Straight Up Good Food

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

2011-11-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

These bars are a-maz-ing! I wish that I was responsible for this most fabulous recipe but I cannot take any of the credit. I was introduced to these bites of heaven via my fab friend (and cook) Stacie, and they hail from Melanie over at MelsKitchenCafe, she has a dynamite food blog, definitely worth taking the time to browse her site! These babies are 5 layers of bliss, the bottom is a buttery cookie crust, topped with a creamy layer of cheesecake, then comes the tart and sweet cinnamon apples, topped with an oat streusel (my favorite part) and then finally, a drizzle of caramel sauce. Really, need I say more. I have made these for a couple of showers (baby and bridal) and there has never been one bar leftover. I have emailed this recipe to most people who have tasted. Honestly, I am drooling just thinking about them! My one bit of advice is that they are kind of messy and fragile, so be careful as you cut them and place them on your serving platter.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping

INGREDIENTS:
Base:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
Cream Cheese Layer:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Apples:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Streusel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
Caramel Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cups half-and-half or cream
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, two tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine all the streusel topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly but combined. Press evenly into a 9X13-inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Then add eggs, one at a time and then the vanilla. Mix well. Pour over the warm crust.
Spoon the apple mixture evenly over the cheesecake layer. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples. Bake for 30 minutes until the filling is set.
Cool the bars to room temperature. Drizzle with the caramel topping (or plate individual slices and drizzle with topping one by one).
For the caramel sauce, mix butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold. If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on bars.

Recipe Source: MelsKitchenCafe

Creamy Bachamel Mac N Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower

2011-11-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Alrighty, time to step away from our Halloween sugar over-load for a moment and talk about pure comfort food with a gourmet twist. I really should be posting something super healthy to balance out my (our) over dose of candy and pumpkin goodies, but I have really been wanting to post this creamy, dreamy, straight to the hips dinner for a while now. Roasted Cauliflower really goes well with cheesy pasta, I love the combination. The Bachemel base allows you to use a lot less cheese but it doesn't taste any less cheesy. The sauce also sticks really well to the pasta (a bad recipe is too oily and the cheese doesn't adhere to the pasta well enough). This is a great balance of creamy, cheesy deliciousness with a touch of gourmet when you toss in the roasted cauliflower. Just right with a salad on a cool winter night. Enjoy! PS- Kitchen to table in about 30 minutes.

** My husband ate the leftovers the next day with chopped turkey bacon we had leftover from breakfast, I took a bite, it rocked. A great way to add meat if you are a "it's not a meal without meat" kind of cook or you just love bacon.

Creamy Bachemel Mac N Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 8 to 10 (recipe can easily be cut in half)

Ingredients
1 stick butter
1/2 plus two tablespoons flour
4 cups of milk
1 cup cheddar
1 cup mozzarella
1 pound dry macaroni pasta
sea salt and white pepper to taste
1 head Cauliflower
About 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Start your water for the pasta
3. Cut head of cauliflower into bite size pieces. Place on baking sheet and toss in a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes. Cauliflower should be slightly soft but still hard enough to hold it's shape well and not feel "mushy". Just taste one
4. In the meantime, Cook pasta according to package directions.
5. In the meantime, make the sauce.
6. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add flower while whisking, whisk until smooth, this should take about 2 minutes. Gradually add milk and whisk continually until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of your spoon. Remove from heat add cheeses and season with salt and pepper. Toss in cauliflower and serve while hot.

Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes {Baked}

2011-10-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

Good donuts are hands down, my very favorite dessert, they always have been. My mom said that when I was just barely talking, I would say "dough-no's" over and over again any time we passed them at the supermarket or anywhere they were available. Odd kid- my favorite foods were salad and donuts. I am still they same way- super healthy but I love to splurge! Nowadays, I am very picky about my donuts but a good, from scratch doughnut, oh man, there is nothing better. We are going home to San Diego for Christmas, I can tell you that I will be eating at VGs Donuts over and over again. I will be going on long runs up and down highway 1 enjoying the ocean breeze, followed by a spulrge of delicious donuts- I can't wait!

Now, on to this yummy recipe. I am slightly reluctant to call these "dougnuts", they are baked, not fried and made in mini muffin tins but after you roll these babies in melted butter and cinnamon and sugar, they really do taste like a pumpkin donut. Being the health freak that I am, I had to give a "baked" donut a try and I am very pleased with the results.. I have seen a million recipes online over the past few years and have been inventing my own variation in my mind for a while. I love that they were easy to make and that I didn't have to deal with the big pain of deep frying. I made them twice this week, my family gobbled up the first batch way too quickly. I made the second batch for a baby shower and they were a big hit. This is a must try sweet recipe and has definitely become a family favorite in our house.

{Baked} Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Makes 2 dozen
*Equipment needed- Mini muffin pan (typically holds 24)

Dry Ingredients
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Wet Ingredients
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping3/4 stick of butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons cinnamon, mixed together

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray.
2. Place all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix together well with a wire whisk, set aside.
3. Mix pumpkin, oil, sugar, egg, buttermilk and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly with a wire whisk until combined well.
4. Fold dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture and mix until combined, being careful not to over mix.
5. Place 2 generous tablespoons of batter into each tin.
6. Bake for 12 minutes.

As soon as they are cool enough to handle roll in melted butter and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve while hot and crisp. They are best if eaten within a few hours, the coating will get soggy after a while. If you want to serve them up to a day after you make them, make the muffins, store in an airtight container and wait to roll in the butter and cinnamon sugar until ready to serve.

Tex-Mex Goulash

2011-10-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Goulash, "A mixture of many different elements; a hodgepodge". Um, yum. Yes, hodgepodge is a real word, in fact a great word to describe this meal. Please don't be scared off because you read the world goulash. I happen to be a big fan of the much feared goulash. Just think of all of your favorite Tex-Mex flavors mixed together in one great, easy to cook meal. Also, I made this without planning ahead or going to the store, all of these items were in my pantry and I figured out that the entire meal cost less then $5 buck-a-roos. Healthy+Easy+Yum+Quick+Cheap= 4 happy tummies and 1 extra happy, non-exhausted mom (well, at least for a small moment while I ate my dinner and nursed Princess Q at the same time, so I think that makes 5 happy tummies).

The Ultimate Bite

Tex-Mex Goulash

Serves 4 large portions

2 cups of leftover cooked rice (white or brown).

1/2 of a large white onion or 1 small
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon crushed garlic (refrigerated or fresh will work).

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
1 4.5 ounce can diced, roasted green chilies
About 3/4 cup roasted bell peppers (the Trader Joes glass bottle is fantastic, use about 1/2 of it). You can use a raw red bell pepper if you don't have roasted on hand.
1 tablespoon of cumin
Side options- cilantro, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips and salsa to serve on the side or load on top.
1. Saute onions in olive oil in a medium saucepan, once tender add garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add roasted bell peppers and green chilies and cook for another minute (if you are using a raw bell pepper instead, put it in the pan with the onions).
3. Add beans, corn, tomatoes and cumin and stir until combined.
4. Let mixture heat through and serve immediately
5. Serve over hot rice with all of the sides to pile on top. Dip with chips if desired.

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes with Sauteed Cinnamon Apples

2011-10-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE pumpkin, seriously, yummy pumpkin goods are one of my most very favorite foods. Praise the season of the pumpkin! This delicious fall breakfast was love at first bite. I do have to say that some pumpkin baked goods can be too "pumpkiny" or leave me wishing their was more pumpkin goodness. These pancakes are the perfect balance of pumpkin flavor. Spiced a plenty along with sauteed cinnamon apples, toasted pecans and real maple syrup. If you really wanted to go over the top, you could make some fresh whipped cream. Also, these are quite hardy and I love breakfast for dinner . . . just sayin.

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes with Sauteed Cinnamon Apples

Makes about 2 dozen pancakes

Dry mix
2 cups white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour (can use all white if preferred)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I love Trader Joes mix)
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon all spice
2 teaspoons baking powder

Wet Mix
3 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 tablespoons butter, melted, cooled

Sauteed Cinnamon Apples (this is enough apples for half of the pancakes, we usually save the rest for a quick weekday breakfast or two , if you are going to serve all of the pancakes, then double this)
2 cups diced, peeled apples
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions
1.Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk well, set aside.
2. Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl, whisk well.
3. Fold dry ingredients into wet, mix with a large wooden spoon until just combined. There should be no dry mix left but lumps are ok.
4. Let batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Cook pancakes on a skillet over medium heat. These pancakes take a little longer to cook then traditional buttermilk pancakes. They need to be cooked at a little lower of a temperature and they will take longer to be ready to flip. Watch them close.

In the meantime, while you are cooking the pancakes, make the apples. Melt butter in a large saucepan, once butter is melted add the apples, cinnamon and nutmeg. Saute on medium heat until apples are tender and mixture begins to caramelize.

Serve pancakes hot and fresh with apples, toasted pecans and real maple syrup. Serve nuts and apples on the side so guests can add as desired.

{Perfection in a bite}

Caribbean Jerk Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa

2011-10-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

Oh man, this was a dynamite dinner. I absolutely love Caribbean flavor- fresh, bold and double-delicious!. Jamaican "Jerk" is Caribbean BBQ. The dry rub has thyme, all spice, ginger, chipolte and brown sugar and the salsa has lime and jalapeno so you get all the best of Caribbean flavors in these babies . The tacos are finished with fresh mango salsa and crunchy cabbage in a toasty corn tortilla. We took this meal down fast and I was so sad when it was gone. I had 3 tacos and could have(and would have) easily had double.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa

Makes 8 Tacos

Jerk Rub Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 to 1/2 (depending on how hot you want it) teaspoon dried chipolte chile pepper
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Mango Salsa
2 Mangos (almost ripe), peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped (leave in the seeds if you want it hot)
Large handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 pinches of sugar
1 pinch of salt

Other ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half, chopped into thin strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 Yellow Corn Tortillas (My favorite, if they aren't homemade is Mission "Extra Thin" yellow corn).
2 cups green cabbage, sliced thin

Directions
1. Mix all of the dry rub ingredients together, toss well onto chicken strips and let marinate in the refridgerater for 2 to 4 hours.
2. Make the salsa- combine all ingredients, taste, adjust seasonings if necessary.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet and the vegetable oil over medium high heat, add chicken, saute for 3 minutes turn over and saute for about 3 minutes more. Turn off heat and cover until ready to serve.
4. Heat the tortiallas up individually in a skillet, letting them brown a little on each side.
5. Pile chicken, mango salsa and cabbage into tortilla.

Honey Whole Wheat Breadsticks with Honey Butter Glaze

2011-10-11T05:48:00.000-07:00

I know this is not the most attractive picture. I dare say that these look like something that starts with a {P}, but we won't go there (or did I just do that already) and I was too hungry to take a good picture, and I can't post a great recipe without a photo. However, these are extremely yummy, have a great texture, my kids loved them and the honey butter glaze puts them over the top. This is a great go-to recipe that is healthier then your average breadstick and they will go with just about any meal.

Honey Whole Wheat Breadsticks with Honey Glaze
Makes about 10 large breadsticks

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons honey

Glaze- 2 tablespoons of melted butter, mixed with 2 teaspoons of honey.

Proof yeast,warm water and sugar in the bowl of your mixer for 10 minutes.
Add flours, salt, olive oil and honey. Mix until mix is combined and a soft dough begins to form. Turn mixer up to medium and let dough knead for about 2 minutes (you can also do this by hand). Place dough in a large greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm, draft free place for about 1 hour. Punch dough down, cut into 2 pieces and divide each half evenly into 4 or 5 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and each ball into a long thin breadstick. Place breadsticks onto sprayed baking sheet or a silpat mat and let rise again for about 30 minutes. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Remove from oven and brush immediately and generously with glaze. Serve warm. They go great with pasta dishes like this or this or this

Thai Chicken Satay Pasta

2011-10-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

All of my favorite Thai flavors combined into one tasty, easy to make delish- dish. Really, need a say more. The peanut satay sauce has accents of ginger and lime and the abundance of fresh cilantro makes my taste buds very happy. You should be able to get this meal on the table in 30 minutes or less.

While I am rambling, I must mention my love for for rotisserie chicken. I tell you, those are the most versatile little buggers and you can use them for just about anything. They are a flavorful, a time saver and I always use them for 2 meals, so I think they are a pretty good deal. If you don't use them, I am talking about the hot and fresh whole rotisserie chicken that your local grocery store(s) cook daily. You can put them in pasta, salads, burritos, enchiladas, the list goes on. Being a busy mommy of 3 who loves to cook but doesn't always have the time that I would like to dedicate in the kitchen, they are weekly lifesavers for me.

Enjoy Thai this week and let me know how you like it! PS- if you have young kiddos (or anyone) who is afraid of foreign flavors, serve this buffet style and let people add what they want to their pasta and drizzle the sauce on as desired (that is what I did for my little guys and they ate well).

Thai Chicken Satay Pasta
Serves 2 to 4 (recipe can easily be doubled)

Peanut Sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
4 tablespoons brown sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lime
3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

Pasta
1/2 pound thick spaghetti pasta (look for it it will say "thick")
2 cups rotisserie chicken breast
1 red bell pepper
1 large or 2 small carrots
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup green onions
1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts

Directions
1. Start the water for you pasta and cook the pasta slightly al dente. Meanwhile, do the following-
2. Pull the chicken breast off of your rotisserie chicken (2 cups worth- save the rest)
3. Julienne the bell peppers very thinly and then cut them into thirds.
3. Using a box grater, grate your carrots.
4. Chop cilantro and green onions.
5. Make the sauce- place all ingredients, except for the water, in a medium saucepan on medium low heat. Whisk together until peanut butter starts to thin and ingredients are well combined. Slowly begin whisking in the water to desired thickness. Depending on the type of peanut butter you use, you may use as little as 3/4 cup water and 1 1/4 cups water. The sauce should be thin enough to easily mix into the cooked pasta.
6. In a saute pan, saute bell peppers in olive oil over medium heat until slightly tender, add carrots and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Once pasta, sauce, vegetables and chicken are ready. Toss all ingredients together, adding the sauce about 1/3 at a time. You may or may not want to use all of the sauce. I made it so that there would be extra to serve on the side.
8. If you have time, toss your peanuts in a non stick pan over medium high heat for a minute or two, watch them close, they will burn quick.
8. Garnish with roasted peanuts and serve extra peanut sauce on the side.

Roasted Tomato, Pepper & Garlic Romesco

2011-10-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

This sauce is a flavorful burst of garden fresh Italian delight. The roasted vegetables create layers of flavor that will keep you coming back for more- guilt free. Romesco sauce is typically a mixture of nuts, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions with smoky spices like paprika and chili mixed in, to create a pesto like sauce. My sauce keeps the pesto like texture but gets rid of the nuts and smokiness and replaces it with a bit of natural sweetness by roasting the vegetables. For a traditional dinner, serve it with angel hair pasta (whole wheat is pictured) and a big handful of fresh Parmesan cheese. If you want to try something new or healthier, skip the pasta and go for spaghetti squash- it was dynamite with this fresh sauce and is a great fall meal. It has been a few weeks since I made it and my mouth is watering just thinking about it (and I am not even hungry). It was a big hit with my hubby, so I served it for a dinner party and we had a group of happy stomachs, going back for seconds. I can't wait to make it again!

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Romesco

6 to 8 Large Roma or Plum Tomatoes
2 large red bell peppers
1 large yellow onion
1 head of garlic (yes, 1 head, not 1 clove)
7 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 teaspoons refrigerated basil paste (you can find this in a tube at most grocery stores by the fresh herbs in the produce section, even Walmart carries it). Use 1/2 cup fresh basil if you can't find it/don't have it.
Plenty of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425
Cut tomatoes in half length wise and then in half again, making 4 pieces out of each tomato. Place tomatoes on baking sheet and toss in 3 tablespoons olive oil and generously sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cut bell peppers and onion into medium size chunks. Place on another baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and plenty of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
With your head of garlic, cut off the wide end (the hairy end) about a quarter inch, so the head of the garlic is flat. Place garlic on square of tin foil drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Wrap tightly, sealing and pressing together to prevent oven leakage.
Place tomatoes, bell pepper and onions and garlic in the preheated 425 degree oven. Setting the garlic off to the side on the top rack. Roast vegetables for about 15 minutes and garlic for 25.
Place the tomatoes in a strainer to quickly get rid of the excess liquid.
Place tomatoes, peppers and onions into a food processor.
Open up the tin foil and squeeze the garlic into the food processor. The cloves will fall out of the head very easily with a little bit of a squeeze from the narrow side of the garlic head.
Add refrigerated basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper.
Puree sauce until smooth, although the sauce has a coarse texture. Taste, add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Place sauce in a saucepan and keep warm on stove until ready to serve.
Serve over angel hair pasta, garnish with fresh basil and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
*Remember, a great alternative to serving over angel hair pasta is spaghetti squash- super healthy and delicious!

Couscous Salad with Roasted Broccoli, Feta & Dried Cherries

2011-06-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

Made with whole wheat cous cous and healthy flavorful ingredients, this is a tasty, quick and easy summer salad to make. Roasted Broccoli is one of my favorites, paired with salty feta and sweet dried cherries, the combination is just right. I served it with chicken hot off the BBQ and yummy Orange Almond Muffins (post is coming up).

Whole Wheat Cous Cous Salad with Roasted Broccoli, Feta & Dried Cherries
Serves 6 as a side

Ingredients
1 cup dry, uncooked, whole wheat cous cous
1 cup chicken stock/broth*
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon butter*

2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled Feta
1/3 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 420.
2. Toss broccoli florets with olive oil making sure that all the broccoli has a little oil on it.
3. Place on baking sheet and roast for about 12 minutes or until broccoli is bright green with a few roasting marks and is crisp-tender.
Meanwhile,
4. Bring the broth, butter and salt to a boil. Remove from heat and add cous cous immediately. Stir well, cover quickly and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff well with a fork.
5. While the cous cous is resting, chop the cherries and scallions and place crumbled feta, cherries and scallions in your serving dish.
6. Toss cous cous and broccoli with the feta, cherry and scallion mixture. Taste, add more salt and pepper if necessary and drizzle with olive oil if desired.
Serve at room temperature.
* To make vegetarian substitute vegetable broth and olive oil.

Crepes with Sauteed Peaches and Spiced Cinnamon Cream {Re-post}

2011-06-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

I posted this recipe the first week or two that I created my blog. It didn't have a picture, I bet only 5 people looked at it and I new nothing about food blogging (not that I know much more 2 years later). I have decided that this is just way too lip-smackin delicious and needs another chance to shine, especially at the peak of peach season. I made these for Fathers Day Breakfast last week and I tell you, if you are a fan of peaches and the flavors that accompany them so well, like cinnamon and cream- this is a must try. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, these crepes ROCK!

Crepes with Sauteed Peaches & Spiced Cinnamon Cream
Serves about 4

Ingredients

For the Crepes-

1 cup flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup heavy cream (you can use regular milk, the cream makes them richer and the texture a little heavier, which goes great with the peaches and cream)

3 eggs

2 tablespoons melted butter and cooled, plus 1 more tbs for brushing pan

1/2 tsp salt (kosher if you have it)
For the Peaches-

6 large ripe peaches, peeled and sliced

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Cinnamon Spiced Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Crepes- In a blender or food processor, combine the flour, water, cream, eggs butter and salt. Pulse or blend for about 5 seconds, turn it off and scrape down the sides and mix in flour at the bottom. Blend for about another 20 seconds, until the batter is smooth. The consistency should be about like heavy whipping cream. If you are using milk you may not need to add the 2 tablespoons water, add it if you are using cream. Transfer batter to a bowl and let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes.

Peaches- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saute pan on medium/low heat. When butter is melted, add the peaches and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and toss well. The beauty of the peaches is time, let them do their thing on a low simmer for at least 30 minutes. The peaches will get soft and the extra sugar/butter combo will start to caramelize creating a yummy syrup to drizzle over your finished product.

Spcied Cream- As the batter is resting and the peaches are perfecting, make the cream. Pour 1 cup of heavy whipping cream into a medium bowl (glass is best) and beat the whipping cream for about 30 seconds. Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon and continue to whip the cream until it thickens into a thick cream. With home made whipped cream, it is partially about preference- do you like it kind of runny or really thick. I prefer somewhere in the middle. Just make sure you don't beat it too long or it will become stiff and dry. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Cooking the Crepes- Heat an 8 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush lightly with melted butter. Pour 1/4 cup batter into the hot pan twirling it so that the batter spreads out evenly into a very thin layer. Cook for about 40 seconds until crepe comes away from the side of the pan. Gently flip the crepe over with your fingers or with the help of a rubber spatula (I do both) and continue cooking for a few more seconds. Transfer crepe to a plate and repeat process until all batter is used. Makes 9 to 10 crepes.

Final Product- Fill crepes with peaches and roll together. Top with a large dollop of cream and drizzle with syrup from the peaches. This serves about 4 people (2 crepes per person with a few crepes left over)

Black Bean and Corn Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

2011-06-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

This pregnant mama knew exactly what she wanted for dinner. I was in the mood for a fresh salad, Tex Mex style, that had to be light and crisp without any lettuce (that's a preggo lady for you).

We had dinner guests and the meal had a Southwestern theme. I came up with this simple salad that I may just be eating everyday for the next 4 weeks (the amount of time I have left with sweet Princess Buttercup tucked in my tummy). This salad is great because it goes well with a ton of different main courses; it would be great served with chicken or fish fresh off the grill, as part of a more substantial salad with lettuce and protein, or even as a starter with chips. The vinaigrette is sweet and flavorful with lime, cilantro, red onion and sweet white balsamic vinegar that gives it a nice tang. Also, the vinaigrette would be great on another salad or drizzled over fresh grilled chicken or fish. Happy Summer- kick it off with a flavorful, light and healthy meal.

Black Bean and Corn Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Serves 8+ as a side dish

Ingredients
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed well.
1 can sweet yellow corn, drained and rinsed.
1 bell pepper, color of choice, chopped (to about the same size as beans and corn).
2 large vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped.
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Toss all salad ingredients together and set aside while preparing the vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
Juice from 1 lime (or 2 if your lime isn't very juicy)
1/4 teaspoon sea or kosher salt (table is fine if that's what you have)
1/3 cup cilantro
2 tablespoons red onion

Puree all ingredients in blender or food processor, pour over salad and toss until salad is evenly coated.

Serve salad cold. Toss again right before serving.

** Can be made a few hours ahead of time and chilled in the refrigerator until serving. Re- toss salad as dressing may settle on the bottom of serving bowl.

** I made this about 3 hours before I served it and I think it actually tasted even better after sitting, the salad had a chance to better absorb the great flavors from the dressing.

Heavenly Angel Food Cake

2011-06-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

It's official, summer has arrived. Fresh yummy light desserts, made with all sorts of summer goodness- I love it. My husbands very favorite dessert on the planet is Angel Food Cake. Every time it's his turn to request dessert it's Angel Food Cake with strawberries, fresh whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. My amazing husband is wonderfully consistent and reliable- it even shows in his dessert choices :) I have been making this recipe for years, it's really the best Angel Food Cake out there, it comes from my Mother in Law who is an amazing cook. The extra almond extract and vanilla add a bit more flavor and as long as you work gently and don't over mix your batter, this cake is super moist. I say this because I know we have all had plenty of flavorless, dry angel food cake. Enough of the store bought stuff or mix from a box, this is a cake that must be done from scratch. On Fathers Day, my hubby requested it with lemon whipped cream and so I added lemon curd to the whipped cream and it was heavenly. This is a versatile cake- have fun and enhance it with super yummy toppings of your choice.

Angel Food Cake
Equipment Needed- 10 inch tube pan, hand mixer.

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 1 dozen eggs)
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Separate eggs; discard yolks or save for another use. Measure 1 1/2 cups egg whites and place in a large mixing bowl. Set aside and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mix flour and powdered sugar together using a wire whisk. Set aside.

3. Add cream of tartar, salt, vanilla and almond extract to the egg whites. Beat on high speed and slowly begin to add granulated sugar. Beat on high until stiff peaks form.

4. Gently fold the flour/powdered sugar mixture into the egg whites 1/4 cup at a time. Treat the batter gently and do not over mix.

5. Gently fold batter into a 10-inch ungreased tube pan. Gently cut through the batter with a knife to remove air pockets.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Check the cake at 40 minutes, cake is done when it springs back when lightly touched and slightly golden.

7. Important- Immediately invert pan and leave upside down until the cake is cooled completely. Before removing the cake from the pan, run a knife along the inside and outside circle (wherever the cake touches the pan), to insure the cake comes out easily.

Serve with your favorite berries, fresh whipped cream and vanilla ice cream or with any other toppings that suite your mood.

Basil Chicken with Coconut Curry Sauce

2011-05-20T10:28:00.001-07:00

Curry, hands down, is one of my favorite flavors. So when I first saw this recipe (via the talented Mel at melskitchencafe), I knew I needed to give it a try. My hubby and I loved it but I thought there were a few flavor/texture adjustments that could take this recipe from an 8 to a 10. I started by adjusting the spices to enhance the flavor, added some more veggies for texture and color and finished it with fresh basil. We absolutely love and it has been a hit with dinner guests as well.

Basil Chicken with Coconut Curry Sauce
Serves 4 to 6, recipe adapted from MelsKitchenCafe

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder (Trader Joes is my favorite)
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 medium red onion, chopped (any variety will do but the red adds a nice flavor)
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped ( I like to use 1/2 of 2 colors- looks nice)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 small to medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (make sure you seed them unless you want it quite hot)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 14 ounce can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
3 cups hot cooked jasmine rice

Directions- Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place in medium bowl. Stir together curry, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and chili powder. Sprinkle over chicken, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons in a large nonstick frying pan, stir in onion, basil, garlic and peppers over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink. Make sure your pan is

Combine coconut milk and cornstarch and whisk well to combine. Carefully add to skillet, whisking vigorously. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in ginger and fresh basil. Cook and stir for another minute. Taste, add more salt if necessary, serve over hot rice.

Napa Thai Chicken Salad

2011-05-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

Light, flavorful, crisp and delicious. Tonight was the first time that I have made this salad and I absolutely love it, it will definitely be one of my go- to recipes this summer. I served it as the main course for dinner, but it would also be a great side for an Asian inspired dinner or a fun dish to bring to a summer BBQ or pot luck- sure to be a hit with everyone. It would also be great for a luncheon or shower menu. I found the recipe (and adapted of course) from Cat Cora's cookbook, Cooking From the Hip- lots of fun recipes to inspire light and easy cooking this summer. With a baby due in about 8 weeks, moving into a new home next week, and our first hot, muggy Midwest summer, you can bet that light and easy are a top priority. I can't wait to make this again! PS- for my kids, I just served everything deconstructed and omitted the dressing.

Napa Thai Chicken Salad
Serves 4 main course or 8 as a side. Adapted from recipe by Cat Cora.

Dressing
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons store bought Thai peanut sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (or regular sesame seeds if you don't have black)

Salad
2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for searing the chicken
1/2 to 1 head Napa Cabbage (about 8-9 cups), thinly sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
6 green onions, thinly sliced, (don't get too deep into the white- stick with the green and light green for this dish)
1/2 to 1 cup peanuts for sprinkling on individual plates (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

FOR THE DRESSING: In a medium bowl/Tupperware that has a lid that fits tightly, mix all ingredients together, secure lid, shake for 30 seconds, set aside.

PAN-SEAR THE CHICKEN: Preheat the oven to 375. Pour the olive oil into an ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle chicken breasts generously with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using tongs, place the chicken breasts into hot pan and sear for about 1 minute on each side. Place the pan into hot oven and roast the chicken for 5 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and set aside to cool. The longer you wait to shred the chicken, the more moist it will be (just like the tin-foil chicken method). Shred the chicken with 2 forks once cool.

FOR THE SALAD: While the chicken is cooking, prepare vegetables accordingly and toss them all together

TO ASSEMBLE: Toss cabbage, carrots, celery, cilantro and green onions together. Toss in the chicken. Pour dressing over salad and lightly toss all together making sure the dressing is coated evenly. Taste, add salt and pepper as desired. Garnish each plate with roasted salted peanuts or serve on the side

** Great make ahead meal** I made the dressing, seared the chicken and cut the vegetables around noon. At 6 when dinnertime arrived, all I had to do was toss everything together- so quick and easy. You can do this process up to 24 hours in advance.

BLT with Peppered Turkey Bacon, Avacado and White Cheddar

2011-05-16T18:34:00.000-07:00

We are currently enjoying life in Corporate housing for another 10 days and their "fully equipped" kitchen has the making of about 1 saucepan and a random slotted spoon, so my cooking has been pretty basic. That being said, this sammy is quick and easy to make and well, it rocks! BLTs are great, but, as always, I love to kick things up a notch and put a gourmet twist on it. With a little white cheddar, avocado and yummy BBQ sauce the job is done. Also, don't forget the quick and easy homemade peppered turkey bacon (or just peppered bacon if you just can't go there with turkey bacon) to put the icing on the cake. I made this a complete dinner by serving it with homemade sweet potato fries and a simple green salad. PS- if BLTs aren't your thing- use the peppered turkey bacon for something else- so simple but darn tasty!

BLT with Avocado, Peppered Turkey Bacon and White Cheddar
Serves 2, expand recipe as needed.

4 slices of toasted good quality wheat bread
10 pieces of Peppered Turkey Bacon (see recipe bellow, or use regular bacon if preferred)
4 slices white cheddar cheese
1/2 avocado, mashed
Crisp romaine lettuce
Fresh tomatoes
Favorite BBQ sauce (mine is Sweet Baby Rays Original)

Directions
1. Make the Peppered Turkey Bacon (see recipe bellow), set aside
2. Place slices of bread on baking sheet with slices of cheese on 1 side, toast in oven or toaster oven until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Remove from oven
3. Spread 1/4 of avocado on toast without cheese
4. Assemble the rest of the sandwich with bacon, lettuce, tomato and BBQ sauce.
5. Serve immediately.

Peppered Turkey Bacon (or use regular bacon if preferred)
Preheat oven to 400
Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and place 10 slices in a single layer on sheet.
Sprinkle bacon with freshly cracked black pepper.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until bacon is slightly crispy.

Fresh Berry Buttermilk Muffins

2011-03-14T12:50:00.001-07:00

These fab muffins really make me feel like spring is in the air. I am already craving the lighter meals of spring and summer- berries, salad, grilled chicken, veggies- I can't wait! I have been getting some fantastic berries at the market the last couple of weeks and most of them have even been on sale, which has inspired me to make a bunch of fun berry based recipes. My preggo self has also been craving berries like crazy :) This recipe is by far my favorite "berry muffin" recipe. With this recipe, sometimes I just make blueberry or just strawberry but pictured above is a mixture of both- my favorite! The buttermilk gives these muffins the final touch that puts them over the top.

Fresh Berry Buttermilk Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon

3/4 cup white sugar, plus 1 tablespoon

1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 cups fresh berries (I like to do 1 cup blueberries and 1 cup chopped strawberries), rinsed and patted dry.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray 12 muffin tins with cooking spray.

Mix berries with 1 tablesoon flour and 1 tablespoon of sugar, set aside.

Mix dry ingreidents together in a mixing bowl (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt), set aside. In a smaller bowl, mix buttermilk, egg, and butter togther. Fold wet mixture into dry, mixing until all dry ingreidents are incorporated (being careful not to overmix but make sure no dry bits are left). Fold in berries.

Bake for 18 to 21 minutes until muffins are lightly golden and pick inserted in center comes out clean (it's usually about 20 minutes for me).

Perfect Basil Pesto + Pesto Pasta Primavera

2011-03-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Perfect Basil Pesto, one of the best foods on earth. A good pesto pasta just can't be beat. It's one of those meals where I take one bite and just go to my happy place. 7 simple ingredients does it. Basil, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesano Reggiano cheese, garlic, salt and pepper, nothing more. Although there are tons a great pesto recipes with a bucket load of ingredients out there, traditional Italian Pesto at it's best, doesn't need anything more then the basic 7. Without further Adeo . . .

Basil Pesto- I always double the recipe.

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts,
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese
kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper, to taste

Combine the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
**If freezing, don't add the cheese and only use 1/2 of the oil when processing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top, thaw and stir in cheese.

Pesto Pasta Primavera

This dish takes pesto to a new level. Pesto, pasta and roasted vegetables makes for a crowd pleasing dinner. This is one of my families all time favorite dishes (and mine) and is always a hit. I love that it's simple to prepare. Much of the time I use pesto that I have prepared a week before and so it's a quick dinner- cook the pasta, roast vegetables and toss with fresh pesto and Parmesan. This dish is also very versatile, switch up the vegetables, add grilled chicken if you are in the mood. Have fun with this dish, copy my version or make it your own.

Pesto Pasta Primavera- Serves 8 (I often make a half portion for my family)

1 pound linguine pasta, cooks as directed, being careful not to overcook.

1 recipe Basil Pesto (listed above)

A variety of fresh vegetables, my favorite combination is:

2 cups broccoli florets

1 large red bell pepper (orange or yellow are great too, sliced long and thin and then cut in half

1 bunch of asparagus, using the top 1/3 only (save the rest to throw in another dish)

1 pint cherry tomatoes

Olive oil

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Fresh Parmesan cheese

Toasted pine nuts for sprinkling if desired

Fresh basil for sprinkling if desired

To assemble the pasta:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Prepare pesto or have previously prepared pesto ready to use.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions and in the meantime, do the following;

3. Toss the broccoli, bell pepper and asparagus generously with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Do the same thing with the tomatoes but keep them separate.

4. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer and place the tossed vegetables on another baking sheet in a single layer.

5. Roast vegetables in oven. The tomatoes will be done first, bake until they are fragrant and begin to burst, about 8 minutes, set aside. Bake remaining vegetables for 10 to 12 minutes until tender but still firm.

6. Toss cooked pasta, prepared pesto and vegetables together. Add in 1/2 cup fresh parmesan. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve immediately. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and freshly chopped basil if desired.

* I love to serve this dinner with homemade french bread and a green salad. Gotta love soaking up the leftover pesto on your plate with a hot, fresh piece of french bread!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

2011-03-07T07:34:00.000-08:00

It think I will quote my friends hubby, "These things are off the hook and I don't even like peanut butter and jelly". Yes, they are seriously off the hook! Imagine if you actually like PBJs, then you are really in for a real treat. PBJs are strangely one of my favorite foods, they are the ultimate comfort food for me. Especially with good bread, natural peanut butter and some homemade jam. These bars are hearty, and have a fantastic peanut butter cookie crust and crumble sandwiched between a sweet layer of raspberry jam. If you are a salty-sweet lover, this is a must try!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 jar (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter
1 jar (18 ounces) Raspberry jam
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 pan and line with parchment paper, grease paper as well.
Cream butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, add vanilla, eggs and peanut butter and mix until combined. In a small bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix until combined.
Spread 2/3 of the dough into prepared cake pan, using the bottom of a knife or a spatula to create an even crust. Spread jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all of the jam isn't covered, the dough will bread while baking in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden brown. Let bars sit for a good 20 minutes before cutting, they are kind of messy, so the longer you let them sit, the more they set.

Black Bean & Green Chili Enchiladas with Creamy Cumin & Garlic Sauce

2010-12-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't snap this photo quick enough, regretting not geting a better one- all I wanted to do was eat!

Man-these are dang good! I love me some good South of the Border Cusine and I even think that Bobbly Flay would dig on these! I have been wanting to create a signature "White Enchilada Sauce" for years and I have finally done it. I will never use another white/creamy enchilada sauce again! There are a million "creamy enchilada" recipes floating around that include a bunch of processed stuff like cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, ext. I will admit, some of them are good (and some really bad), which is what inspired me to create this new recipe. This is the best of Tex-Mex people!

The vegetarian filling is full of flavor and hearty enough to satisfy most any meat and potato eater. Black beans, green chilies, onion and bell pepper with some spices go a long way. My two and four year old even ate them up.

Another thing that really puts these over the top is using FRESH flour tortillas.You can buy pre-made raw flour tortillas in the refrigerated dough section of most grocery stores. Costco also has great ones, they really add a lot and will help any enchilada taste ridiculously fresh! They also make your left-overs taste much better.

Black Bean & Green Chili Enchiladas

Serves 10

Creamy Cumin & Garlic Enchilada Sauce
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Reserved juice from 40z green chili can
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Black Bean & Green Chili Filling
2 14oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 4oz can green chilies, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced small
1 white onion, diced small
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups sharp cheddar ,grated (1/2 cup reserved for top)

Other Ingredients
10 fresh uncooked flour tortillas, prepared as directed
1 cup Jack cheese for top, grated
Cilantro, tomatoes and sour cream for toppings (optional)
Serve with rice, chips and salsa or a fresh avocado salad. Mmmmm!

Directions

Make the sauce

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly being careful not to overcook butter.
2. Once butter is fully melted, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure flour is fully incorporated before adding more. Once all flour is added, cook for 2 minutes over medium heat stirring constantly.
3. Add chicken broth slowly, whisking as you add.
4. Add juice from can of green chilies.
5. Turn heat to medium-high and whisk constantly until mixture begins to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add spices and stir well.
7. Turn off heat and add heavy cream, sour cream and cheese. Stir until creams and cheese are fully incorporated and melted. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary, set aside.

Make the Filling

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat in a medium to large saute pan. Add onions and bell peppers. Saute until onions and peppers are fragrant and fairly soft. Add black beans, green chillies and spices. Cook on medium low until beans begin to soften and mixture has cooked down a bit.

Cook the tortillas- according to package directions, do this last, right before assembling the enchiladas. You want these nice and fresh.

Assemble the Enchiladas

1. Preheat oven to 375 and spray 9 x 13 Pyrex or baking dish.
2. Be sure to have all of your components ready and in order. Tortilla, filling, cheddar cheese, plate to roll, prepared baking dish ready.
3. Cover bottom of prepared 9x13 with thin layer of enchilada sauce.
4. Begin to assemble enchiladas. Place about 1/3 cup filling in center of tortilla, sprinkle generously with grated cheddar. Place on plate and fold enchilada, top half over, sides in, bottom half over. Place seam side down into the baking dish with sauce.
5. Repeat process until all enchiladas are prepared. Your pan should fit 8 across and 2 along the sides. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over prepared enchiladas, spread with spoon if necessary making sure to fully and evenly cover.
6. Cover enchiladas with tin foil and bake for about 25 minutes or until heated through.
7. Remove from oven, discard tin foil and turn oven to broil on low.
8. Sprinkle with reserved cheese and broil on low for about 2-3 minutes, watching closely and rotating at least once. Cheese should be bubbly and slightly browned on top.

Serve immediately and drizzle with extra sauce in pan upon serving.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups- 12 Treats of Christmas Day 4

2010-12-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

I posted this recipe last year but I just had to post them again. These mouthwatering, rich, chocolately bits of peanut butter heaven must not be forgotten during the holiday season! Every year I give these away along with my pumpkin spice bread- it's tradition- I love it!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

This recipe comes from my most wonderful mother in law Linda.

1 18 oz jar of peanut butter

3/4 to 1 pound of powdered sugar

3 1/2 cups favorite good quality chocolate (on my MBA budget I used Costco Semisweet Chocolate Chips and it worked great, you can get good quality fairly inexpensive chocolate at Trader Joes)

Optional toppings- smashed nuts, oreos, caramel ext.

1. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and spray with cooking spray.

2. Put peanut butter into large mixing bowl. Slowly begin to add powdered sugar and stir with a wooden spoon. Keep adding sugar until peanut butter mixture begins to thicken. (Honestly, I have never measured this recipe before this year so it's very forgiving). At this point, you can begin using your hands, which is easier but messier. Add more powdered sugar until the mixture is firm enough to roll into a ball that will stand on it's own. If using hands, mixture will feel similar to play dough. Taste and check for sweetness, this is where personal preferencecomes in, I like mine less sweet, you can add more sugar for a sweeter, stiffer ball.

3. Roll all peanut butter into small balls about 1/2 the size of a golf ball. As you make each ball, place on the wax paper lined cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Place balls in cool placeimmediately (freezer works best). Let harden for at least 1 hour.

4. After peanut butter balls have hardened. Preheat oven to 200, spray a pie tin with cooking spray, pour chocolate into pie tin and place in oven. Turn off oven. Stir chocolate every minute until melted well. Stir again.Once the chocolate is melted, do the following.

5. With two spoons in hand, gently drop the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate. Pass the ball back and forth between two spoons until the ball is covered evenly in chocolate. Using the spoons, never touching the ball, transfer to the muffin paper. Repeat process until all balls are covered in chocolate and placed into the mini muffin papers. Once you get the method down, you can drop a couple in at a time, do your best to move quickly so that you can cover all of the balls before the chocolate begins to cool, if this happens, pause for a moment and stick it back in the oven for a minute or two.

*FOR FANCY PB CUPS

After you have evenly coated the peanut butter balls in chocolate, immediatly drop them into a bowl of your topping of choice, coat evenly and place into muffin cups.

Once balls are finished, for best results, let harden in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Serve as desired.

Pecan & Oreo Dipped

Spiced Pumpkin Bread- 12 Treats of Christmas- Day 3

2010-12-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

I love pumpkin- pumpkin everything, every way. Pumpkin bread is probably one of my top 20 favorite foods and this is my most favorite pumpkin bread in the world. One of the best things about this bread is that it's healthy enough to eat for breakfast but sweet enough to feel like a bit of a splurge in the evening. The mixture of whole wheat and white flour gives this bread a nice texture and the abundance of spices- cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger give this bread warmth and flavor. This is the ultimate Holiday comfort food for me and I love giving it away because it's healthier then most treats but still very enjoyable. If you are wanting something a little less healthy and a little more chocolaty, use all white flour and add semi-sweet chocolate chips- I might just pass out thinking about it! This is also a very easy recipe. Mix, pour, bake!

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Makes 2 loaves

Dry mix

2 cups all purpose white flour

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour**

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon all spice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

Wet mix

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 3/4 cups pumpkin (or about 1 15 oz can, 1/2 of large 29 ounce can)
1 3/4 cups sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350, grease 2 loaf pans.

1. Mix all dry ingreidents in a large bowl. Stir well with a metal whisk, set aside.

2. In a medium bowl beat eggs, oil and sugar together. Add buttermilk and pumpkin and mix well.

3. Fold wet mixture into dry and stir just until blended, making sure there are no dry clumps but being careful not to overmix.

4. Pour batter into prepared pans, bake for 1 hour, check at 55 minutes with toothpick or thin knife, which should come out clean with a few moist crumbs.

5. Let bread sit for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan.

* Bread will keep wrapped in the refrigerator for 1 week or in freezer for up to 1 month.

** To make this "dangerously delicious", replace wheat flour with white and add 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips. A lot of the time I keep the wheat flour and just add the chocolate chips. This recipe is very versatile, add more or less of the spices to your preference or use all wheat flour for an even healthier version.

Hoilday Orange & Chocolate Shortbread Cookies- 12 Treats of Christmas- Day 2

2010-12-02T21:20:00.000-08:00

This is fun recipe, I am super excited about these little gems. The speckles of orange and chocolate with the sparkling coarse sugar make these a hip cookie to give or take to a Holiday party, more importantly, they taste dynamite. Frequently (and sadly) orange and chocolate are not a good flavor combination- this is usually because there is too much sugar in both the chocolate and the orange. For this cookie, I use pure, simple ingredients- orange zest and good quality chocolate which creates a nice light citrus cookie with a hint of chocolate. I hope you enjoy these delights as much as I do and if you are apprehensive about the flavor combination, this is a perfect recipe to give it a try. Happy Holiday baking.

The inside looks fantastic- I love the hints of color and texture.

Holiday Orange & Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Zest from 2 medium size oranges (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped (dark or bittersweet would work well also, do not use milk chocolate- too sweet for this recipe).

1/3 cup coarse sugar or sanding sugar for decoration

Directions
1. In a food processor, combine butter, salt and powdered sugar. Pulse to combine, scrape down with rubber spatula and process until smooth and creamy. Add flour and pulse until just combined. Form dough into a soft ball and transfer to sheet of wax paper. Gently incorporate chocolate, being careful not to over mix.

2. Form dough into a 8-inch long round or square log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes or up to 1 month.

3. Preheat oven to 350. Place baking rack in the middle of oven. Cut dough into 1/4 inch slices and dip edges and top of cookie into coarse sugar. Place cookies on parchment or silicone lined baking sheets. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time. Cover the other with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to bake. Bake until cookies are lightly golden around the edges, check at 16 minutes, cookies may need an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on baking sheets.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Marble Brownies- 12 treats of Christmas Day 1

2010-11-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas, I am going to be posting "12 Treats of Christmas". Some will be traditional Christmas treats and others will be non traditional yummy delights. Getting the same treats every year can be great but it's also fun to give and get something new.

Day 1 is one of my all time favorite brownie recipes. Combing two of my very favorite ingredients chocolate and peanut butter. They are the best of sweet and salty and have a chewy texture and a bold flavor- it's hard to eat just one. They are a great addition to a holiday plate of goodies or a good companion to a holiday party.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Marble Brownies
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (better quality= better brownies)
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cups creamy salted peanut butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cups unsalted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and position oven rack in the center. Line pan with parchment paper or foil across the bottom and up the two long sides and coat with melted butter or high-heat canola oil spray.

2. Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler (or make your own with a saucepan and medium metal bowl you can place on top). After water boils, turn off heat. Add the chocolate in the bowl over the steaming water. While you are preparing the rest of the batter occasionally stir the chocolate with the spatula until it is smooth and melted. Let sit over the warm water as long as needed.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on low speed for 5 minutes or until much lighter in color (you can do the same thing with a hand mixer). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add peanut butter and beat well on high for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl again. Crack eggs in a small bowl and beat with a fork to blend. With the mixer running on low, add the eggs about a tablespoon at a time, incorporating after each addition before adding more. Beat in the vanilla, scrape down the bowl.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture all at once, then blend on the lowest speed just until you no longer see any streaks of flour and the batter is smooth. Scrape down the side sand make sue that any patches of flour or butter are blender into the batter.

5. Stir half of the batter into the melted chocolate (it may look slightly grainy, but this is fine).

6. Use a small offset spatula to spread a little more than half of the plain peanut butter batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. This layer will be very thin, and it will seam like there is not enough batter, but it will be fine. Top with all of the chocolate batter, spreading it into an even layer (this is done easiest by dropping big dollops of batter around the pan, then merging them with a spatula). Drop the remaining peanut butter batter by the level tablespoon in evenly spaced rows of 5 dollops each. If you have any batter left, drop it in wherever you like. Drag a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife through each dollop a couple times, swirling it into the chocolate batter around it. The batter will look very rough and ragged- don't worry, it will smooth out as it bakes and the slightly rugged look that remains is very appealing.

7. Bake the brownies for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 to 20 minutes. To remove brownies from pan, run a think knife or flexible spatula around the two short edges to loosen them from the pan. Grasp the parchment paper along the two edges and pull gently upward. Set the brownies on a cutting surface and cut as desired.

STORING- The brownies will keep, wrapped tightly in plastic, at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. These brownies are best when warm.

Thanksgiving Dinner 101- Perfect Dinner Rolls

2010-11-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

Parker House Rolls people. Let me tell you, there is just nothing better then a hot, fresh, buttery, rich, sweet Parker House Roll. This recipe comes from my amazing cook Mother in Law Linda (she's the best). I first tried them when my hubby and I were just married- it was love at first bite! This recipe is spot on. I know there are a million other "Parker House Roll" recipes out there, don't bother, this is the best. Seriously, pure heaven. They are a little bit time consuming and require quite a bit of work but they are worth it. These are the rolls I look forward to all year long, we make them every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Enjoy!

Linda's Famous Parker House Rolls

Makes about 4 Dozen

1 cup sugar, plus a dash for the yeast mixture

2 sticks butter, melted. Plus 1 stick, melted, resereved for dipping the rolls

6 eggs, slightly beaten

10 cups of flour

2/3 cups powdered milk

3 heaping tablespoons yeast

1 cup water

2 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 350

1. Place yeast in a large bowl with 1 cup of warm water and a pinch of sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes until it's foamy and bubbly. In a large bowl combine powdered milk, sugar, butter, and boiling water. Add yeast mixture to beaten eggs, then add to milk mixture. Add salt. Begin sifting or adding flour into mixture to form a soft dough. Turn onto floured surface and knead enoughto form a soft dough that can be handled. Place dough in greased bowl and grease top of dough. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 45 minutes).

2. Working with about 1/3 of your dough at a time. Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a circle dough cutter (or something creative like a drinking glass) cut out a circle of dough, dip dough into reserved melted butter, fold circle almost in half (one side should be shorter then the other instead of folded into equal halves) and place on cookie sheet. Repeat this process until all dough has been prepared and placed onto cookie sheets. Let rolls rise another 20 to 30 minutes. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes being careful not to overcook. Rolls should be slightly golden in color. I think next year I will do a picture tutorial. I hope you understand, please feel free to email me with questions, even if it's on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving 101- The Perfect Turkey & Gravy

2010-11-22T01:57:00.000-08:00

The famous Thanksgiving Turkey- the star of the show but really my least favorite part of the big meal. I look forward to my gourmet sweet potaotes, apple-pecan cornbread stuffing, hot buttery rolls and pie, much more than the turkey.

With that said, a moist, flavorful delicious turkey is a must have on Thanksgiving. You just can't neglect a turkey on it's biggest day of the year! This turkey recipe is the best I have made or tasted, period. Also, a recipe for perfect gravy is included and that can be a tough one.

Hat's off to Cooks Illustrated for getting it right once again. I have to say I was hesitant to stick slabs of fat all over my bird but my-oh-my it's worth it. Covering it with cheesecloth is an old technique and it works really well holding the salt pork in place and keeping the flavors in the bird. My old trick was to put an apple in the center so I still do that as well, and I still cover it with yummy spices and herbs. In the past I have done a salt water brine, last year I did and sugar and salt water 24 hour brine, I have done a lot of different methods, they have turned out great, but this is hands down my favorite. Go for it and try a new technique- so.worth.it!

Click here for a printable recipe of The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey & Gravy

Check back later today for more Thanksgiving 101- my 2 favorite roll recipes and a couple of dynamite sides are on deck.

Request 1- Spanish Night- Paella For Eight

2010-11-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

Paella is my sweet husbands very favorite food and I love to make it for him. My favorite part about "Paella Night" is that it's really "Spanish Night". I make a trip to Whole Foods Market and buy some delectable Spanish Cheeses and crusty bread and we listen to Spanish Guitar while we eat great food with friends and family way too late at night. The Spaniards love to eat late, so we join in on the tradition.

Paella is famous for it's seafood and saffron. Saffron has a strong, distinct flavor but once added to a dish, the end results are fantastic, as long as you don't add too much. If you are buying saffron for the first time, don't be scared by it's strong smell or price stretch your flavor palette and remember you are only using a few threads. (If you have a Trader Joes it's a great price, Sunflower Market is very reasonable as well).

Traditional Paella has a ton of seafood, typically mussels and clams along with the shrimp. If you want to add mussels &/or clams- go for it. Just nestle them into the rice when you add the shrimp(see recipe). If you are not a seafood lover (like me) and don't want it to flavor the entire dish, cook the shrimp on the side and let people add them in (I do this most of the time). I love this Paella recipe because it allows non -seafood lovers and seafood lovers to enjoy the same fantastic dish. Go for it and have some friends over for something new- a festive, fun Spanish Night!

Paella For Eight- Click here for a Printable Recipe

16 New Recipes You Say?

2010-11-18T01:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit, I fail, I fail miserably at blogging. My cooking, baking and creating continues on, almost every day, my camera even snaps shots occasionally but the train stops here. I have this vain dream of posting 3 times a week and people from all over cooking my food and loving it. Problem, Rhandi, this will just never happen when you post every 4 months. This blog is definitely a work in progress but someday, yes, someday, I will post a couple of times a week, a girl can dream can't she?

One of the main reasons I started this blog was to keep track of all of my recipes. You will understand when you see the massive amounts of yummy food below- most of the recipes are Rhandi originals but I either didn't write them down or it's on the back of some receipt in my junk drawer or in a stack in my "recipe folder" (aka the black hole) and if it happens to be written down it's just thanks to hot stuff making me hurry and do it.

Here is my challenge with all of the photos and food bellow- find the recipe and post it or if I can't find it, recreate and then share. I also want to showcase new fall recipes. Hopefully a little of both will be in the mix. PS- if you want a recipe from bellow before I post it- please email me or leave a comment and request, I am always much more motivated that way, in fact, if you make a request and I will have it posted within 10 days! Let the fun begin . . .

Peach Raspberry Cobbler

Bulgar & Nectarine Salad

Homemade Buttermilk Dougnuts

Thai Peanut Pasta

Classic Lasagna in 60 minutes

Fresh Pea Ravolis with Parmsean Thyme Butter Sauce

Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

Basil Pesto Quiche

Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas

Farmers Market Potato Salad

Monkey Bread (not the best picture but one of the BEST treats EVER)

Indonesian Rice Bowl

Roasted Veggie Sandwhiches with Pesto, Vine Ripe Tomatoes, Argula and Fresh Mozarella

Strawberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Classic Angel Food Cake

Spanish Paella

Perfect Simple Chicken Breast- Any Recipe Every Time

2010-06-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

Chicken, always moist, tender, juicy, flavorful and delicious, right?

Wait, what's that you say? Dry, chewy, rubbery and flavorless? Those days are over my friends. Chicken is at the very top and bottom of my favorite food list and I bet most of you agree with me. One of the most common questions I get from friends, family and on my blog is, how the heck do you cook chicken?! There are a million great and not so great recipes that call for chicken breast, cubed, shredded, diced, ext. I have found that most people just boil chicken when a recipe generically calls for basic chicken breast. Oh people, please don't boil your chicken, for me, it is one of the worst tasting things and textures around.

I have a very simple, quick solution that will give you moist, flavorful chicken EVERY TIME. Whether you want to top it on a salad, use it in enchiladas, soup, pasta, the center of a sandwich, whatever recipe calls for plain chicken. This is the simplest way to get moist, no fail chicken. Keep in mind, this recipe is not meant to be the star of the show but should be used as a component of another recipe.

The trick is putting the tin-foil tent immediately over the chicken and letting it rest for at least 30 minutes, this allows all of the juices to settle into the chicken and also insures that the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Ingredients

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (if you want to use bone-in, it will be cheaper and taste even better)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Tin Foil (won't work without it)

Preheat oven to 350

Place the chicken breast on a non stick sheet pan. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and massage into chicken (it's about 2 teaspoons per breast but no need to measure just make sure entire breast has a nice thin coat of EVOO). Next, generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place chicken in the oven with the rack in the center and bake for exactly 33 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and immediately make a tin-foil tent over the and pan (two pieces of tin foil covering the chicken and sealing shut over the edges of the pan, making sure no steam is escaping) and let the chicken rest for at least 3o minutes, up to 1 hour. Very important- Do not pierce or "test" the chicken breast when you pull it out of the oven, leave it alone, the tin foil tent with finish cooking the chicken if it is not quite done yet. Also, make sure you wait the full 30 minutes. The longer you wait the more time your chicken has to relax and absorb all of the juices back into it.

Want to step it up? What type of dish is your chicken going into?? In addition to the salt and pepper, add the following to your chicken before baking.

Asian- Sprinkle with powdered ginger and garlic powder

Mexican- Sprinkle with cumin and garlic powder.

Italian- Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, or dried Rosemary &/or dried Basil. Garlic is great with Italian as well.

Indian- Sprinkle with your favorite curry powder.

You can also use your favorite marinade with this recipe. Marinate chicken and cook as instructed above.

Here is an example of cubed, do whatever you need to do with it, it's very versatile.

Summer Roasted Vegetable Pizza with Goat Cheese & White Balsamic Honey Glazed Onions

2010-06-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

It feels great to be back! After being sick and having no appetite for almost a month (awful), then packing, moving, vacationing for 3 weeks and moving unpacking to Omaha for the summer, I am finally in my kitchen again and can't wait to cook and create all summer long. Phew!

Onto my new recipe . . . . Many of you can probably tell that I have a thing for Pizza- oh how I love gourmet pizza, it is quite possibly my favorite food. This is a new recipe creation and it's right at the top of my favorite pizza list. The sweetness from the Balsamic and Honey Glazed Onions and roasted vegetables with creamy tang from the goat cheese is well, a blissful combination. For the crust, use my honey whole wheat pizza dough recipe and don't forget to top it all off with fresh basil.

I also made a Simple Summer Salad with White Balsamic and Honey Vinaigrette that really pairs well with the pizza. My vegetables were from the farmers market- mmm, you just can't beat the taste of farmers market vegetables! You can use the vinaigrette on any salad- there is nothing like a fresh homemade vinaigrette to kick off your summer!

Summer Roasted Vegetable Pizza with Goat Cheese and White Balsamic Honey Glazed Onions

Roasted Vegetables

1 small to medium green zucchini squash, cut into 1/2 inch slices.

1 small to medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch slices.

1 small to medium red bell pepper (1/2 of a large), cut into long thin slices and then cut in half.

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Additional toppings

1 cup favorite marinara or pizza sauce

About 10 fresh basil leaves, rolled together and cut into thin ribbons.

1 vine ripe tomato, cut into big thin slices (leave tomato whole and start from the non stem side cutting slices as thin as you can).

6 ounces goat cheese

White Balsamic Honey Glazed Onions

1 red onion, cut thin.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

Prepare Honey Whole Wheat Pizza dough as instructed.

Do all of your prep work and cut vegetables as instructed in the recipe ingredients.

Preheat oven to 400.

On a jelly roll plan place zucchini, yellow squash and bell peppers. With your hands, toss vegetables with 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper.

Place in oven for 10 minutes, remove, toss lightly and set aside.

While vegetables are in the oven, make the onions.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add onions and saute for 5 minutes being careful not to burn or brown. Add vinegar and honey, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Reduce heat and continue to saute until most of the liquid is absorbed and onions are tender. Set aside for pizza.

Roll out pizza dough, place on heated pizza stone (or just a pan if that's what you have) and assemble pizza-

Spread sauce evenly over the dough.

Sprinkle 2/3 of the goat cheese over sauce, reserve remaining 1/3 of cheese.

Evenly distribute roasted vegetables, tomato and balsamic onions over pizza.

Sprinkle with remaining goat cheese.

Bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove pizza from oven and sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve hot with a salad like the recipe bellow.

Simple Summer Salad with White Balsamic & Honey Vinaigrette

Mixed Greens

Vine ripened tomato

English cucumber

Toasted Silvered Almonds (or to make your own you need raw silvered almonds and sea salt)

Balsamic and Honey Vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 TBS white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Juice from 1 lemon

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon red onion (if you are making the pizza, just take a little before you cook them)

1/3 cup, flat leaf Italian parsley, roughly chopped and set aside.

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper.

Mix all ingredients in a blender except for the parsley. Taste when well blended and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Once ready to serve, add parsley and shake up. If you are not a big parsley fan, add less, I love it, so I add a really big handful or two. I love the freshness it adds.

Pour and toss onto salad dressing just before serving. Be careful not to use too much- depending on the size of your salad you will need a different amount of dressing. My family of 4 gets a couple of salads out of 1 recipe. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Mango Quinoa Salad with Sweet Mango Vinaigrette

2010-03-30T17:50:00.001-07:00

I made this last week when we were being teased with beautiful spring weather, it was just natural to create something healthy, light and fruity. As I have expressed before, I really love quinoa and this is an awesome, slightly sweet, fresh meal. If you don't love quinoa, you could replace it with couscous. Also, the Mango Vinaigrette could be used with many other delights- I am excited to try it with other dishes!

Mango Quinoa Salad with Mango Vinaigrette

Serves, 4 main corse with chicken or another side, serves 8 as a side dish.

For the Quinoa

1 cup dry quinoa

2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if preferred)

Zest of 1 lime

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 tablespoon butter (optional- I love the texture and flavor it adds to quinoa)

For the Salad

1 mango, diced

3/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

3 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped

For the Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup orange juice

3/4 cup mango (I used frozen)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend until smooth in a food processor or blender

Bring the quinoa, stock, lime zest and juice and butter to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to simmer, cover and let cook 10 to 15 minutes until all water is absorbed. Fluff with fork and set aside.

In the meantime, chop the mango, red bell pepper, cilantro and red onion and place in the bowl you will be serving the salad.

Make the vinaigrette.

Toss all ingredients together in serving bowl and serve hot, room temp or cold- I like it all 3 ways :)

Also, as seen bellow, I served this salad with mango grilled chicken breast that I marinated in a Mango Vinaigrette (bought from Whole Foods called Cindy's Kitchen) and threw on the BBQ. I think you could also use my vinaigrette recipe above and use it for your marinade- that is what I am going to try next time).

Snickerdoodle Blondies

2010-03-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

Oh my oh my! Thank you to my new blogging friend Lisa for making these and posting them on her blog, once I saw the recipe I just couldn't resist. Fresh and hot out of the oven, it was love at first bite! Moist, chewy and delicious. Why anyone would ever make a regular snickerdoodle cookie again after tasting this bite of heaven is a mystery to me. Thank goodness I made these for the local firemen or I would have officially overdosed! Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Blondies

I adapted the recipe from the original by adding all spice instead of nutmeg and extra vanilla. I also added my foil method which works amazing for any sort of bar cookie and more detailed instructions.

2 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter- room temperature
2 eggs- room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons cinnamon, set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan and then press a sheet of tin foil across pan and up the sides, spray again. Combine flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, all spice and salt; set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar 3 - 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in flour mixture, in 3 additions being careful not to overmix. Spread mixture into the greased and foiled baking dish. Sprinkle combined sugar and cinnamon mixture over top and bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Don't overbake!! Once cool lift tin foil up by sides and transfer to a cutting board, this makes the bars so easy to cut just perfectly.

This is for the seconds that you are going to have, we got smart on the second round and enjoyed them with a glass of vanilla soymilk (sorry to spoil the moment for you milk drinkers).

Aloha Granola Morning

2010-03-11T07:01:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't want to wake up to an Aloha morning? I absolutely love, love this granola! In fact, I would venture to say it's my favorite homemade variety. There are a million, billion things that you can put into your granola but the macadamia, coconut and mango combination is delicious and brightens up my day! Ready for a healthy, fabulous fact- there is no refined sugar in the recipe and it still tastes awesome. I have replaced the sugar with Agave Nectar which rules by the way. To fill you in a little on Agave, it's a natural sweetener that comes from an Agave Plant (so no artificial nastiness). It's much sweeter then sugar (25%) so you need less and it's very low on the glycemic index which means it doesn't spike your blood sugar up like regular sugar does. From personal trainer Rhandi, Granola is terrible for breakfast, from Food Lovin Chef Rhandi- it's the best (in a Nacho Libre accent)! I think I have found a happy medium to please both of me- happy day!

Aloha Granola

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts, chopped (I like a mixture of finely chopped and chunks)

3/4 cup shredded coconut

2/3 cup agave nectar (can be substituted for 1 cup honey or my traditional granola combo which is 1/3 cup honey 1/2 cup brown sugar).

1/3 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups dried mango, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 325 and spray a large cookie sheet with sides (something like a jelly roll pan).

In a large bowl mix oats, nuts, coconut and salt. Once well mixed, add oil and agave and stir until mixture is sticky and well incorporated.

Place granola in oven, cook for 7 minutes and stir, making sure to mix the granola from the sides of the pan into the middle. Repeat process 3 more times, until granola is slightly golden (should take 25 to 30 minutes). On the last round, check granola after 5 minutes.

Let granola cool and then add the dried mango.

Serve with milk, yogurt, applesauce- whatever your favorite way to have granola is. My favorite is with Silk Soy Vanilla.

Fresh from the oven, still in the pan . . .

Golden Winter Soup

2010-03-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

Winter isn't over yet. Though mother nature is teasing me terribly. I took my kiddos to the park twice this week and now we are snow covered again. I love to make soup and jump at any chance I get to make or eat it. Soup is one of my favorite things about winter and this is a soothing, flavorful, warm me up dinner. I really like the combination of butternut squash and regular potatoes. This is a hearty and velvety soup and the hint of sweetness the butternut squash adds is a nice finishing touch. Another great thing about this potage is that from start to finish, it took me about 1/2 hour to make and that's including the prep work.

1/2 hour+healthy and fresh ingredients+tastiness=happy kitchen mama and family!

Golden Winter Soup

Makes 8 servings

3 tablespoons butter

5 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled russet potato (I used half red and half russet- that's what I had)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

2 cups sliced leak (about 3- make sure you wash them well)

4 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used Better then Bullion- one of my favorite pantry staples)

1 cup heavy cream

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; saute for about 3 minutes. Add leek; saute 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Place half of potato mixture in a blender or food processor- if using a blender, remove center piece to allow steam to escape, place towel over. Blend until smooth. Pour into large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half and half. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve hot. Garnish with chives or green onions if desired.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light Jan 2008.

Red Lentil Curry

2010-02-26T05:52:00.000-08:00

Red Lentil Curry Happiness! This was a ton of fun to make. I busted out my pestle and mortar and mashed up my own Curry. You definitely don't need tools to do this though, you can just mix and mash in a bowl with a spoon. I must admit that there is just something great about using a pestle and mortar. I feel barbaric and artistic (I know, I'm weird). I found a great recipe at All Recipes and I combined it with ideas that have been swimming around in my head all week. This is hearty main meal vegetarian dish, which is one of my favorite ways to eat. This is a mild curry dish and a great one to start out with if you are new to curry or a seasoned curry lover. PS- I love red lentils, they are healthy, beautiful and hearty!

Red Lentil Curry

2 cups red lentils

1 large onion, diced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (14.25 ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes.

Curry Mixture

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ginger root, minced ( I used refrigerated ginger paste)

Hot Jasmine Rice (white or brown, I prefer white with curry but also do brown for health benefits)

Chopped Cilantro (I love lots of cilantro)

Directions

1. Wash the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear (this is very important or the lentils will get "scummy"), put the lentils in a pot with water to cover and simmer covered until lentils tender (add more water if necessary).

2. While the lentils are cooking: In a large skillet or saucepan, Saute the onions in vegetable oil, until onions are translucent and tender.

3. While the onions are cooking, combine the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, salt, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a mixing bowl (or pestle and mortar). Mix well. When the onions are cooked, add the curry mixture to the onions and cook over a high heat stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the diced tomatoes and reduce heat, allow the curry base to simmer until the lentils are ready.

5. When the lentils are tender drain them briefly (they should have absorbed most of the water but you don't want the curry to be too mushy). Mix the lentils into the hot curry mixture and serve over hot rice and cilantro on top.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

2010-02-23T12:54:00.000-08:00

Although my personal trainer self hesitates to admit it, I LOVE bread, I absolutely love fresh, hot homemade bread. It is amazing a million different ways and I am very happy to share this most fabulous recipe that I have stumbled upon. I have had, made and invented my own homemade cinnamon swirl bread before and nothing compares to this recipe- thank you Editors of Cooks Illustrated! It offers the perfect amount of sweetness, but you still feel like you are eating bread instead of a cinnamon roll. The recipe calls for all white flour, I made it with half stone ground whole wheat and I really love the texture and warmth it gave the bread. Please email me if you have any questions, this is a must make and I happy to help.

It looks like a lot of work, it kind of is, but it's easy work and worth the time!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread - makes one 9-inch loaf.

Dough

1/4 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast

1/2 cup warm water, about 110 degrees

1/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 1/4 to 4 cups all purpose flour (or half stone ground whole wheat), plus more for dusting the work surface

1 teaspoon cinnamon (this is a Rhandi addition- I really liked the extra essence of cinnamon in the dough)

Filling

1/4 cup sugar

5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Milk for brushing

Glaze

1 large egg

2 teaspoons milk

1. FOR THE DOUGH: Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave until the butter melts. Cool until warm.

2. Meanwhile, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle. Beat the sugar and eggs and mix at low speed to blend. Add the salt, lukewarm milk mixture, and 2 cups of flour and cinnamon; mix at medium speed until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Switch to the dough hook. Add 1/14 cups more flour and knead at medium speed, adding more flour sparingly if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, until the dough is smooth and comes away from the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes (I had to add a full 4 cups, it's going to depend on the temp of the room, your ingredients and the altitude).

3. Turn the dough onto a work surface. Squeeze the dough with a clean, dry hand. If the dough is sticky, knead in up to 1/2 cup more flour to form a smooth elastic dough. Transfer the dough to a very lightly oiled large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubles in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours (the ideal rising temperature is 75 degrees). After the rise, punch down the center of the dough once. (The dough can be refrigerated, covered for up to 18 hours.) Making sure not too fold the dough, turn onto an unfloured work surface; let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.

4. For the filling: Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.

5. Press the dough neatly into an evenly shaped 8 by 6 inch rectangle. With a short side of the dough facing you, roll the dough with a rolling pin into an evenly shaped 19 by 8-inch rectangle (flour the work surface if the dough sticks). Brush the dough liberally with milk. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border on the far side. Starting at the side closest to you, roll up the dough, pinching the dough gently with your fingertips to make sure it is tightly sealed. To keep the loaf from stretching beyond 9 inches, push the ends occasionally with your hands as you roll the dough. When you are finished rolling, pinch the seam side tightly to secure it. With the seam-side facing up, push the center of both ends. Firmly pinch the dough at either end together to seal the sides of the loaf.

6. Please the load seam side down in the prepared pan; press lightly to flatten. Cover the top of the pan loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to let rise. Let rise until the dough is 1 inch above the top of the pan, about 1 1/2 hours (if the dough has been refrigerated 2 1/2 hours). Ass the dough nears the top of the pan, adjust the oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 350 degrees

7. FOR THE GLAZE: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the milk. Gently brush the top of the loaf with the egg mixture.

8. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. (If you are the thermometer type it should read 185 to 190 degrees). Remove the bread from the pan and cool to room temperature on it's side for 45 minutes.

Hand-Kneaded Cinnamon Swirl Bread (in case you don't have a mixer)

Follow the recipe for Cinnamon Swirl Bread, sprinkling yeast over the water in a large bowl in step 2. Use a wooden spoon to incorporate all other ingredients as directed. When the dough comes together, turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. 12 to 15 minutes, adding more flour if necessary. Transfer to lightly oiled bowl and follow the regular instructions from this point.

Tropical Thai Chicken Haystacks with Peanut Sauce

2010-02-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

This is a great quick weekend or weeknight meal. I love the combination of sweet, savory and spicy. I served this buffet style for a dinner party that I had last night. One of the things I love most about this meal is that you build your own, so this meal works for a one year old or a total foodie who loves lots of flavor. I am not posting an exact recipe for most of this- that is the beauty of this recipe- use your favorite peanut sauce or chicken marinade, swap the cashews for toasted macadamia nuts- you name it! Hopefully this meal will get your mind stirring and give you the right idea for a family dinner this week or a fun dinner party over the weekend.

Tropical Thai Chicken Haystacks

Cilantro Lime Rice (see recipe bellow)

Marinated Cilantro Lime Chicken (or something similar, I marinated cubed boneless skinless chicken breast in cilantro, lime, olive oil, sugar, red onion, garlic,chili paste, salt and pepper).

Chopped fresh cilantro

Sliced fresh green onions

Fresh grated carrots

Pineapple

Toasted coconut

Roasted and salted Cashews (even if you buy pre roasted- stick them in the oven for a few minutes to bring out the flavor).

Thai Peanut Sauce (recipe bellow or use your own favorite recipe or bottle)

I put all of the toppings in bowls and let everyone build their own, that way people can take and leave what they want and everyone is happy. I personally love it with everything!

Cilantro Lime Rice (this is my very favorite rice recipe- I use it for many Asian and Mexican dishes)

4 Cups chicken stalk

2 cups jasmine or long grain white rice

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons butter

Pinch of salt (about 1/4 tsp)

1/2 to 1 bunch finely chopped cilantro (personal preference, I love an entire bunch)

In a medium/large sauce pot with a tight fitting lid, bring all ingredients except cilantro to a boil, stirring frequently. Once mixture is boiling cover with lid and reduce heat to low. Cook on low for 12 minutes. Let rice sit covered for 10 minutes, fluff with fork and add desired amount of cilantro.

Thai Peanut Sauce I honestly have make this so much that I never measure, I will measure and post a final recipe soon but in the meantime use this as guideline at your own risk, or wait for the exact recipe.

1 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 to 1 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili paste, such as Sambal brand. Add depending on desired spiciness.

1/2 teaspoon ginger paste

1/2 teaspoon garlic paste

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Puree all ingredients together in a food processor starting with 1/2 cup coconut milk, stream in more coconut milk until desired texture and thickness is reached (the thickness for me depends on the meal, for instance, I like it thinner for the Haystacks so I can drizzle it over top)

French Toast Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Strawberries

2010-02-16T22:25:00.000-08:00

I made this delight for my honey Valentines morning. For me, Valentines breakfast is no love day breakfast unless involves strawberries and fresh sweetened whipping cream. I try to do something new with these 2 ingredients every year but I think it would be foolish at this point to try and top Sunday's breakfast. So, it's official, the annual Orme Family Valentines Day Breakfast has been decided.

Have you ever had the most perfect french toast with a kind of hard thick crust with a soft perfect center and you wonder- how the heck did they make this? My friends, I have figured it out and it's sandwiched between homemade strawberry cream cheese heaven. This may seam somewhat labor intensive but it really is pretty easy- it's just has a lot of little steps and I would walk across hot coals to have this served to me, so a little extra work is so worth it.

French Toast Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Strawberries

Ingredients (Random but this serves 2 to 3 people- it makes 3 big pieces, my hubby and I split the extra- it was just too good- just double or triple as needed)

6 slices good quality thick white bread (texas toast, gourmet french bread, ext)

1/2 block (4 ounces) softened cream cheese

2 large tablespoons strawberry preserves ( I love TJ's)

2/3 cup powdered sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter and oil for pan

Fresh strawberries, sliced

Fresh made whipping cream (heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to taste)

Extra powdered sugar for dusting on top

Fresh mint (optional), for garnish

First, make the filling.

Combine the cream cheese, strawberry preserves and powdered sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until very smooth and creamy, set aside.

Next, make the egg mixture.

Crack eggs into a shallow wide dish (like a pie tin or round cake pan).

Beat with a fork and pour heavy cream into the eggs, while whisking with the fork (about 30 seconds).

Once mixture is smooth, slowly beat flour into egg mixture being careful to minimize any lumps that may form. Mixture should be pretty smooth. It's basically a batter.

Now that the filling is made and the egg mixture is ready, assemble the french toast (it's basically a sandwich).

Evenly spread and divide the cream cheese mixture between all 6 slices of bread. Pair slices together, making 3 sandwiches.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet to medium, add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of vegetable oil.

Place the first sandwich into the egg mixture and let it soak for about 15 seconds, very carefully flip it to the other side and make sure that the bread is thickly and evenly coated with the egg mixture. Do the same thing to the other side.

Place sandwich onto hot pan and repeat process to add another sandwich. Each side should cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and a nice thick crust is covering the entire slice of bread.

Serve hot dusted with powdered sugar and topped with fresh strawberries and whipping cream.

Tip- if it's just you and your honey make the 2 pieces and eat them hot and fresh with all the fixings and then when you are done go back and make the third piece to split. Also, if you are serving more, you can stick them in the oven on 200 while the rest cook.

Happy happy eating!

Hello

2010-02-16T22:24:00.000-08:00

Hello blog, I've missed you so. Life has been crazy but that's no excuse. Life will always be crazy because that's who I am and I always want to have a food blog that is loved and taken care of by yours truly. I purpose a truce, I say we put this behind us and move forward with fabulous frequent recipes and pictures. I have been cooking and photographing in vain leaving you empty, I promise to leave you empty no more. Lets never mention the last 2 blank months again and move on in peace.

Sweet Cake Trifle with Lemon Curd and Blueberries

2009-12-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

Trifle is fabulous. It's easy, looks beautiful and if done right has a variety of flavors that combine to make the perfect bite. For me, this trifle has it all. You can serve it individually like I have done, which is way fun for a party, or you can layer it up in 1 big serving bowl. On a side note, if you think you don't like trifle- it's probably because it was completely ruined with mass amounts of banana flavor. Bananas are great, but I don't think they work well in trifle. So if you are unsure about trifle- give this non banana treat a go!

Sweet Cake Trifle with Lemon Curd & Blueberries

One great thing about this recipe is you don't need to measure anything- adjust amounts according to size and flavor preference. If this is confusing for you, let me know and I can give you a better idea. I just like that I can say layer these 4 things up and viola- an amazing dessert!

For the Cake:

Paula Deans 1- 2-3-4 cake recipe but add the zest of 1 lemon and subsistute 1 1/3 cup heavy cream for the milk. Once cake is cooled, break into small chunks.

Prepared Lemon Curd About 3 tablespoons per person. I used Trader Joes, it's by far the best bottled lemon curd I have found. You can find it at most grocery stores though. If you can't find it, leave a comment and ask for a recipe and I will post one.

Fresh Whipping Cream Made with heavy cream and powdered sugar.

Blueberries Fresh or frozen. At this time of year fresh are quite expensive. Costco and Trader Joes have excellent frozen berries- you won't even be able to tell in this dessert that frozen were used.

To assemble

Layer in the following order, cake, lemon curd, whipped cream and blueberries. Do as many layers as will fit in your desired serving dish. Top with a drizzle of lemon curd and blueberries

Helpful notes

Each layer just gets a drizzle of lemon curd, it is strong so only a small amount is needed. Keep refrigerated and covered until serving.

2 Favorite Holiday Goodies

2009-12-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a Christmas cooking demonstration where I presented to a fabulous group of ladies. I showcased 2 of my very favorite holiday goodies, homemade peanut butter cups and orange butter. Along with me, a few others presented their seasonal favorites- it was a lovely evening and I can't wait to make Marisa's Pomegranate Avocado Salsa (posting soon).

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

This recipe comes from my most wonderful mother in law Linda.

1 18 oz jar of peanut butter

3/4 to 1 pound of powdered sugar

3 1/2 cups favorite good quality chocolate (though on my MBA budget I used Costco Semisweet Chocolate Chips and it worked great, you can get good quality fairly inexpensive chocolate at Trader Joes)

Optional toppings- smashed nuts, oreos, caramel ext.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and spray with cooking spray.

Put peanut butter into large mixing bowl. Slowly begin to add powdered sugar and stir with a wooden spoon. Keep adding sugar until peanut butter mixture begins to thicken. (Honestly, I have never measured this recipe before this year so it's very forgiving). At this point, you can begin using your hands, which is easier but messier. Add more powdered sugar until the mixture is firm enough to roll into a ball that will stand on it's own. If using hands, mixture will feel similar to play dough. Taste and check for sweetness, this is where personal preference comes in, I like mine less sweet, you can add more sugar for a sweeter, stiffer ball.

Roll all peanut butter into small balls about 1/2 the size of a golf ball. As you make each ball, place on the wax paper lined cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Place balls in cool place immediately (freezer works best). Let harden for at least 1 hour.

After peanut butter balls have hardened.

Preheat oven to 200.

Spray a pie tin with cooking spray.

Pour chocolate into pie tin and place in oven.

Turn off oven.

Stir chocolate every minute until melted well. Stir again.

Once the chocolate is melted and the peanut butter balls are prepared, do the following.

With two spoons in hand, gently drop the peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate. Pass the ball back and forth between two spoons until the ball is covered evenly in chocolate. Using the spoons, never touching the ball, transfer to the muffin paper. Repeat process until all balls are covered in chocolate and placed into the mini muffin papers. Once you get the method down, you can drop a couple in at a time, do your best to move quickly so that you can cover all of the balls before the chocolate begins to cool, if this happens, pause for a moment and stick it back in the oven for a minute or two.

FOR FANCY PB CUPS

After you have evenly coated the peanut butter balls in chocolate, immediatly drop them into a bowl of your topping of choice, coat evenly and place into muffin cups.

Once balls are finished, for best results, let harden in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Serve as desired.

Pecan Dipped

Oreo and Pecan Dipped

Bringing these to a holiday party? Place on a platter with a few dipped ones in the center and you have a quick and beautiful presentation.

Amazing Orange Butter

This recipe comes from a very good friend of mine, Mrs. Kelly Willardson. Easy-crowd pleaser sums this heavanly delight up. It tastes a lot like orange rolls but can be made in 5 minutes. Sooo gooood!

3 sticks softened butter
3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1 box powdered sugar
Zest from 1 orange (up to 2 if you want a stronger orange taste- just taste test after 1 and decide)
Pinch of salt

Whip together and serve with warm rolls or anything else that tastes good with sweet butter! Will keep in refrigerator for 3 weeks.

Pumpkin & Carrot Whole Wheat Muffins

2009-12-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

I love muffins! I make them as a side to dinner frequently and then we eat them for breakfast for a couple of days. I made these up last night trying to use all of our leftovers from Thanksgiving (randomly have a ton of carrots and pumpkin leftover). My 3 year old and 9 month old loved them too- they ate one last night and another this morning. I think they are even personal trainer Rhandi approved though if you are eating one for breakfast, try to throw some healthy protein in there too! Happy baking!

1 cup pumpkin

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon all spice

Preheat oven to 350

Sift or whisk dry ingredients together, set aside.

Mix together wet ingredients, including brown sugar. Once well mixed, fold in dry mixture 1/3 at a time, being careful no to over mix.

Spoon muffin mixture into 12 muffin cups, filling each cup to the top.

Bake at 350 for 20 to 22 minutes. These took a little longer then I thought, I had to poke them with a wooden skewer a few times, make sure it comes out barely clean before removing them from the oven .

Makes 12

I'm back and an AWARD!

2009-12-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

Phew! The last month has been crazy and wonderful all at the same time. I have been missing my food blog and I am excited to start posting again. First, I need to play a little catch up.

My wonderful cooking Friends gave me a blog award. Thank you for thinking of me and inspiring me to keep on doing what I love to do in the kitchen!

In order to accept the award, I have to nominate fellow food bloggers that inspire me. So bellow I have nominated a couple of awesome food blogs- check them out!

PS- I hosted my first Thanksgiving this year and it was a fabulous success. A few pics and recipes coming this week! A little sneak peak of the turkey . . .

Curried Butternut Chicken Bisque

2009-11-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight's dinner left me, my hubby and sister in a very happy and satisfied state. Now all I want to do is hop into my clean, warm and cozy sheets and sleep. Forget that I am still supposed to workout and cycle tonight, get up and nurse my baby twice and then wake up at 6am with my 3 year old. Sometimes a great meal helps me relax and blow off the rest of my to do list for the night. Cheers to good food and it's ability to make me feel satisfied about my day even when I shouldn't be.

PS- The butternut squash and curry pair so well together. If you make this, be sure to garnish with cilantro and cashews, it really completes the meal. Good luck making this at your dinner party tomorrow Derek! If you prepare the squash ahead of time, this is a 20 minute meal.

Serves 4 to 6

1 2 to 2 1/2 pound butternut squash

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon curry

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk

1 14 oz can/box chicken broth

2 cups, cut up/cubed cooked chicken breast (I used the breast of a rotisserie chicken I bought at the market)

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Hot White Jasmine Rice, prepared as instructed or to your preference. At least 2 cups. The rice should be plain to balance out the curry. I make mine with a little bit of butter and a pinch of sea salt.

Garnish with

Cashews (I used/ like raw the best)

Fresh chopped cilantro

For the squash (you can do this up to a day ahead, which will allow you to make this in about 20 minutes)

Preheat oven to 350

Spray a rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut squash lengthwise and remove seeds and pulp.

Place squash flesh side down onto the baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes.

While squash is baking, make the Jasmine rice (which should take 12 to 14 minutes for 2 cups prepared) and mix together 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon curry powder in a small bowl .

Remove squash from oven and flip the squash right side up.

Sprinkle the quash with brown sugar and curry mixture and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until quash is soft and the flesh can be scooped out.

Scoop squash out into a bowl and mash well with potato masher, set aside until needed.

For the soup, saute onion in olive oil over medium high heat until the onion is translucent and soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook for another minute.

Add squash, coconut milk, chicken broth, chicken, curry, salt and pepper. Cook soup until heated through.

On the bottom of a soup bowl, hot rice (or more if you like, I prefer less rice, my hubby prefers more) and ladle curry bisque over the rice.

Garnish with plenty of chopped cashews and cilantro (which can be prepared while the soup is heating through/simmering or while the squash bakes if you are making the meal all at once).

Unfortunately, I cannot take full credit for this recipe, it was adapted from a recipe in the Cookbook Better Homes and Gardens Annual Recipes 2003. Which, is a great cook book by the way.

Open Faced Chicken Apple & Muenster Sandwich with Apricot Dijion Spread

2009-11-08T21:48:00.001-08:00

I made these twice last week and I still can't stop thinking about them! This was inspired by an old recipe clipping from Cooking Light that I found. The combination of flavors is fantastic. The slight tang of the dijion and the sweetness from the apple and apricot pairs well with the chicken and buttery Muenster Cheese (I love Muenster). This is an easy 20 to 30 minute meal tops, great for a quick weeknight meal. This would also be fun for an easy luncheon with your girlfriends (or guys) paired with a yummy salad.

The following recipe is for two, if you want to have 2 halves (I think it would be sad to only have 1 half). Be sure to double it for 4 people.

4 Tablespoons apricot preserves

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 large good quality white rolls (such as kaiser)

1 large apple, peeled, thinly sliced (Fuji or Gala is a good choice)

1/2 white onion, diced small

1 cup prewashed bagged spinach (if you use fresh make sure you ring it out in a towel after washing, you want the spinach really dry)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied- to make 4 pieces

4 slices Muenster cheese

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat Broiler

2. Make the spread- Combine apricot preserves and mustard in a bowl, stir with whisk, set aside.

3. Prepare the chicken

Heat large skillet over medium heat with a couple swirls of EVOO (about 2 to 3 tablespoons)

Salt and pepper the chicken and add to heated pan.

Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on the first side, flip chicken and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. *This is a great and quick way to make moist, flavorful chicken breast, make sure that your pan is hot, that way the chicken cooks quickly.

Set chicken aside, wait 5 minutes and slice the chicken into strips.

4. In the same pan that you made the chicken, reheat and add 2 more tablespoons of EVOO. Add apple and onion and cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally, scraping the chicken drippings into the mixture. Add chopped spinach, cook for 1 minute, until the spinach begins to wilt.

To assemble, layer each of the 4 bread slices in the following order-

Evenly spread 1/4 of the apricot spread onto each slice of bread.

1/4 of the apple mixture

1/4 of the chicken strips

1 slice of cheese

Place sandwiches on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and broil for about 1 1/2 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

Remove from heat, serve immediately.

This is pretty simple but I have step by step pictures if anyone wants to make this and they feel like the pics would help. Email me @ rhandi@gmail.com and I am happy to send them your way.

Potato & Rosemary Alfredo Pizza

2009-10-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Friends, fellow food lovers, words can not express the deliciousness experienced while eating this pizza. Creamy, earthy, sweet and savory all mixed in to one bite of pure pizza bliss. I tried potato on pizza years ago and finally got around to creating my own. It's almost like having a gourmet, fresh, thick potato chip on your pizza, paired with the rosemary, it can't be beat. This pizza would also be great with grilled chicken, I was just too lazy the night I made this.

For the potatoes

2 small/medium Russet Potatoes cleaned and scrubbed well, cut into 1/4 to 1/3 inch slices

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea salt, to taste

Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Rosemary, to taste

Preheat oven to 40o. Place potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary making sure to get a little of everything on each potato slice. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes. If you want them a little crispier, bake a little longer. I like it somewhere in between.

Prepare the toppings

1 red bell pepper

1/2 large white onion (yellow or red would be great too)

extra virgin olive oil

Saute bell pepper and onions in olive oil until cooked through but still slightly al dente (a little firmness and color left in the bell peppers). Set aside.

Grate 2 cups mozzarella cheese

Homemade Alfredo Sauce for Pizza

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pinch of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)

Melt butter in a small to medium saute pan. Add garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds. Slowly stir in flour, making sure no lumps form. Once smooth, slowly stir in cream, cheese, and salt. Sauce should be thick, a little too thick for pasta but perfect for spreading on pizza.

Pizza Dough

Use basic pizza dough recipe found in the label bread or pizza. Add 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic when you are adding the flour to the yeast and water mixture.

To assemble

Once dough is on baking stone or baking sheet-

Spread thick alfredo evenly over pizza.

Sprinkle mozarella evenly over sauce.

Place 3/4 of the bell pepper and onion mix evenly over cheese.

Place potatoes evenly over the bell peppers and onions

Place the remaining bell peppers and onions over the potatoes, giving the pizza a little color

Top with 2 teaspoons rosemary, rubbing it between your fingers to release the flavors as you sprinkle it on the pizza.

Bake on 400 for 12 to 15 minutes.

Apple & Cranberry Quinoa Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

2009-10-23T10:11:00.001-07:00

Quinoa (pronounced qeen-wa) is amazing. In case you haven't been introduced to this fabulous "super food", I will give you a quick run down. It is a grain (technically a seed) that is very high in protein. It's very versatile and can be served a million different ways. This salad really is the bomb, I love when I create things this healthy that taste fabulous! It is served slightly warm which may sound strange but it marries the flavors so well! My hubby looked at it with skepticism (which is very very rare) and he loved it and couldn't stop talking about it. I made this with red quinoa which is harder to find, you can use regular quinoa which can be found pretty much anywhere these days. This hard core healthy salad has a fun flavor, tastes great and it will leave you satisfied and full for longer then you expect.

1 cup red or regular quinoa

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1/8 tsp ginger

1 tsp butter (to make vegan or vegetarian omit or use a non animal butter substitute)

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Place above ingredients except quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and add quinoa, stir, bring back to a boil and place tight fitting lid on the saucepan. Let simmer for about 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.

While quinoa is cooking, prepare the following-

2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped.

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 large granny smith apple, diced

Toasted pumpkin seeds for sprinkling (optional, use another seed or nut if pumpkin are not around)

Vinaigrette

Mix all of the following ingredients together

2 tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

To assemble the salad, let quinoa cool for 5 to 10 minutes with the lid on. (This salad is served slightly warm which wilts the spinach just a tad and plumps up the dried cranberries.) Add the spinach, cranberries and apple, mix well. Add the vinaigrette and serve warm. Sprinkle each dish with toasted pumpkin seeds

*Leftover salad is great cold. It's just nice to have it warm initially, like I mentioned above, it marries the flavors well, wilts the spinach just a tad and makes the cranberries plump and juicy.

* Red Quinoa can be found a Whole Foods and Good Earth in the bulk bens, it's actually not expensive (at least at Good Earth where I purchased it).

2 Pumpkin Favorites

2009-10-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

If I was decent at writing, I would attempt to try and convince you all how wonderful pumpkin roll is, how amazing pumpkin anything is! I particularly love this recipe because it has more spice then the average pumpkin roll recipe. I also love the orange. I put orange in a lot of my pumpkin recipes. It's a secret treasure and everyone wonders why your pumpkin delights taste so darn delightful. Enjoy!

Spiced Pumpkin Roll

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup flour

3 teaspoons orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2/3 cup pumpkin (canned or fresh pureed)

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz cream cheese

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Line a jelly roll pan (15 X 10) with wax paper, spray paper and pan with Pam spray or lightly grease.

Sift together dry ingredients (cinnamon through flour).

In your Kitchen Aid, or with a hand mixer, combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Fold dry ingredients into wet 1/3 at a time, being careful not to over mix.

Pour pumpkin mixture onto wax paper (in the jelly roll pan) and bake in the oven for 13 to 14 minutes, when sides of cake will pull away from the pan.

Here's where it gets a little tricky, but if you just follow the instructions, it will turn out great.

1. Lay a large kitchen towel (a tea type towel is best, this means the towel has no texture, I always use a cloth dinner napkin)

2. Sprinkle the towel with a nice layer a powdered sugar. Use a generous amount, this will make rolling much easier.

3. Flip the cake pan over onto the powdered sugar towel.

4. Remove pan, and carefully remove wax paper, making sure you do not rip the cake, go slowly.

5. Roll the cake up with the towel to cool. Starting with a short end, roll it slowly together, the towel and all. Place seam side down so that the roll stays together as it cools.

6. Mix the cream cheese filling together with a hand mixer or with your Kitchen Aid.

7. Once the cake is cooled, slowly unroll.

8. Evenly spread the cream cheese filling over the cake.

9. Roll cake back up without the towel and cover with wax paper or plastic wrap.

10. Let cake rest in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

In honor of the fact that we all need 2 slices, lets be honest, maybe 3.

I LOVE these muffins. They are hearty, filling and very yummy. A perfect grab and go breakfast. The personal trainer/nutritionist in me who hasn't visited her own food blog much is putting her stamp of approval on these. The pumpkin flavor is mild but nice. Another thing I love about these muffins is that they actually keep me full for a decent amount of time which is hard to do. If you are missing an ingredient or two, let me know and I will give you a healthy alternative. Also, the first night I made these, I served them with dinner (the Molases and Honey Pork Chops post) and then we ate them for breakfast the rest of the week.

Healthy Pumpkin Apple Everything Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup flax seeds

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon all spice

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Granny Smith apple, grated (using the cheese grater)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon molasses

1/2 cup pumpkin (canned or fresh pureed)

1 cup buttermilk

In a medium to large bowl combine the first 9 ingredients together (flour though salt). Mix well with a wire whisk, set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar, egg and oil together until fluffy. Add apple, vanilla, molasses and pumpkin. Stir well.

Into the pumpkin mixture, alternately add the buttermilk and dry ingredients, starting and ending with the buttermilk. Mix to combine.

Divide muffin mixture into 12 muffin tins (1 cup/standard size muffin tins).

Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes.

Molasses & Honey Seared Pork Chops with Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce

2009-10-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

Pork chops . . . they always sound good, but hardly ever taste good. Friends, say goodbye to dry, flavorless chops and hello to moist flavorful lean pork. Boneless pork chops go on sale all the time but I never buy them because I am always disappointed with the end result. It has probably been a good 4 years since I have made them. I was determined to master boneless chops, so I spent some time reading all sorts of different cooking methods and I am so happy that I did. This is an elegant and simple meal, the marinade rocks and the flavors complement the fall season well. Searing may sound intimidating but give it a try and you will have a new cheap and fabulous dinner to put on the table.

Ingredients

4 boneless pork chops, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (the average cut you buy in the store)

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Marinade

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

5 fresh thyme leaves, torn in half. (I haven't tried but if you don't have fresh try 1/2 teaspoon dry, the thyme should be a mild accent flavor)

Place all marinade ingredients into a gallon zip lock bag, mix well with your hands. Add the pork chops and massage the marinade into the meat for about 1 minute. Place the bag into a bowl and let pork marinade in the fridge for at least 1 to 2 hours, up to 8 hours. (If you are around, rotate the pork a few times, giving all the meat a chance to marinade well)

Preheat oven to 350

In an oven proof skillet or pan, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil on medium/high heat. The skillet needs to be pretty hot to sear the meat.

With tongs, place pork chops on hot skillet for 3 minutes, turn over, cook the other side for 1 minute. Immediately place in oven, and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

*Pork should not be served pink at all, it is poultry. If you do not cook pork often or you are unsure if it is done, check the middle of one and make sure it is not pink.

Serve hot over applesauce (see recipe bellow).

Simple, cheap & double delicious!

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces.

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup water

Mix all ingredients in a medium to large sauce pot with a tight fitting lid. On medium heat, let apples steam/cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Once tender, use a potato masher to smash apple sauce to desired consistency (as smooth or chunky as you like it).

I finished off this lovely dinner with a cranberry and apple spinach salad and some pumpkin muffins (just an idea if you are having people over and want a complete fall meal)

Dinner serves 4

Pumpkin Caramel Apple Cobbler

2009-10-13T22:23:00.001-07:00

4 layers of pure fall happiness

Moist spiced pumpkin cake

Tart & sweet apple cobbler filling

Buttery cobbler topping

Rich creamy caramel

I have been creating this recipe in my head for the last week or so. I was so excited to try it out on family tonight. The results made this cook very happy-cobbler for 16 fed cobbler for 8 mmmm good! This basically combined my two favorite desserts (apple cobbler and pumpkin everything) into one. This really is a no fail success, it may seam like a lot of steps, but they are all simple steps, happy baking!

Preheat oven to 350, spray an 11x15 pan well (not the normal 9x13, use the next size up, if you don't have that, use 2 smaller pans)

Read through entire directions, before starting. Make in the following order.

Cobbler Filling

10 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients in large bowl, set aside.

Cobbler Topping

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch salt

Melt butter in saucepan on the stove top. Add sugar, stir until dissolved.

Sift remaining ingredients together, add butter mixture, mix well with a fork, set aside.

Pumpkin Bar

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups pumpkin

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

Sift dry ingredients together, set aside.

Cream eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin until fluffy.

Fold wet ingredients into dry, being careful not to over mix.

Pour pumpkin batter into greased pan, gently place apples evenly over the batter, using a slotted spoon, leaving excess liquid in bowl. Dollop cobbler dough evenly over the apples, there will be plenty of apples without dough coverage.

Bake for about 40 minutes. It will be dry at 45, so watch it close and test at 40 min.

While the cake is baking, make the caramel sauce. Use your favorite recipe and drizzle hot over the top. I also served this with vanilla ice cream.

Roasted Cauliflower & Curry Scented Couscous with Coconut Curry Sauce

2009-10-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

Oh how me and my hubby enjoyed this dinner. Roasted cauliflower pairs awesome with the sweet curry and nutty couscous. Often, I don't care for other peoples couscous (sorry). Adding all of the ingredients into the broth before the couscous is cooked, really does the trick- no dry bland couscous here! This is a simple, fun quick dinner. If you don't make the naan it's a 30 minute meal tops. If you have the time, homemade naan really completes the meal. Check out the post before this one for an easy recipe. Last, all 3 parts of this meal can be served with a million other things, so take one of the 3 and put it with something else if that works better for you.

Easy Roasted Cauliflower

1 head Cauliflower (I make 2 at a time and love the leftovers)

Extra virgin olive oil, about 1/4 cup for a head, just make sure it's all coated.

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400

Evenly coat the cauliflower with olive oil

Spread onto baking sheet.

Season well with salt and pepper.

Place in oven for about 20 minutes, stirring at the half way point (if the pieces are bigger it may take a little longer)

Curry Scented Couscous

For plain couscous without a bunch of add ins this is by far my favorite recipe. It also goes great with chicken & fish or another Indian or Thai dish.

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup couscous

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Large pinch of sugar

Combine all ingredients except couscous in a med saucepan. On med high heat bring to a boil making sure ingredients are dissolved and stirred. Once broth is boiling, add couscous, stir, put on lid and remove from heat immediately. Let sit for 5 minutes without opening lid, fluff with fork, serve hot. Serves 2 to 4, this recipe doubles easily.

Coconut Curry Sauce

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 can coconut milk

2 1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dry chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon corn starch

In a medium saute pan. Saute diced onion in olive oil over medium low heat, being careful not to brown onions. Once onions are soft and translucent, add the spices to the onions. With a wooden spoon stir spices into the onions, stir constantly for about 1 minute. Add the coconut milk and stir well. Leave the mixture on a low simmer while you prepare the cornstarch mix. In a small bowl mix 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch with 1/4 cup coconut curry sauce, whisk quickly making sure there are no lumps. Once mixture is smooth, add slowly to the curry sauce, stirring constantly. Turn heat up to medium and stir constantly until sauce begins to thicken. At this point, turn to low or turn off and serve immediately.

For complete meal, pour curry sauce over couscous and cauliflower and garnish with fresh cilantro. Eat naan with it all, it's especially good dipped in the curry.

Homemade Naan

2009-10-06T23:16:00.000-07:00

Naan is an Indian flat bread and I really love it! I serve it will all sorts of Indian dishes and curries. I have had fun being creative with naan. Who says just because it's Indian bread that it has to be served with Indian food, right? Sometimes I will put black beans, cheddar and salsa on and heat them open faced in the oven . . . sooo good! Even if you are not into Indian food, there are lots of great ways to serve naan and it's surprisingly easy and cheap to make. Tonight, I served it with Roasted Cauliflower and Curry Scented Couscous with a Coconut Curry Sauce (see next post).

Naan

2 teaspoon dry active yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup warm water

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for kneading

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup clarified butter or vegetable oil ( I usually use oil but I like the taste and texture better with clarified butter but I am always in too much of a hurry to make it)

In a glass measuring cup combine yeast and sugar. Add water and stir well. Let rest until foamy and yeast begins to puff up. Sift flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour yeast mixture and oil into the center. Mix together with your fingers until a smooth dough forms, working a small amount of flour as needed. Knead for about 3 minutes. The dough will be very soft and oily, much more so then most dough. Place dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400. Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces. Roll/press each piece into a circle on a lightly floured surface (I typically get about 10 pieces- I think I like them a little bigger). Bake naan circles on a baking stone (sprinkled with cornmeal) or a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden, about 12 minutes (check them a minute or two before).

*They don't have to be a perfect circle. I have gotten naan in all shapes and sizes when it's served hot and fresh at an Indian restaurant. So, don't fret if your shapes are a little funky, they rise beautifully in the oven and will taste great regardless.

My First Award!

2009-10-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

Wow! I am completely surprised and flattered! I am so new to the food blogging world I didn't even know I could get a "blog award". Thank you Lakshmi for selecting my blog! If you love Indian food, Lakshmi has a great food blog on South Indian cuisine called The Tastes of South India. I tell you, food is one of the best ways to connect with people and cultures from around the world. How else would I be connecting with a random great cook who lives in Finland? I am inspired to keep on posting and creating!

Savory Breakfast Pizza

2009-10-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

This morning was fab-u-lous! General Conference + family + yummy eats = bliss. I have been thinking about what I wanted to make for the last couple days and I created a new recipe in my mind that I have been dying to try out. Savory Breakfast Pizza with Scrambled Eggs and sauteed red bell pepper and onion - it was a hit. I also made my tried and true Cinnamon Rolls- which everyone ate before I got a good picture of . . . errrr!

Breakfast Pizza

1 basic pizza crust recipe with 1 added tspg ranulated garlic/garlic powder and 1 added tsp Italian seasoning. (Crust recipe can be found on sidebar tab, pizza or bread).

3 ounces softened cream cheese (about 1/3 of a regular 8 ounce package)

7 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Dash of salt and pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large red bell pepper, sliced into long, thin strips (so 3/4 if it's a small one)

1/2 large white onion, thinly sliced (same as above)

1 teaspoon crushed garlic (refrigerated)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (I love Trader Joes Modena)

Fresh basil (or dry if you don't have fresh) generously sprinkled on top- a large handful of chopped fresh leaves or about 1 teaspoon dry.

Prepare pizza crust as instructed, adding garlic and Italian seasoning.

Bake pizza crust for 10 minutes on 350, and prepare the following, while crust is cooking.

Heat olive oil on medium heat in a medium pan, add peppers and onions. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, add garlic, cook another 30 to 60 seconds. Add balsamic vinegar, turn up heat a tad, and saute for about another minute longer, until vinegar has incorporated into the peppers and onions, caramelizing a little bit. Turn off heat, set aside to put on pizza.

For the eggs, beat 7 eggs in a bowl, add milk, dash of salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of both of the cheeses you have grated. Scramble eggs quickly on med/high heat to achieve light and fluffy texture.

Assemble the pizza.

Using your crust that is almost cooked through,

Spread thin layer of cream cheese on crust, leaving about a 1 inch border.

Place pepper and onion mixture evenly over the cream cheese layer.

Put half of the remaining cheddar and mozzarella over the peppers and onions.

Place scrambled eggs evenly over pizza

Sprinkle remaining cheddar and mozzarella

Finish with basil

Cook for about 5 more minutes, until edges of crust are slightly golden and cheese is melted.

3 Herb Alfredo & Stuffed Shells

2009-09-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

This was a weeknight creation I made using a hoard of leftovers. I debated whether or not I should post this (since there is not really a set recipe) but then I thought, this is delicious, cheap (if you already have a few ingredients around), easy and it uses leftovers. Yours doesn't have to be exactly like mine, use this meal/idea to jump start your own using what you have. Stuff the shells with whatever you want. Use the 3 Herb Alfredo for any yummy pasta dish- have fun! What I really love is the reverse to the typical stuffed shells, most recipes do a cheesy stuffing with a tomato/meat sauce for on top- try reversing it- I like it better this way.

Ingredients

1 box jumbo pasta shells (I had a about 12 extra- I ran out of sauce so my 2 year old ate the rest up plain)

Leftover tomato meat sauce of your choice (something thick so that it will stay put in the shells, I used a meaty basil pomodoro sauce)

1 recipe 3 herb alfredo (bellow)

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

3 Herb Alfredo

1 1/2 cups heavy cream (for a lighter sauce use 1 cup cream 1/2 cup milk)

5 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/8 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped (I used my leftover thyme herb butter, which took care of the butter, thyme and parsley. The recipe for the butter is under the sides tab)

2 tablespoons fresh italian parsley, finely chopped

* I haven't tried it, but you can use dried herbs if you don't have fresh (1 tbs basil, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp parsley)

Preheat oven to 350

Place pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Cook for about 6 minutes, pasta should be very al dente, as it will finish cooking in the oven.

Place shells on lightly oiled baking sheet, keep them separate to prevent sticking. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, make the alfredo. Melt butter on low, add remaining ingredients, turn heat up to medium and stir constantly until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Leave sauce on very low heat, stirring occasionally until poured over pasta.

Pour 1/2 cup alfredo sauce into a large casserole dish. Make sure bottom of dish is covered with thin layer of sauce, add a little extra if necessary.

To assemble, gently stuff 2 hefty tablespoons of leftover tomato meat sauce into the prepared shells. Place over sauce in baking dish. Once all shells are stuffed, pour remaining sauce over pasta, top with parmesan and mozzarella.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.

Sinfull Chocolate Italian Cake

2009-09-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Really people, what can I say, after years of searching, I have finally found the perfect chocolate cake recipe of my dreams! This is moist, rich, very rich and double delicious! It is all you could ever ask for and more in a chocolate cake. Every bite sent me to a very happy place. I made this for my brother in laws birthday dinner and the room was dead silent as we ate. Bless Ricotta cheese (the secret ingredient)!

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa

2 tablespoons instant decaf coffee/cappuccino powder (use regular if you want, it just needs a little coffee flavor- fake or real)

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup Whole Milk Ricotta

3 large eggs

2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of two 9" cake pans. Sift dry ingredients, mix together in bowl, set aside.

In mixer bowl, mix sugar, oil, ricotta and vanilla on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs. Beat until incorporated. On low speed, beat in flour alternately with water in 3 additions. Scrape bowl and beat at medium speed for 1 minute.

Divide equally in pans and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until cake test done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then turn onto plates. Frost with Chocolate Frosting (see below) when cakes are cool.

Chocolate Frosting:

12 sq. quality milk chocolate (I used semi sweet chocolate chips and added a little cream)

1 cup sour cream at room temperature

Melt chocolate using double boiler or over simmering water. Stir until smooth then let cool to room temperature. Mix sour cream into chocolate with a wire whisk. Frost the first layer, then second layer, then the top and sides.

Also, I served this with homemade Oreo Ice Cream (posting soon), you definitley need something creamy to balance out the richness.

Recipe adapted from Suzanne Mordecai, Italian Chocolate Cake, cooks.com

Peach Upside Down Cake

2009-09-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

I had to make one more yummy peach creation to celebrate the fabulousness of peach season. The hint of orange really adds a nice touch, it's subtle and gives this cake a bit of character, especially with the pecans, it's an unexpected but fun combination of flavors.

Topping-

4 ripe peaches

4 Tablespoons butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate

Cake-

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened.

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate

2 tablespoons buttermilk (you can use milk if buttermilk is not on hand)

Preheat oven to 350

Peel and cut peaches into 1/2 inch slices, set aside for a moment.

In a small saucepan combine all topping ingredients.

Stir on low heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

Pour mixture into a 9 inch round cake pan.

Starting in the center of the cake pan, place peaches decoratively in a circular pattern over sugar/butter mixture. Don't worry if the peaches don't look "decorative".

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl, sift or use a wire whisk to mix ingredients well.

Use your Kitchen Aid or a large bowl and an electric mixer to cream the remaining butter and sugar,add eggs one at a time, beating slightly between additions. Add vanilla, orange juice and buttermilk. Mix to combine.

Combine dry ingredients into wet, mix well enough to combine, being careful not to over mix.

Pour mixture over peaches and bake for 35 minutes.

Transfer cake to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the cake to loosen. Place plate over cake and flip over. Remove cake pan to expose peach topping.

Serve warm with a dollop whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I made cinnamon whipped cream, the recipe can be found in Crepes with Spiced Peaches & Cinnamon Whipped Cream (click breakfast or dessert).

Creamy Roasted Vegetable Soup & Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2009-09-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

This soup came about when I was trying to think of a new way to use a bunch of broccoli and cauliflower (2 of my favorites). One of the many reasons soups are great is because they are filling and low calorie. Even though this is "creamy" it is actually still pretty low cal and low fat yet it still has a nice rich flavor from roasting the vegetables.

It may look like a lot of steps but from start to finish- 30 minutes max.

1 1/2 cups yellow onion, finely chopped

4 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

Dash of salt

A combination of vegetables equaling about 5 cups of 2 or 3 of the following

2 cups broccoli

2 cups cauliflower

1 cup asparagus (sometimes it's just too expensive- it was on sale at the market today)

Olive oil (enough to coat the vegetables, about 1/3 cup)

Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder (to taste, season liberally)

3 Cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sharp cheddar (or cheese of your choice)

Preheat oven to 400

Cut the vegetables into medium size pieces (bite size or a little larger) and place on large baking pan, preferably with sides so you won't loose anything.

Drizzle olive oil and seasonings liberally over the vegetables. Mix well with your hands making sure everything is evenly coated. Add more seasonings then you think- this is an important step in the flavoring of the soup.

Roast vegetables in the oven for about 15 minutes. Half way through cooking, open the oven and give the vegetables a nice stir/toss. They should be cooked more then if you were to just planning to eat them plain. They need to be soft enough to easily puree in a food processor/blender.

In the meantime, in a medium saucepan melt the butter and then add diced onions. Add a nice dash of salt. Saute the onions on medium heat until they are soft and translucent in color, being careful not to let them brown. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of flour, thickening the butter and onion mixture making sure that no lumps form. Turn heat off.

When the vegetables are done, put them into the food processor with 1 cup of milk. Pulse or process to desired texture. I think it's best when there is still a little substance (as seen in picture above). I leave a little chunk, I would consider it a thick puree.

Turn heat back on to medium low and lowly add vegetable puree to onion mixture, stirring while adding. Add chicken broth and shredded cheese. Let soup simmer for at least 5 minutes so the flavors can blend and cheese can melt.

Serve warm with your favorite bread.

Hands down this is some of the best "Honey Whole Wheat Bread" on the planet. Though it's filled with more sugar then other recipes , it's worth every bite. If you are in a healthy mood, I will post that recipe later. In the meantime forget about the sugar and white flour and just enjoy! This recipe is slightly adapted from a fellow food blogger http://lovinfromtheoven.blogspot.com/search/label/Breads

I basically took her recipe and mine and combined them.

Lets talk about Lecithin, which I had never used before I made this recipe. It can be found at a health food store or in the supplement section of some grocery stores (Utah- Sunflower Market, Good Earth, Whole Foods, California- Henrys/Sprouts, Whole Foods, ext). It really really makes a difference. Lecithin is natural substance found in the body and in many vegetables. In bread, it acts as a stabilizer, helps bread rise more evenly, hold together better and keeps bread soft and moist longer. I bought the powdered form for $6. Lecithin is now a part of my bread baking family. Still, it's optional and the bread will turn out great with out it.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups warm water

2 Tablespoons yeast

1/8 cup sugar

Mix above 3 ingredients into the Kitchen Aid and let sit for 10 minutes.

Add the following

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons Lecithin (powdered)

4 to 4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (stone ground is best)

2 to 2 1/2 cups white flour

Knead together until the sides of the bowl come clean, I used about 7 cups of flour.

Place dough in greased bowl, cover, let rise 1 hour, preferably in a warm place without a breeze.

Remove dough from bowl and punch down well. Knead dough a little in your hands, getting rid of air pockets (just for a minute or so).

Place dough back in greased bowl and cut in half with a sharp knife. Form into 2 loaves and place in greased bread pans.

Let dough rise again, until about 1 inch above pan (about 40 minutes).

Bake in preheated 350 oven for about 30 minutes. Bread should be golden in color and sound slightly hollow when tapped.

Eat a piece hot and slather it with butter if you are really going for it.

Also, I am posting this a day later and I served it for dinner guests tonight and it tastes just as fresh- I am really liking that Lecithin!

Challah Bread

2009-09-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Challah bread (pronounced "hallah") is one of my favorite breads. It is traditionally a Jewish bread enjoyed on the Sabbath but now it's all over the place. It's fairly easy to make and is always a crowd pleaser. I love the texture and slightly sweet flavor that it carries.

1 Tablespoon dry active yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

2 eggs, slightly beaten

5 to 5 1/2 cups flour

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl (or the bowl of your Kitchen Aide), add yeast and teaspoon of sugar, mix together. Add warm water and whisk together to make sure yeast is dissolved. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Stir in salt, sugar, oil and eggs. Mix to incorporate ingredients.

Slowly add about 4 1/2 cups of flour to make a stiff dough.

With Kitchen Aide- Slowly add in more flour, kneading dough until it no longer sticks and looks smooth and satiny- knead for about 5 minutes.

Without Kitchen Aide (by hand) Turn dough onto floured board and knead, adding flour until smooth and satiny- at least 5 minutes- up to 15 or 20 depending on how you knead.

The fun part that makes Challah so pretty- Divide dough into 4 equal portions and roll each into a ball and then to a strand about 20 inches long (or a little longer then the pan you have to bake it on- it will shrink when you braid it).

To braid- Pinch tops together. Weave the strands, always starting with the strand on the left- over-under-over and repeat with the new left strand. When you are finished weaving, tuck the leftover ends under.

Using your fingers or a pastry brush, spread the egg yolk mixture evenly over the braids, make sure you get the nooks.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until loaf is golden brown (observe picture), being careful not to over bake because Challah dries out really fast if you overcook it.

Chicken & Black Bean Enchilada Soup

2009-09-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

Heaven in a bowl

Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Olive oil

Spice rub- coarse salt, fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder cumin

1/3 cup favorite enchalda sauce

Soup

2 cans black beans (1 entire can, 1 drained)

1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper (or half of 2 colors if you have them on hand)

1 yellow onion

1/2 4oz can green chilis

1/2 cup favorite enchalada sauce ( I used Trader Joes red)

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup water

Garnish

Cheddar cheese

Cilantro

Sour Cream

Make the chicken first.

1. Cut into bite size pieces, sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin.

2. Drizzle olive oil in heated pan, add chicken, cook on med/high heat for about 3 minutes, flip chicken over cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn to low, add enchilada sauce, cover and let chicken simmer for about 5 minutes until just done (being careful not too overcook). After chicken is cooled, cut into smaller pieces if dersired.

In the meantime,

Saute bell pepper, onion and green chilies in olive oil. Season with a little salt,pepper, cumin and garlic powder. Leave vegetables slightly al dente, turn heat to low.

Put 1 entire can of black beans in food processor (or blender) add 1/4 cup milk. Pulse or blend until smooth paste.

Add black bean puree, 1 can of drained black beans, chicken,1/2 cup enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup water to the pepper onion saute.

Let soup simmer and heat through on low for 10 to 30 minutes.

Serve hot with garnish's of choice.

Chipotle Barbecue Burger with Cilantro Lime Slaw

2009-09-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

The creamy, cool, slightly sweet slaw balances out the spicy chipotle.

1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs

2 generous tablespoons barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon canned chopped chipotle chilies, canned in adobo sauce

1 tsp bottled minced garlic

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large egg

EVOO or Cooking spray

2 cups cabbage and carrot coleslaw

1/2 cup more shredded carrots

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon mayo

1/3 cup sour cream

Juice from 1/2 a lime

1 tablespoon sugar

salt and pepper to taste

4 slices sharp cheddar (optional but a great addition)

4 yummy rolls/buns of choice- I suggest a nice hearty whole wheat.

1. Combine burger ingredients. Divide into 4 equal portions. Shape into 1/2 inch thick patty.

2. Heat large nonstick skillet over med high heat. Drizzle pan with EVOO or cooking spray. Add patties, cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on how you like your burgers.

3. Combine slaw ingredients in a bowl.

Assemble these babies- Bottom of bun, cheese, burger, slaw, top of bun.

Lime Yogurt Cake

2009-09-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

Quick and easy, a fun change to the typical (but yummy) lemon. LIME is one of my favorite flavors- it is very versatile! If you want to fancy things up you could serve this with a homemade raspberry sauce and a sprig of mint (I think I will do this for my next dinner party)

1 1/2 c flour

2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

3/4 C lime yogurt (6oz container of Yoplait Key Lime is PERFECT) Go buy 1 if you don't have one, 50 cents is all they cost.
1/4 C Sour Cream
1 1/3 C sugar, divided
3 L eggs
2 t lime zest
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/3 C fresh lime juice

Whisk dry ingredients together.

Separately,whisk sour cream, yogurt, vegetable oil, 1 cup sugar, eggs, zest and vanilla.

Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture, incorporate well.

Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 55 minutes.

Let cake sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the lime glaze.

Melt 1/3 cup fresh lime juice with 1/3 cup sugar, making sure the sugar is dissolved.

After cake has been sitting for 10 minutes. Pour glaze evenly over cake.

Wait until the cake is completely cooled and serve as desired.

Another option is to serve it with lime whipping cream (fresh heavy cream, powdered sugar and lime zest). My brain is all over the place tonight. . .

** This recipe was inspired by a lemon yogurt cake I found on http://gypsygirlgourmet.blogspot.com, a fun food blog. She changed it from an original recipe from the Barefoot Contessa. I changed it quite a bit but just wanted to give the original it's credit :)

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

2009-09-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

Easy- Healthy -Fresh-Delicious!

1 generous cup rotisserie chicken breast

4 tablespoons vanilla yogurt

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 apple, chopped

large handful of pecans, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients, check spices, add more s & p and viola!

I made this for lunch today on whole wheat soft sub rolls and stacked it high with juicy roma tomatoes and crunchy green cabbage.

This would also be awesome on a green salad or by itself!

Orange Ginger Brown Rice

2009-09-18T19:44:00.001-07:00

Super Simple- Super Yummy! A tad sweet with the spice of ginger and the great nutty texture that brown rice offers. I LOVE whole grains but I really do prefer white jasmine rice when it's cooked right. This recipe, however has me rethinking what type of rice is my favorite.

1 1/2 cups brown rice (I love brown jasmine but I used a regular long grain in the pic)

3 1/2 cups chicken stalk (I ALWAYS use Better than Bullion- its AMAZING!)

3 Tablespoons orange juice concentrate

1 generous tablespoon brown sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tablespoons butter

pinch of sea or kosher salt

Add all ingredients except rice into a med saucepan, bring to a boil. Add rice, stir well, cover and reduce heat to low simmer for about 55 minutes. Let rice sit for at least 15 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Serve with your favorite stir fry or Asian dish. Really, it would be perfect with a million different things! I marinated steak in an orange teriyaki sauce I threw together and made a dynamite ginger vegetable stir fry. It was a great QUICK AND EASY complete dinner.

2 Perfect Pizza Crusts

2009-09-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

PIZZA CRUST- Mastering yeast breads takes time, finesse and plenty of trial and error. The more you make it, the better your texture, shape and overall taste will be. With that being said, these 2 basic recipes are great to have in your arsenal. The basic white is fun because you can change the flavor my adding your favorite dried spices and herbs. The honey whole wheat is my absolute favorite and is a big hit in our family. If you are having trouble with technique (i.e.- you dough turns out too chewy, dry, thin, ext, leave a comment and I am happy to help).

Basic White Pizza Crust

1 cup warm water

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

Pinch of sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Pour yeast into bowl of a mixer (kitchen aide, ext . . if you don't have one- it can be done by hand everything just takes longer). Sprinkle yeast with sugar and mix together. Add 1 cup warm water and whisk together with yeast. Let yeast proof for 10 minutes.

Add 1/2 of flour, salt, and olive oil. Turn mixer on low, combine well. Add the rest of the flour, once combined, turn mixer up 1 speed and let dough knead for 5 minutes, the dough should be soft.

Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let rise until TRIPLED in bulk- at least 1 1/2 hours- 2 in a cooler house. Friends and fam frequently ask me how my pizza crust turns out so good- I SWEAR TIME IS A BIG PART. Start early and just leave your dough alone!

Punch dough down and knead in hands, making sure to get ALL AIR OUT. Again, take your time a do a good job. If it's a little sticky, add a tad of flour to your hands &/or the dough.

Shape pizza into a round ball and begin to flatten out by hand. Once a disk, place dough on floured board and roll into desired size. Yes, in a perfect world, we would all throw our dough up, but lets be honest, how many people can actually do that. I am getting there, I do it at the beginning and then roll it the rest of the way. This, takes time and practice, so start with the basic- a rolling pin on a floured board.

Dough turns out best when placed on a slightly heated pizza stone (use what you have).

Put the dough on whatever you are going to bake it on FIRST, add pizza toppings

Bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA CRUST

1 cup warm water

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

Pinch sugar

1 1/2 cups white flour

1 1/2 cups wheat flour (plus more if needed)

3 TBS Olive Oil

3TBS Honey

Follow the same exact directions for the basic, add the honey when you add the olive oil. Also, because of the extra oil and honey, this recipe needs extra flour. Add it slowly, you can always add more, but you can't take it away. Dough should be soft and almost sticky (you should just barley be able to place it in the bowl with out it sticking to your hands)

3 knock your socks off PIZZAS!

2009-09-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

First, I must briefly mention my LOVE AFFAIR with pizza. Flavorful, fun, creative, mouthwatering pizza is truly one of the most pleasurable things on earth. I will spare you from a long soapbox, I really could have an entire blog just on pizza.

GLORIOUS PIZZA!

BBQ Chicken Gourmet on Honey Whole Wheat Crust

Summer Grilled Vegetable Pizza on Honey Whole Wheat Crust

Deep Dish Chicago Style- Manly, Meaty and Delicious!

Gourmet BBQ Chicken

Sauce 2/3 part your favorite BBQ sauce 1/3 part pizza sauce (DO THIS- I promise it's better this way)

2 cups pulled rotisserie chicken (They are cheap and FAB save the other half for another meal), mixed with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce.

Cheddar cheese, I use sharp (It's about a generous cup of both)

Mozzarella cheese

Tomato, diced

Red Onion, silvered (sometimes I use my balsamic caramelized red onions- amazing!)

Corn (yes, corn, the sweet with the savory . . . mmm!) canned works, frozen corn, thawed and dried of excess moisture is even better.

Cilantro, chopped, please don't be shy!

Rhandi's Honey Whole Wheat Crust (it tastes MUCH better with BBQ pizza then regular crust

Crust recipe separate post

Spoon BBQ sauce mixture onto prepared crust

Sprinkle pizza with most of the cheese (reserving a little of each for the end)

Evenly cover the pizza with the BBQ chicken.

Sprinkle with tomato, red onion and corn.

Finish with the rest of the cheese and top with cilantro.

Bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes

Sauteed Summer Vegetable Pizza

Prepared pesto sauce (if I don't have homemade on hand I use Trader Joes)

Olive Oil

Mozzarella cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 of a small zucchini, thinly sliced.

1/2 of a small yellow summer squash, thinly sliced

1/2 to 1 red bell pepper

1/2 red onion, diced

Spinach, cut into very thin ribbons (stack it, roll it up and cut it really thin, repeat until done)

Feta Cheese (about 1/2 cup)

Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, basil.

Honey whole wheat pizza crust recipe (separate post)

Saute zucchini and squash in olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, fresh ground black pepper, Italian seasoning and basil to taste. Set aside.

With prepared pizza dough, gently rub a thin layer of pesto sauce on entire crust.

Sprinkle crust with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.

Layer pizza with zucchini and squash.

Sprinkle evenly with spinach, red onion and bell pepper.

Finish pizza with remaining mozzarella and feta cheese.

Bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes.

Manly Meaty Chicago

This one, is for the most part NOT my recipe, it's harder to make, click on this link for instructions http://video.about.com/americanfood/Chicago-Deep-Dish-Pizza.htm

This is a great video and it will make the process easier then I can explain.

Follow the method step by step by use my filling recipe bellow instead of his sausage filling.

Traditional Pizza Crust Recipe (separate post)

Lots of Mozzarella (2 to 3 cups)

Freshly grated Parmesan (1/2 to 1 cup)

Thick Pizza sauce of choice

Meaty Basil Pomodoro Filling (recipe bellow)

Meaty Basil Pomodoro

Olive Oil

1 yellow onion

2 tsp, crushed garlic, (refrigerated)

1 pound extra lean ground beef

2 cans diced tomatoes, drained WELL

2 TBS Italian seasoning

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Brown meat, drain

Saute onion in olive oil, add garlic saute 1 minute longer

Add meat, tomatoes and seasoning.

Cook on med heat for about 5 minutes.

Taste, adjust seasonings.

Fill that pizza up baby!!

Note- I didn't put all of the filling in but I wish I had, so like I said, filler up!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-09-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

Personally, I think these are quite possibly the BEST homemade cookies on the planet. These cookies offer just the right amount of sweetness and richness with a texture that is still chewy but a little but hearty too. I love peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies, it was high time I combined the 3!

Dry Mix

1 1/2 cups white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (scant 1/2 cup, don't fill it all the way)

2 TBS almond meal (you can get it cheap at Trader Joes or just ground some almonds as fine as possible)

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (1 cup finely ground, 1/2 cup as is)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, preferably something natural (no partially hydrogenated oil), it tastes SO much better!

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips ( I think, I have only made these once and I didn't write down how much I put in, I will edit next time I make them- start with 1 1/2 cups and add more if you want)

Mix all dry ingredients together well. I suggest using a wire whisk, this basically replaces the function of "sifting" as long as you mix really well. Set aside.

Beat butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs in one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the peanut butter and vanilla, mix well. Combine dry mixture into the peanut butter mixture. Make sure you mix this very well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover & refrigerate batter for at least 1 hour.

Roll cookies into round balls, flattening just a tad once you put them on a cookie tray.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven for about 8 1/2 minutes. (cookies are touchy, everyones oven is different, watch them closely, you should take them out before they look 100% done, they will cook at little more as they cool).

Let cookies cool for a couple of minutes and transfer to a wire cooling rack

** TIP- I have noticed that since I have become more patient and only cook 1 SHEET OF COOKIES AT A TIME- they turn out WAY BETTER . . . its worth the extra time they take to bake.

Pesto Pasta and Peas Salad

2009-08-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

SO MY AUNT ANNA, WHO IS AN AMAZING COOK (TO SAY THE LEAST) MADE THIS AT OUR FAM REUNION. OH SO TASTEY! WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE IS THAT IT DOESN'T DRY OUT. I MAKE A PESTO PASTA WITH PEAS AND PINE NUTS BUT IT IS SERVED HOT AND WOULD TASTE DRY AT ROOM TEMP, THE FRESH LEMON JUICE AND MAYO REALLY DO THE TRICK-

Serves 12- serve at room temp

Great for a crowd or gathering since it doesn’t get dry and everyone seems to like it.

1 pound of bow tie pasta

1 pound of corkscrew pasta

¼ cup good olive oil

1 ½ cup homemade pesto (noted below) or if you are in a pinch store bought

1 10 oz frozen spinach defrosted, squeezed dry or cook your own fresh and do the same

3 TBL fresh lemon juice (about 1 med sized lemon)

1 ¼ cup good mayonnaise

½ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese (don’t use the kind in a can – use fresh)

2 cups frozen defrosted peas

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

¾ tsp salt

¾ tsp pepper

Cook the pasta until al dente, drain, and toss with olive oil. Cool to room temp. In a food processor puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayo (this is the secret to the moistness) and puree a little more. Add the sauce to the pasta; add cheese, peas, nuts, salt and pepper, and mix well. Season to taste and serve at room temp.

How to toast pine nuts: Broil and keep an eye on them until they are light brown, or place in a dry sauté pan and cook over med heat for about 4 minutes until evenly browned, tossing frequently.

Homemade pesto- makes 4 cups: (many ways to make this- I like the below a lot you can use all pine nuts or other nuts too - substitute cilantro for the basil for another kind of pesto, or even add roasted red pepper) Use the left over on hot pasta and don’t bother with the other ingredients for the salad. Use it on toast with tomatoes; dollop on fish or chicken or veggies, the sky is the limit. This will keep in the fridge for a few weeks if you keep a thin film of olive oil over the top, or you can freeze it.

¼ cup walnuts

¼ cup pine nuts

9 cloves of garlic

5 cups fresh basil

1 tsp salt

1tsp pepper

1 ½ cup good olive oil

1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Put the nuts and garlic in a food processor and process finely ground. Add basil, salt and pepper process until you can’t see leaf chunks. While the machine is going add the olive oil until everything is finely pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Enjoy!