Recipes at Cheryl's Home

Blackberry Coffee Cake

2013-03-27T12:48:00.004-07:00

Blackberry Filling

1 1/4

cups frozen (thawed and well drained) blackberries

1/2

cup finely chopped pecans

tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2

teaspoons ground cinnamon

Coffee Cake

2 1/4

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

teaspoon baking powder

1/2

teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4

cups granulated sugar

cup butter or margarine, softened

teaspoon vanilla

eggs

container (8 ounces) sour cream

Powdered Sugar Glaze

1 1/2

cups powdered sugar

to 4 teaspoons water

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and side of 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan with shortening; lightly flour.
In small bowl, mix all Blackberry Filling ingredients; set aside.
In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in flour mixture alternately with sour cream on low speed.
Spread one-third of the batter in pan; sprinkle with half of the filling. Spoon another one-third of the batter by tablespoonfuls over filling; sprinkle with remaining filling. Spoon remaining batter over filling; spread evenly.
Bake coffee cake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir all Powdered Sugar Glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over cooled coffee cake.

Makes 16 servings

Mini Omelet Muffins

2013-03-19T09:49:00.001-07:00

You Will Need:

Muffin Pan (a pan that makes larger muffins works best!)
6 Eggs (beaten and seasoned with ¼ tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper)
Mix-Ins (you can really choose anything you want here, but for a more healthy option, choose less meat and cheese, and go for more veggies!)

-Diced Ham or Bacon
-Carrots
-Tomatoes
-Onions
-Spinach
-Bell Pepper
-Shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and generously grease the bottoms and sides of your muffin pan to ensure a stick-free removal once the omelets are done baking.

2. Make sure your eggs are beaten and you’ve added the salt and pepper.

3. Fill the bottoms of your muffin pan (about 1/3 of each individual tin) with the different mix-ins you chose. Try some ingredients by themselves or make a bunch of different, yummy combinations. It’s really up to you :)

4. Then fill the tins with your eggs. The omelets will puff up a little when you bake them, so make sure to leave just a tiny bit of space at the top of each tin. Stir each mixture slightly to combine your eggs with the ingredients.

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until you can poke the centers with a knife and it comes out clean (or almost clean).

Let them cool a bit before eating them, but once they’re done, go ahead and chow down… Or, save them for later! You can eat them warm or cold, at home, on the go, at breakfast, for lunch, or even at dinner. They’re a yummy, healthy choice for any time of the day.

S'MORES Pancakes

2013-02-27T10:56:00.002-08:00

S'MORES Pnacakes - compliments of The SPOONFUL. My whole childhood life - I LOVE marshmallows. You would think I would've grown up and given up this obsession as an adult, but I don't think I ever did. Now - it just seems I'm allowed to indulge in them whenever I choose. Which well - let's just keep it a secret as to how much.

These pancakes are a MUST have this Saturday morning in my household.

What you'll need

Your favorite pancake recipe
Chocolate chips (optional)
Jumbo marshmallows
Chocolate syrup

How to make it

Mix up your favorite pancake recipe or mix. I used a basic buttermilk recipe and threw in a handful (okay, fine. TWO handfuls.) of chocolate chips. Cook as directed, aiming for pancakes that are about 3"-4" in diameter.
You have two options for melting your jumbo marshmallow:
1) Put the marshmallow on a skewer and toast it over a low gas burner on your stove until it is golden brown and melted all the way through.
OR
2) Place the marshmallow on top of one panckae and microwave for 20-30 seconds on High. Keep an eye on it, because it will expand quite a lot this way!
Sandwich the toasted/melted marshmallow between two pancakes and smoosh it down so all that gooey goodness comes squishing out of the sides just a bit. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and gobble it up!
Go clean your face. You've got chocolate and marshmallow all over your chin!

French Toast Cupcakes

2013-02-26T14:27:00.004-08:00

Do you ever have bread that's more then a few days old - it's not moldy but it's kind of stale. You don't want to trash it because you're frugal but no one in your family will eat it either because well - it tastes yuck.

We have a solution. French Toast Cupcakes.

Ingredients

½ loaf French bread, cubed (or any kind of stale or day-old bread)
½ C. sour cream
4 large eggs, beaten
1¼ C. half and half (use milk to make it even more frugal)
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted and cooled
¼ C. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
Cool Whip Frosting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread cubes in a mixing bowl. Combine other ingredients and pour over bread cubes, stirring to saturate completely.
Scoop batter into muffin cups. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and inside is baked through.
Allow to cool slightly and top with vanilla Cool Whip Frosting.

Whole Grain Waffles

2013-02-26T11:19:00.002-08:00

So as a mom - it's a given that we end up cooking most of the meals in our house, but despite the fact that we've been a mom for almost 5 years, we still HATE the mornings. I adopt a "don't talk to me", "don't touch me" motto every morning - and since our toddlers still doesn't understand the concept that weekends are meant to be sleeping in - we find ourselves still rising around 6:30/7am on a Saturday or Sunday morning. We're up but it doesn't mean we like it - and it doesn't mean we want to be; so finding us in the kitchen may be a bit difficult; so this Christmas - we decided to invest in a cast iron waffle maker for our hubby with an attached note "Breakfast is all you from now on". It's almost March, and I think he's used the waffle maker twice; and both times the waffles were so disgusting that our dog wouldn't even eat it. So when we found this recipe for homemade waffle that is healthy we decided to share on behalf of my dear husband. Let us know what you think?

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (not stone-ground)
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons cane sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Vegetable cooking spray
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
Maple syrup, for drizzling

Directions

Preheat waffle iron. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk, oil, egg, and vanilla.
Stir egg mixture into flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Coat waffle iron with cooking spray. For deep, Belgian-style waffles, fill each cavity with 1/2 cup batter and cook until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes (or according to manufacturer's instructions).
Serve with strawberries, a dollop of yogurt, and a drizzle of syrup.

9 condiments instead of Sriracha

2013-02-25T10:40:00.001-08:00

Let’s face the facts though; sriracha is now almost as mainstream as Tabasco sauce. Pretty soon McDonalds will be serving McSrirachas and you’ll be looking for the next cool condiment to slather on everything. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Harissa
Harissa is a red and spicy paste just like sriracha. It however, doesn’t come in a squeezy bottle. It is incredibly spicy thanks to the combination of hot peppers, red chili powder, and garlic that make up a majority of the sauce. The sauce has Tunisian origins and is used to flavor cous cous dishes as well as stews. We like to mix it with mayonnaise for a spicy sandwich spread.

Pomegranate Molasses
This Middle Eastern condiment is not actually molasses at all, but is instead is a thick syrup made from concentrated pomegranate juice and sugar. It is incredibly sweet and incredibly tart all in one. Plus it makes a bangin’ barbeque sauce or dressing when mixed with some vinegar and olive oil.

Akabanga
This hot sauce (and by hot we mean fiery hot) from Rwanda makes Sriracha look like a wimp. Workers have to wear facemasks when making the sauce, because it is that strong. Akabanga will add some serious firepower to anything you’re cooking up, just be sure to only use a drop or two at most if you ever want to feel your tongue again. Procuring a bottle might be a challenge for even the most determined spice addict as they are not sold in stores in the USA and difficult to purchase online.

Gochujang
If you like fermented foods then this Korean condiment is right up your alley. It’s made from fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, red chili, and salt and then is traditionally left to age for years in a clay pot. Its unique flavor profile makes it a great dressing for a bland salad.

Toum
Toum is that addictive garlicky white sauce served with chicken kebobs at Lebanese restaurants. It is basically an aioli on some serious garlic steroids. Recommended use: put it on everything, especially rice and French fries.

Ajvar
This is essentially the ketchup of the Balkans. It is made from red bell peppers, garlic, eggplant, and chili peppers. Many eat it as a stand-alone salad, or spread it on everything from sandwiches to pizza.

Banana Sauce
This condiment from the Philippine’s was invented when there was a ketchup shortage during WWII. It is actually made from mashed bananas combined with sugar, vinegar, and spices. Banana sauce is a crucial ingredient in Filipino style spaghetti and is basically used as ketchup would be on burgers, fries, etc.

Shichimi
Shichimi loosely translates to “seven flavor chili pepper” in Japanese, because there are literally seven flavors plus ground red chili pepper. Some of these additions include nori, roasted orange peel, and ground ginger. The Japanese add this to many dishes, especially those involving noodles.

Salsa Lizano
This Costa Rican condiment is a slightly sweet thin brown sauce (similar to the British HP sauce). It is a complex sauce including ingredients such as turmeric, mustard, carrots, and cumin. It’s supposedly great doused on eggs, cheeses, and curries.
Thanks Underground Eats

Baba Ganoush

2013-02-21T11:13:00.001-08:00

I recently introduced BabaGanoush to my husband when we went to a Mediterranean restaurant and now the man is HOOKED. Baba Ganoush is made up mostly of fire-charred eggplants. Did you know that another word for eggplant is aubergine. We didn't either - we learned that today. But here's one of our more favorite recipes. Can't wait to try it at home.

Thanks Your Middle East

Ingredients:
4 aubergines
6 garlic cloves
2 cups raw tahini - we found a great raw tahini recipe online for you guys to use which is simple
1/3 cup lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Olive oil
A bunch of parsley or coriander leaves, thinly chopped.

1. Wash and char the aubergines one by one, on the stove’s open, high flames, till thoroughly tender on all sides. Some recipes call for frying or baking the aubergine in the oven, but this is heresy. Broiling the aubergine on an open fire gives it the special, smoky taste that makes the greatness of the Baba Ganoush. If you fear the mess to your stove, line it with aluminium foil. Otherwise, be ready to settle for compromise. And if you really want to get the most of the smokiness, char the aubergines for at least 10 to 15 minutes, and then set aside to cool.

2. After the aubergines have cooled, half them and scoop out the aubergine flesh (preferably with a wooden or a plastic utensil, as metal would blacken the aubergine flesh and alter its flavour). If some of the aubergines’ black skin sticks to the flesh don’t fret – it’s only for the best and your palate will thank you for it, but don’t get carried away and leave too much of it, or your whole dish will taste of burnt aubergine skin. Mash it and let it sit in a colander for a while, to drain the fluids.

3. Mix together in a serving bowl the aubergine flesh with the crashed garlic cloves, the raw Tahini, the lemon juice and the salt. Stir together, taste, and adjust seasoning.

4. Before serving, top with olive oil and the minced herbs.
Since the recipe varies from one region to another, feel free to do the same and experiment, replacing some of the Tahini with yogurt, adding spring onion, or toasted cumin seeds. Another tradition is to add pomegranate seeds or pomegranate molasses on top of the dish, for an added sweet-sour tang.

Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

2013-02-12T12:34:00.002-08:00

Oh my goodness gracious is it amazing! Think your favorite spinach artichoke dip all over the top of baked chicken.

There’s something so comforting about this spinach artichoke chicken that it has really become one of our favorite ways to eat chicken now. While the ingredients list doesn’t specify, I like to use lower fat ingredients for the topping such as part-skim mozzarella cheese, fat-free Greek yogurt, and a light mayonnaise. Of course, use what you prefer!

And luckily, it is one of the easiest things to make that you can think of!

You just throw your chicken into a baking dish, then mix up your spinach artichoke topping and pour it on top. Bake it and then watch it disappear.

The chicken turns out so flavorful and tender. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
It’s great to get kids to eat their vegetables, too.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken makes for a simple, delicious meal that everyone will love.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

olive oil spray
8 chicken breasts
13.75 oz artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup Greek yogurt
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375º F. Spray baking dish with olive oil nonstick baking spray.
Place chicken into baking dish. Salt and pepper chicken and then bake 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and then pour on top of chicken. Bake 20-25 minutes.
Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Football Strawberries

2013-02-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl Snack: Football Chocolate Covered Strawberries

It's time for the Superbowl, here's a fun way of serving a snack for your get-together...Take a look at these adorable Football Chocolate Covered strawberries! It is super easy and the perfect addition to your party!
What you will need:

Strawberries
Chocolate (baking chocolate or chocolate chips work great)
White Icing

Directions:

Melt the Chocolate
Dip the Strawberries in the chocolate
Draw a football onto the strawberries!
Enjoy!

Cinnamon Bread

2013-01-31T13:35:00.003-08:00

CINNAMON BREAD

(makes 2 loaves)

Batter:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk or 2 cups milk plus 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

Cinnamon/sugar mixture:

2/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cream together butter, 2 cups of sugar, and eggs. Add milk, flour, and baking soda. Put 1/2 of batter (or a little less) into greased loaf pans (1/4 in each pan). Mix in separate bowl the 2/3 c sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 3/4 of cinnamon mixture on top of the 1/2 batter in each pan. Add remaining batter to pans; sprinkle with last of cinnamon topping. Swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min. or until toothpick tester come clean.

Cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

I have also made this bread in muffin tins which made it a little easier to freeze and take out as needed.

Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread

2013-01-31T10:22:00.001-08:00

Superbowl is coming on Sunday, and it's the best excuse to eat "bad for us food", drink lots of beer and sit with good company. Here's a recipe we're going to be making this Sunday.

If the prospect of filling your belly with nothing more than carbs and cheese excites you as much as it excites me, then you need to run, not walk, into the kitchen and make this bread. I am the certified queen of the carbs and cheese combo. Give me a loaf of bread and a hunk of cheese and I’m all set. Imagine cheesy garlic bread on steroids… that you can pull apart with your fingers. Yes, it’s every bit as amazing as you’re imagining it to be.

The best part about this little gem? It’s seriously the easiest thing to prepare.
Take one loaf of bread… cut it up into a grid pattern… pour a mixture of melted butter, garlic and scallions into all of the crevices, cover with foil and bake.
Take it out of the oven… stuff and cover it in shredded cheeses and pop it back into the oven, uncovered.

Voila! Crusty, cheesy awesomeness, right on your kitchen counter.

You don’t need me to tell you that you won’t be able to stop eating this. I dare you to try. Three of us demolished this entire loaf and, truth be told, it would have been very easy for only two of us to do it. In situations like this, it’s a good thing that I was taught to share at an early age.
I’m looking forward to consuming many, many more loaves of this cheesy bread. You owe it to yourself and those you feed to make at least one!

Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread

Yield: 4 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

This cheesy pull-apart bread has been made in countless forms; this cheesy garlic version is my favorite.

Ingredients:

1 large loaf or boule-style Italian bread (Sourdough or French could also work)
½ cup butter (unsalted or salted is fine), melted
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a sheet of heavy-duty foil with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Cut a cross-hatch pattern into the top of the bread by slicing ½-inch grid lines into the bread, stopping about ¼-inch from the bottom of the bread so that it stays together. Place the bread on the piece of foil that has been sprayed.
3. Stir together the melted butter, garlic and scallions.
4. Gently separate the bread with your fingers, then spoon the butter mixture in all of the seams, making sure it is evenly distributed among the whole loaf. Wrap the loaf up in the foil and place on a baking stone or directly on the oven rack and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
6. Open the foil and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the bread. There will be a lot of cheese, so try to push down as much as you can in between all of the crevices in the bread. Leave the foil open and return it to the oven. Bake until the cheese is completely melted, bubbling and starting to brown on top, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving, then dig in!

Nian Goa for Chinese New Year

2013-01-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

Nian Gao is considered good luck during Chinese New Year, and therefore something every family usually buys to eat. This year - we're going to make our own. Here is a simple recipe you can use.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups water
2-1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4-1/2 cups sweet rice flour (Available in Asian specialty markets)
3 dried red dates (Available in Asian specialty markets

Instructions

In a large saucepan, boil the water, add the sugar and the oil, and stir just until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool for about 20 minutes.
Mix the rice flour thoroughly with the cooled liquid and transfer the mixture into an 8-inch round aluminum pan. (The aluminum pans at supermarket salad bars work very well for this). Set the dates in the middle.
Put an inch of water into a wok, a large pot, or a large flat pan and carefully set the pan of batter in the water. Cover lightly with aluminum foil and gently steam the mixture for about 50 minutes. Take care not to let the water boil over into the nian gao.

Steaming can also be done in the oven: set a large pan of hot water on the middle shelf of a 375-degree oven and carefully place the nin gao, covered loosely with foil, in the hot-water bath. The water should be gently bubbling. Steam for about 50 minutes or until the mixture is firm in the middle. Cool thoroughly before cutting the nian gao into diamond shapes. Makes 12 servings.

Baked Apple Chips with Cinnamon Sugar

2013-01-30T08:19:00.002-08:00

We saw this recipe from Foodlets.com and knew we had to borrow it for our blog. I know my kiddies always ask me to buy chips whenever we're at the grocery store (that's why I avoid bringing them whenever I can). While I sometimes give in - most of the time, I rather them not put a bunch of processed crap in their system.

These apple chips are easy to make, will make your house smell delicious and actually good for them.

BAKED APPLE CHIPS WITH CINNAMON SUGAR

Ingredients

2 apples (golden delicious, gala or other fall baking apples are best)
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar

Instructions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Wash and slice apples horizontally, using a mandolin if possible. Don’t bother coring, just remove any pieces of seeds.
On a baking sheet lined with a non-stick sheet such as Silpat, or parchment paper, sprinkle powdered sugar in a very thin, even layer. Line up apple slices, side by side as closely as they’ll fit in. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Place in the warm oven for at least 90 minutes, rotating once halfway through. For sweeter and chewier apples, remove at this point. For crispier apples with a more toasted flavor, cook for the full 2 hours.
Note: the “chips” may not be crispy to the touch when you first remove them from the oven. Remove them from the baking sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack or counter space. They’ll crisp up a bit here. Also, the thicker you slice the apples, the chewier the result.

Super Bowl: Root Beer Pulled Pork Recipe

2013-01-28T12:22:00.001-08:00

Your next Super Bowl party will certainly be a big hit with Root Beer Pulled Pork! It takes about twenty minutes to prep and within 8 to 10 hours the pulled pork turns out amazing!

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup ketchup
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 (4 ounces) tomato paste
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 (12 ounce) can or bottled root beer (do not use diet root beer)
4 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast
12 buns

Instructions

In a slow cooker, mix everything together except the pork.

Add the pork, stir well, and cover.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

An hour or two before it is done shred the pork with two forks in the slow cooker.

Mix well. The sauce will be a little runny but the longer you let the meat sit the more it will soak up the juices.

Serve on hamburger buns.

Frozen Strawberries & Yogurt

2013-01-27T19:02:00.002-08:00

Valentines Day Ideas: Frozen Strawberries & Yogurt

I saw this adorable snack and thought it was perfect for this time of year with Valentine’s Day right around the corner. It is super easy to make and is a very healthy snack – especially with all of the yogurt deals we get great deals on! These are the perfect after school snack!
What you will need:

Strawberries
Yogurt (Greek/flavored anything you would like)
Freezer

Directions:

Optional: Cut the strawberries in half
Dip the Strawberries in yogurt
Put them in the freezer
Enjoy!

Spinanch & Egg Bake

2013-01-25T09:22:00.000-08:00

An egg baked on a bed of spinach, tomatoes and garlic. Sounds so fancy and gourmet!!!

First up is spinach.

First saute it with some garlic.

Add some diced (or fresh) tomatoes.

And some minced onion. Cook it down.

Place into a small baking dish…or you can do 1 egg each in ramekins.

Create wells for the eggs, then crack 1 at a time into each well.
(This dish was the perfect size for 2 eggs.)

Bake.

Give a little sweet flare with some paprika.
And enjoy a fancifully gourmet breakfast!!!

Baked Eggs with Spinach, Tomatoes and Garlic
Yield – 4 servings
Preparation Time – 15 minutes
Cooking Time – 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

10 oz. fresh spinach

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

2 Tbsp minced onion

4 eggs

Salt and pepper

Paprika, sprinkle as garnish

Fresh fruit as side dish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

To a large skillet or saucepan, add the olive oil and saute the garlic for a minute, before adding the spinach. Toss the spinach around for a minute, then add the diced tomatoes. Toss together and then add the minced onion. Let simmer until most of the liquid has cooked off, about 5-7 minutes.

Place the sauteed spinach into an ovenproof, creating divets for the eggs. Crack 1 egg into each hole.

Bake the spinach and eggs for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until egg whites have turned white.

Once cooked, remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt and pepper and paprika.

Serve with fresh fruit for a well balanced breakfast!

Indian Chicken Curry

2013-01-23T11:51:00.000-08:00

The slow cooker is one of the most popular method of cooking during the winter season. When most people think of Indian cooking, the first dish that comes to mind is a good chicken curry.

This recipe makes for 6 servings.

Ingredients

3 pounds of skinless whole chicken cut in about 8 pieces - boneless is fine to use.
1 large yellow or red onions cut into 8 pieces
2 medium tomatoes quartered
1 4inch piece gingerroot, cut into 1-inch pieces
10 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon garam masala
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon red chili powder
1 cup dried methi leaves (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 cinnamon stick
4 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
4-6 green Thai or Serrano Chiles or cayenee Peppers, stems removed, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup boiling water (optional)
Basmati or brown rice, cooked, warm
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

1) Place chicken in the slow cooker
2) Process onions, tomatoes, gingerroot, and garlic till smooth. Transfer paste to a bowl. Whisk in the salt, turmeric, garam masala, oil, yogurt, red chili powder, and methi. Pour over the chicken.
3) Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and green chili peppers, mixing gently, cover and cook on low 8 hours. For more brothy curry, add boiling water during the last 30 minutes of cooking, if desired.
4) Discard whole spices. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Mussels with White Wine Sauce & Garlic

2013-01-02T07:46:00.002-08:00

Now that the holidays are over, I know one of my New Year's Resolution is to save money and eat at home more. My husband and I love seafood, and surprisingly this dish is really not that hard to make and doesn't cost much. Mussels usually come in at $4 a pound, and a bottle of wine will usually go between $5- $10. So for $20 - you can have an excellent meal at home.

Mussels with Wine and Garlic Sauce

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 3-4

Easy and surprisingly frugal!

Ingredients

2 lb. mussels (make sure you discard any that are gaping open)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
¼ C. onion, minced (or shallots)
¾ C. dry white wine
⅔ C. chopped flat leaf parsley
1 lb. linguine noodles

Instructions

Prepare linguine according to package directions. In a large skillet with a lid, melt the butter. Add olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions until translucent. Add the wine and mussels and about half of the parsley. Cover and heat until mussels have opened (about 8-10 minutes). Add remaining parsley as a garnish. Serve mussels and wine sauce over linguine.

Decorate a cake - an easy way....

2012-12-12T12:29:00.001-08:00

(Thank you Moeys Heart & Heart for this AMAZING tutorial)

This is a tutorial to show you how to decorate a cake that makes you look pretty clever.
The beauty of this method is that you can put anything you darn well want on a cake. Your kid likes a certain team and you don't trust Stuffmart Bakery?

No problemo. All you need is a picture off the webz (or a coloring book page, or a drawing you did yourself) and you can make any design you want.

In this case, Gater wanted a "Dora/Princess" cake. I didn't know how I would do a "Dora/Princess", but all I had to do was spend 10 seconds on Google, ("princess dora coloring page") and there was a coloring page all ready to print out.

First, bake your cake and let it cool thoroughly. It needs a flat top, so do what you have to to make it flat.

Make your icing; a buttercream made with butter is best. You want an icing that is smooth and soft, but that hardens in the freezer. You will probably want to make a double batch to be sure you have enough to divide into all the colors you need.

*When you make your icing, you will want to sift the powdered sugar and mix the icing up quickly so you don't get lumps. You don't want lumps clogging up your icing tips in your detail work. Your icing should be of medium thickness, not too stiff. Soft peaks.*

Ice your cake. You want a flat-topped cake. The icing job does not have to be perfect, just flat.

Print out a coloring page, and make sure it is the right size for the top of your cake. You need at least 1/2" space around the edge of your design on the cake.
*your design will be reversed, so if you are doing a team logo or similar, you will want a mirror image of your original printout.*

It is a good idea at this stage to decide how many colors you want to use in your finished design. You might want to mark those colors in the appropriate areas on your coloring page with markers. I didn't this time, because the design was simple and I was lazy.

Trim your coloring page, and tape it to the back side of a flat piece of glass. I always use glass from a spare picture frame.

Tape a similarly-sized piece of wax paper to the front of the glass. Now you have a coloring page/glass/wax paper sandwich.

Mix up the colors you will need for your design. Don't forget to include a dark color for outlines and details.

*I prefer to use paste colors because they are vibrant and easily blendable, they don't thin out your icing, and they last pretty close to forever. One little jar of each of a few basic colors will last you for years. Sometimes you get lucky and find a marked-down pack of specialty colors, like I did. If the specialty pack has a couple good basic colors in, or ones that you are likely to use in any case (for example, the Diego colors I bought for $1.99 had a skin color, blue, black, and brown -- all good colors,) by all means -- pick those suckers up, and some for your mommy friends too.*

Now the fun part! Fill your icing bags. For the finest details, use a #1 decorating tip -- and you don't have to get fancy if you don't have actual decorating tips, they just make it easier. As you can see in the picture below, for some of the colors I just used ziploc bags with the tiniest speck of the corner cut off.

But for the initial details, you are better off with an icing bag and a #1 decorating tip if you can get one.
Now, trace over the outlines that you want to see on your finished product. This bottom layer will be the top layer -- the one you see -- on your design.

Once your bottom detail layer is established, you can fill in larger areas over the details with other colors of icing. You can't go back in and put details in at this stage if you leave them out, so think logically, one step at a time. It isn't hard and you can fix things later if you need to, so don't stress too much about it.

Color in all the areas with the icing layers to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Fill in right to the edges and on top of your detail lines, so your whole design is supported by that 1/4" thickness of icing.

You can hold your glass up to the light to see if there are any pinpricks of light shining through your icing design, so you can fix those thin areas before you go on.

*This is when your children will come in and inform you that you have screwed up and your icing job was a good try, but it does not look like Dora. You may chuckle to yourself at how ~~ignorant~~ ~~impertinent~~ amazed they will be when you reveal the final design.*

Now, take the whole coloring page/glass/wax paper/icing design sandwich, and slip it into the freezer. You want it in the freezer until the icing is hard to the touch. I don't really know how long that takes, but I'd venture at least fifteen minutes.

Now is a good time to busy yourself with making the sides and bottom edge of the cake look pretty, or doing the dishes, or having a beer, or whatever.

Now -- the magic! Take your coloring page/glass/wax paper/icing design sandwich out of the freezer and make sure the icing is nice and hard.

Un-tape the wax paper/icing, and quickly but carefully, up-end your design onto the cake. Press it down a little so it sticks.
Then, also quickly but carefully, before the design softens, peel back the wax paper to reveal the design.

Now, make the top edge of the cake look pretty with some stars or whatever (a #16 tip is good to use for decorating the sides and edges) and pipe your message.

Voila! You are a genius!
Or a broke monkey!

Cookie Dough Bites

2012-12-07T12:43:00.003-08:00

I don't know anyone who doesn't like chocolate chip cookie dough. These are the perfect treat for dough lovers made without eggs and bite sized.
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour
Yield: 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients

Directions

Cream butter and sugar together.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well -- use your hands to get it together the best.
Roll into 1-inch balls.
Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Dip in chocolate, drizzle with chocolate or eat as is -- equally delicious no matter what!
Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.
Store in the refrigerator.

Oreo Cookie Cookie

2012-12-06T13:43:00.003-08:00

What's better than a cookie? A cookie with a cookie inside of it!

That's right, these cookies actually have cookies as an ingredient! These definitely are up in the ranks as one of my all time favorite cookies, ever.

I used a recipe called Best, Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from All Recipes. Any time the name of a dessert has over 10 syllables it has to be good, right? They have over 3000 reviews so I've been dying to try them. But of course I couldn't leave good enough alone, so I threw in a bunch of crushed up oreos (double stuff, of course). This might be the best idea I've ever had.

The cookie recipe itself comes together really easily. It's very similar to Alton Brown's "Chewy" (my previously declared favorite cookie) but with AP flour instead of bread flour and A LOT less butter. And let me warn you right now, the cookie dough is to die for! I'm not usually one for eating raw cookie dough out of the bowl; I prefer the finished product. But with this dough I could not keep away!

Recipe - Makes 20 - 30 cookies*
Adapted from AllRecipes
Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
20 oreos, crushed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.
Add in the crushed oreos. Beat on low speed for just a few seconds to break up the oreos in the dough.
Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.*
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.**

**Thank you Sugar Cooking for this wonderful recipe

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

2012-12-06T11:57:00.002-08:00

Until making these cookies and cream cheesecake cupcakes, with an Oreo on bottom, I hadn’t eaten an Oreo since I was a kid. This recipe not only brought back chocolatey childhood memories but also reminded me of how much I like Oreos. I didn’t think I liked them that much now that my palate has, ahem, matured, but I was wrong. Very wrong. And I also realized that it is very dangerous to not only make these cupcakes but to have a package of Oreos in the pantry. As I write this post the cupcakes have been long eaten and gone which is making me very sad. Looks like I’m off to the store to buy some Oreos…

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

Yield: 30 cupcakes

Ingredients:

42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds (4 8-oz packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.
Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

2012-12-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

Oven Roasted Potatoes (Adapted from epicurious.com)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb hickory smoked, thick sliced bacon
3 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
coarse salt
fresh ground pepper
fresh parsley

Directions:
Scrub potatoes and place in a large pot. Fill pot with water until potatoes are covered by 2-3 inches of water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. My potatoes were fairly large, so this took close to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, partially freeze bacon for easier cutter. (Ten minutes in the freezer works well.) Slice bacon strips in half, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. I like to cut my bacon prior to cooking. It’s easier to work with in the skillet and easy to drain with slotted spoon.

Cook bacon in a skillet until golden, but still flexible. You don’t want it crunchy. Remove cooked bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve the bacon drippings.
Check potatoes and if fork tender, drain and allow to cool. If making this recipe again, I would peel the potatoes before I boiled them or try leaving the skins on all-together. Yukon Golds have a relatively thin skin, so I think this would have added a nice look and texture to the potatoes.
While potatoes are cooling, preheat the oven to 425° and mince the garlic and parsley. Also, grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Next, prepare the baking sheet by brushing 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half the bacon drippings on the bottom of the pan. I used a fairly large cookie sheet for this and it worked well.
Once the potatoes are cool, peel and cut in half, or quarter if potatoes are large.
Place cut side down on prepared pan and sprinkle with course salt and fresh ground pepper. Place in 425° oven for 35-40 minutes. Rotate potatoes halfway through the baking time to ensure an even color. I did not do this and some of mine were more golden than others.

Reduce temperature to 375°, turn potatoes over and sprinkle with the bacon, garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Add more salt and pepper if desired. Return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are evenly browned and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Makes 4-6 servings, depending on serving size. Serve immediately!

Apple Pie Rolls

2012-12-05T11:50:00.003-08:00

Have an apple pie craving? I have just the thing…

First, you take some apples and some cinnamon and some sugar and some lemon juice and mix it all up. Then you take your trusty egg roll wrapper and brush egg wash around all four sides.

Then you give it a little tuck here and a fold there, like so.

Then you roll the pretty little thing up all nice and neat.

Repeat.

Bake until they’re all golden and oozy (and just before they’re done, brush them with some melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar). Because that’s just how we roll.

You can do that, can’t you? I knew you could. Because you’re awesome. Then you will have golden, crispy egg rolls filled with perfectly cooked, steamy fresh apple pie filling. Good grief, Charlie Brown!

Can’t you just smell it? It’s divine. Make some. The whole family will love it.

Baked Apple Pie Egg Rolls

Yield: 10-12 egg rolls

Adapted from Chef-in-Training, originally from Spoon Fork Bacon

Ingredients

2 apples, peeled and diced (I used Granny Smith)
1 lemon, juiced
1/3c sugar
4T flour
2t cinnamon
1/4t allspice
1/8t salt
10-12 egg roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten
1T butter, melted
cinnamon sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray the parchment with non-stick spray.
In a bowl, stir together the apples, lemon, and sugar. Add the flour, spices, and salt.
Beginning with one egg roll wrapper, lay it out on a work surface (I used a cutting board) and brush egg wash around each edge. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of apple filling onto one edge. Fold in the sides and roll up the egg roll tightly. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the filling has been used.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush each egg roll with melted butter, then sprinkle each with cinnamon sugar. Return to the oven for 5 more minutes.
Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or sweetened freshly whipped cream.

Notes

Egg roll wrappers are crispy when baked and the interior layer is chewy. If you prefer your egg rolls fried, these would also be delicious deep fried, then dusted with cinnamon sugar after frying.

Porcini-Red Wine Butter

2012-12-05T11:20:00.005-08:00

Melt coins of this umami-rich butter on grilled steaks, salmon fillets, or chicken breasts.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons finely chopped dried porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon red wine
Kosher salt

Ingredient Info

Find dried porcini mushrooms in the produce section of better supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.

Preparation

Put butter on a work surface and sprinkle with mushrooms. Drizzle with wine and season with salt. Using a knife, finely chop together until well combined. Transfer butter mixture to a sheet of parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap, placing on edge closest to you. Fold paper over and roll into a cylinder, twisting the ends; wrap airtight in foil. Chill until solid. Butter will keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.