Source: My friend, Tyrelle Erikson
Ingredients:
Meatloaf:
1 lb. ground turkey or ground ham
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp. parsley
1/2 green pepper, minced
1/2 onion, minced
salt/pepper
Sauce: (See Notes)
1 can tomato soup
1/4 - 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. mustard (wet)
cornstarch, if needed to thicken sauce
Directions:
Mix together all meatloaf ingredients, press into a loaf pan, and bake at 350 F for 1 hour. Meanwhile, stir/blend together sauce ingredients. After baking, discard any grease that has accumulated. Pour 1/3 of the sauce on top of loaf ad bake for an additional 1/2 hour, reserving some of the sauce to top with meatloaf slices when serving.
Notes: Our friends have served this to us for dinner a couple of times, and holy smokes, it is delicious! The first time we had it, Bret ate so much that he was stuffed sick for a few hours - it was just so hard to stop! The best part is most definitely the sauce. I noticed that Tyrelle usually doubles the sauce recipe so that there is plenty to add on as you eat and/or sop up with some garlic bread.
Friday, September 4, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Frozen Hot Chocolate
Source
Ingredients
6 fluid ounces milk
1/2 cup hot cocoa mix
2 cups crushed ice cubes
whipped cream (optional)
Directions
1. Pour milk into blender.
2. Add hot cocoa and ice.
3. Blend first at low speed and then high speed until ice is finely crushed and slushy.
4. Pour into tall glass and top with whipped cream and a dusting of hot cocoa mix, if desired.
Notes
This is my new favorite summer treat! It's fast and simple to make, and easy to multiply for crowds. Love it! Feel free to tweak measurements to accommodate your preferences.
Ingredients
6 fluid ounces milk
1/2 cup hot cocoa mix
2 cups crushed ice cubes
whipped cream (optional)
Directions
1. Pour milk into blender.
2. Add hot cocoa and ice.
3. Blend first at low speed and then high speed until ice is finely crushed and slushy.
4. Pour into tall glass and top with whipped cream and a dusting of hot cocoa mix, if desired.
Notes
This is my new favorite summer treat! It's fast and simple to make, and easy to multiply for crowds. Love it! Feel free to tweak measurements to accommodate your preferences.
Peach BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Source
Ingredients
1-4 pound pork shoulder
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
1 pound skinned and diced peaches (I used canned)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger
3/4 cup ketchup
Directions
1. If desired, sear the pork shoulder and place in the bottom of a slow cooker.
2. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add in the onion and cook until translucent. Add in the peaches, cider vinegar, dijon, worcestershire, brown sugar, pepper, garlic powder, ginger, and ketchup. Cook until the sauce has slightly thickened and the peaches have softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the sauce to a food processor or blender and process until smooth (working in batches, if needed)
4. Pour the BBQ sauce over the pork in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the pork is cooked through and pulls apart easily.
5. When the pork is done, remove it to a cutting board. Transfer the BBQ sauce from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until reduced down and thickened, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the pork.
6. When the sauce has reduced and thickened, add back into the slow cooker along with the shredded pork. Stir to combine and serve on hamburger buns.
Notes
This is the pork that we made at the family reunion. It's one of my favorite crock pot dishes. The only changes that I make to the original recipe are to use canned peaches instead of fresh (just for the sake of convenience), and to double the sauce (the shredded pork soaks up all of the sauce, and I like to have extra for topping). I highly recommend serving this with coleslaw on top and/or grated apples!
Ingredients
1-4 pound pork shoulder
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
1 pound skinned and diced peaches (I used canned)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger
3/4 cup ketchup
Directions
1. If desired, sear the pork shoulder and place in the bottom of a slow cooker.
2. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add in the onion and cook until translucent. Add in the peaches, cider vinegar, dijon, worcestershire, brown sugar, pepper, garlic powder, ginger, and ketchup. Cook until the sauce has slightly thickened and the peaches have softened, about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the sauce to a food processor or blender and process until smooth (working in batches, if needed)
4. Pour the BBQ sauce over the pork in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the pork is cooked through and pulls apart easily.
5. When the pork is done, remove it to a cutting board. Transfer the BBQ sauce from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until reduced down and thickened, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the pork.
6. When the sauce has reduced and thickened, add back into the slow cooker along with the shredded pork. Stir to combine and serve on hamburger buns.
Notes
This is the pork that we made at the family reunion. It's one of my favorite crock pot dishes. The only changes that I make to the original recipe are to use canned peaches instead of fresh (just for the sake of convenience), and to double the sauce (the shredded pork soaks up all of the sauce, and I like to have extra for topping). I highly recommend serving this with coleslaw on top and/or grated apples!
Monday, July 6, 2015
Pretty Dang Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Mel
Ingredients:
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet or milk chocolate chips (always semisweet)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure an oven rack is in the center of the oven.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
Either by hand or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until well mixed. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Mix well until the batter has lightened slightly in color, about 2 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips at the same time. Mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Form dough into tablespoonful-sized balls and place on parchment or silpat-lined cookie sheets.
Frozen cookie dough can be stored for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and just lightly browned (keeping in mind that ovens can vary in temperature so use your best judgment). Don't overbake or else the cookies will be tough and hard. If baking frozen cookie dough, add 1 to 2 minutes onto the baking time. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container (or baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months).
Notes:
One rainy day in May I found out that it was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Now, I have plenty of chocolate chip cookie (and varieties) recipes in my arsenal, but I decided I wanted to try something new that day. So, of course, Mel came to the rescue with what she calls "the best" chocolate chip cookies. I don't know if I can say that yet, after only making them once. But I can say that they are the bomb. And I will probably be making them again - if it ever gets cool and rainy instead of hot, hot, hot again!
Ingredients:
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet or milk chocolate chips (always semisweet)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure an oven rack is in the center of the oven.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
Either by hand or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until well mixed. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla. Mix well until the batter has lightened slightly in color, about 2 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips at the same time. Mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Form dough into tablespoonful-sized balls and place on parchment or silpat-lined cookie sheets.
Frozen cookie dough can be stored for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and just lightly browned (keeping in mind that ovens can vary in temperature so use your best judgment). Don't overbake or else the cookies will be tough and hard. If baking frozen cookie dough, add 1 to 2 minutes onto the baking time. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container (or baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months).
Notes:
One rainy day in May I found out that it was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Now, I have plenty of chocolate chip cookie (and varieties) recipes in my arsenal, but I decided I wanted to try something new that day. So, of course, Mel came to the rescue with what she calls "the best" chocolate chip cookies. I don't know if I can say that yet, after only making them once. But I can say that they are the bomb. And I will probably be making them again - if it ever gets cool and rainy instead of hot, hot, hot again!
Cajun Chicken Stroganoff
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 ounces chicken sausage (like the Aidell's brand), sliced 1/2-inch thick (I just used some turkey sausage that was on sale)
12 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 Tablespoons flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup sour cream
Chopped green onions or fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Hot, cooked egg noodles or rice or quinoa for serving (we always go for egg noodles with stroganoff)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the paprika, pepper, salt, basil, thyme and oregano. Let sit while cooking the sausage and mushrooms.
In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet (I always use a large saucepan because I don't have a skillet big enough for these sorts of things), heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken/seasonings mixture in a single layer. Let the chicken brown nicely on all sides (don't let it cook through). Push the chicken to the edges of the skillet and add the tomato paste and garlic powder to the center. Cook while mashing and pressing the tomato paste and garlic mixture into the hot skillet for 30 seconds or so before stirring it into the chicken.
In a liquid measure cup (or in a blender) combine the flour and chicken broth until smooth.
Slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the broth, stirring quickly and thoroughly. After the mixture thickens a bit, continue adding the broth slowly, stirring or whisking quickly to incorporate the broth throughout the chicken. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is bubbly and thickened. Add the mushrooms and sausage back to the skillet and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Off the heat, stir in the sour cream. Serve over hot, cooked egg noodles, rice or quinoa. Garnish with fresh parsley or green onions, if desired
Notes:
This makes a ton of sauce - usually I mix my noodles and sauce together and just serve it from one pot, but this time I didn't cook nearly enough noodles to do that, so we kept them separate for leftovers and I used some leftover rice from other meals for lunches the next few days. Also, the sauce was runnier than I was expecting. So maybe next time I'll add an extra tablespoon or so of flour to help it thicken up a bit more. It was good though. Different than our usual stroganoff (which we all love around here), but a fun change. I really like the sausage addition.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 ounces chicken sausage (like the Aidell's brand), sliced 1/2-inch thick (I just used some turkey sausage that was on sale)
12 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 Tablespoons flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup sour cream
Chopped green onions or fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Hot, cooked egg noodles or rice or quinoa for serving (we always go for egg noodles with stroganoff)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the paprika, pepper, salt, basil, thyme and oregano. Let sit while cooking the sausage and mushrooms.
In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet (I always use a large saucepan because I don't have a skillet big enough for these sorts of things), heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken/seasonings mixture in a single layer. Let the chicken brown nicely on all sides (don't let it cook through). Push the chicken to the edges of the skillet and add the tomato paste and garlic powder to the center. Cook while mashing and pressing the tomato paste and garlic mixture into the hot skillet for 30 seconds or so before stirring it into the chicken.
In a liquid measure cup (or in a blender) combine the flour and chicken broth until smooth.
Slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the broth, stirring quickly and thoroughly. After the mixture thickens a bit, continue adding the broth slowly, stirring or whisking quickly to incorporate the broth throughout the chicken. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is bubbly and thickened. Add the mushrooms and sausage back to the skillet and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Off the heat, stir in the sour cream. Serve over hot, cooked egg noodles, rice or quinoa. Garnish with fresh parsley or green onions, if desired
Notes:
This makes a ton of sauce - usually I mix my noodles and sauce together and just serve it from one pot, but this time I didn't cook nearly enough noodles to do that, so we kept them separate for leftovers and I used some leftover rice from other meals for lunches the next few days. Also, the sauce was runnier than I was expecting. So maybe next time I'll add an extra tablespoon or so of flour to help it thicken up a bit more. It was good though. Different than our usual stroganoff (which we all love around here), but a fun change. I really like the sausage addition.
Strawberry Shortcake Bars
Source: Mel, the champion
Ingredients:
for the crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oatmeal
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
14 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons shy of 2 sticks) cold butter, cut into cubes
for the filling:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
8 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg
for the strawberry topping:
2 pounds diced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch pan with foil and lightly grease (the foil makes for easier cleanup but you can leave it out and just grease the pan - which is exactly what I'll do next time since I kept cutting the foil and it made sort of a mess).
For the crust, in a large bowl combine the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, salt and nutmeg. Toss in the cubed butter and cut it into the dry mixture using a pastry blender or two knives or just your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Measure out 1 cup of the mixture and set it aside for later.
Press the rest of the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 8 minutes.
While the crust bakes, make the filling by whisking together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar (you can use the same bowl as the crust without washing it out if you want to save a dish). Make a well in the center and pour in the butter and egg. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth and combined - it will be pretty thick.
Crumble this mixture over the warm crust and pat into a relatively even layer (doesn't have to be perfect).
In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg and vanilla. Spread evenly over the filling and sprinkle the reserved streusel/crust mixture over the top.
Bake the bars for 40-45 minutes until they are just lightly golden around the edges and the center is no longer soft/jiggly.
Cool completely in the pan. Cut into bars and serve. Store the bars in the refrigerator if not serving within an hour or two (I like to let them sit at room temperature out of the fridge for 20-30 minutes to take the chill off).
Notes:
I saw this posted the week of the Fourth of July and thought it looked so patriotic and delicious that I knew it would be just the thing to take to my parents' big fireworks shindig the night before. They were pretty quick to whip up and smelled amazing as they cooled in the car on our drive to Logan. They were really delicious to eat, as well! Gregg and I liked that you could really taste the strawberries - they weren't overly sweet or rich (even with nearly 3 sticks of butter!) - just fruity and wonderful. I would love to experiment with other fruits (I read in the comments on Mel's blog people were going to try blueberries and plums). I bet any berries or a mixture would be fabulous!
Ingredients:
for the crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oatmeal
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
14 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons shy of 2 sticks) cold butter, cut into cubes
for the filling:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
8 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg
for the strawberry topping:
2 pounds diced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch pan with foil and lightly grease (the foil makes for easier cleanup but you can leave it out and just grease the pan - which is exactly what I'll do next time since I kept cutting the foil and it made sort of a mess).
For the crust, in a large bowl combine the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, salt and nutmeg. Toss in the cubed butter and cut it into the dry mixture using a pastry blender or two knives or just your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Measure out 1 cup of the mixture and set it aside for later.
Press the rest of the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 8 minutes.
While the crust bakes, make the filling by whisking together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar (you can use the same bowl as the crust without washing it out if you want to save a dish). Make a well in the center and pour in the butter and egg. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth and combined - it will be pretty thick.
Crumble this mixture over the warm crust and pat into a relatively even layer (doesn't have to be perfect).
In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg and vanilla. Spread evenly over the filling and sprinkle the reserved streusel/crust mixture over the top.
Bake the bars for 40-45 minutes until they are just lightly golden around the edges and the center is no longer soft/jiggly.
Cool completely in the pan. Cut into bars and serve. Store the bars in the refrigerator if not serving within an hour or two (I like to let them sit at room temperature out of the fridge for 20-30 minutes to take the chill off).
Notes:
I saw this posted the week of the Fourth of July and thought it looked so patriotic and delicious that I knew it would be just the thing to take to my parents' big fireworks shindig the night before. They were pretty quick to whip up and smelled amazing as they cooled in the car on our drive to Logan. They were really delicious to eat, as well! Gregg and I liked that you could really taste the strawberries - they weren't overly sweet or rich (even with nearly 3 sticks of butter!) - just fruity and wonderful. I would love to experiment with other fruits (I read in the comments on Mel's blog people were going to try blueberries and plums). I bet any berries or a mixture would be fabulous!
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Not-Too-Sweet Baked Beans
Source: a mixture of Our Best Bites and the Essential Mormon Celebrations Cookbook (pg 96)
Ingredients:
7 slices bacon (~6 oz), cut in 2 inch pieces
1 small-med onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped (green is good, too)
2 cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes (you could use diced tomatoes and skip the potato masher step, I'm sure, but this is what I had in the cupboard)
2 cans pork and beans, undrained
1 can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I made these a second time and used pinto instead and I think I like that way better)
1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
⅓ cup molasses (I had slightly less, so I added a titch more brown sugar to make up for it)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon hot sauce (I used Cholula)
Directions:
Fry bacon in a large skillet until cooked but not crisp. Add onion and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes. Drain off bacon grease and discard or save for another use. Place all beans in a large baking dish or crock pot. Pulse the tomatoes in a blender or food processor about 5-6 times or until they are breaking down but not smooth. (I just dumped the tomatoes in the empty crock pot and mashed them a bit with a potato masher, then added the beans to it.) Pour over beans. Add molasses, brown sugar, mustard, salt and hot sauce and mix well. Stir in bacon, onion, and pepper mixture. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour or 4 hours on low/2 hours on high in crock pot (I've made it twice in the crockpot and it's a cinch at either temp!). Makes 12 servings.
Ingredients:
7 slices bacon (~6 oz), cut in 2 inch pieces
1 small-med onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped (green is good, too)
2 cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes (you could use diced tomatoes and skip the potato masher step, I'm sure, but this is what I had in the cupboard)
2 cans pork and beans, undrained
1 can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I made these a second time and used pinto instead and I think I like that way better)
1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
⅓ cup molasses (I had slightly less, so I added a titch more brown sugar to make up for it)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon hot sauce (I used Cholula)
Directions:
Fry bacon in a large skillet until cooked but not crisp. Add onion and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes. Drain off bacon grease and discard or save for another use. Place all beans in a large baking dish or crock pot. Pulse the tomatoes in a blender or food processor about 5-6 times or until they are breaking down but not smooth. (I just dumped the tomatoes in the empty crock pot and mashed them a bit with a potato masher, then added the beans to it.) Pour over beans. Add molasses, brown sugar, mustard, salt and hot sauce and mix well. Stir in bacon, onion, and pepper mixture. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour or 4 hours on low/2 hours on high in crock pot (I've made it twice in the crockpot and it's a cinch at either temp!). Makes 12 servings.
Notes:
I really was craving baked beans this month, and luckily I had two opportunities to make (and eat) some (a lot). I first whipped up a batch for our big birthday bowling/hot dog roast extravaganza and I got good reviews there, so when I was asked to bring something to another family bbq, and one of the options was beans, I jumped at the chance to make them again. Super yum both times. And really as easy as can be to throw together. I especially love the variety of beans and the fact that it's not too sweet (there's still some sweetness, obviously with molasses and brown sugar, but it's not overpoweringly sweet). You get all kinds of good smoky, beany, peppery flavors going on and I think they're just delish. Long live beans!
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Carrot Cake Mix Cookies {With Craisins and a Cream Cheese Frosting Drizzle}
Source: inspired by my grandma's chocolate cake mix cookie recipe and bettycrocker.com (and the frosting came from this spectacular cake - it's my go-to cream cheese frosting recipe now-days)
Ingredients:
for the cookies:
1 carrot cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup oats
2 eggs
1 cup craisins
for the cream cheese frosting drizzle:
4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
~1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 - 1 Tablespoon heavy cream (I used 1% milk instead, and while the recipe author said it would be less creamy than cream, I thought it was divinely creamy)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt (I skipped this because I had salted butter)
Ingredients:
for the cookies:
1 carrot cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup oats
2 eggs
1 cup craisins
for the cream cheese frosting drizzle:
4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
~1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 - 1 Tablespoon heavy cream (I used 1% milk instead, and while the recipe author said it would be less creamy than cream, I thought it was divinely creamy)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt (I skipped this because I had salted butter)
Directions:
For the cookies, mix all ingredients together. Roll into 1 in. balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes at 350°.
While the cookies are baking, mix up the frosting. First, using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 3 full minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, 1 Tablespoon cream (or milk), vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more cream (or milk) to thin out, if desired.
When cookies have cooled, drizzle cream cheese frosting in zig-zag pattern across tops of cookies (I used a piping bag with a small tip). Serve and feel like a cookie-making rock star!
Notes:
I needed to bring some cookies to my ward's Watch-the-General-Women's-Session-Get-Together in March. I also knew I would be moving soon and was thinking about how to use up some of the things in my cupboards so I wouldn't have to pack them. One of those things was a carrot cake mix. I had made my grandma's cake mix cookies dozens of times (using a German chocolate cake mix) but had never attempted the same technique on another flavor of boxed cake mix. So I got brave. But first I did some googling to see if my idea was totally off base. Turns out it wasn't. Betty Crocker did basically the same thing. Plus, she added craisins and cream cheese frosting which I thought was brilliant. So I went for it. These little goodies were the star of the cookie line-up that evening, I must say. Pretty dang good. And simple to boot! Win-win in my book.
Lemony Cream Cheese Sticky Buns
Source: Mel . . . yep, again
Ingredients:
for the dough:
3/4 cup buttermilk, warm (pour the buttermilk in a glass liquid measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute on 50% power) (I always use the 1 Tablespoon lemon juice then add milk to a cup rule - so this time it took a little math: 3/4 Tablespoon = 2 1/4 teaspoons)
6 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups (17.5 to 22.5 ounces) flour
Zest of 1 lemon (about a Tablespoon)
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar (I actually forgot this in the dough, but it was plenty sweet and still rose just fine, so it wasn't a huge loss)
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
for the lemon filling:
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (about a Tablespoon)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
for the lemony cream cheese glaze:
4 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened (I think I used light)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 cup (4 ounces) powdered sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
Directions:
For the dough, whisk the warmed buttermilk and butter together in a large liquid measuring cup. Combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, lemon zest, sugar, yeast and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with dough hook (or you can use a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon). With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and eggs and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Increase the mixer to medium speed; if the dough is still very sticky and hasn't cleared the sides of the bowl yet, add a little flour at a time until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl but is still slightly sticky. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes (knead for 10 or so minutes by hand). Don't over flour the dough or the rolls may be dry - you're going for a soft, slightly tacky dough that gives when pressed with your fingers but doesn't leave a lot of doughy residue on your hands.
Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover the top tightly with greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, around 1-2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
Meanwhile, lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.
For the lemon filling, combine the sugar and lemon zest and rub the mixture between your fingers until well combined and fragrant (the smell will kill you with deliciousness). Add the nutmeg and lemon juice and stir until combined.
When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly greased countertop and press it into about a 16- by 12-inch rectangle (doesn't have to be perfect).
Spread the softened butter across the dough. Sprinkle the juicy lemon filling mixture over the top and spread as evenly as you can. Again, it doesn't have to be perfect.
Starting with one long end, tightly roll up the dough cinnamon-roll style and pinch the seam to seal. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Place the buns in the prepared pan - three across and four down. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until very puffy so the sides of the buns are touching each other.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the buns and bake for about 20-25 minutes until very lightly golden (don't over bake or they may be dry).
Let cool slightly before frosting. Mel likes to frost them when they are just a bit warm.
For the frosting, whip the cream cheese and lemon juice together with an electric mixer or blender if you have something sweet like a Blendtec) until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well-combined.
Spread the glaze (or frosting or whatever you want to call it) evenly over the lemon buns and sprinkle with the fresh lemon zest.
Notes:
I made these for Easter/Conference Sunday breakfast. It was a fun and out-of-the-ordinary kind of breakfast treat for us. (I only ever make sweet rolls for Christmas morning, but I may just keep this Conference Sunday tradition!) They were decadent and delicious, but I must say that they are definitely best right out of the oven. The longer they sat on the counter, the tougher (and tarter) they got, so that even a quick nuke in the microwave couldn't really help them. So eat 'em quick is my advice!
 |
| Not really a food blog-worthy photo from my old phone, but I suppose it's better than no pic at all. (Maybe?) |
Ingredients:
for the dough:
3/4 cup buttermilk, warm (pour the buttermilk in a glass liquid measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute on 50% power) (I always use the 1 Tablespoon lemon juice then add milk to a cup rule - so this time it took a little math: 3/4 Tablespoon = 2 1/4 teaspoons)
6 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups (17.5 to 22.5 ounces) flour
Zest of 1 lemon (about a Tablespoon)
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar (I actually forgot this in the dough, but it was plenty sweet and still rose just fine, so it wasn't a huge loss)
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
for the lemon filling:
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (about a Tablespoon)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
for the lemony cream cheese glaze:
4 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened (I think I used light)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 cup (4 ounces) powdered sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
Directions:
For the dough, whisk the warmed buttermilk and butter together in a large liquid measuring cup. Combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, lemon zest, sugar, yeast and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with dough hook (or you can use a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon). With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and eggs and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Increase the mixer to medium speed; if the dough is still very sticky and hasn't cleared the sides of the bowl yet, add a little flour at a time until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl but is still slightly sticky. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes (knead for 10 or so minutes by hand). Don't over flour the dough or the rolls may be dry - you're going for a soft, slightly tacky dough that gives when pressed with your fingers but doesn't leave a lot of doughy residue on your hands.
Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover the top tightly with greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, around 1-2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
Meanwhile, lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.
For the lemon filling, combine the sugar and lemon zest and rub the mixture between your fingers until well combined and fragrant (the smell will kill you with deliciousness). Add the nutmeg and lemon juice and stir until combined.
When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly greased countertop and press it into about a 16- by 12-inch rectangle (doesn't have to be perfect).
Spread the softened butter across the dough. Sprinkle the juicy lemon filling mixture over the top and spread as evenly as you can. Again, it doesn't have to be perfect.
Starting with one long end, tightly roll up the dough cinnamon-roll style and pinch the seam to seal. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Place the buns in the prepared pan - three across and four down. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until very puffy so the sides of the buns are touching each other.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the buns and bake for about 20-25 minutes until very lightly golden (don't over bake or they may be dry).
Let cool slightly before frosting. Mel likes to frost them when they are just a bit warm.
For the frosting, whip the cream cheese and lemon juice together with an electric mixer or blender if you have something sweet like a Blendtec) until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and mix until well-combined.
Spread the glaze (or frosting or whatever you want to call it) evenly over the lemon buns and sprinkle with the fresh lemon zest.
Notes:
I made these for Easter/Conference Sunday breakfast. It was a fun and out-of-the-ordinary kind of breakfast treat for us. (I only ever make sweet rolls for Christmas morning, but I may just keep this Conference Sunday tradition!) They were decadent and delicious, but I must say that they are definitely best right out of the oven. The longer they sat on the counter, the tougher (and tarter) they got, so that even a quick nuke in the microwave couldn't really help them. So eat 'em quick is my advice!
Carrot Cake Bundt Cake with a Cheesecake Swirl
Source: Mel's culinary genius brain
Ingredients:
for the cake:
1 2/3 cup (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 large carrots (12 ounces), ends trimmed and finely shredded (about 2 cups)
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 cup oil (I subbed a half cup for applesauce - made it so moist and tasty!)
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans, optional (don't leave 'em out, I say!)
for the cheesecake swirl:
8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened (I went whole hog and used regular)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
for the cream cheese frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream (I used 1% milk)
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 cups powdered sugar (I ended up adding almost double this because the frosting was just so runny - so now I have tons left over in my fridge!)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9- or 10-inch bundt cake pan very well (I've found that softened butter works best for me), getting in all the nooks and crannies. Lightly dust with flour (and I can't skip the flour dusting!), tapping out the excess, and set aside.
For the cake batter, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl (you can use the bowl of a stand electric mixer here), with a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugars together until blended. With the mixer running, drizzle in the oil and mix until thick and creamy.
Add the dry ingredients, carrots and pecans, and mix gently by hand until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Set aside for a few minutes while preparing the cheesecake swirl filling.
For the cheesecake layer, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and egg until smooth and well-combined. You can use an electric mixer or blender for this.
Pour half of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in dollops evenly across the top. Finish with the remaining carrot cake batter. It's ok if you can see the cream cheese layer peeking through - the carrot cake may not cover it all the way.
Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes (mine was done in exactly 45) until the top lightly springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate to cool completely.
For the frosting, whip together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth and well-combined (again, you could use a blender or an electric mixer for this). Add the heavy cream, sour cream and powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the frosting over the top curve of the bundt cake. If you want to cover the cake entirely, you can double the frosting (I didn't want to cover my whole cake, but I certainly could have with the amount of frosting that I had just by the normal recipe above).
Refrigerate until ready to serve. The cake can be made, frosted and refrigerated up to a day in advance. (I made my cake the day before I needed it, wrapped it in saran wrap and stored it in the fridge unfrosted until I served it - mostly because I needed to transport it and thought it would stay prettier if I did the frosting on site.)
Notes:
Oh my yummy yum! This was another contribution to our Blanchard Family Mother's Day feast. It was quite the hit with everyone - especially Callie, who was so excited to make and eat cake! (She really wanted Grandma to blow out some candles while we sang happy birthday, too - we're working on birthday/holiday protocol.) I've made Mel's carrot cake cheesecake before, but this was just as delicious and easier than ever! I'll be keeping this one handy for sure.
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| That's what I call bundt perfection! |
Ingredients:
for the cake:
1 2/3 cup (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 large carrots (12 ounces), ends trimmed and finely shredded (about 2 cups)
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 cup oil (I subbed a half cup for applesauce - made it so moist and tasty!)
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans, optional (don't leave 'em out, I say!)
for the cheesecake swirl:
8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened (I went whole hog and used regular)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
for the cream cheese frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream (I used 1% milk)
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 cups powdered sugar (I ended up adding almost double this because the frosting was just so runny - so now I have tons left over in my fridge!)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9- or 10-inch bundt cake pan very well (I've found that softened butter works best for me), getting in all the nooks and crannies. Lightly dust with flour (and I can't skip the flour dusting!), tapping out the excess, and set aside.
For the cake batter, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl (you can use the bowl of a stand electric mixer here), with a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugars together until blended. With the mixer running, drizzle in the oil and mix until thick and creamy.
Add the dry ingredients, carrots and pecans, and mix gently by hand until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Set aside for a few minutes while preparing the cheesecake swirl filling.
For the cheesecake layer, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and egg until smooth and well-combined. You can use an electric mixer or blender for this.
Pour half of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in dollops evenly across the top. Finish with the remaining carrot cake batter. It's ok if you can see the cream cheese layer peeking through - the carrot cake may not cover it all the way.
Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes (mine was done in exactly 45) until the top lightly springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
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| It's a beaut! |
Remove from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate to cool completely.
For the frosting, whip together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth and well-combined (again, you could use a blender or an electric mixer for this). Add the heavy cream, sour cream and powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the frosting over the top curve of the bundt cake. If you want to cover the cake entirely, you can double the frosting (I didn't want to cover my whole cake, but I certainly could have with the amount of frosting that I had just by the normal recipe above).
Refrigerate until ready to serve. The cake can be made, frosted and refrigerated up to a day in advance. (I made my cake the day before I needed it, wrapped it in saran wrap and stored it in the fridge unfrosted until I served it - mostly because I needed to transport it and thought it would stay prettier if I did the frosting on site.)
 |
| Gotta snatch a pic quick, before it gets devoured completely! |
Notes:
Oh my yummy yum! This was another contribution to our Blanchard Family Mother's Day feast. It was quite the hit with everyone - especially Callie, who was so excited to make and eat cake! (She really wanted Grandma to blow out some candles while we sang happy birthday, too - we're working on birthday/holiday protocol.) I've made Mel's carrot cake cheesecake before, but this was just as delicious and easier than ever! I'll be keeping this one handy for sure.
Spinach Salad with Feta, Apples, Bacon and Sweet-Spicy Nuts
Source: Mel, who else?
Ingredients:
for the salad:
16 ounces baby spinach
½ small red onion, slivered (Mel had a great tip about tempering the onion flavor so it's not so overpowering to eat them raw in the salad - and I think it helped a lot! Just soak the onion slices covered in cold water with a bit of baking soda (I used about 1/2 teaspoon soda). Let them sit for 15-20 minutes then rinse and drain well.)
6 slices of applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled or chopped into small pieces (I didn't use applewood smoked, just regular old boring (delicious) bacon)
1 cup Feta cheese crumbles, more or less to taste (I used less - more like ~1/2 cup)
1 cup dried cranberries or cherries, more or less to taste (I stuck with the full cup of craisins)
1-2 Honey Crisp apples, cored and sliced thin (I used 2 galas since that's what I had in my fridge)
for the sweet-spicy nuts:
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I went with pecans and they were delish!)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of cayenne (more to taste if you want)
Pinch of salt
for the red wine vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, pressed or finely minced
1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I didn't have Dijon so I just used regular yellow - 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Directions:
For the dressing, shake all the ingredients together in a mason jar until well combined or run them through a quick blender cycle. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up to a week in advance.
For the nuts, lightly toast the nuts in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, checking often so they don't burn. While they toast, place the sugar, cayenne and salt in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the sugar mixture until it liquifies completely, adjusting the heat so it doesn't bubble and burn. Toss in the toasted nuts and stir to coat the nuts with sugar. Let the sugared nuts cool completely. (This was the part that gave me the most trouble. Read: it didn't work! I read elsewhere on the internet to skip the toasting step (after I had already done so) and just throw the nuts and the sugar and everything all in the skillet together. So I tried it. Still didn't work. I ended up with chopped pecans, nicely toasted, and hard sugar clumps. But not much sugar stuck to the nuts for some reason. Oh well. I just threw it all on the salad and it was fine. Just be warned - the sugar nuts are not as easy as they sound!)
To assemble the salad, toss all the salad ingredients together along with the cooled nuts. Serve immediately with the vinaigrette alongside. All the components can be measured out/prepped ahead of time and stored separately (I put everything in ziplock baggies to take to two Mother's Day lunches on separate days - I did all the prep work on Friday and then served and ate one salad on Saturday and another on Sunday The only thing I did just before tossing was to slice the apple fresh so it didn't go brown in the fridge). Just toss right before serving. Enjoy!
Notes:
As I noted above, I brought this salad to two different Mother's Day meals last weekend - one to celebrate Gregg's mom and one to celebrate my mom. The salad was delightful both times! One thing to note - it's ginormous! It definitely was enough to serve 12+ as a side dish with the Elwood gathering, and with the Blanchards, where we only had about 6 adults present . . . let's just say there was a LOT left over. Which is not a bad thing! I loved this salad - very flavorful and fun and much fancier than what I normally throw together.
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| That's a big ol' honkin' silver bowl chock full of salady goodness! |
Ingredients:
for the salad:
16 ounces baby spinach
½ small red onion, slivered (Mel had a great tip about tempering the onion flavor so it's not so overpowering to eat them raw in the salad - and I think it helped a lot! Just soak the onion slices covered in cold water with a bit of baking soda (I used about 1/2 teaspoon soda). Let them sit for 15-20 minutes then rinse and drain well.)
6 slices of applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled or chopped into small pieces (I didn't use applewood smoked, just regular old boring (delicious) bacon)
1 cup Feta cheese crumbles, more or less to taste (I used less - more like ~1/2 cup)
1 cup dried cranberries or cherries, more or less to taste (I stuck with the full cup of craisins)
1-2 Honey Crisp apples, cored and sliced thin (I used 2 galas since that's what I had in my fridge)
for the sweet-spicy nuts:
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I went with pecans and they were delish!)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of cayenne (more to taste if you want)
Pinch of salt
for the red wine vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, pressed or finely minced
1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I didn't have Dijon so I just used regular yellow - 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Directions:
For the dressing, shake all the ingredients together in a mason jar until well combined or run them through a quick blender cycle. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up to a week in advance.
For the nuts, lightly toast the nuts in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, checking often so they don't burn. While they toast, place the sugar, cayenne and salt in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the sugar mixture until it liquifies completely, adjusting the heat so it doesn't bubble and burn. Toss in the toasted nuts and stir to coat the nuts with sugar. Let the sugared nuts cool completely. (This was the part that gave me the most trouble. Read: it didn't work! I read elsewhere on the internet to skip the toasting step (after I had already done so) and just throw the nuts and the sugar and everything all in the skillet together. So I tried it. Still didn't work. I ended up with chopped pecans, nicely toasted, and hard sugar clumps. But not much sugar stuck to the nuts for some reason. Oh well. I just threw it all on the salad and it was fine. Just be warned - the sugar nuts are not as easy as they sound!)
To assemble the salad, toss all the salad ingredients together along with the cooled nuts. Serve immediately with the vinaigrette alongside. All the components can be measured out/prepped ahead of time and stored separately (I put everything in ziplock baggies to take to two Mother's Day lunches on separate days - I did all the prep work on Friday and then served and ate one salad on Saturday and another on Sunday The only thing I did just before tossing was to slice the apple fresh so it didn't go brown in the fridge). Just toss right before serving. Enjoy!
Notes:
As I noted above, I brought this salad to two different Mother's Day meals last weekend - one to celebrate Gregg's mom and one to celebrate my mom. The salad was delightful both times! One thing to note - it's ginormous! It definitely was enough to serve 12+ as a side dish with the Elwood gathering, and with the Blanchards, where we only had about 6 adults present . . . let's just say there was a LOT left over. Which is not a bad thing! I loved this salad - very flavorful and fun and much fancier than what I normally throw together.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
Source: Sally's Baking Addiction
Ingredients:
for the cake:
2 and 3/4 cups (343g) all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch (or you could use 3 cups cake flour, which is what I did)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (mine was salted, so I reduced the salt above by a tiny bit)
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of 4 large lemons (about 1/3 cup, packed) (I had ginormous lemons, so I went with the cup amounts shown in parentheses)
juice of 2 large lemons (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature (I used the 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + milk to a cup trick)
for the lemon simply soaking syrup:
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
juice of 2 large lemons (about 1/2 cup)
for the lemon glaze:
1 cup (120g) sifted confectioners sugar
juice of 1/2 large lemon (or 1 medium - 2 Tablespoons)
Directions:
Lower the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray the inside of a 10 inch bundt pan with nonstick spray or grease thoroughly with butter (I did the butter, but a chunk of mine ended up sticking, so maybe I'll try flouring it, too, next time). Set aside.
Make the cake: Sift the flour and cornstarch together into a large bowl. Whisk in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together fairly well. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the lemon zest and lemon juice. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick.
Pour/spoon the batter evenly into the bundt pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil if you begin to see the top browning quickly. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes inside the pan.
During this time, make the simple syrup. Combine the granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
Invert the slightly cooled bundt cake onto a wire rack set over a large plate or serving dish. Spoon the syrup on top of the cake. Allow cake to cool before glazing and serving.
Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Drizzle over cake. Slice and serve.
Make ahead tip: Prepare cake and syrup through step 6 (before glazing). Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months. The flavor will be amazing after this time! Bring to room temperature and continue with step 7 (glazing step).
Notes:
Another birthday, another bundt cake. This time it was for our ward's Relief Society Anniversary Party. Luckily, a woman in our ward who has a house in Arizona brought three giant boxes of giant lemons to share with everyone. I brought home a half-dozen of the beauties and knew immediately what I'd do with them. I ended up using 3 1/2 worth of juice and zest for this recipe. I loved how this cake wasn't too sweet, but it wasn't too tart either (as some lemony desserts can be). (Although as the days went on, the glaze did seem to intensify.) It was a hit at the party and luckily we had a little bit leftover to enjoy for dessert for a couple more days. Lemons = spring, in my book. And this cake just screams sunshiney springiness!
Ingredients:
for the cake:
2 and 3/4 cups (343g) all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch (or you could use 3 cups cake flour, which is what I did)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (mine was salted, so I reduced the salt above by a tiny bit)
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of 4 large lemons (about 1/3 cup, packed) (I had ginormous lemons, so I went with the cup amounts shown in parentheses)
juice of 2 large lemons (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature (I used the 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + milk to a cup trick)
for the lemon simply soaking syrup:
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
juice of 2 large lemons (about 1/2 cup)
for the lemon glaze:
1 cup (120g) sifted confectioners sugar
juice of 1/2 large lemon (or 1 medium - 2 Tablespoons)
Directions:
Lower the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray the inside of a 10 inch bundt pan with nonstick spray or grease thoroughly with butter (I did the butter, but a chunk of mine ended up sticking, so maybe I'll try flouring it, too, next time). Set aside.
Make the cake: Sift the flour and cornstarch together into a large bowl. Whisk in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together fairly well. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the lemon zest and lemon juice. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick.
Pour/spoon the batter evenly into the bundt pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil if you begin to see the top browning quickly. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes inside the pan.
During this time, make the simple syrup. Combine the granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
Invert the slightly cooled bundt cake onto a wire rack set over a large plate or serving dish. Spoon the syrup on top of the cake. Allow cake to cool before glazing and serving.
Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Drizzle over cake. Slice and serve.
Make ahead tip: Prepare cake and syrup through step 6 (before glazing). Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months. The flavor will be amazing after this time! Bring to room temperature and continue with step 7 (glazing step).
Notes:
Another birthday, another bundt cake. This time it was for our ward's Relief Society Anniversary Party. Luckily, a woman in our ward who has a house in Arizona brought three giant boxes of giant lemons to share with everyone. I brought home a half-dozen of the beauties and knew immediately what I'd do with them. I ended up using 3 1/2 worth of juice and zest for this recipe. I loved how this cake wasn't too sweet, but it wasn't too tart either (as some lemony desserts can be). (Although as the days went on, the glaze did seem to intensify.) It was a hit at the party and luckily we had a little bit leftover to enjoy for dessert for a couple more days. Lemons = spring, in my book. And this cake just screams sunshiney springiness!
7-Up Bundt Cake
Source: Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
for the cake:
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup lemon-lime soda (like 7-Up, Sprite, or Sierra Mist)
1 Tablespoon grated lime zest
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I ended up buying 4 limes and 2 lemons, thinking the lemons would be juicier than the limes - I was wrong - so I just mixed all the juice together and all the zest together and then added 2 Tablespoons of lemon-lime zest when needed and 4 Tablespoons of lemon-lime juice when needed)
2 ½ sticks salted butter
3 ¼ cups (13 ounces) cake flour (I went ahead and bought cake flour, but you can also make your own at home, if you so desire)
for the glaze:
1 cup (4 ounces) powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice (I had about 4 Tablespoons of my lemon-lime juice mix left over and ended up using it all - it made the glaze a little thinner and tarter, but I thought it was great)
1 Tablespoon zest (my own special addition - it made it look pretty)
Directions:
Position the oven rack in the lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease (I used butter) and flour a 12-cup tube or Bundt pan (I used my new birthday bundt pan - I have no idea how many cups it holds, but I think the label said it was 9 1/2 inches? At any rate it worked perfectly).
Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.
Add the sugar, eggs, lemon-lime soda, lime zest, lime juice, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the jar of your blender. Run on lowest speed until combined. With the blender running, slowly add the butter in a steady stream and mix until fully incorporated. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add 1/3 of the flour and whisk until combined. Repeat twice until all the flour has been used.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 ¼-1 ½ hours (I think I cooked it even longer than that - I just kept adding 5 minutes to the timer and checking until a pick came out clean) or until a pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (be sure not to over-bake it—it will take on an eggy flavor). Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely (about 2 hours).
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon and lime juice until smooth. Place the cake, craggy side up, on a serving plate and drizzle with glaze. Let the glaze set for at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.
Notes:
Happy birthday to me! I got a bundt pan (actually, I got two - people know me well!) for my birthday this year, and I decided to put it to good use a couple days later for the creation of my (belated) birthday cake. (I waited 'til Sunday to make it since my brother Nate's family was coming to visit for Sunday dinner - so fun to have them close for a little while!) Let me say, it was worth the wait! Totally lemony-limey and springy, but definitely not a "diet" cake. It was delicious!
Ingredients:
for the cake:
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup lemon-lime soda (like 7-Up, Sprite, or Sierra Mist)
1 Tablespoon grated lime zest
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I ended up buying 4 limes and 2 lemons, thinking the lemons would be juicier than the limes - I was wrong - so I just mixed all the juice together and all the zest together and then added 2 Tablespoons of lemon-lime zest when needed and 4 Tablespoons of lemon-lime juice when needed)
2 ½ sticks salted butter
3 ¼ cups (13 ounces) cake flour (I went ahead and bought cake flour, but you can also make your own at home, if you so desire)
for the glaze:
1 cup (4 ounces) powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice (I had about 4 Tablespoons of my lemon-lime juice mix left over and ended up using it all - it made the glaze a little thinner and tarter, but I thought it was great)
1 Tablespoon zest (my own special addition - it made it look pretty)
Directions:
Position the oven rack in the lower-middle position. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease (I used butter) and flour a 12-cup tube or Bundt pan (I used my new birthday bundt pan - I have no idea how many cups it holds, but I think the label said it was 9 1/2 inches? At any rate it worked perfectly).
Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.
Add the sugar, eggs, lemon-lime soda, lime zest, lime juice, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the jar of your blender. Run on lowest speed until combined. With the blender running, slowly add the butter in a steady stream and mix until fully incorporated. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add 1/3 of the flour and whisk until combined. Repeat twice until all the flour has been used.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 ¼-1 ½ hours (I think I cooked it even longer than that - I just kept adding 5 minutes to the timer and checking until a pick came out clean) or until a pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (be sure not to over-bake it—it will take on an eggy flavor). Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely (about 2 hours).
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon and lime juice until smooth. Place the cake, craggy side up, on a serving plate and drizzle with glaze. Let the glaze set for at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.
Notes:
Happy birthday to me! I got a bundt pan (actually, I got two - people know me well!) for my birthday this year, and I decided to put it to good use a couple days later for the creation of my (belated) birthday cake. (I waited 'til Sunday to make it since my brother Nate's family was coming to visit for Sunday dinner - so fun to have them close for a little while!) Let me say, it was worth the wait! Totally lemony-limey and springy, but definitely not a "diet" cake. It was delicious!
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Creamy Chicken Soup with Rice
Source: adapted slightly from Quiche the Cook blog
Ingredients:
1 small chicken breast, diced
3 medium-sized carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 Tbs oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cans chicken broth
~1 cup water
1/2 cup rice
1 teaspoon rosemary (I just shaked a few shakes - it was probably less than a teaspoon, but I don't really know)
1 teaspoon sage (I don't have sage, so I subbed marjoram - and it was, again, probably less than a teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons flour
3/4 cup milk (or you could use cream)
Directions:
In a medium-large pot, heat the oil and cook chicken pieces (seasoning with salt and pepper to taste). Once chicken is cooked through, remove from pan and set aside. Saute the carrots, celery and onions in the residual oil and chicken juices until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the chicken broth, water, rice, diced chicken, rosemary, sage, salt & pepper and let the mixture come to a boil. Continue to cook until the carrots can be pierced with a fork and the rice is cooked (10-12 minutes) (I actually let it simmer low and slow for a good long while - like an hour, but if you don't have that kind of time, a few minutes is probably fine).
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and flour until there are no clumps. Stir this mixture into the soup and stir until fully incorporated. Cook another 2 minutes (or another hour if you have the time), or until it thickens slightly.
Notes:
Ever since I saw this recipe I couldn't get the poems by Maurice Sendak out of my head.
Ingredients:
1 small chicken breast, diced
3 medium-sized carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 Tbs oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cans chicken broth
~1 cup water
1/2 cup rice
1 teaspoon rosemary (I just shaked a few shakes - it was probably less than a teaspoon, but I don't really know)
1 teaspoon sage (I don't have sage, so I subbed marjoram - and it was, again, probably less than a teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons flour
3/4 cup milk (or you could use cream)
Directions:
In a medium-large pot, heat the oil and cook chicken pieces (seasoning with salt and pepper to taste). Once chicken is cooked through, remove from pan and set aside. Saute the carrots, celery and onions in the residual oil and chicken juices until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the chicken broth, water, rice, diced chicken, rosemary, sage, salt & pepper and let the mixture come to a boil. Continue to cook until the carrots can be pierced with a fork and the rice is cooked (10-12 minutes) (I actually let it simmer low and slow for a good long while - like an hour, but if you don't have that kind of time, a few minutes is probably fine).
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and flour until there are no clumps. Stir this mixture into the soup and stir until fully incorporated. Cook another 2 minutes (or another hour if you have the time), or until it thickens slightly.
Notes:
Ever since I saw this recipe I couldn't get the poems by Maurice Sendak out of my head.
"In January
it's so nice
while slipping
on the sliding ice
to sip hot chicken soup
with rice."
In fact, as I made this soup tonight, I recited every month of chicken soup poems that I could remember (I did have to peek at the book a few times because I got stumped on April and June and July).
Let me just say, this soup is awesome. I didn't really change a ton from the original recipe - mostly just upped some of the ingredients so we would have more to eat (and more leftover for lunch tomorrow). Gregg, Cal and I all had second helpings tonight - it was just so flavorful and warm and hearty. Served up with a fat slice of some crusty artisan bread (homemade, and oh-so-easy, no less) we had a magnificent dinner on a chilly January night.
Crusty Artisan No-Knead Bread
Source: Mel
Ingredients:
3 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (about 17 ounces) (I used her whole wheat version and subbed 1 cup of the all-purpose with white whole wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups room temperature water
2 Tablespoons honey (for the whole wheat version)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until the dough is combined and has a shaggy, sticky texture (it's easiest to just get in there with your hands and do the job).
Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours. It
will get puffy and bubble.
Scrape down the sides of the dough and let it gentle deflate. Turn it out onto a lightly greased piece of parchment paper (I didn't lightly grease mine because it said on the box that it was nonstick or something - I thought that would be good enough, but next time I'll for sure spray a little nonstick spray on the paper because it was really sticky dough) and using your hands (lightly grease them if the dough is sticking too much) pat it into a thick oblong shape.
Fold one of the long edges to the middle. Fold the other long edge over the top, forming a thick log.
Take one short end and fold it in toward the middle and repeat with the other short end - basically like folding up a blanket or towel.
Carefully and quickly flip the mound of dough over so the seams are on the bottom. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and doubled, about 2 hours.
About 30-45 minutes before the dough is ready, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a 6- to 8-quart heavy cast iron pot (like the popular enamel covered ones) (she also mentioned that her aunt uses a pyrex bowl or a crock pot insert - I didn't try them, but it's worth looking into if you're interested - just make sure they're oven safe to 450 degrees!) in the oven as it heats and let it stay there for 30-45 minutes.
When the dough is ready, remove the pot from the oven and take off the lid. Lift up the corners of the parchment paper and set the bread and parchment paper right into the pot. Cover with the lid and return to the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid from the pot and bake for another 10-15 minutes (I did it for 5 because it was already pretty brown and I didn't want it burned black) until the top of the loaf is browned and lovely.
Carefully grab the corners of the parchment paper and remove the bread to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes:
First of all, this bread looks and tastes pretty dang awesome, if you ask me. It's different than any bread I've ever made, but it tastes much like something you'd get in a restaurant bread basket. It's really soft in the middle, with a nice chewy/crispy crust all around. And it looks so pretty!
I admit, I was nervous to try this recipe, even though I really shouldn't have been. Mel made it seriously so easy (and really, you should go to her site and look at the step-by-step instructions; they're super helpful). I don't have an enameled cast iron pot, but I do have a lodge Dutch oven (you know, the kind you cook with outside over coals, size 12) and it worked just great. Also, I've never bought/used parchment paper till now, but it really was a life saver. My dough was much, much stickier than Mel's looked in her pictures, and it really just turned into an amorphous blob after its rise on the parchment, but you'd never know how ugly it was as dough after it came out of the oven.
Yummo-rama! This will definitely be making many more appearances in our house, especially on soup Thursdays (which is what we did tonight - paired with a delicious Creamy Chicken Soup with Rice, we had a mighty fine dinner if I do say so myself (and I do)).
Ingredients:
3 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (about 17 ounces) (I used her whole wheat version and subbed 1 cup of the all-purpose with white whole wheat flour)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups room temperature water
2 Tablespoons honey (for the whole wheat version)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until the dough is combined and has a shaggy, sticky texture (it's easiest to just get in there with your hands and do the job).
Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 12-18 hours. It
will get puffy and bubble.
Scrape down the sides of the dough and let it gentle deflate. Turn it out onto a lightly greased piece of parchment paper (I didn't lightly grease mine because it said on the box that it was nonstick or something - I thought that would be good enough, but next time I'll for sure spray a little nonstick spray on the paper because it was really sticky dough) and using your hands (lightly grease them if the dough is sticking too much) pat it into a thick oblong shape.
Fold one of the long edges to the middle. Fold the other long edge over the top, forming a thick log.
Take one short end and fold it in toward the middle and repeat with the other short end - basically like folding up a blanket or towel.
Carefully and quickly flip the mound of dough over so the seams are on the bottom. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and doubled, about 2 hours.
About 30-45 minutes before the dough is ready, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a 6- to 8-quart heavy cast iron pot (like the popular enamel covered ones) (she also mentioned that her aunt uses a pyrex bowl or a crock pot insert - I didn't try them, but it's worth looking into if you're interested - just make sure they're oven safe to 450 degrees!) in the oven as it heats and let it stay there for 30-45 minutes.
When the dough is ready, remove the pot from the oven and take off the lid. Lift up the corners of the parchment paper and set the bread and parchment paper right into the pot. Cover with the lid and return to the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid from the pot and bake for another 10-15 minutes (I did it for 5 because it was already pretty brown and I didn't want it burned black) until the top of the loaf is browned and lovely.
Carefully grab the corners of the parchment paper and remove the bread to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes:
First of all, this bread looks and tastes pretty dang awesome, if you ask me. It's different than any bread I've ever made, but it tastes much like something you'd get in a restaurant bread basket. It's really soft in the middle, with a nice chewy/crispy crust all around. And it looks so pretty!
I admit, I was nervous to try this recipe, even though I really shouldn't have been. Mel made it seriously so easy (and really, you should go to her site and look at the step-by-step instructions; they're super helpful). I don't have an enameled cast iron pot, but I do have a lodge Dutch oven (you know, the kind you cook with outside over coals, size 12) and it worked just great. Also, I've never bought/used parchment paper till now, but it really was a life saver. My dough was much, much stickier than Mel's looked in her pictures, and it really just turned into an amorphous blob after its rise on the parchment, but you'd never know how ugly it was as dough after it came out of the oven.
Yummo-rama! This will definitely be making many more appearances in our house, especially on soup Thursdays (which is what we did tonight - paired with a delicious Creamy Chicken Soup with Rice, we had a mighty fine dinner if I do say so myself (and I do)).
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Peach Salsa Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes (Slow Cooker)
Source
Ingredients:
1 (2 - 2.5 pound) boneless pork roast
salt and pepper
1 tablespoons oil
5 small peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cups peach salsa
Directions:
1. Scatter the cubed sweet potatoes in the bottom of a slow cooker/crock pot. Put the lid in place and set the slow cooker to high.
2. Sprinkle the pork roast generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
3. Sear the pork roast in a skillet over high heat. Set the pork roast on top of the cubed sweet potatoes. Pour the peach salsa over the top, put the lid in place, and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-9 hours. (The pork is done when it measures 145 F on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast.)
Notes: Oh my heavens. This was delicious. I served it with garlic-mushroom couscous and green beans and it was one of the best Sunday dinners that we've had in a while. A few notes/adaptations:
- I think the outcome of this recipe is quite subjective to the quality of the salsa you use. As much as I wish I had home-bottled peach salsa in my pantry, I don't (but making some is now on my to do list for next summer!), so I picked up some fresh mango salsa from my grocery store's deli, then added a can of peaches (drained) into the crockpot. When making this in the future, I'll definitely always use something as yellow as possible (as opposed to tomato-based salsa with a few chunks of peach tossed in).
- This didn't have as much flavor as it smelled like it would. I was expecting more of a saturated, stand-alone flavor, but it wasn't like that. We had to top each piece with some salsa for it to have enough flavor. It worked out nicely though because the kids liked how plain it was and gobbled it up. This may also have to do with the fact that I used a huge roast (almost 4 pounds) so that we would have lots of leftovers to freeze for lunches and future pizza nights.
- The sweet potatoes were very soggy, delicious (maybe even my favorite part), but more mashed than cubed by the end.
Ingredients:
1 (2 - 2.5 pound) boneless pork roast
salt and pepper
1 tablespoons oil
5 small peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cups peach salsa
Directions:
1. Scatter the cubed sweet potatoes in the bottom of a slow cooker/crock pot. Put the lid in place and set the slow cooker to high.
2. Sprinkle the pork roast generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
3. Sear the pork roast in a skillet over high heat. Set the pork roast on top of the cubed sweet potatoes. Pour the peach salsa over the top, put the lid in place, and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-9 hours. (The pork is done when it measures 145 F on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast.)
Notes: Oh my heavens. This was delicious. I served it with garlic-mushroom couscous and green beans and it was one of the best Sunday dinners that we've had in a while. A few notes/adaptations:
- I think the outcome of this recipe is quite subjective to the quality of the salsa you use. As much as I wish I had home-bottled peach salsa in my pantry, I don't (but making some is now on my to do list for next summer!), so I picked up some fresh mango salsa from my grocery store's deli, then added a can of peaches (drained) into the crockpot. When making this in the future, I'll definitely always use something as yellow as possible (as opposed to tomato-based salsa with a few chunks of peach tossed in).
- This didn't have as much flavor as it smelled like it would. I was expecting more of a saturated, stand-alone flavor, but it wasn't like that. We had to top each piece with some salsa for it to have enough flavor. It worked out nicely though because the kids liked how plain it was and gobbled it up. This may also have to do with the fact that I used a huge roast (almost 4 pounds) so that we would have lots of leftovers to freeze for lunches and future pizza nights.
- The sweet potatoes were very soggy, delicious (maybe even my favorite part), but more mashed than cubed by the end.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Ham and Cheese Tortilla Roll-Ups
Source: adapted slightly from here, via Pinterest
Ingredients:
1 block cream cheese, softened
1 can diced green chiles
1 small can sliced black olives (I didn't have any olives, but I would have loved to add them if I did)
1 tablespoon fresh chives (or one green onion, sliced) (I did the onion)
6 slices of ham (I doubled the ham to fit better on each tortilla - so two per instead of just one)
6 flour tortillas
~1/2 cup or so shredded cheddar cheese
a squirt of mustard
a sprinkle of garlic powder
Directions:
Mix your softened cream cheese with the mustard and garlic powder (you don't need much of either, just a little to give it a good flavor) in a large mixing bowl.
Drain black olives and give them a rough chop. Slice green onions or chop chives (both are tasty so use what you like best). Place green onions (or chives), roughly chopped black olives, canned green chiles and cheddar cheese in the bowl with the cream cheese mixture. Stir to combine. You'll really have to work it all in so it's completely combined.
Now for the roll-ups. Using a spatula, spread 1/6th of the mixture evenly on top of a flour tortilla and place a piece of ham (or two) on top. Roll up your tortilla tightly. Slice each roll with a sharp serrate knife into about 1 1/2 inch pieces. (Eat the ends that don't really stay together and look ugly.) Refrigerate till you're ready to eat.
Notes:
I remember my first ever introduction to Tortilla Roll-Ups (and only experience ever, really, until I made some for Halloween last year (those ones were salsa flavored and were a big hit)) was at the Cannon's home in South Weber after they moved away from being our back-yard neighbors. This must have been years ago. I'm sure I was no more than 12 when it happened. I don't know why my family and I were at their house eating Tortilla Roll-Ups, but I remember loving them so much. Now whenever I see them pop up on food blogs or pinterest, I pin away.
After my successful foray into the Roll-Ups world a few months ago, I've kept my eyes especially alert for new flavor combinations to try. I happened to have a half block of cream cheese and most of the other necessary ingredients (minus the olives, which I was bummed about, but honestly they were fine without) hanging out in the fridge on New Year's Eve, so I decided at the last minute to add these little beauties to the menu. I whipped up a half-batch and it was the perfect complement to our other apps we ate that night. So quick and so easy and oh-so-delicious are these little morsels. I foresee the Tortilla Roll-Up becoming a staple treat/snack/meal/appetizer in our house!
Ingredients:
1 block cream cheese, softened
1 can diced green chiles
1 small can sliced black olives (I didn't have any olives, but I would have loved to add them if I did)
1 tablespoon fresh chives (or one green onion, sliced) (I did the onion)
6 slices of ham (I doubled the ham to fit better on each tortilla - so two per instead of just one)
6 flour tortillas
~1/2 cup or so shredded cheddar cheese
a squirt of mustard
a sprinkle of garlic powder
Directions:
Mix your softened cream cheese with the mustard and garlic powder (you don't need much of either, just a little to give it a good flavor) in a large mixing bowl.
Drain black olives and give them a rough chop. Slice green onions or chop chives (both are tasty so use what you like best). Place green onions (or chives), roughly chopped black olives, canned green chiles and cheddar cheese in the bowl with the cream cheese mixture. Stir to combine. You'll really have to work it all in so it's completely combined.
Now for the roll-ups. Using a spatula, spread 1/6th of the mixture evenly on top of a flour tortilla and place a piece of ham (or two) on top. Roll up your tortilla tightly. Slice each roll with a sharp serrate knife into about 1 1/2 inch pieces. (Eat the ends that don't really stay together and look ugly.) Refrigerate till you're ready to eat.
Notes:
I remember my first ever introduction to Tortilla Roll-Ups (and only experience ever, really, until I made some for Halloween last year (those ones were salsa flavored and were a big hit)) was at the Cannon's home in South Weber after they moved away from being our back-yard neighbors. This must have been years ago. I'm sure I was no more than 12 when it happened. I don't know why my family and I were at their house eating Tortilla Roll-Ups, but I remember loving them so much. Now whenever I see them pop up on food blogs or pinterest, I pin away.
After my successful foray into the Roll-Ups world a few months ago, I've kept my eyes especially alert for new flavor combinations to try. I happened to have a half block of cream cheese and most of the other necessary ingredients (minus the olives, which I was bummed about, but honestly they were fine without) hanging out in the fridge on New Year's Eve, so I decided at the last minute to add these little beauties to the menu. I whipped up a half-batch and it was the perfect complement to our other apps we ate that night. So quick and so easy and oh-so-delicious are these little morsels. I foresee the Tortilla Roll-Up becoming a staple treat/snack/meal/appetizer in our house!
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Honey-Orange Glazed Ham in the Crock Pot
Source: here
Ingredients:
1/2 cup apple juice (I didn't have any apple juice so I just left it out - I had plenty of liquid)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 ham, bone-in or boneless, spiral or not, probably the most important key is that it fits in your crock pot
Directions:
Place ham in the crock pot. Cover with juices, sugar and honey. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, brushing with glaze occasionally.
Notes:
Couldn't be easier than that. We had this for Christmas dinner with a good ol' hash brown casserole (i.e. funeral potatoes), rolls, and a green salad. Simple, hearty, leftovers for days (the ham freezes great and can be used in soups, sandwiches, pizzas, whatever you want).
Ingredients:
1/2 cup apple juice (I didn't have any apple juice so I just left it out - I had plenty of liquid)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 ham, bone-in or boneless, spiral or not, probably the most important key is that it fits in your crock pot
Directions:
Place ham in the crock pot. Cover with juices, sugar and honey. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, brushing with glaze occasionally.
Notes:
Couldn't be easier than that. We had this for Christmas dinner with a good ol' hash brown casserole (i.e. funeral potatoes), rolls, and a green salad. Simple, hearty, leftovers for days (the ham freezes great and can be used in soups, sandwiches, pizzas, whatever you want).
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients:
2-3 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or chicken tenders
16-ounce package sliced bacon, thick cut or regular
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I went with the larger amount on each of these ranges)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If you have it, place an uncoated metal cooling rack inside a foil-lined large rimmed baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray. If not, line a baking pan or broiling pan with foil and lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray.
Cut the chicken breasts into large bite-sized pieces. If using chicken tenders, cut them in half (you can fold over the chicken tender pieces when wrapping so they'll be thicker). Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl and toss with the salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, garlic powder and red pepper. Let it hang out while preparing the rest of the ingredients (you can cover and refrigerate up to a day).
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and chili powder together. Cut the entire slab of bacon into thirds.
Wrap each chicken piece with small strip of bacon and holding tightly, dredge them in the brown sugar/chili powder mixture. Place the chicken pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet (or rack set inside the baking sheet). If the bacon isn’t staying put, you can secure with a toothpick. (I made mine ahead of time and stored the pan in the fridge for most of the day till it was time to cook. So when it came time to cook them, they took closer to 30-40 minutes to cook since everything was so cold.)
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is cooked through. Flip it once if the chicken is laying directly on the baking sheet. Serve immediately.
Notes:
I was looking for new appetizer recipes that I could serve for Christmas Eve or New Years Eve or just your average Thursday Eve. And of course, Mel came through for me again. These were delicious! I loved the slight spicy-sweet coating that came from the brown sugar-chili powder dusting over the top of these little delights. My only complaint is that the bacon never really got crispy. I don't know if it's supposed to, but I guess I was expecting it to, so when it stayed pretty soft and chewy, I was a little bit bummed. But, they were delicious. And they actually warmed up great in the microwave for the next few days as we ate them for lunch. We even sliced them in half and used them as the meat in a sandwich, which was really quite delicious.
Ingredients:
2-3 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts or chicken tenders
16-ounce package sliced bacon, thick cut or regular
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I went with the larger amount on each of these ranges)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If you have it, place an uncoated metal cooling rack inside a foil-lined large rimmed baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray. If not, line a baking pan or broiling pan with foil and lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray.
Cut the chicken breasts into large bite-sized pieces. If using chicken tenders, cut them in half (you can fold over the chicken tender pieces when wrapping so they'll be thicker). Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl and toss with the salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, garlic powder and red pepper. Let it hang out while preparing the rest of the ingredients (you can cover and refrigerate up to a day).
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and chili powder together. Cut the entire slab of bacon into thirds.
Wrap each chicken piece with small strip of bacon and holding tightly, dredge them in the brown sugar/chili powder mixture. Place the chicken pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet (or rack set inside the baking sheet). If the bacon isn’t staying put, you can secure with a toothpick. (I made mine ahead of time and stored the pan in the fridge for most of the day till it was time to cook. So when it came time to cook them, they took closer to 30-40 minutes to cook since everything was so cold.)
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is cooked through. Flip it once if the chicken is laying directly on the baking sheet. Serve immediately.
Notes:
I was looking for new appetizer recipes that I could serve for Christmas Eve or New Years Eve or just your average Thursday Eve. And of course, Mel came through for me again. These were delicious! I loved the slight spicy-sweet coating that came from the brown sugar-chili powder dusting over the top of these little delights. My only complaint is that the bacon never really got crispy. I don't know if it's supposed to, but I guess I was expecting it to, so when it stayed pretty soft and chewy, I was a little bit bummed. But, they were delicious. And they actually warmed up great in the microwave for the next few days as we ate them for lunch. We even sliced them in half and used them as the meat in a sandwich, which was really quite delicious.
Tomato Basil Soup
Source: here, via Pinterest
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 - 14 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 - 14 oz. can whole tomatoes
2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used 1% milk - loved it)
3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned (I didn't have any fresh, so I used 1 1/2 Tablespoons dried basil)
parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute - being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes. Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, squeezing them into the pan to break them up. Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.
To finish, reduce the heat to low and stir in heavy cream and basil. Serve topped with parmesan cheese or a grilled cheese sandwich (which is exactly what we did - both!).
Notes:
Every Thursday in the winter I like to make soup. Of course I have my favorites, but sometimes I like to find a new recipe (I have so many to choose from on Pinterest) to test out. I'm so glad I tried this one! I loved it! It's a thick-ish consistency due to the crushed tomatoes and there's a bit of chew from the whole tomato chunks in there. Very hearty for a tomato soup. And lots of flavor! The perfect complement to a good grilled cheese. I will be making this one again.
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 - 14 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 - 14 oz. can whole tomatoes
2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used 1% milk - loved it)
3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned (I didn't have any fresh, so I used 1 1/2 Tablespoons dried basil)
parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute - being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes. Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, squeezing them into the pan to break them up. Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.
To finish, reduce the heat to low and stir in heavy cream and basil. Serve topped with parmesan cheese or a grilled cheese sandwich (which is exactly what we did - both!).
Notes:
Every Thursday in the winter I like to make soup. Of course I have my favorites, but sometimes I like to find a new recipe (I have so many to choose from on Pinterest) to test out. I'm so glad I tried this one! I loved it! It's a thick-ish consistency due to the crushed tomatoes and there's a bit of chew from the whole tomato chunks in there. Very hearty for a tomato soup. And lots of flavor! The perfect complement to a good grilled cheese. I will be making this one again.
Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Source: Sally's Baking Addiction
Ingredients:
for the cookies:
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (I only ever have salted - it was fine)
2/3 cup (134g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (264g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
1/2 cup (160g) raspberry jam
for the glaze:
1 cup (120g) confectioners' sugar
1 Tablespoon (15g) cream or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (optional) (I left it out)
Directions:
Make the cookies: Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Switch mixer to medium speed and add the the sugar, vanilla, and almond extracts. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. Turn the mixer off and pour the flour into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until a very soft dough is formed. Press the dough down to compact it and tightly cover with plastic wrap to chill until firm, at least 4 hours. (Mine chilled for closer to 9 hours.)
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (silicone mats preferred to reduce spreading) (I don't have either so I just skipped it - maybe I lightly sprayed with cooking spray? I really can't remember now.). Shape the cookie dough into balls about 1 Tablespoon of dough each. Make sure they're nice and smooth. If you find that the balls of dough are sticky and/or have gotten a little soft after rolling- place the balls of dough back into the refrigerator to firm up. You absolutely DO NOT want soft dough. Make an indentation with your thumb into each ball. The dough may crack slightly when you press your thumb into it. Simply smooth it out with your fingers if you can. Otherwise, it's perfectly fine to have a few cracks. Fill each with a scant 1/2 teaspoon of jam. (Or however much it can hold.)
Bake the shortbread thumbprint cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the edges. The cookies will puff up and spread slightly. Do not overbake. (I stayed toward the lower limits to keep them soft.) Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before glazing.
Make the glaze: stir together glaze ingredients until smooth. Add more liquid to thin out or add more confectioners' sugar to thicken to your desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Glaze will set within a couple hours.
Store cookies covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 6 days. Shortbread cookie dough may be frozen up to 2 months; baked cookies (without glaze - or with - ours were fine with glaze in the freezer) may be frozen up to 2-3 months. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Notes:
I had this one saved on my Pinterest desserts board for a long, long time. Finally I decided it would be one of my Christmas cookies this December (mostly to eat by ourselves at home, but we did share a few with our neighbor, Betty). I was pleased with how easily the dough came together.
There is a note in the recipe about making sure the dough didn't get too soft. I found I had the opposite problem - because my dough had chilled for so long the dough was rock hard and I had to chisel it into chunks, which I then had to hold in my hands to warm up a bit before I could even roll them. What I should have done is put them back in the fridge after I rolled them, but I didn't, and when they cooked they spread a bit more than I was wanting at the edges. So, it is true that you don't want your dough to get too warm. But you do need it to be pliable enough to roll into ball, so next time I'll pull the dough out and let it soften for about 15 minutes, roll it into balls, and then pop it back in the fridge for a bit so it they're nice and cold and will hopefully not spread when baked.
BUT - despite the fact that my cookies did not look like the photos on the blog, they really did taste amazing. I anticipate that these little gems of cookies will be making repeat appearances in my kitchen for many Christmases (or any other cookie-making times) to come. I'd love to give them a try with other jam flavors, too - blueberry, apricot, strawberry - so many options!
Ingredients:
for the cookies:
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (I only ever have salted - it was fine)
2/3 cup (134g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (264g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
1/2 cup (160g) raspberry jam
for the glaze:
1 cup (120g) confectioners' sugar
1 Tablespoon (15g) cream or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (optional) (I left it out)
Directions:
Make the cookies: Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Switch mixer to medium speed and add the the sugar, vanilla, and almond extracts. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. Turn the mixer off and pour the flour into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until a very soft dough is formed. Press the dough down to compact it and tightly cover with plastic wrap to chill until firm, at least 4 hours. (Mine chilled for closer to 9 hours.)
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (silicone mats preferred to reduce spreading) (I don't have either so I just skipped it - maybe I lightly sprayed with cooking spray? I really can't remember now.). Shape the cookie dough into balls about 1 Tablespoon of dough each. Make sure they're nice and smooth. If you find that the balls of dough are sticky and/or have gotten a little soft after rolling- place the balls of dough back into the refrigerator to firm up. You absolutely DO NOT want soft dough. Make an indentation with your thumb into each ball. The dough may crack slightly when you press your thumb into it. Simply smooth it out with your fingers if you can. Otherwise, it's perfectly fine to have a few cracks. Fill each with a scant 1/2 teaspoon of jam. (Or however much it can hold.)
Bake the shortbread thumbprint cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the edges. The cookies will puff up and spread slightly. Do not overbake. (I stayed toward the lower limits to keep them soft.) Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before glazing.
Make the glaze: stir together glaze ingredients until smooth. Add more liquid to thin out or add more confectioners' sugar to thicken to your desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Glaze will set within a couple hours.
Store cookies covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 6 days. Shortbread cookie dough may be frozen up to 2 months; baked cookies (without glaze - or with - ours were fine with glaze in the freezer) may be frozen up to 2-3 months. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Notes:
I had this one saved on my Pinterest desserts board for a long, long time. Finally I decided it would be one of my Christmas cookies this December (mostly to eat by ourselves at home, but we did share a few with our neighbor, Betty). I was pleased with how easily the dough came together.
There is a note in the recipe about making sure the dough didn't get too soft. I found I had the opposite problem - because my dough had chilled for so long the dough was rock hard and I had to chisel it into chunks, which I then had to hold in my hands to warm up a bit before I could even roll them. What I should have done is put them back in the fridge after I rolled them, but I didn't, and when they cooked they spread a bit more than I was wanting at the edges. So, it is true that you don't want your dough to get too warm. But you do need it to be pliable enough to roll into ball, so next time I'll pull the dough out and let it soften for about 15 minutes, roll it into balls, and then pop it back in the fridge for a bit so it they're nice and cold and will hopefully not spread when baked.
BUT - despite the fact that my cookies did not look like the photos on the blog, they really did taste amazing. I anticipate that these little gems of cookies will be making repeat appearances in my kitchen for many Christmases (or any other cookie-making times) to come. I'd love to give them a try with other jam flavors, too - blueberry, apricot, strawberry - so many options!
Salisbury Steak in the Slow Cooker
Source: allrecipes.com, via Pinterest
Ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (I used cream of mushroom soup instead, as per some suggestions)
1 (1 ounce) packet dry au jus mix
3/4 cup water
a handful of mushrooms, chopped
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, and milk using your hands. Shape into 8 patties.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the patties in flour just to coat, and quickly brown on both sides in the hot skillet. Place browned patties into the slow cooker stacking alternately like a pyramid. Add chopped mushrooms. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup, au jus mix, and water. Pour over the meat. Cook on the Low setting for 4 or 5 hours, until ground beef is well done.
Notes:
This was really great. My only complaint is that it is quite salty. Not sure how to overcome that with all the packaged salt (basically) that you add, but just be aware. Other than that, this made a yummy, warm, easy Sunday dinner served over mashed potatoes with some mixed steamed veggies.
Ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (I used cream of mushroom soup instead, as per some suggestions)
1 (1 ounce) packet dry au jus mix
3/4 cup water
a handful of mushrooms, chopped
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, and milk using your hands. Shape into 8 patties.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the patties in flour just to coat, and quickly brown on both sides in the hot skillet. Place browned patties into the slow cooker stacking alternately like a pyramid. Add chopped mushrooms. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup, au jus mix, and water. Pour over the meat. Cook on the Low setting for 4 or 5 hours, until ground beef is well done.
Notes:
This was really great. My only complaint is that it is quite salty. Not sure how to overcome that with all the packaged salt (basically) that you add, but just be aware. Other than that, this made a yummy, warm, easy Sunday dinner served over mashed potatoes with some mixed steamed veggies.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins
Source: Sally's Baking Addiction
Ingredients:
3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour (very careful not to overmeasure)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
1 cup (240 ml) milk, at room temperature (she prefers buttermilk, so I used my handy-dandy buttermilk substitution with 1 Tablespoon lemon jucie + milk to 1 cup and let it sit for 5 minutes)
½ cup (120 ml) canola/vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup (120 grams) dark chocolate chips, (or semi-sweet)
1 and ¼ cup (215 grams) fresh raspberries (I used frozen with great results)
coarse sugar (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, gently toss together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until all dry ingredients are combined - a 20 second toss to disburse everything together. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Mix in milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Mixture will be pale and yellow. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix everything together by hand. Avoid over-mixing, which will produce tough, dry muffins. Gently mix until all the flour is off the bottom of the bowl and no big pockets of flour remain. The batter will be extremely thick and somewhat lumpy. Fold in the chocolate chips, then very gently to avoid them from leaking their color, fold in the raspberries.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, filling all the way to the top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired (I didn't have any so I left it off, and the muffins were great). Bake at 425F degrees for 5 minutes. Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce oven temperature to 375F and continue to bake for 13-14 minutes until tops are lightly golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Muffins taste best fresh the same day. Store muffins at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes:
I had a goal last year to make a new muffin recipe each month. I'm proud to say I was successful in that goal! What a delicious resolution, let me tell you! Well, for December I decided to make these little beauties since I had some frozen raspberries in my freezer. Oh my! So delicious!
Ingredients:
3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour (very careful not to overmeasure)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
1 cup (240 ml) milk, at room temperature (she prefers buttermilk, so I used my handy-dandy buttermilk substitution with 1 Tablespoon lemon jucie + milk to 1 cup and let it sit for 5 minutes)
½ cup (120 ml) canola/vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup (120 grams) dark chocolate chips, (or semi-sweet)
1 and ¼ cup (215 grams) fresh raspberries (I used frozen with great results)
coarse sugar (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, gently toss together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until all dry ingredients are combined - a 20 second toss to disburse everything together. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Mix in milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Mixture will be pale and yellow. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix everything together by hand. Avoid over-mixing, which will produce tough, dry muffins. Gently mix until all the flour is off the bottom of the bowl and no big pockets of flour remain. The batter will be extremely thick and somewhat lumpy. Fold in the chocolate chips, then very gently to avoid them from leaking their color, fold in the raspberries.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, filling all the way to the top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired (I didn't have any so I left it off, and the muffins were great). Bake at 425F degrees for 5 minutes. Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce oven temperature to 375F and continue to bake for 13-14 minutes until tops are lightly golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Muffins taste best fresh the same day. Store muffins at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes:
I had a goal last year to make a new muffin recipe each month. I'm proud to say I was successful in that goal! What a delicious resolution, let me tell you! Well, for December I decided to make these little beauties since I had some frozen raspberries in my freezer. Oh my! So delicious!
Pumpkin Cheesecake with White Chocolate Mousse
Source: my good friend Mel (ha - in my dreams we're friends, anyway)
Ingredients:
for the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 14 rectangle crackers)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 Tablespoons butter, melted
for the cheesecake:
3 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (or about 2 cups if using homemade)
for the white chocolate mousse topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces white chocolate, melted
Directions:
For the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the melted butter and mix until combined and it looks like wet sand.
Press the crumbs into the bottom and just a bit up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan (I used a 9-incher since that's what I have, but it worked fine; it was just really full and in the end took quite a bit longer to cook the cheesecake - see later for details). Place the springform pan on a foil-lined larger baking pan and bake for about 8 minutes until the crust is just lightly golden and smells fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F.
For the cheesecake batter, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer), whip together the cream cheese and sour cream until just combined. Add the cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and mix until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla and pumpkin until just combined.
Spread the batter evenly over the crust and bake (keeping the pan still on the foil-lined baking sheet; helps prevent any leaking butter/batter from dirtying your oven) for 45-60 minutes (because mine was in a 9-inch pan, it took almost an hour and ten minutes and even then it still seemed too jiggly too me so I just turned off the oven and let it sit inside for a while as the oven cooled) until the edges are set and the center slightly jiggles. Let the cheesecake cool completely.
For the white chocolate topping, in a medium bowl, beat the cream and vanilla with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix until combined and the peaks are slightly stiffer. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the white chocolate and mix until smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped cream, taking care not to deflate the whipped cream, and mix gently with a rubber spatula, lifting and turning the cream, until the mousse is combined and creamy. (Mine never mixed smoothly - when I was done it looked more like whipped cream with a tiny clumps of cream cheese speckled throughout. So it looked weird, but it tasted great.)
Spread the white chocolate topping on top of the cooled cheesecake. (It was really nice to have the mousse to cover my sunken top on my cheesecake - I tend to mix my cheesecakes too much, so they get too much air and then sink when they come out of the oven. If you do the same thing, then you don't have to fret because you can just fill in the hole with the mousse!) Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or up to a day. (I made mine the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. When it cooled, I covered it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil and then popped it in the freezer. It traveled to Utah a few days later in the cooler and then lived in the fridge until it was time to eat dessert on Sunday afternoon.) Garnish with a light dusting of freshly grated nutmeg, if desired.
Notes:
If you want a showstopping dessert, especially in the fall when it's pumpkin season, look no further than this awesome cheesecake. Luckily, it looks way impressive and tastes way impressive, but it does not require major feats of culinary excellence to create it. Sign me up! Sure, it takes a little time and a lot of cream cheese, but really it's worth every minute! One of the greatest things about cheesecake is that it can/should be made a day or two (or more if you want to freeze it) ahead of time, leaving you free to make the rest of your meal on the big day. Bonus.
 |
| Our Blanchard Family Thanksgiving Dessert Spread The Cheesecake is the one in the middle. |
for the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 14 rectangle crackers)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 Tablespoons butter, melted
for the cheesecake:
3 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (or about 2 cups if using homemade)
for the white chocolate mousse topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces white chocolate, melted
Directions:
For the crust, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the melted butter and mix until combined and it looks like wet sand.
Press the crumbs into the bottom and just a bit up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan (I used a 9-incher since that's what I have, but it worked fine; it was just really full and in the end took quite a bit longer to cook the cheesecake - see later for details). Place the springform pan on a foil-lined larger baking pan and bake for about 8 minutes until the crust is just lightly golden and smells fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F.
For the cheesecake batter, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer), whip together the cream cheese and sour cream until just combined. Add the cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and mix until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla and pumpkin until just combined.
Spread the batter evenly over the crust and bake (keeping the pan still on the foil-lined baking sheet; helps prevent any leaking butter/batter from dirtying your oven) for 45-60 minutes (because mine was in a 9-inch pan, it took almost an hour and ten minutes and even then it still seemed too jiggly too me so I just turned off the oven and let it sit inside for a while as the oven cooled) until the edges are set and the center slightly jiggles. Let the cheesecake cool completely.
For the white chocolate topping, in a medium bowl, beat the cream and vanilla with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix until combined and the peaks are slightly stiffer. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the white chocolate and mix until smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped cream, taking care not to deflate the whipped cream, and mix gently with a rubber spatula, lifting and turning the cream, until the mousse is combined and creamy. (Mine never mixed smoothly - when I was done it looked more like whipped cream with a tiny clumps of cream cheese speckled throughout. So it looked weird, but it tasted great.)
Spread the white chocolate topping on top of the cooled cheesecake. (It was really nice to have the mousse to cover my sunken top on my cheesecake - I tend to mix my cheesecakes too much, so they get too much air and then sink when they come out of the oven. If you do the same thing, then you don't have to fret because you can just fill in the hole with the mousse!) Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or up to a day. (I made mine the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. When it cooled, I covered it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil and then popped it in the freezer. It traveled to Utah a few days later in the cooler and then lived in the fridge until it was time to eat dessert on Sunday afternoon.) Garnish with a light dusting of freshly grated nutmeg, if desired.
Notes:
If you want a showstopping dessert, especially in the fall when it's pumpkin season, look no further than this awesome cheesecake. Luckily, it looks way impressive and tastes way impressive, but it does not require major feats of culinary excellence to create it. Sign me up! Sure, it takes a little time and a lot of cream cheese, but really it's worth every minute! One of the greatest things about cheesecake is that it can/should be made a day or two (or more if you want to freeze it) ahead of time, leaving you free to make the rest of your meal on the big day. Bonus.
Creamy Black Bean Chicken Soup
Source: here, via Pinterest
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (I used 1 small one and it was totally chickeny enough)
1 cup chicken broth (I think I probably used one can, which is closer to 2 cups)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained (I used about a cup of frozen corn kernels)
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning (I used a few tablespoons of a homemade seasoning mix)
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
Tortilla chips
Directions:
Place chicken in crock pot. Pour broth, beans, corn, salsa, and taco seasoning over chicken.
Cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 3 hours).
Remove chicken and shred. Re-add chicken.
If desired, add sour cream and cheese to crock pot. Stir until smooth. (Or add desired amount to individual servings)
Serve with tortilla chips.
Notes:
I stumbled across this little recipe on pinterest one day and immediately changed my plans for that day's dinner and made this instead. It was super easy, super delicious and super small. Which actually was perfect for us on the Thursday before Thanksgiving since I didn't need lots of leftovers to deal with before we left town for a week. So yeah, it doesn't make a ton, but it easily could be doubled in a bigger crock pot. Yum!
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (I used 1 small one and it was totally chickeny enough)
1 cup chicken broth (I think I probably used one can, which is closer to 2 cups)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained (I used about a cup of frozen corn kernels)
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning (I used a few tablespoons of a homemade seasoning mix)
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
Tortilla chips
Directions:
Place chicken in crock pot. Pour broth, beans, corn, salsa, and taco seasoning over chicken.
Cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 3 hours).
Remove chicken and shred. Re-add chicken.
If desired, add sour cream and cheese to crock pot. Stir until smooth. (Or add desired amount to individual servings)
Serve with tortilla chips.
Notes:
I stumbled across this little recipe on pinterest one day and immediately changed my plans for that day's dinner and made this instead. It was super easy, super delicious and super small. Which actually was perfect for us on the Thursday before Thanksgiving since I didn't need lots of leftovers to deal with before we left town for a week. So yeah, it doesn't make a ton, but it easily could be doubled in a bigger crock pot. Yum!
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