Be Delicious

Tangy Maple BBQ Chicken Bake

2013-10-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

This simple and super delicious dinner uses the tastiest, easiest homemade BBQ sauce that you'll want to slather on everything. The only sweetener used is pure maple, so it's paleo friendly! If you need some maple, you can find the very best at purecanadamaple.com.

Ingredients:
Marinade/BBQ sauce:
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c maple syrup
1/4 c Dijon mustard
1 TB granulated garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Also:
2 lbs. chicken (thighs and drums or leg quarters)
2 sweet potatoes, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
salt
pepper
granulated garlic
smoked paprika

Directions:
Preheat over to 400 F. In a roasting pan lightly covered with olive oil, combine chicken, sweet potatoes, bell pepper, and onion. Season pan contents with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and smoked paprika to taste.
In a mixing bowl or small saucepan on medium heat combine tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, granulated garlic, black pepper, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour mixture over chicken. Bake to 1.5 to 2 hours, occasionally basting. Enjoy.

Just about to go in the oven!

Double the marinade if you want extra sauce!

Leftovers can be used in a pot pie or casserole. The sauce can used for any kind of barbecue.

This little fellow loved it!

Paleo "Reese's" Pie

2013-04-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

This pie is definitely more like a candy bar: a totally rich, sweet, delicious treat for any Paleo people out there craving the creamy, salty, chocolate goodness that is Reese's. Only, this treat doesn't have any peanut butter. The magic ingredient is sunflower seed butter.

My husband loves peanut butter treats, so my mom-in-law passed a sunflower-seed-butter fudge recipe my way, which became the inspiration for this pie. Take note, if you've been a well behaved cave boy or girl and stayed away from sugar, this little treat just might knock your socks off.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 cup almond flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup coconut oil melted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 TB raw honey

Crust prep:

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredient and mix well. Next, add wet ingredients; combine until well mixed. Press crust into a prepare 9 in round pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool while preparing filling.

I mixed my crust with a silicone spatula.

Pressed in before making.

Baked and cooled.

Ingredients:

For the filling:

3/4 cup sunflower seed butter

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 TB coconut cream (skimmed off the top of a can of settled coconut milk)

3 TB raw honey

1/2 tsp salt

Filling prep:

In a small saucepan on low heat, combine all ingredients and stir together until smooth and melted. Pour into cooled pie shell and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until firm, before adding the top layer of chocolate.

By itself, this filling would make a nice fudge.

I think next time I might fold in some whipped cream and try a more traditional "peanut butter" pie.

This is after about an hour in the fridge.

Ingredients:

Chocolate topping:

1 1/2 cups 60% or higher cocoa chocolate

2 TB coconut oil

Topping prep:

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and coconut oil until melted and mixed. Pour on top of the pie, and return it to the refrigerator until it is firm (about 30 minutes).

Mmm.

Fin.

Additional notes:

1. Keep pie refrigerated.

2. It may be a bit challenging to cut at first because the top layer is nice and firm, like you'd expect from refrigerated chocolate.

3. Best if eaten like a candy bar.

Paleo Brownies

2013-03-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

These brownies actually taste like brownies -- chocolaty, cakey, fudgy goodness. Don't let the sweet potato fool you. I believe the sweet potato to be a mystical root vegetable. Though, I can't take credit for basing my recipe off them: I first saw a sweet potato brownie recipe over at PaleoOMG when my friend Bess posted it on facebook a couple months ago. It's an awesome site, so definitely check it out if you haven't yet.

Immediately, the idea of a sweet potato in brownies made perfect sense, but I knew I was going to want a significantly higher amount of cocoa and a bit more honey. I've made a few variations of this recipe, and I've been pleased with them all. The following recipe uses both coconut flour and blanched almond flour, but feel free to omit either. If you omit one or the other, the result will simply be fudgier. My husband prefers the fudgier variety, my kids can't tell the difference, and I prefer the one that combines both flours.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato (baked in the oven at 425 for 50 minutes -- I like it to become complete mush.)
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 large eggs
1/2 cup raw honey
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13in pan with coconut oil.
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment cream baked sweet potato and coconut oil (doing this while the sweet potato is still warm will melt the coconut oil). Add remaining ingredients, except for chocolate chips, and beat until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

As you can see, it's a thicker batter, but the brownies still come out nice and moist.

Mmmm.

This is a picture of the brownies with only coconut flour. This batter is thinner and the brownies have a more even surface.

Either way, the flavor is phenomenal.

Chocolate-dipped, Almond-topped Bacon Hearts

2013-03-05T12:58:00.000-08:00

'Heart attack' may be your first thought as you lay eyes upon these slightly extravagant professions of bacon love. They are a bit over the top. Oddly enough, if you're a Paleo or Primal person, these porkers are an acceptable treat.

I can't take credit for this idea at all. Chocolate-dipped bacon has become a bit of a pop glutton-goody, and bacon hearts are a pintastic success. I do, however, think I can add a few little tips to the execution of this sweet and savory treat which may assist in a successful presentation.

To begin, I suggest you use thick-cut bacon. Also, skip cutting the bacon (as performed by The Paper Mama) -- just fold it like a heart. I read on one blog that cutting the bacon makes it more susceptible to falling apart, which will make it more difficult to glaze.

Ingredients:
6 or 7 slices thick-cut bacon
1 cup 60% cocoa chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Shape and arrange bacon on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake for approximately 18 minutes. Once the bacon has cooked, move the bacon to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess grease and cool. In a small pan, toast almond slivers on medium heat. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Dip bacon hearts in the melted chocolate. A spatula will help coat the bacon more gently. Once the bacon in thoroughly coated with chocolate, place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and top with toasted almonds. Keep these hearts from melting by storing them in the refrigerator.

Feel the love?

Chocolate Banana Coconut Flour Muffins

2013-03-04T12:35:00.001-08:00

These banana-based, cake-like muffins are sweet, moist, and a great way to put ripe bananas to use. The addition of chocolate chips on top provides a touch of decadence. Putting some cherry-juice infused craisins or nuts in the batter would also be a nice way to create different flavor and texture dimensions.

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
Approximately 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with liners. Combine all ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) in a mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Fill liners with batter about 2/3 of the way full. Top with chocolate chips. Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cool. Consume.
(Note: Makes about 10 muffins.)

(Depending on how much I fill the liners, and the size of the bananas, I can get as few as 9 muffins, or as many as 11.)

Chocolate Banana-Based Paleo Pancakes

2013-01-26T06:52:00.000-08:00

Initially, I wasn't a huge fan of the banana-based pancake batter I found in the Paleo Pals cookbook by Sarah Fragoso. Furthermore, my family and I were really happy with the almond flour option in Elana Amsterdam's The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. As a result, I haven't really given the banana-based option much of a second chance, until this morning because I wanted something quick.

Elana's pancakes are totally legit; however, the length of time it requires to cook them properly is somewhat painstaking. By the time the first batch of four or five is cooked, the bacon and eggs are ready, and everyone is waiting at the table. Meanwhile, I've still got my eyes fixed on the right front burner, waiting to flip those suckers because almond flour is so gosh darn heat sensitive. Nobody likes a blackened pancake, no matter how Cajun they be! (We're not at all Cajun, but I like to pretend.)

While I was on Pinterest the other day, I saw a simple pancake recipe: only eggs, a ripe banana, a tsp of vanilla, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. So, I thought, 'All right, lets give it another go.' Thus, I present the following:

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
2 eggs
2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
coconut oil for greasing the pan

Direction:
Mash banana with mixer, add remaining ingredients, mix well. Cook slightly less than a 1/4 cup of batter per pancake on medium heat in an oiled skillet. Once the edges are cooked and the top's bubbles are breaking, flip and finish cooking the other side. Top with fresh berries and a little organic maple syrup. Yum!

Notes: This made 9 small pancakes.

Pumpkin Almond Butter Fudge: A Paleo Treat for Fall Holidays

2012-10-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

This fudge is an awesome sweet-tooth fixer for those of us who may be suffering from excessive salivation every time we walk by the Halloween candy display at the grocery store. What's even more awesome, it's good for you. No joke -- check out the ingredients. This creamy fudge has a soft texture, so I think this recipe would double well as a pumpkin pie filling. If you were to sub the honey with agave it would be vegan friendly as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup fresh pureed pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Put all your ingredients in a small saucepan (I used a medium-sized pan, but small would have been better) and set the stove top on a low temperature. Once everybody gets melty, blend the mixture with your immersion blender until smooth and creamy. If you don't have an immersion blender, a food pro should work just as well. Pour the mixture into a small Pyrex or, like me, a small CorningWare brushed with a little coconut oil. Refrigerate for about half and hour. If you want it firmer, keep it in the freezer.

Sunday Funday

2012-10-07T06:11:00.001-07:00

Paleo Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Chips

2012-10-06T09:09:00.001-07:00

I don't have awesome pictures of this gluten-free treat because when something is really yummy photography takes a backseat. Seriously, how do foodographers do it?

Ingredients:
3 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon real salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup raw honey
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh pureed pumpkin
1 cup dark chocolate chips (60% cacao or higher)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x13 inch cake pan with coconut oil.
Combine almond flour, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, and set your mixer to medium until all is well combined and all the dry ingredients are wet (this batter is on the thicker side). Fold in chocolate. Spread batter in the cake pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes.

Asian Broccoli Salad

2012-07-11T07:06:00.001-07:00

Broccoli salad, among many other things, seems to be a popular trend on the food-wide web. I first tried Whole Food's version of this salad in early March. I was about three weeks postpartum with my third child, so my mother-in-law was visiting for the week -- graciously taking my seven-year-old to school and entertaining my four-year-old while I got some much needed bonding time with my little lady. Mom-in-law really appreciates organic foods and healthy living, which is great because my husband and I have definitely gone chewy (I say chewy instead of crunchy because we're only soft-core health nuts). Anyway, a couple weeks after I had Whole Food's broccoli salad, I decided to try my own. Mom-in-law had sent me a couple of links to some other blogger's recipes, so that was a good starting point, but I thought going Asian with the flavors would be great. It was! I got the recipe out last night, and I'm still happy with it. Here it is:

Note: These are all approximations.

Broccoli Salad:

6 to 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 bunch broccoli

1 small onion, sliced and sautéed in bacon drippings

1 cup raisins

½ cup chopped pecans, toasted

Dressing:

(all approximations -- add more or less for desired taste)

1 cup mayo

4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon siracha

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon Penzey’s spice blend: shallots, onion, garlic, lemon peel, citric acid, chives, orange peel

Salt and pepper

　

Directions;

Fry bacon; remove from pan; sauté onions in bacon drippings. Make dressing. Combine all ingredients (including bacon fat) in a large bowl. Enjoy!

Asian Tuna Cakes

2012-03-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

These tuna cakes fall under primal but not paleo because they contain teriyaki. Zach and I used to always do tuna melts as an easy Lenten lunch or dinner. But these cheese-less beauties pleasantly break the mold of our meat-abstaining tradition.

Some of the ingredients are approximations.

Ingredients:
2 small cans tuna, low sodium, packed in water
2 eggs
large dollop of spicy mustard
2 tablespoons teriyaki
2 tablespoons diced pickled jalapenos
2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sriracha
salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Spoon mixture into pan in the shape of four patties. Cook until browned on one side, flip and continue cooking on reverse side. Serve.

Plantain Chips and Roasted Tomatillo, Serrano Salsa

2012-03-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Giving up potato and tortilla chips is no big deal for paleo persons when you can have these tasty treats. A fresh plantain chip, still hot from the pan is hard to beat. The key to making the chips is using green plantains. Make a slit down the plantain and do a little wedging with your knife to get the firm peal loosened up.

Fried Plantain Chips:
Ingredients:
2 green plantains, pealed and sliced thin
1 tablespoon coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a frying pan, heat coconut oil on medium. Fry sliced plantains until golden brown on both side; salt; pepper; serve.

Roasted Tomatillo and Serrano Salsa:
Ingredients:
1 large tomato, quartered
1 serrano pepper
1 head of garlic, pealed and separated
3 tomatilloes, husked
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. On a cookie sheet lined with foil, place tomato, whole serrano, whole garlic cloves, and whole tomatilloes; roast for approximately fifteen minutes. One roasted, removed stem from serrano. Put all ingredients into a bowl and blend with an immersion blender; or use a blender. Serve. Enjoy.

Paleo/Primal Pizza

2012-03-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

I've seen various forums debating whether or not quinoa has a place in the paleo diet. But since I'm a foodie, I'm going to tend towards keeping as many ingredients on the menu as possible. And as long as someone more knowledgeable about the human body than myself is saying it's fine, I'm going to take that as a green light. Besides, quinoa is a complete protein. How can you beat that? Some people seem to have some issues digesting it, but if you don't, go for it!

The recipe for this crust is a variation of the pizza recipe I saw on a great paleo site: Paleo Diet Lifestyle.

Crust ingredients:
½ cup coconut flour
1 cup quinoa flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
4 eggs
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup coconut milk

Toppings:
Instead of cheese, we used onions sauteed in olive oil. Other toppings included homemade pork sausage, pepperoni, salami, arugula, olives, mushrooms, pepperoncinis and, of course, tomato sauce.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Grease a standard cookie sheet or pizza pan with coconut oil. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a small bowl beat eggs and combine with other wet ingredients. Mix wet mixture into dry mixture until well combined. The consistency will remind you of cookie dough. Then, spread dough into the prepared pan. You may need to use your hands to get it evenly distributed in the pan. Bake crust for 15 minutes before topping it. After it has baked, top it, and return it to the oven until your topping are nicely toasted.

Paleo Friendly Chocolate Pudding

2012-03-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

So my husband and I have been on an anthropologically interesting culinary adventure the past week. Not that we're actually eating food prepared the way our ancient ancestors did in the Paleolithic Period. I don't believe earliest man was eating pulled pork wrapped in butter lettuce, roast over pureed parsnip, or paneed fillet of flounder. But we have been adhering to the oh-so-popular Paleo Diet, and guess what? -- It seems to work. After an initial shakiness which could only be attributed to the loss of fast carbohydrates and sugars in our diets, we feel really good! Already we're leaner and have lost a few pounds; though, honestly, neither of us really needs to lose weight (and probably won't lose much), but we'd like to better condition ourselves.

For me, who loves to bake, it's been challenging to stay away from the flour and sugar and cocoa powder. But last night, I made dessert for the first time this week and got my chocolate fix. Here's the super easy recipe for a paleo-friendly treat.

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp raw agave nectar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix it up.

A better way to bag your groceries

2012-03-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

The reusable grocery bag has become the trend in all food stores. Every bodega from Win Dixie to Whole Foods carries an Earth-friendly alternative to "paper or plastic?" But those fifty-cent bags don't always last so long or look so cute. Fortunately, the Internet has made the world a lot more accessible and a lot prettier. The chic shopper need look no further than etsy to find one-of-a-kind market bags to add a touch of fashionable finesse to your grocery-shopping experience. And let's not forget -- you'll be reducing your carbon footprint, as well!

Check out The Ruffled Rose! It's a new shop exclusively selling handmade market bags perfect for all your shopping needs!

Amazingly Awesome Brownies

2011-12-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

I came up with this recipe last month and have been meaning to post it ever since. I was looking through various brownie recipes in attempt to figure out the best way to get the perfect balance between the cake-like and fudge varieties. This is what I came up with:

Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 teaspoon instant coffee

Directions: Prepare a 9x13 inch baking pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a double boiler, melt 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate and 1 stick of butter, whisk in instant coffee. In a large bowl with a paddle attachment, combine other stick of butter and sugar, beat until fluffy. Add dry ingredients. Once combined, add eggs one at a time. Add melted ingredients and sweetened condensed milk. Beat until well combined. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake approximately 30 minutes.

On Thanksgiving I served these with some freshly whipped cream and macerated raspberries. It was a big hit!

Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

2011-11-17T12:04:00.000-08:00

My first semester as an MFA in creative writing student is coming to a close. So last night I took these festive cheesecake bars with me to class. Between discussing Borges's "Death and the Compass" and Saunders's "Sea Oak" (two discussions I ended up contributing nothing to, as I'm twenty-seven weeks pregnant and simply failed to be in the proper mood to discuss said stories -- at least I contributed a snack) my fellow prose-producing apprentices and I sampled the goods. The response was positive (more so to the bars than the stories), and this morning when I had one from the refrigerator, I thought it was even better. The only immediate alteration I would make is adding more butter to the crust. It was a bit dry.

Ingredients:
Crust:
16 graham crackers
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted (I would try using an additional 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling:
2 8oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature (I used the 1/3 less fat variety)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup eggnog
3 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, combine and pulse all crust ingredients until fully crumbled and moistened. Press crust into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, whip cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add remaining ingredients, beat until well combined. Pour into crust lined pan. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the center has just stopped wobbling. Turn off oven, but leave bars in the oven with the door closed for 15 minutes. Then open the oven door and continue to let the bars cool approximated 20 minutes. The slow cooling process prevented my bars from cracking.
I topped my bars with 2 ounces of melted white chocolate and about a 1/3 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Protein-powered Banana Bread

2011-08-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I made it facebook official, so today I'll make it blog official -- I'm 12 weeks pregnant with my third child! It's been fun being pregnant again, especially this time around because I've felt absolutely wonderful (which is something I attribute to running). But something else I'll share is that I've never been one of those women who considers pregnancy a time to eat whatever I want. I take baby building seriously, as I take my pregnant health seriously because I'm a natural homebirther devoted to staying low risk. Thus, I follow certain food guidelines and try to get extra protein with minimized white flour and sugar in my diet. And this delicious banana bread is a great way for me to get what I need in a tasty, easy way. And even if you're not pregnant (like my husband), you'll appreciate the benefits of the healthy ingredients I've stealthily added. I say "stealthily" because this bread really is so moist and delicious, you'd never realize you were getting extra protein, flax, and wheat germ.

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, crushed
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup flax
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup textured vegetable protein (rehydrated with 1 cup water)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pecans (or some other nut), chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time; beat. Add crushed bananas; mix. Add dry ingredients and rehydrated textured vegetable protein (rehydrate tvp by cooking it over medium heat in a small sauce pan with 1 cup of water). Finally, mix in chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.

The food of New Orleans: freelancing about food

2011-07-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

In May, I wrote a quick post about the freelancing I'm doing for Examiner.com on Attachment Parenting. Now, my fellow foodies, I'm writing about food in New Orleans. I've written three articles so far, so if you're interested in learning more about some of the best places to eat in Nola, check out my articles. And hop on over to Examiner to checkout what's new.

Key Lime Cheesecake

2011-06-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I made this cheesecake for dessert. It was for an extra-special seventh wedding anniversary dinner! Zach made shrimp scampi, and I made this tasty, tart number.

Ingredients:
For the crust:
15 graham crackers
10 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar

For the filling:
3 8oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 teaspoon key lime zest (Ideally, I would use more zest, but zesting key limes can be a bit cumbersome.)

Directions:
In a food processor, crumble graham crackers; add sugar and pulse; pour in melted butter and combine until all cracker crumbs are moistened. Press crust into prepared pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl with a paddle attachment, whip cream cheese with sugar; beat in eggs one at a time; beat in flour; beat in key lime juice and zest. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake 55 to 65 minutes. After baking, leave cake in the oven additional 30 minutes with the temp off and the door open. Gradual cooling helps to lessen the chance of cracking.

Grilled Chicken, Plum & Balsamic Pizza

2011-06-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

My husband was inspired to make this pizza after seeing Bobby Flay do something similar on his grilling show. I contributed by making the balsamic vinaigrette that we drizzled over the top, and I made the dough, but that was about it, so I can't be precise about the ingredient amounts Zach used. I'll give you my best guess, but pizza is one of those things you use personal taste to decide topping amounts anyway.

For the dough, I used my rosemary, basil pizza crust , sans the rosemary and basil. Instead, once it was rolled out, it got a nice sprinkle of salt and pepper.

My husband used one grilled chicken breast (sliced), about two sliced plums, one cup blue cheese, one and a half cups monterey jack cheese. Fresh chives and a sweet balsamic vinaigrette were used to top it.

The process of grilling the pizza gave the dough that flavor of smokiness that can only come from a grill. He grilled the rolled out dough before topping it. After the dough had picked up some grill marks and was fully cooked, he topped it and put it back on the grill until the cheese was melted.

I don't have the exact measurements for the balsamic drizzle, but I used approximately equal parts salad oil and balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper, some dried Italian herbs, and about a tablespoon of sugar. The balsamic needed to be sweet in order to balance the tartness of the plums (the plums we got were pretty tart).

Having fun with my homegrown tomatoes: B,B&T Quiche, Creamy Tomato & Herb Soup, and Bruschetta

2011-06-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

This year, in February, we started our spring gardening (yes -- it was warm enough in February to begin planting). And this has by far been our most successful tomato year yet! Our four better boy plants and two roma plants have yielded some very abundant results. Here are a couple of my favorite recipes using my fresh produce.

The B,B&T Quiche is a bacon, basil, and tomato quiche, though it also includes a few other ingredients. You can find my crust recipe by looking at my Elegant Quiche recipe.
Ingredients for the filling:
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, reserve grease
1 medium onion, chopped
1 head garlic, diced
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 3/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan, shredded
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons flour
approximated 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes, I used a combination of roma and better boys
8 to 10 leaves fresh basil, chopped
other fresh herbs, such as oregano, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
After preparing crust and fitting it to a round pan, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In reserved bacon grease, saute onion and garlic. Be sure to begin cooking the onion before adding the garlic to the pan, so you don't burn the garlic. In a large bowl, beat eggs, add heavy cream and cheese and flour; combine well. Add remaining ingredient to the mixture. Pour into the prepared crust; bake 40 to 45 minutes.

For the Creamy Tomato and Herb Soup:
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 chopped fresh tomatoes, I used better boys
8 or so leaves fresh basil
1 head garlic, diced
1 cup white wine
1 15oz can tomato sauce
pinch sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

In a stock pot, heat olive oil; add chopped tomatoes and cook until they begin to break down; add garlic; saute. Add flour, then wine and continue to cook over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients other than cream, which will be added once the other ingredients have cooked and melded together over medium heat. Lastly, stir in cream. Turn to low heat and serve when ready.

Bruschetta:
The ingredient amounts I use when making bruschetta changes depending on how much I have or how much I want. You will, of course, need some good french bread cut into approximately 1 inch slices (or however thick you like it). Then, I chop my tomatoes and basil. I like about two or three leaves of basil to one baseball-sized tomato. I drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil over my tomatoes and basil until they are well coated. Then I sprinkle a little salt and pepper, and the final touch is sugar, which nicely brings out and balances the flavor of the balsamic. Spoon the tomato mixture on french bread, and you're good to go!

Lemon Meringue Cake

2011-05-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

I've been in Little Rock, Arkansas this week visiting the fam, and my grandmother celebrated her eighty-second birthday, so I was asked to bake her birthday cake. I had some time constraints on me, so I didn't get to really plan what I was going to do. I had suggested a simple chocolate cake, but then my mother reminded me that grandma doesn't like chocolate cake. She's from the pound-cake generation (not that I have anything against pound cake...), which seems to have an adoration for all things lemon in the confection world (not that I have anything against lemons...). I considered making lemon meringue pie, but I hate not making cake for birthdays. Instead, I made lemon filling and meringue and slapped it together with a box-mix yellow cake and some fresh vanilla frosting. My grandmother's cake didn't turn out to be so pretty (like an amateur, I attempted a layer cake), but my second attempt at this cake does look much nicer (the 9x13 inch pyrex did the trick). My mom, who use to be a great chocolate lover, can no longer indulge in chocolate for health reasons, so I made this second lemon meringue cake for her today. I'm heading home to New Orleans tomorrow, so she'll have this dessert as a little memento... for at least a few days...

For this cake make a box yellow cake as directed. After it cools, frost with vanilla icing. I made my icing from scratch.
Icing recipe:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
In a bowl with a beater attachment, cream butter. Add vanilla, then alternate adding powdered sugar and milk until you have a nice frosting. Frost cake; set aside.

For the lemon meringue portion:
Ingredients:
For the lemon filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 lemons, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks, beaten
For the meringue:
4 egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
In a small to medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt, water, lemon juice and zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until boiling. Add butter; stir; turn off heat. Add 1/2 cup of lemon mixture to beaten egg yolks. Do so slowly, whisking constantly. Add egg mixture to remaining mixture in the saucepan; return to a boil, while whisking. Pour into a bowl to cool. Once cool, spread over iced cake.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until frothy. Add sugar and vanilla; whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over cake and bake approximately 5 minutes, or until the meringue develops touches of golden brown. Refrigerate to help with cake set up.

Grandma's cake... My brother said, "I won't eat that because it looks like a scrambled egg." I guess it does...

I just started freelancing for Examiner.com

2011-05-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

My topic isn't food... But I am really excited about what I've been invited to write about -- attachment parenting. Because of my contract terms, my topic has to be location-related, so I'll be discussing attachment parenting activities that can be done in New Orleans. So if you're interested in attachment parenting, or activities in New Orleans, I'm sure you can glean something from my first article and articles to come. Here's a link to the first article, A walk in the park: New Orleans City Park. Feel free to leave a comment here or there!

Baked Alaska

2011-05-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

This is definitely one of the coolest desserts I've ever made (Haha -- excessively corny pun intended). The short amount of time this creation spends baking warms the cake base, which is delightfully contrasted by the cold, ice cream filling; and the firmness from the toasted meringue crust, which maintains a soft, marshmallow-like consistency, adds another dimension of texture and flavor. But even after this cake has been put in the freezer, supposing it's too big for everyone to finish, it's still a delightful frozen treat -- a sort of superior ice cream cake.

For the cake portion, I used half of my favorite chocolate cake recipe, which is an 8 inch round cake. For the ice cream portion, I used about 20 oz. of a coffee-flavored ice cream made by a company local to New Orleans. And for the crust, I made a basic vanilla meringue.

Ingredients for the meringue:
8 egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
pinch of salt
splash of vanilla

Direction:
In a bowl with a whisk attachment, combine all ingredients and whisk until stiff peaks form.

For the Baked Alaska:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a baking sheet, place cake; top with cold ice cream. (It's best if you leave the ice cream in the freezer until the entire cake is ready for assembly. Meaning, you should have your oven heated and your meringue in the piping bag.) Try forming your ice cream into a dome shape. It doesn't have to be perfect because the meringue will conceal imperfections. Using a piping bag fitted with a star tip, pipe meringue over the entire cake. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, or until the meringue develops golden brown tips.