoes, garlic, lime (juice and zest), cumin, and cilantro. Lightly season with salt and pepper, set aside.

In another bowl, using clean hands, combine the ingredients for the meatballs (turkey, egg, panko, onion powder, salt and pepper). Shape into 16 meatballs, about the size of a golf ball.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook until they are evenly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes with frequent turning. It's OK if the meatballs aren't fully cooked through, they will continue to cook, you're mostly looking for browning.

Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring to a simmer, scraping up any brown bits. Add the tomato mixture and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through and meatballs are fully cooked.

Serve over rice (brown rice keeps it healthy!) with extra cilantro and cheese for garnish.

Adapted from Good Thymes and Good Food, originally from Clean Eating Magazine

Split Pea Soup

2011-10-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

Split Pea soup is ugly. No way around it. It looks like a bowl full of green mush and the occasional chunks of ham/bacon or carrots really don't help it's visual appeal. That's probably why growing up I thought I hated it. I can remember my mom making it at home or ordering it at restaurant and thinking that it had to be the grossest food ever. Something that looks like.... that, can't be good. Well folks, I'm here to tell you, I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Split Pea soup is delicious, filling, warm, cozy, and everything else you want in a good fall meal.

To some people, this particular recipe may appear to be missing an important ingredient, ham hock. I can assure you that even without the ham hock this soup is great. The bacon helps to add some of that familiar flavor but helps save you a few grams of fat/calories (when was the last time you thought of bacon as a calorie saver?).

The only other important note for this recipe is to remember to account for the time needed to fully soften/cook the split peas. A lot of soups can be prepared and eaten right away but this recipe requires at least 30 minutes to cook the peas.

Split Pea Soup

Ingredients
6 slices center cut bacon, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups dry split peas, rinsed
1 32-ounce carton low-sodium chicken broth
Water, as needed
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Cubed ham (optional)

In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon, drain on paper towels and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from the pot.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until vegetables become soft. Add the split peas, broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Add more water as needed to completely cover the peas. Bring to a boil then add half of the bacon back to the pot. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer until peas are soft, about 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and transfer the soup in batches to a food processor or blender and puree to desired consistency. If you have an immersion blender, you can do the pureeing in the pot.

Crumble the reserved bacon over each serving of soup. I recommend serving with a grilled cheese sandwich, smoked Gouda cheese really compliments this soup!

Source: The Ski House Cookbook

Easy Turtle Brownies

2011-10-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

It's Sweet Friday again and today I bring you Easy Turtle Brownies. I wanted to title this post "Crazy Easy One Bowl Turtle Brownies" but I thought that might be a little long. These are however crazy easy to make, and they do only require one bowl. Perfect for a weeknight chocolate craving.

I do have a go-to recipe that I have dubbed my favorite but in my opinion a girl can never have too many ways to make a brownie. If you haven't noticed, there is a salted caramel craze across the foodie world. So I drew some inspiration from that - and a bottle of Hershey's caramel sauce that I found hidden on my refrigerator door shelf. I also had a bag of pecan pieces in the cabinet. That's how the wheels starting turning.

I thought these brownies were fabulous. The bit of brown sugar I subbed in the brownies gave the chocolate an extra caramely and chewy kick. And every so often I would get a nice bite of kosher salt. They also had my ideal brownie texture, chewy, fudgelike, and moist. Jesse on the other hand liked them but still thought they were too "wet." He prefers a much more cake like brownie so I wasn't at all surprised. Just keep that in mind, if you prefer drier cake like brownies, these aren't it.

Crazy Easy One Bowl Turtle Brownies
(Brownie adapted from Hershey's, idea inspired by The Novice Chef)

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 cup cocoa powder*
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Hershey's Caramel Syrup (or another brand of caramel, or make you're own if you're up to it)
Pecan pieces, optionally toasted
*I used half Hershey's special dark and half regular cocoa powder, you can use a combination or whichever you have on hand.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish (or if you're like me and resisting this purchase, just use a 9 inch pie pan).

Melt the butter in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir the sugars into the melted butter. Add the vanilla and eggs and stir until well combined. Add the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and kosher salt to the bowl. Without breaking into the liquid ingredients below, give the dry ingredients a few stirs with a fork, then use your wooden spoon to incorporate into the liquid ingredients. Stir until you no longer see the flour.

Pour half of the batter into the greased pan and spread with a spatula (or save dishes and just use the wooden spoon). Drizzle the batter with the caramel syrup, being careful to keep it a 1/4 inch away from the edges. Pour in the rest of the batter. Drizzle with a little more caramel syrup then swirl with the spatula (or wooden spoon). Drop a small handful of pecans on top.

Bake for 20 minutes**, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool then slice into even squares or wedges and serve with a LARGE glass of milk.

**Because of the caramel syrup these were a little bubbly when baking, probably not the prettiest brownies I've ever made, but that's OK. Don't be scared when they don't have box-perfect shiny crispy crust on top.

Mashed Potato Pizza

2011-10-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

That's right. You read the title right; Mashed Potato Pizza. I told you last week that Jesse is heading back out to China soon and before he leaves I'm going to fill him up with carb-y goodness. And before I see comments about evil carbs, please know that this isn't the kind of meal you're going to have all the time. Everything in moderation. Don't worry, the following night we had a very healthy dinner with a small side of brown rice.

I can't take full credit for this idea. Back in Ohio being an Irish dancing teacher meant occasional weekend commitments for dancing events. This would usually mean lots of time fixing wigs, zipping dresses, tying shoes, and saying "shhhh, the audience can hear you". But it also meant all of us teachers going out for a nice dinner after the event. After the beginner recital we went to a place called Watson Bros Brewery, and they served the most unusual and delicious dish - Mashed Potato Pizza. Sadly one day I went and the doors were closed. But I never stopped thinking about it. And I finally recreated it. Possibly even better than the original.

Mashed Potato Pizza
(Sunny Side Up Original)

Ingredients
2-3 cups mashed potatoes (recipe below)
1 pound ball of pizza dough
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 green onion, sliced diagonally
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp sour cream
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
*1 chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite size chunks - optional

*The chicken was a little minute addition I made to attempt to round out the meal.

Directions
Preheat the oven and a pizza stone to 450 degrees.

Shape the pizza dough into a 12 inch circle**. Add the garlic to the melted the butter, then brush over the entire top of the dough. Carefully move the dough the hot pizza stone and bake for 8-9 minutes, or until the top starts to turn a light golden brown.

Remove the dough from the oven. Spread 2 tablespoons of sour cream over the top of the pizza dough. Then spread the mashed potatoes. Return to the oven for 5 minutes until the pizza dough seems crisp and the mashed potato peaks just begin to turn brown. If you want you can turn on the broiler for a minute, just keep an eye on it.

Top the pizza with Parmesan cheese, green onion, bacon, chicken (if you're using it) and a big dollop of sour cream in the middle . Serve with additional sour cream or Ranch dressing, if desired.

** I shape my dough right on a piece of parchment paper so when it comes to moving it to the hot stone all I have to do is slide the paper over.

Mashed Potatoes
(I make the mashed potatoes while the oven is preheating and the dough is cooking)

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp half and half (or milk)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions
Add potatoes, garlic, and 2 teaspoons of salt to large saucepan filled with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and drain water from potatoes.

Add the kosher salt (for some reason I think the rough kosher salt helps the potatoes mash easier, could be in my head, but it's what I always do) to the potatoes and use a potato ricer to begin mashing the potatoes. Add the butter, half and half, and sour cream and continuing mashing and stirring until smooth. If they seem dry you can add a little more half and half or milk. Test the taste and season with pepper and, if necessary, more salt.

Pizza Dough*

Ingredients
2/3 cup warm water
1 packet or 2 1/2 tsp active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp butter, melted (usually I use olive oil but for this pizza I used butter)
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions
Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water. Let sit for 8-10 minutes, or until the water looks creamy and the top is foamy. Stir in the melted butter.

In the bowl of a standing mixer (or large mixing bowl) stir together the flour, salt, and garlic powder. Create a well in the center and pour in the water/yeast. If you're using a standing mixer, turn the mixer to low and let it knead for 5 minutes, adding more water a teaspoon at a time if necessary. If you're not using a standing mixer begin stirring together with a wooden spoon and when it gets tough to stir start kneading with clean hands. Knead by hand for 10 minutes.

Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, and cover with a clean towel. Let rise for about 30 minutes.

* This pizza dough is incredibly forgiving. I make it at least once a week and more or less go by feel of the dough now. If you want to let it rise for longer and double you can, but you can also just let it rest for a few minutes and roll it out. The longer the rise, the lighter your crust will be. The shorter the rise, the denser the crust will be. I do it both ways all the time but I guess I can say that I prefer a 30-45 minute rise.

Beef with Eggplant

2011-10-03T02:00:00.000-07:00

I think I told this story in one of my China recaps but it's something I just can't stop thinking about. When we took our weekend trip to Beijing I had my favorite meal of the entire trip. My hopes were not high as we walked through the dark alley and into the restaurant through what looked like an apartment kitchen, but I was once again reminded to not judge a book by its cover. Despite the off the wall location the dinner was a-maz-ing. Noodles that seemed nearly endless topped with peppers and eggplant in an amazing sauce.

I was day dreaming about that meal right before I went grocery shopping, so it was no surprise when the bright purple Chinese eggplants were calling me. I decided to also add beef and since I haven't found "the" noodle recipe yet, I served this over rice. The awesome thing about eggplant is that it really soaks up whatever seasoning your using. Each bite was like a flavor explosion. Until I can perfectly recreate the noodles from the Beijing meal, I will just make this and love every bite of it.

Beef with Eggplant
(Sunny Side Up Original, sauce loosely adapted from Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp red chile sauce (such as Sriracha)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 pound flank steak (or other beef steak), very thinly sliced
1 medium Chinese eggplant*, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to season beef
Green onions, sliced diagonally for garnish

* Make sure to look for Chinese eggplant. It is a lighter/brighter shade of purple and longer and skinnier. It's skin is softer and the taste just slightly sweeter.

Directions
In a measuring cup combine the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha, brown sugar and cornstarch. Set aside. Lightly season the beef with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add half of the beef (so it is not overcrowded) to the wok and cook for 1 or 2 minutes on each side, you want the meat to get pretty brown but it doesn't have to cook all the way through. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside, covering with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the second half of the beef.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the eggplant and bell peppers (if the pan is dry you can add another drizzle of oil). Saute for a minute or two, then add the sauce. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the sauce begins to reduce and thicken, stirring occasionally. Return the beef to the pan (along with any juices that collected on the plate) and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Serve over brown rice and garnish with green onions.

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes

2011-09-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

How about another sweet Friday? Sounds good to me. Get the weekend started off right with these customizable Funfetti Cupcakes!

It's football season and regardless of whether or not you enjoy watching football games, I think that most people can get down with festive and spirited tailgate/party food. We are Bengals fans (Who Dey!) so for our Sunday radio broadcast streaming (no NFL cable package for us, we have to stream to hear the game) I went with black and orange sprinkles. But the beauty of homemade Funfetti is that you can use any color sprinkles you like! If you're a Chargers fan all you need are blue and yellow (gold) sprinkles. If you're not a football fan, you can go for traditional rainbow sprinkles or celebrate the season and stick with my black and orange and call it Halloween. It's totally up to you!

As for the cake part of the cupcake, it was nice and sturdy and not overly sweet. The tops domed nicely and the middle was moist and light. I did use jumbo liners so mine took forever and I think the outsides might have been a little overcooked, but they still tasted great. I tried something new with my frosting and I didn't love it so I won't be sharing that today, but I think the Fluffy Vanilla Frosting I have already posted would be perfect.

Now onto cupcake size. The cupcakes I made were giant. You see, a few weeks ago I needed cupcake liners and sent the boys to the grocery to pick up white liners. They followed my instructions to a T and brought back the stores only white liners - jumbo size. I don't have a jumbo muffin tin but the box of liners said they would fit in a regular pan, so that's what I did. They had a heck of a time baking so I highly recommend sticking with regular size cupcakes or even minis, just not jumbos. They still tasted great but like I said, the outside was just a little overcooked.

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes
(Adapted from Simply Scratch)

Ingredients
4 whole egg whites
1 cup whole milk
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups cake flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted Butter, softened
1/3 cup Sprinkles, plus more for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

In a large measuring cup or small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, and vanilla. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt, into the bowl of standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment*. Add the butter and half of the milk mixture and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then, with the mixer on slow speed, add the last half of the milk mixture. Mix on slow-medium speed just until combined. Scrape down sides one more time to make sure it is thoroughly mixed. Now add the sprinkles and gently fold into the batter.

Divide the batter evenly into the cupcake liners, filling each one just a tiny bit more than halfway. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool all the way before frosting. Finish each cupcake with a few more sprinkles.

Sit back, enjoy, and cheer on your favorite team!

* Most cakes can be made without a standing mixer by using a large mixing bowl and a hand held mixer, just be careful not to over mix.

Grilled Brussels Sprouts

2011-09-28T02:00:00.000-07:00

Why do brussels sprouts get such a bad rap? My guess is too many people have had a bad brussels sprout experience with mushy, overcooked, bland ones. I mean seriously, they are possibly one of my favorite vegetables. I compare the flavor to broccoli, just with a smoother texture. And being a member of the cabbage family means that they are going to absorb the flavors of your seasoning really well. Typically I roast my sprouts with garlic and olive oil until the tops are brown and caramelized. But with all of our recent grilling adventures I decided to track down a new preparation method.

Before I go any further, I've always said "Brussel" sprouts and just now realized (through some google searches) it's supposed to be "Brussels". It doesn't feel right though...

This recipe hit the nail on the head right away. The blanch ensures that they are no longer tough to eat but it's quick enough that they are not over cooked and mushy. Then the tossing in that fabulous seasoning? Are you kidding me, match made in heaven. I love the unexpected flavor from the celery seed. Then there's the grilling, the outside starts to turn a fabulous golden brown that really concentrates the flavor. Really really fabulous. So please, STOP HATING ON THE BRUSSELS SPROUTS and try this recipe.

Before I end this post I need to take a little personal side track. Here we go again! Jesse is headed back to China in a few weeks. Luckily this stay is only for a month (and he'll be back for Thanksgiving!!) but it's still a month apart. :( Because of his impending trip I plan on making a lot of comfort food in the coming weeks. The boy loves his mashed potatoes (who can blame him?) and other US friendly carbs. So you can expect to see lots of those sorts of recipes. And possibly some unexpected twists.... You'll have to stick around and see :)

Grilled Brussels Sprouts
(Source: Food52)

Ingredients
12 small to medium Brussels Sprouts
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp celery salt

Directions
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, clean and trim the brussels sprouts. Add the brussels sprouts to the boiling water and blanch for 4-5 minutes. Remove the sprouts from the water and drain off any excess liquid.

In a medium bowl heatproof bowl, drizzle the sprouts with olive oil. Then add the seasonings and toss well, until evenly coated. Set the bowl aside. (don't rinse it out!)

Place the coated sprouts on the grill (if you need to, you can lay out a piece of foil so they don't fall through) and cook over medium-high heat for 12 minutes, turning the sprouts every 4 minutes.

Remove the sprouts from the grill and put back into the heatproof bowl. Toss with the seasonings one more time before serving.

Pepper Jack and Cilantro Stuffed Swordfish

2011-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, a big huge thank you to everyone who pinned and shared Friday's post. I figured people would dig the pumpkin and cinnamon (and of course, the rum) but the response well exceeded my expectations. I shared on Facebook that I am blown away by the positive response and that is still true. I blog because I love it and because I believe the way to the heart is through the stomach, so seeing such a positive response to a post I already love gives me the warm fuzzies. Thanks everyone! And hello to new readers!

Today's post comes from a picture I stumbled on this weekend. It some how fell through the cracks after I uploaded the photos and it's a real shame because it was one of my favorite grilled meals this summer. If you're one of those people that thinks cilantro tastes like soap (how?? it's so yummy!) then it's probably not for you. If not, then hurry outside and make this before grilling season is over!

This recipe is perfect for people that are new to fish because swordfish is such a sturdy fish that it acts a lot like chicken. Plus the flavorful punch from the stuffing makes the fish taste even more subtle. Some may prefer a simpler preparation, and I can appreciate that, but I also have a hard time saying no to Pepper Jack cheese and cilantro!

Pepper Jack and Cilantro Stuffed Swordfish
(Adapted from We Are Not Martha)

Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 oz. Pepper Jack cheese, grated
3 swordfish steaks, each about 1-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Oil for preparing the grill grates
Lemon halves, optional

Directions
To the bowl of a food processor, add the garlic cloves and pulse for 10 seconds. Add the parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt and pulse again until herbs are finely chopped. With the motor running, stream the olive oil and process until emulsified. Remove a 1/4 cup of mixture and set aside for later use. To the bowl add the grated Pepper Jack cheese and process for 15 seconds (it will look kind of crumbly, and that's ok).

Prepare a grill by lightly brushing the grates with oil and turning the flame to medium.

Prepare the swordfish steaks but slicing a horizontal pocket into the side of the fish. Sprinkle the outside with salt and pepper, then stuff each pocket with the Pepper Jack-Cilantro mixture. You can secure the pocket with a toothpick if you feel it is necessary.

Grill the swordfish for 4-5 minutes then, using a metal spatula, carefully flip to the other side. Brush each swordfish steak with the reserved cilantro mixture and grill for 4-5 minutes, or until the fish begins to easily flake. If you opt to use lemon halves, you can grill those for the final 4-5 minutes.

Serve immediately with any additional cilantro sauce. Goes well with Spanish rice.

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread

2011-09-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

Do you know what today is? Friday, September 23rd, yes, but more importantly, the first day of fall! There might not be any leaves changing color or a crisp in the air, but I can still enjoy one of my favorite parts of fall. Pumpkin.

I can never wait for the official start of fall to bake with pumpkin and this year was no exception. I've already made my favorite pumpkin blondies and last weekend I whipped up something special to share with all on this special day. And oh man am I excited to share it with you. The light yeasted dough reminds me of a doughnut and the warmth from the rum glaze just screams fall. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread with Buttered Rum Glaze
(Adapted from Willow Bird Baking)

Ingredients
Bread
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Buttered Rum Glaze
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp rum *

*The recipe I used called for just a 1/4 tsp of rum but I really wanted to be able to taste the rum, so I upped it to a full tablespoon. It was just right for my taste, adding a nice warmth to the glaze. If you're not into rum you can sub a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Directions

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black). Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the milk, return to stove and heat through.**** Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool so it is no longer hot but also not cool (about 100-110 degrees F). Once it has reached a warm but not hot temperature add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy). Then add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.

While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.** Making sure sugar evenly absorbs the butter. Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20x12 inch rectangle.*** Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares (cut in half then each half into thirds). Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

In the meantime preheat an oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan bake for 30-40 minutes (mine took 37 exactly) or until top is a very deep golden brown.

To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and powdered sugar.

**Of course I didn't properly read this section of the directions... I was supposed to melt the butter and brush the dough with the butter then adding the sugar on top of the butter (instead of mixing it all together and sprinkling) but it worked my way so that's how I am listing it. It's really your call!

*** If dough is difficult to roll out, cover with a towel and allow to relax for a few minutes then try again.

**** My milk was room temperature. Adding it cold to the butter can result in clumping. Willow Bird Baking called for removing the butter from the pan, then heating the milk, then adding the butter back to the milk. I was lazy which is why I skipped that step. You can also heat the milk separately in the microwave if you'd like.

What happens when your photo shoot starts to take too long!

Creamy Mustard Potato Salad

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

In most parts of the country I imagine summer cookouts are starting to slow down and football parties are starting to pick. The good news is this recipe will work for both.

I come from a very large family, so when we all get together we usually have foods that are easy to produce in mass quantities . Cold cut trays, sloppy joes, coleslaw, and potato salads were regulars at our parties. They might not be considered upscale, but they bring back loads of memories of fun times with my wild family. And I don't know very many people that don't enjoy an occasional creamy potato salad.

This recipe has a perfect balance of creaminess from the mayo (and Greek yogurt, I had to add) and tang from the mustard. It was great the day I made it and even better the next day after all of the flavors had time to work together. I was conservative with the chopped pickles because I didn't want the pickle flavor to be too strong, but next time I'll use the full amount and the recipe below reflects that.

Creamy Mustard Potato Salad
(Adapted from The Cooking Photographer)

Ingredients
6 medium-large potatoes, I used Yukon golds
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 Kosher Deli-style dill pickle, chopped fine (about 1/4 cup)
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dry dill leaf
1/4 tsp celery seed, rubbed between palms
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dry mustard
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
2 to 3 Tbsp dill pickle juice from the jar

Directions
Peel, dice, and boil potatoes in unsalted water until tender, but not so soft they fall apart. When done, place in a cold water bath, until cool, then strain well. Mix all dry spices and liquid ingredients together in a small bowl.

Add potatoes, onion, egg, and pickles to a large bowl, and gently stir in the seasoning mixture until well mixed. Chill at least an hour before serving.

For a nice presentation, sprinkle with paprika and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Dirty Risotto

2011-09-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

First, yes that is a white plate. I broke down and bought a few. Some meals just look prettier on a clean white plate. I still love my Fiestaware though, so this white plate will be just an occasional thing. Now returning to regularly scheduled blogging.

Oh, do I love risotto. It can be a bit time consuming, not difficult at all, just time consuming. But in the end it is just so worth it. It's just so amazing what can happen to rice with a little (OK, a LOT) of stirring and some time. It's so creamy, without actually using cream. It's also so adaptable. You can make more plain and serve it as a side dish or you can load it up and serve it as a main course.

This particular recipe is the bomb, an Italian twist on a Cajun classic. It's got a hint of spice from the sausage and the smooth creamy feel that's what makes risotto so good.

I only made a few changes to the recipe. I felt like peas were calling to me, saying, "Add me." So I did. I also used turkey Italian sausage and I completely forgot to buy pancetta. I'm leaving it on the ingredient list simply because I know it would be an awesome addition and only left it out because I forgot.

Dirty Risotto
(Adapted from Food Network Favorites:Recipes from our All-Star Chefs)

Ingredients
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp butter
2 oz pancetta, chopped
1 link (about 6 ounces) spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 oz button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (optional)

Directions
In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a simmer. Keep warm while preparing the rice.

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted add the pancetta and sausage and cook until golden brown. Remove sausage from pan and keep warm on a plate. Add onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms and saute until tender. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine using the liquid to scrape up any brown bits left on the bottom of the pan. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated, then add 1/2 cup of the warm broth. Stir until mostly absorbed. Continuing cooking the rice, adding 1/2 cup of warm broth at a time, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding the next, and stirring constantly. This process will take about 30 minutes. When the last addition is absorbed add the Parmesan, peas, and return the sausage to the pan.

Sprinkle with additional Parmesan and chopped parsley for garnish. Serve immediately.

Homemade Fish Sticks

2011-09-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I like what I call a "kid meal". For lunch, that will mean a peanut butter and jelly with carrot sticks, a juice box, and fruit snacks. (Are people supposed to outgrow PB&J? Because I sure haven't yet.) For dinner, it's something like this meal. Fish sticks, macaroni and cheese, and green beans. But this isn't your blue box and yellow wearing fisherman kind of "kid meal". What's really awesome though, is that it doesn't take that much more time.

Here's the break down of how I put this meal together:

Prep green beans, set them aside to marinate
Get water boiling and pasta going
Prep fish sticks
Get the fish sticks and green beans in the oven
Drain pasta and prepare mac and cheese
Fish sticks and green beans out of the oven
Meal served

You can't tell me that takes much longer than the boxed meal. And of course, making it all yourself means knowing exactly what (and how much) is going into your food. I also think that these fish sticks are well worth any extra effort. The panko really adds a nice crunch and there is no freezer burn after taste.

Homemade Fish Sticks
((slightly)Adapted from Elly Says Opa)

2 white fish fillets (such as tilapia or cod) ~1 pound
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups panko
heaping 1/4 tsp onion powder
heaping 1/4 tsp garlic powder
heaping 1/4 tsp paprika
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450. Prepare a baking sheet by placing a wire (cooling) rack over the tray and lightly spraying with non-stick spray.

Cut the fish into strips.

In a shallow bowl, mix together the panko, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper, and canola oil. Place the egg in separate bowl.

Coat the fish sticks by dipping the strips into the egg first, then the panko mixture. Place the coated strips on the wire rack and bake for about 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily, rotating pan halfway through.

Have you ever tried Wasabi Mayonnaise? I bought some at Trader Joes and it was AWESOME with the fish sticks!

Pasta with Mexican Black Bean Sauce

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Try not to be too confused by my post today. The story and meal don't match, but I don't have a great story about this Mexican Black Bean Sauce. It came together incredibly easily and might have become my new favorite meatless meal. You know I love my black beans and to put it over pasta in the form of a sauce is just pure genius. Now onto my completely unrelated story (that mentions another recipe all together)...

Maybe you heard about a little blackout in Southern California last week. Around 3:30 all the power went out from Tijuana all the way up into Orange County and across to the California Arizona border. To be perfectly honest with you, I didn't notice the power had gone out. The girls and I were working on homework and since it was daylight we didn't have any lights on and there was no air-conditioning to go off. A neighbor actually called and asked if ours was off too and that's when I looked at the clock and noticed. After that it didn't take long to realize how wide spread this power outage was. And pretty much everyone left work early.

Not knowing how long the outage would last (and hearing it could be a day or two) I wanted to use up some of the things I knew would go bad. Meat and cheese. Thank goodness we bought that grill, because I managed to use it make the super easy Mac and Cheese (that's how easy it is, I did it without power, partially in the dark, on a grill). Then we dined by candlelight with a few friends and tried to enjoy the slow pace of the evening. I snapped this picture with my phone and just had to share it with you.

Now for the recipe!

Pasta with Mexican Black Bean Sauce
(Adapted from Branny Boils Over)

Ingredients
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (4.5 oz) diced green chiles
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
Chopped fresh cilantro and cherry tomatoes for garnish
Cheese for garnish (optional)
12 ounces pasta, cooked according to box directions

Directions
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent and tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chili powder, sugar, and oregano. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove 1 1/2 cups of the sauce, and add to the bowl of a food processor* along with the black beans. Process to desired consistency then add back to the skillet and stir into the reserved sauce.

Serve over pasta with cilantro, cherry tomatoes, and cheese garnish.

*If you have an immersion blender, you can use that instead of the food processor and save the dirty bowl.

Cherry Coke Cupcakes

2011-09-09T02:00:00.000-07:00

I think that Fridays are a great day to share sweet treats. I know I do a lot of my heavy baking on the weekends, so a lot of you probably do to. If you're looking for something to make this weekend you can stop right now. You are really going to want to try these cupcakes.

I made these cupcakes for one of Jesse's coworkers birthday, but I think these would also make a great bring along dessert for the next party you go to. Chocolate and cherry are a pretty well received flavor combination and just look how pretty they are. If you're worried about people not liking the cherry in the middle, you can make a few without cherries, like I did.

I will admit that the flavor reminds me more of a Black Forest cake than of Coca-Cola, but the Coke is a fun ingredient and really contributes to light spongy texture of the cake. I happened to have Cherry Coke on hand, but Annie made them with regular Coke. You can use whichever you prefer. Also, I used my new fluffy vanilla frosting instead of whipped cream for two reasons. One, it's flavor is light and fluffy like whipped cream with maybe just a few fewer calories. Two, it is sturdier and held up well to being transported in the heat.

Cherry Coke Cupcakes
(Cupcake adapted from Annie's Eats, frosting as I previously posted it here)

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes*:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup Cherry Coca-Cola
1 tsp maraschino cherry juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Maraschino cherries, stemless

For the glaze (optional):
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbsp Coca-Cola

Frosting recipe below

* As is, this recipe makes 12 cupcakes, for 24 cupcakes double this recipe

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350° F and prepare a muffin pan with foil or paper liners.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. In a bowl or large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, Cherry Coke, maraschino cherry juice, and vanilla extract; stir to combine. (At this point the mixture was foamy and looked a little curdled, don't be scared)

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter and mix on low speed. Add half of the liquid and continue to mix. Repeat until all of the dry and liquid ingredients are combined (the last addition should be the dry ingredients), scraping down the bowl as needed.

Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Drop 1-2 maraschino cherries into each cupcake and push them down into the batter. Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioners sugar and Coca-Cola until smooth. Drizzle a little bit over each cupcake and allow to set, frost as desired. Top each cupcake with a maraschino cherry.

Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
5 Tbsp Flour
1 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla *
1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Granulated Sugar

* For an extra kick add an additional teaspoon of maraschino cherry juice to the frosting when you add the vanilla
Directions
In a saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens (I would compare it to mashed potatoes). It is very important to whisk continuously so clumps don't form. This took me about 4-5 minutes, but it's best to go by texture.

Set milk mixture aside in an ice bath and allow to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, (or bowl of a standing mixture fitted with a whisk) beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat on high for 3-5 minutes. If it looks separated, keep beating.

Garlicky Green Beans

2011-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Living in San Diego has a lot of perks. For one, the weather here is darn near perfect almost the whole year. Not too hot, not too cold. Just mellow. Unfortunately there a few downsides. Most of the downsides have to do with me missing things about Ohio. Family, friends, and my extended dance family.

A little background for those of you that might not know, for almost 10 years I taught Irish dancing. If you do anything for that long it is bound to become a part of you, but I find that dancing especially seeps its way into who you are. Sometimes when I'm driving I'll start singing a jig, just to make sure I didn't lose it (because man it took a while to not accidentally slip into a reel mid-song). Other times I catch my feet doing a dance under my seat (or more embarrassingly, while waiting in a long line).

I have to admit that as much as I enjoy having my weeknights and weekends free, I'm a little sad to think that starting this week all my little dancers will be going back to class and I won't be there. Even though Garlicky Green Beans aren't really Irish, they are green. And in honor of my green McGing sweatshirt wearing dancers, I am posting this recipe for their first official week of the 2011-2012 dance year.

Quick notes about these green beans. 1) They are ridiculously easy 2) They are flavorful, crunchy, and the perfect fix it and forget it side dish.

Garlicky Green Beans
(Sunny Side Up original)

Ingredients
1 1/2-2 pounds fresh green beans, cleaned and cut to be even
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
4 tsp olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees*.

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl**.

Spread green beans on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until the skin starts to shrivel, stirring once or twice during baking.

* I settled on 450 because that's the temp my main course required. I'm sure it would be fine to use whatever temp your main course is. If it is less than 450 it will require more time, but will still work.

** For an extra flavorful punch do this about 30 minutes before you plan to cook the green beans and allow them to marinate in the oil/garlic.

Creamy Shrimp Pasta

2011-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Before I lived in San Diego I lived in Ohio. But, before I lived in Ohio I lived in Maryland (and before that Ohio, Maryland, Ohio, we liked to move). One of the things I remember most vividly about Maryland is the crab parties we would occasionally have. I can remember going to the docks and my parents picking up a bushel of live Maryland blue crabs. When we got them home my sister and I would pick out a crab and race them across the kitchen floor. Then they were boiled, drained, covered in Old Bay seasoning, and tossed onto a big table covered in newspaper.

OK, so racing your dinner across the kitchen floor before eating it off of a newspaper covered table might sound a little barbaric, but I swear we weren't the only ones that did. There was usually a crowd of friends there to enjoy and partake in the barbaric activities. It's kind of a tradition in Maryland, at least in the crowd my parents hung with.

It's been years since I've enjoyed a crab party but one thing I have continued to enjoy is the flavor of Old Bay seasoning. It takes me right back to those parties and makes me feel warm and happy. I think when we first moved back to Ohio it was difficult to find in the grocery stores but now most stores carry it, conveniently near the seafood.

Now I know this is starting to sound like a cheesy commercial, but I promise you it's not. This meal was just the perfect option when my sister was in town because she has the same memories as I do. I love that this meal is impressive enough to serve to company but easy enough to make after work on a weeknight (which is exactly what I did while my sister was visiting).

Creamy Shrimp Pasta
(Adapted from Oldbay.com)

Ingredients
1 16 oz box of pasta (I used bow ties)
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 Tbsp butter
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 Tbsp Old Bay, divided (low sodium kind if you can find it)
2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 green onions, sliced thinly

Directions
Cook pasta according to directions on package. During the last minute of cooking add the peas. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon of Old Bay. Cook for 3 minutes or until they start to turn pink. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Stir in the half-and-half, reserved cooking liquid, Parmesan cheese and the rest of the Old Bay. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat and add the pasta, peas and green onion. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving (this gives the sauce a few more minutes to thicken)

Serve with extra grated Parmesan cheese.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-09-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I was originally going to post something else today, and I still plan to post that recipe because it was great, but I thought you needed to know about these cookies sooner rather than later.

I am a total sucker for chocolate chip cookies. All self control is out the window when they (or the dough) are around. I already have a go-to recipe but I'm always up for trying something new, especially when there is an unexpected ingredient. And when I say "always" you can take that literally. I saw this recipe in the morning, the corn starch caught my eye, and the first dozen were in the oven before lunch.

I think it's safe to say that my old stand-by now has some stiff competition. These cookies were exactly what I hoped they would be. Chewy, flavorful, just slightly crunchy around the edges. And I know that taste is what should matter the most, but I like my cookies to look as good as they taste. These cookies keep their round even shape, puff up nicely in the middle, and don't spread too much. Basically, they are everything I am looking for in a cookie.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Adapted from Apple a Day)

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.

Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough, or with cookie scoop, onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges.

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for five minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

2011-08-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last week the family I nanny for went on vacation so that meant two things for me. One, STAYCATION - which after the craziness of this summer was very, very welcome. Two, lots of cooking and baking. Well the staycation was awesomely relaxing and my kitchen took the beating like a champ.

Since getting back from China I have really wanted to get back into a groove of meal planning and I figured a week at home was the perfect time to get started. I have to say it's AMAZING how many more vegetables I include when I plan my meals in advance. Every night I was just enamored with the beautiful colors included in all of my meals. Especially this meal.

I came across this recipe the morning I made my meal plan and it went straight to the front of the line. Besides Jesse jokingly saying, "Wow that appetizer looks great, what's for dinner" (Do you know what popular chain restaurant he was thinking of?) these lettuce wraps went over really well. I loved the punch of veggies and the fact that I was able to not only cook a meal without dairy or a major carb, but that it was actually really enjoyed by all.

Recipe Note: The most time consuming part of this whole meal is chopping the veggies. I recommend doing all of the chopping and throwing the veggies in a bowl before starting up the stovetop. Once you start cooking everything goes really quickly. Also if you're feeding people with big appetites, I would recommend multiplying the recipe time 1.5 or 2.

Asian Lettuce Wraps
(Adapted from Good Thymes and Good Food, previously on Annie's Eats)

Ingredients
Sauce
4 tsp hoisin sauce
4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cornstarch
Freshly ground black pepper

Filling
2 tsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 lb. ground turkey, chicken, or pork (I did a combination of ground chicken and pork)
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup carrot, very finely diced
1/2 green apple, finely diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Lettuce, for wrapping
Directions
In a measuring cup, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce, set aside.

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the canola oil to the pan along with the garlic, shallot, and ginger. Cook for 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the ground meat to the pan, breaking into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until the meat is no longer pink then create a well in the center of the pan by pushing the meat to the outside edges. Add the onion, bell pepper, frozen peas, and carrot to pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally add the sauce, apples, and green onion. Stir to evenly coat and cook for 1 minute to allow the sauce to slightly thicken.

Serve with fresh lettuce.

Cinnamon Crumb Cake

2011-08-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you "like" my page on Facebook, then you might remember last weekend when I posted about my perfect weekend morning. I was cozy on the couch with a freshly brewed cup of coffee in my hand and the smell of cinnamon crumb cake filled the apartment as it baked. OK, first I have to tell you how exciting the coffee part is. I finally broke down and bought a Keurig and I can not believe it took me this long. Yes I know, to some people it might seem silly, but Jesse doesn't drink coffee and I usually only want one or two cups. So for me it's perfect. And I bought the Kcup that I can fill with my own coffee when the samples run out. As you can probably tell, I'm more excited than I should be about coffee. :)

Now we can talk crumb cake. Or do you call it coffee cake? I searched both names to find a recipe that matched the vision in my head, and then I finally came across the perfect one, called a New York Style Coffee Cake. It was probably the inch and a half thick crumb on top that drew me in (and made me decide that Crumb Cake was a more fitting name). Man, I am so glad I came across this recipe. It was so so so good. The cake was moist and tender and the crumb topping was sweet, buttery, cinnamony, and just crunchy enough. By the way, do you like how I just add a "y" to words if I can't figure out a better way of describing something? :)

Cinnamon Crumb Cake
(Adapted from Fake Ginger)

Ingredients

Crumb Topping
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, cubed

Cake
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt *
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*I've been on a huge greek yogurt kick, so that's what I used.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a glass/ceramic 9x13 dish with butter.

Mix together all of the dry crumb topping ingredients (flour through cinnamon). Drop cubes of butter into the mix. Start by using a pastry cutter, or two knives, to cut in the butter. When the butter is evenly distributed, use hands to squeeze it together then break it into crumbs. Do this until it seems well combined and you are making crumbs that are mostly about the size of peanuts. Set aside. **

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides bowl before each addition and beating until fully incorporated. Add the yogurt and vanilla and beat until combined. Finally, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, beating just until combined without lumps.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Smooth out the batter with a spatula. Scoop up the crumb topping with your fist and drop clumps of it onto the the batter until all of the crumb topping is used. It will seem like a LOT of crumb topping.

Bake for 45-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the middle of the cake seems solid.***

Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving. If you like, mix together some milk and confectioners sugar and make a glaze.

**The original recipe called for melting the butter and stirring together, then drying out the mixture. I was already mixing my crumb topping when I realized this, but the way I did it worked out really well. I also decreased the amount of flour and butter.

***I know this seems like a wide spread for baking time, but the recipe called for 45-55 minutes and mine took an hour and 5 minutes. My oven can be weird. Check yours at 45 and just keep in mind that it can take up to an hour. If the edges seem to be getting overdone reduce the oven temperature to 325.

Creamed Corn

2011-08-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, the BBQ Turkey Burgers I posted last week were very well received. I am going to go out on a limb and say it was all that cheesy goodness on top that drew people in. But it wasn't just the delicious cheese, juicy burger, or savory BBQ sauce that made that meal. The side dish really set that already amazing burger over the top. That side dish was creamed corn. No wait! Stop! Don't click away. This isn't your mushy, sodium laden, canned creamed corn. This is homemade, creamy, corny, goodness. I promise. And even better, it's easy!

Here's a few notes about this recipe. First, I had a bag of roasted corn from Trader Joes and it was an awesome addition, but I don't think it's a make or break for the recipe. If you have it, use it, you'll like it. If you don't, no worries, it will still be awesome. Second, the recipe I used called for a crockpot. A crockpot would be great if you're the type of person that plans ahead and can remember to put everything in the crockpot. Some people I know aren't like that... I used a dutch oven. Bellow I'll tell you how to do both ways just keep in mind that my personal experience was with the dutch oven. Third, I used frozen corn. Fresh would be even more delicious, but also a lot of work. Your call. Finally, I cut the recipe in half and it still made a ton (and I will list it below as I made it, if you need more you can double it). Now to the recipe!

Creamed Corn
(Adapted from Bluebonnets and Brownies)

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds frozen sweet corn (it was 2 1/2 bags for me or 5 cups if using fresh)
1 8 oz block cream cheese, diced into 1 inch squares
1/2 stick (2 oz) butter
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp of sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place all ingredients in a dutch oven or oven-proof pot, over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until all cream ingredients are melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.

Cover the pot with a lid and bake for 30 minutes.

Crockpot instructions - throw everything in the crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours.

Strawberry Lime Cupcakes

2011-08-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've already posted 2 awesome snacks from our Bayday (Soft Pretzel Bites and Veggie Pizza Appetizer) but we certainly couldn't survive the hours at the beach on salty, savory, treats alone. Nope. We needed something sweet. Usually when I think about a sweet dessert to share with a group my mind jumps straight to chocolate. And don't be fooled, last minute I did whip up some brownie bites, but for the main attraction I had a vision of a light and summery cupcake. From there I decided on Strawberry Lime Cupcakes.

The recipe I used for the cupcake caught my eye right away (well, pretty much anything that uses cream cheese does that). You might be skeptical, but I used cream cheese in a coffee cake once and the result was a moist and tender crumb, I figured that would be perfect for my cupcake base. I made a few changes to really up the strawberry flavor and sub lime for lemons and I think that was a good decision.

Strawberry Lime Cupcakes
(Cupcake adapted from Cooking Agents; Frosting Sunny Side Up Original)

Cupcake

Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tbsp lime zest
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
1/3 cup strawberry puree* **
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

*I used a pint of strawberries which made about 1 cup of puree. I processed the strawberries in my food processor and then pressed through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds. This process really helped to concentrate the strawberry flavor (more so, I think, than fine chopping alone)
** The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of vegetable oil instead of strawberry puree. I accidentally poured a little too much (1/3 cup) which is why my measurement reads 1/3 instead of 1/4. If you live in a really humid environment maybe cut it back to 1/4.

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare cupcake pan with liners.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a measuring cup combine the strawberry puree, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla, set aside.

In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle, beat the cream cheese and butter with sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the liquid ingredients in 2 additions, ending with the flour mixture. Careful not to over mix.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

Strawberry Lime Frosting

Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup strawberry puree
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth, adding more powdered sugar to achieve desired consistency. (Just be careful not to cover your kitchen in powdered sugar, which has never happened to me)

Garnish cupcakes with chopped strawberries and lime zest.

Soft Pretzel Bites

2011-08-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I don't think anyone will be more excited about this post than my dad. You see, last year, while I was living with my parents waiting to move to California, I made these pretzels to take to a friends house for some serious football watching. My dad had been telling me he wanted to learn how to bake bread and when he saw (and tasted) these he immediately said, "When can you teach me how to make these?!" I think he managed to wait 2 days before demanding to give them a try. Since that day he mentions "making pretzels" anytime we talk about food or cooking (which if you know me, you know happens often). And I know he was jealous when my sister and I told him we made them for Bayday during her visit.

When I taught my dad, I twisted the pretzels into sticks, but for Bayday Emilie and I cut them into bite size pieces that are perfect for snacking. I don't know if that was a good idea or bad idea. These pretzels are already addicting, but when you can just pop one in your mouth any time you think about/see/smell them, you're in trouble. They're just that good. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!! (And as a bonus I'm including my recipe for Super Easy Beer Cheese, a-maz-ing with the preztels)

Soft Pretzel Bites
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients
4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp butter, melted that has been cooled
Kosher salt, for topping
Parchment paper and cooking spray

Directions
In a measuring cup dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Set aside. (Mixture should become foamy, if it doesn't your yeast may be bad or your water too hot)

In the bowl of a standing mixture fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugars, and salt on low speed. Turn off the mixer and pour the water/yeast mixture and melted butter into the bowl. Turn the mixer on and knead for 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth. If the dough is too dry you can add extra water, a tablespoon at a time.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Remove the dough from the mixer and shape into a ball. Place the dough ball in the bowl, cover with a clean towel, and allow to rise for one hour (*or until double in size).

Towards the end of rising, preheat oven to 450 degrees and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper and cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the hot water and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and melted butter.

After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and then knead with hands for one minute. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide dough into 12 even portions. Now you can pick your shape. For pretzel bites roll each portion into a snake then cut the snake into bite size pieces, about 1 1/2 inches in width.

Dip the pieces in the baking soda water and place on the baking sheet (sometimes I dab the pretzels with a paper towel if they seem too wet). Brush each pretzel bite with egg whites/melted butter then sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 7-8 minutes, until browned.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

*I always let my dough rise in the (off) oven with the light on.

Beer Cheese Dip
(Sunny Side Up original)

Ingredients
6 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup good quality beer
1 Tbsp horseradish
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2-3/4 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Directions
Microwave cream cheese for 30-45 seconds until very soft. Stir in the beer, horseradish, and garlic powder. Microwave again for 30-45 seconds. Add the grated cheese and stir until smooth, microwaving again if necessary.

Cold Veggie Pizza Appetizer

2011-08-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Bayday, Bayday!!

My sister has been visiting for the past week and we've been having an absolute blast. One of our jokes is that no one can make us laugh more than ourselves, except maybe each other. Don't worry, I know you're probably giving me the side eye right now because reading that doesn't make much sense. Like most families, and especially sisters, we have a lot of inside jokes and from the outside looking in we are just weirdos. Actually from the inside looking out we're pretty strange too -- but we have FUN which is the most important part.

One of the fun things we did during her visit was have Saturday Bayday Bayday (best said like the motorsports commercials "Sunday, Sunday, Sunday"). Around lunch time we headed out to the bay with a few friends for a day of frisbee, sunbathing, eating, and good fun. Unfortunately we wound up cutting the day a little short when the sun disappeared and the clouds showed up, but the rest of the day was still a blast. And of course there was no shortage of food.

I'll be sharing a few of those recipes in the next few weeks and I thought I would start with this super easy appetizer. I think this is one of things that everyone has had and everyone has their own way of making. This just happens to be the way I made it. I didn't use a recipe as I have had it a million times and felt pretty confident about making it without one (but I did take notes so I could share it with you). It must have been a big success because it was a crowd favorite. Good news is it was also easy!

Cold Veggie Pizza Appetizer
(Sunny Side Up recipe)

Ingredients
2 cans of refrigerated croissant dough (I used Trader Joe's brand)
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 packet Ranch dressing mix*
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp paprika
2 cups chopped veggies of your choice**

*1/2 packet was plenty for my tastes, but taste the dressing as you're mixing and add more if needed ** I took the easy way out and bought a mixed bag with broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, and chopped it up. Bell peppers, onions, even cucumber would also be great.

Directions
Unroll the cans of croissant rolls and place on a baking sheet. Press together so it forms one big rectangle without seams. Bake according to package and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, Ranch, and seasonings until smooth.

Spread the dressing over the crust in an even layer. Top with chopped veggies and cut into even squares. Serve cold.

Fluffy Vanilla Frosting

2011-08-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

I am always on the lookout for a reason to make a fancy cake. I keep bookmarking cool looking cakes and the list of things I want to try with frosting keeps getting longer and longer. Unfortunately, now that I live in San Diego and most of my family/friends are 2,000 miles away, it's not often that I have a good reason. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to whip up a random batch of brownies, cookies, or simple cupcakes for no reason at all. But the fancy-stuff really needs an occasion (hence the over the top cake I made for my own birthday). So when I realized that there was a birthday for a special 12 year-old the first weekend I was back from China, I was overwhelmed with cake ideas.

This is where the rosy ruffle cake comes in. Ruffle cakes have been popping up all over the blogosphere for a while now and I am jealous of each and every one. Then a few months ago I saw a gorgeous rose covered cake and I wanted to make that too. Since cake making opportunities are few and far between I decided to combine the two. The birthday girl requested teal blue and purple. I still want to try a baby pink ruffle cake but this combo was pretty cute too.

Now on to the frosting. This recipe is weird, flour in frosting? I was skeptical, but, it's been something I've thought about trying for a while. The texture was smooth so it was ideal for the ruffling but maybe too soft for the rose swirls. It also had a light fluffy feel when eating and the taste was sweet but not too sweet. It is officially going into my frosting recipe rotation and I know I will use it time and time again.

Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
(Adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients
5 Tbsp Flour
1 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Granulated Sugar

*I doubled the recipe for this particular cake.

Directions
In a saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens (I would compare it to mashed potatoes). It is very important to whisk continuously so clumps don't form. This took me about 4-5 minutes, but it's best to go by texture.

Set milk mixture aside in an ice bath and allow to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, (or bowl of a standing mixture fitted with a whisk) beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat on high for 3-5 minutes. If it looks separated, keep beating.

At this point you can color as desired with food coloring.

Sorry no tutorial on the ruffles, I have only done it this one time and I am no expert! I did however watch this video to get the general idea. As for the roses, I started a little off center and made a big rose swirl (with Wilton tip 1M) and continued making roses around the cake until it was mostly covered. Then I went back and added stars to fill in gaps.

BBQ Turkey Burgers

2011-08-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

Grilling is great. Living in Ohio there were only a few months out of the year that were ideal for grilling. Winter would be way too cold and summer could be brutally hot (I'm sure a lot of you know what I mean). But man we looked forward to those months. San Diego has grilling weather pretty much year round. So can you believe that we just now bought a grill? Crazy, right? As much as Jesse loves steak and I love experimenting with food, you would think that would have been one of our first purchases. But, I guess other things just got in the way. Regardless, we have one now and it's awesome.

One of the first things I had to make were these burgers that I have had bookmarked for months. Lucky for me I had just enough left over pulled pork and BBQ sauce. And when I say lucky, I mean lucky. These burgers were awesome. I have a deep love for all things BBQ so I guess it's not that surprising.

The few changes that I did make were because of what I had on hand, white onions instead of red and green onions, and ground turkey instead of ground chicken. Also, I didn't plan ahead far enough (or I just missed it on the ingredient list, I'm not sure what happened) so I didn't have cornbread made. I did however have a good ole stand-by box of Jiffy mix. So I just used a 1/4 cup of that. Worked perfectly. Oh, and I only needed 3 burgers so that's all I made. Of course they were HUMONGOUS, so I recommend making 4.

BBQ Turkey Burgers
(Adapted from Pink Parsley)

Ingredients
1/2 cup crumbled cornbread or 1/4 cup cornmeal or 1/4 cup Jiffy cornbread mix
2 Tbsp minced onion
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 lb ground turkey (or chicken)
2/3 cup chopped pulled pork
5 Tbs BBQ sauce, divided
1/2 red onion, sliced into rings
4 slices colby-jack cheese or extra sharp cheddar
4 burger buns
Oil for grill grates

Directions
Prepare your grill.

In a small bowl, combine the cornbread/meal/mix with the minced onion, cilantro, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar. In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey, pulled pork and 3 Tbsp of BBQ sauce. Then mix the two together until thoroughly combined.

Shape into 4 even burgers. Place burgers and onion rings on preheated grill. Cook on one side for 5 minutes then flip to the other side. Brush the cooked side with the some of the remaining 2 TBSP of BBQ sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip one more time and brush with the rest of BBQ sauce. Place the grilled onions on top of the burgers and then top with cheese. Close the grill lid and cook until the cheese is melted. If you like your buns toasted, now is a good time to throw them on the grill.

Banana Oat Muffins

2011-08-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

These muffins are the product of some really really hard work I did in China. I spent hours scouring food blogs and ~~drooling~~, I mean researching new recipes to try when I got home. It was hard work, but some one had to do it, and in the end the hard work paid off in the form of Banana Muffins.

After recently discovering that yes, in fact, I do love banana bread, I needed to branch out and try some other recipes. So when these were posted in July, I knew they were at the front of the baking line when I got home. Now here's a fun fact about these muffins. They are actually still tasty if you are sick while baking and completely forget to add the sugar. They just taste more like regular bread. Of course they're better with sugar, like way better. But hey, if you're ever in the mood for not-sweet banana bread at least now you know. Not that anything like that ever happened when I was baking...

Since I mentioned it, what is it about international flights that makes it physically impossible to NOT get sick when you get home. Jesse and I both got some wicked head and chest colds within a few days of being home. I mean, what is up with that? Being sick is never ever ever fun, but being sick in the summer, in San Diego after being gone for 5 weeks (or 3 1/2 months for Jesse), is just cruel. Good thing I didn't let it stop me from attempting to bake :)

Banana Oat Muffins
(Adapted from So Tasty So Yummy)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup steel cut oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup mashed banana
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp oats, optional for topping

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin by lightly spraying each cup with cooking spray (You could also use liners if you prefer).

In a medium bowl combine all of the dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon) and set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the mashed banana, buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla, and eggs.

Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and stir together until well combined.

Evenly fill each muffin cup (I sprinkled the tops with extra oats) and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the muffin tin for 15 minutes before removing.

Easy Mac and Cheese

2011-08-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

It's not what you think. I know that it looks like I've got a plate full of Velveeta Shells and Cheese, but it's not! What's really on the plate is the easiest and maybe creamiest homemade mac and cheese I've ever made. I consider myself to be somewhat of a mac and cheese connoisseur, I've made countless recipes, some that were amazing and some that were big fat flops. I was worried that this was going to be one of those flops. It just seemed way too easy, like 1-step up from the box kind easy. But this was no flop. It is the great, easy, weeknight answer to your "How can I make mac and cheese for a side dish without it taking longer than the main course" question.

Of course I upped the cheese to milk ratio a little bit because I'm cheese crazy and I'm so glad I did. I used a Medium Cheddar, but the possibilities are endless. Half Medium Cheddar half Vermont White. Half Colby Jack half Pepper Jack. Half Cheddar half Jack. See where I'm going with this? The more significant the cheese is on it's own the more significant the taste will be in the mac and cheese. The Medium Cheddar resulted in a mild, smooth, and creamy mac.

Easy Mac and Cheese
(Adapted from Evil Shenanigans, originally from Cooks Illustrated)

Ingredients
16 oz box pasta, I used small shells
2 Tbsp butter
12 oz can evaporated milk
2 egg, beaten
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp red pepper optional
1/8-1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese*
Salt to taste

*Sorry kids, I just don't think the packaged pre-grated cheese will work for this. It's coated in stuff to keep it from sticking together and therefore, won't melt well.

Directions
Boil pasta shells 1-2 minutes short of the suggested time on the box (No one wants mushy watery mac and cheese). In the meantime, combine the evaporated milk, eggs, mustard powder, and pepper in a large measuring cup and whisk together.

Drain the pasta in a colander and then return it right back to the hot pan. Reduce heat to low. Add the butter and stir until melted.

Carefully add the milk egg combination to the pan, stirring constantly to avoid making scrambled eggs. Stir for 3-4 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Add the cheese in 4-5 increments, making sure that each addition is completely melted before adding the next.

Serve immediately. We had ours with grilled steak and small salad and it was the perfect meal.

Coffee-Chipotle Pulled Pork

2011-08-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

I have a love hate relationship with my apartment. Love: This weekend we explored some tide pools, biked around the bay, and did a little shopping - all within 5 miles of our little apartment. It's hard to beat the location. Hate: My kitchen has been a complete and total disaster since the weekend we got home from China. It's so tiny it's nearly impossible to keep up with mess. You would think a smaller space would mean a smaller mess. But no. It means there are lots of dishes, baking supplies, food items, and other kitchen goods that have to be kept in places other than the kitchen. Also, things kept in the kitchen can have only one very specific place where it can be stored. Pots and pans have to be stacked in a very specific order and turned in a very specific direction so as to leave room for the very specifically stacked colanders to be placed in front of them.

What's that have to do with a messy kitchen? Welllll, I guess it comes down to laziness - no wait that sounds bad, busyness. I've been so busy and going right from one project to the next that things just don't have time to be put back in their proper and specific place. There is no sense in walking the spare mixer bowl to the bedroom closet just to have to pull it back out later. Just in the time that I've been home I've made Lasagna, Lemon Greek Chicken, Black and Tan Brownies, Banana Oat Muffins (recipe to come), Whole Wheat Bread, my birthday cake (talk about a mess!), this Chipotle Pulled Pork, and of course a few other favorites. That makes for one messy kitchen.

It's been worth it, though. Especially for this meal. This pulled pork was awesome, even better when paired with cheesy grits with roasted corn. Don't be scared off by the coffee in the rub. It doesn't taste like coffee. It just adds depth to the flavor.

Coffee-Chipotle Pulled Pork
(adapted from Homesick Texan)

Ingredients
1 3-lb pork shoulder
3/4 cup water
Coffee-Chipotle Rub (recipe below)
BBQ Sauce (recipe below)

Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Rub the Coffee-Chipotle rub all over the pork roast. Place the roast in 5-quart dutch oven (or other oven proof pot/pan with a lid) and pour the water around the roast. Cover with a lid and roast for 4 hours.

At 4 hours remove the pan from the oven and pour most of the liquid off into heat proof measuring cup and set aside. Stick a fork in the middle of the roast and give it a jiggle. If the meat is still tough (doesn't start to fall apart when you stick the fork in the middle) return the pan to the oven and roast for another hour. Check again with a fork and continue roasting until it's ready (mine took 5 and half hours). When the pork starts to fall apart increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Shred the pork with 2 knives and pour 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce over it. Return to the oven for 15 minutes until the BBQ sauce starts to glaze over the pork.

Serve on buns with cole slaw or over cheesy grits.
Coffee-Chipotle Rub

1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp black pepper
1/8 cup of finely ground dark coffee (or one VIA instant coffee packet)
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon chipotle powder (or 1 pulverized chipotle pepper)
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients together until it is thoroughly combined with no lumps. If you're using the chipotle pepper instead of the powder, rub it into the other ingredients with your fingers (and make sure to SCRUB your hands when you're done!).

Chipotle-Honey BBQ sauce

1 tsp canola oil
1/2 half a medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups ketchup
1/8 cup yellow, ball-park style mustard
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup reserved cooking liquids from pork
2 canned chipotle pepper (not full cans, but 2 peppers from a can)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Salt and black pepper to taste

Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and simmer over low-heat for 30 minutes before serving.

Not-Ice Cream Sundae Cake

2011-08-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

You know how certain rides at the amusement park have a warning like, "Those with heart disease, high blood pressure...." Well, I think maybe this cake should have that warning. It's a little over the top. But isn't that what birthdays are all about?

Yep, birthdays (and in my case birthday week) are all about going over the top. Calories don't count on your birthday (or birthday week). Lucky for me, when you have a food blog you can actually go above and beyond over the top. So we won't talk about calories. Or the health implications of consuming a piece of a cake that contains 6 sticks of butter, a cup and a half of heavy cream, and nearly 5 cups of sugar. Birthday calories don't count. Also I'm a firm believer of "Everything in moderation." So don't make this cake and plan on eating the whole thing yourself. Instead, have a small slice and invite some friends over to enjoy the rest!

This cake is what I would like to call a "Not-Ice Cream Sundae Cake." It's a very vanilla, fluffy, white cake, filled with chocolate ganache and vanilla bean mousse, frosted with a whipped vanilla bean buttercream, topped with more chocolate ganache, sprinkles and another nice dollop of buttercream and of course finished with a cherry on top. Happy Birthday to me!

Not-Ice Cream Sundae Cake
(Sunny Side Up original idea; Cake adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody; Vanilla Bean Mousse adapted from Sugarlaws; Whipped Vanilla Buttercream adapted from Sweetapolita, Chocolate Ganache adapted from Savory Sweet Life)

Cake

1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Vanilla bean, seeds scraped from pod
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (6 oz), softened

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease two 8 inch cake pans with vegetable shortening, line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper, grease the parchment paper and flour the pans.

Combine milk, eggs whites, vanilla bean seeds, and extract in a small bowl with a fork. Set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in an electric mixer and mix at slow speed with a paddle attachment. Add butter. Continue beating at slow speed until mixture looks like wet sand.

Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining milk mixture and beat for an additional 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary. Do not overmix.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and gently shake to smooth batter.

Bake 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes then invert onto racks to cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Bean Mousse

1 Vanilla bean, seeds scraped from the pod
2/3 cup sugar, divided
2 egg whites
1 cup heavy cream

Whip together heavy cream, 1/3 cup of sugar, and vanilla beans, on high speed until soft peaks form. Set aside.

In a new, clean and oil free, bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, about 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup of sugar and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Add the egg whites, 1/3 at a time, to the bowl with the whipped cream and gently fold together. Cover the mousse and refrigerate until ready to use.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup heavy cream
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Bring heavy cream to a boil. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature before pouring over cake.

Whipped Vanilla Buttercream

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 5 minutes on medium speed, until it is pale yellow and appears fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients and (starting on low speed and working up to medium) beat for 5 more minutes.

How to Assemble Cake

Place one 8-inch cake on a 10-inch cardboard cake circle. Poke the top of the cake all over with a fork. Then, pipe a border on the top of cake all around the edge. Pour 1/3 cup of chocolate ganache onto the cake and use the back of a spoon to spread it out. Top with 1 cup of Vanilla Bean Mousse, using the piped border as a guide.

Place the second 8-inch cake on top. (Now is a good time to put it in the freezer for a few minutes to make it easier to frost.) Frost the top and sides with the Whipped Vanilla Bean Buttercream. You can pipe a border along the bottom to make it look pretty. Put the cake back in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Pour the chocolate ganache onto the top of the cake and use a spatula to carefully spread it close to the edges. It shouldn't need too much prompting to start to drizzle over the edges. Finish the cake by piping more buttercream on top of ganache and sprinkling with sprinkles.

This cake should be stored in the fridge because of the egg whites in the Vanilla Bean Mousse.