Fruit salsa with cinnamon chips
Posted: August 31, 2009 Filed under: Appetizer, Dips, Fruit, Quick, Side dish, Snack 3 Comments »This recipe is fantastic and was just what I was craving. Easy to make, delicious and can be made a day ahead. Made a great addition to our bbq last weekend. Found on allrecipes.com
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples – peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar
Directions:
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.
Sauteed Tilapia with honey scallion dressing over spinach or greens
Posted: August 25, 2009 Filed under: Fish/seafood, Light and healthy, Low Carb, Quick, Salad, Sauces/dressings 2 Comments »What a great, healthy dish from Cooking Light. This would make for a perfect lunch or dinner as in our case. It was great on a tired Monday night to whip this up in no time! This serves 4 and I cut it in half for just the two of us!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
Dressing:
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Fish:
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups gourmet salad greens -I used spinach
Directions:
To prepare dressing, combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
To prepare fish, heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Arrange 1 cup greens on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 1 fish fillet; drizzle with 2 tablespoons dressing.
Athenian Shrimp and Orzo
Posted: August 24, 2009 Filed under: Fish/seafood, Pasta, Quick 2 Comments »H and I eat shrimp quite often and it is hard to keep the recipes new and exciting. So recently I was going thru my google reader for some shrimp recipes and came across this one from Sugar and Spice. I have used many of her recipes before and this one didnt disappoint. I found this dish to be full of flavor and was happy it came together easily on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I did omit the capers as I forgot to get them at the store, but it still came out great!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 tablespoon drained capers
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 pound medium shrimp (30-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 cup orzo
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch (or other 3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil.
Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, capers, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper; cook for 5 minutes. Drop in shrimp and cook, stirring, until barely pink, about 2 1/2 minutes.
Cook orzo in the boiling water until tender but still firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Toss with the tomato-shrimp sauce. Sprinkle with feta and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley.
Bake, uncovered, until the feta is bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Creamy Salsa Chicken
Posted: August 22, 2009 Filed under: Chicken, Mexican, Quick 2 Comments »What a great and easy recipe from Mary Ellen. The chicken tasted great, was super moist, and was a perfect busy weeknight meal.
ENJOY!
Ingrediets:
6 large boned, skinless chicken breast halves
one 16-oz. jar of slightly chunky salsa, any flavor, as spicy as you like (Note: if the salsa is too thin, the sauce will be runny.)
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Brush the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with a little oil; place the chicken breasts in one layer in the pan.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the cream and salsa; spoon salsa mixture over the chicken.
Bake on the bottom shelf for 30 minutes.
Top with the cilantro
Carrot Cake cupcakes
Posted: August 21, 2009 Filed under: Cakes/Cupcakes, Dessert 4 Comments »Both H and I love carrot cake so when I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen I knew I had to make them. The recipe includes the cake directions as well as cupcakes. I included cream cheese frosting recipe at the end but I omitted the maple syrup in the frosting and added vanilla instead.
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots
1 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Line 24 cupcake molds with papers, or butter and flour them.
Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and raisins, if using them. Divide batter among cupcake molds, filling 3/4 of each.
Bake cupcakes 14 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let cool in pans for five minutes or so, then transfer cakes to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before icing them.
To make a carrot layer cake: Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans instead of cupcake molds. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, and bake the layers for about 40 minutes each, or until a tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool cakes completely.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. Chill the frosting for 10 to 20 minutes, until it has set up enough to spread smoothly or pipe on to cakes.
To assemble a carrot layer cake, frost the top of one cake, place the other cake on top. Frost the sides and top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set up frosting.
Fish tacos
Posted: August 19, 2009 Filed under: Fish/seafood, Light and healthy, Low Carb, Quick 1 Comment »I was recently back in Michigan visiting family and read my mom’s latest copy of Experience magazine. In there they had a great recipe for fish tacos. These were easy to whip up and tasted fantastic, plus they are very healthy! I omitted the coleslaw but it would make a great addition to the meal.
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
Fish
2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs. minced or puréed canned chipotle chilies in adobo
1 tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1⁄2 pounds red snapper fillets
Salt and pepper
12 corn tortillas
2 or 3 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
Picante sauce, such as Valentina
Coleslaw
1 small head cabbage (about 11⁄4 pounds)
2⁄3 cup sour cream
3 tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 garlic clove, pressed
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup diced white onion
1⁄2 cup chopped cilantro
Directions:
Mix the olive oil, chipotles, lime juice and cumin in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Add the fish and turn to coat. (Can be prepared to this point up to eight hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat the grill to medium heat. Place the fish fillets on the grill and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fish until just cooked through, about three minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a platter.
Meanwhile, heat the tortillas over an open gas flame or on a griddle. Wrap them in aluminum foil to keep warm.
Breaking the fish into large pieces with a serving spoon, serve it with warm tortillas, avocados, coleslaw and picante sauce, allowing your guests to assemble their own tacos.
Make the coleslaw: Quarter, core and thinly slice the cabbage (you should have about 6 cups). Stir the sour cream, lime juice, cumin, garlic and salt together in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, onion and cilantro, and stir together. Refrigerate. (Can be prepared to this point up to one day ahead.)
German Pancake and Aug 09 Tasty Tools: Cast Iron Skillets
Posted: August 18, 2009 Filed under: Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, Tasty Tools 1 Comment »This months tasty tools for Joelen’s Culinary Adventures is Cast Iron Skillets. I have never used one before and dont even own one, but thankfully I was up visiting my folks and my mom has one. So after some search I decided to make a German pancake with apple topping-cooked apples in butter and cinnamon. It was easy to make and oh so good. Great as a dessert or gooey breakfast! Found from Martha Stewart!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk, preferably whole
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
1/2 cup fruit jam (optional)
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
Heat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs to combine. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Add the milk, salt, and vanilla and mix until incorporated; set aside.
Add the butter to a large cast-iron skillet and transfer to oven until the butter melts. Remove from oven and quickly pour the batter into the hot skillet. Return to oven and bake until the pancake is puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.
Drizzle the lemon juice (if using) over the pancake. Spread the jam (if using) evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar.
Sorry for the delay in posts…
Posted: August 17, 2009 Filed under: Random Thoughts about cooking Leave a comment »Been away all last week and didnt get to update the blog, but I do have a couple great posts coming up later this week…keep an eye out for those..
HAPPY COOKING AND BAKING!
Lemon Poppy Seed Layer Cake with mixed berry curd
Posted: August 4, 2009 Filed under: Random Thoughts about cooking 5 Comments »I love anything lemon and especially lemon poppy seed. So when I saw this recipe From Annie’s Eats, I knew I had to make it. I did make mine into 2 8-inch rounds and bake dor 32 mins at 350. It came out great. I also put a bit of the lemon buttercream in btw the layers with the mixed berry curd! YUM!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 1/3 cups cake flour
2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. poppy seeds
5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
12 tsbp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk
For the raspberry curd: (I used mixed berries of rasp, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.)
8 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 pint ripe raspberries or 1 12-oz. package frozen raspberries, thawed
5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2-3 tsp. fresh lemon juice
For the lemon buttercream frosting:
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Directions: Here is the recipe from Annie, I made mine in 2 8 inch rounds
To make the cake, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9×13″ cake pan. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds in a bowl; set aside. In the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat just until stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted. Transfer the egg whites to a separate bowl, clean the mixer bowl and reattach it with the paddle attachment.
Add the butter to the mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat until incorporated. Mix in the lemon zest. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup of the milk and beat until just blended. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the remaining milk in three batches, beginning and ending with the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat until just blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold one quarter of the egg whites into the batter, being careful not to deflate the mixture. Once incorporated, add in the rest of the whites and gently fold in until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 24-26 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the outside of pan and gently turn the cake out. Allow to cool completely.
To make the raspberry curd, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the raspberries, egg yolks, sugar and salt, and cook, mashing the berries. Stir frequently at first and then constantly at the end, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour the mixture through a coarse strainer set over a bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Cool to room temperature; the curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Stir in lemon juice to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cut the cake into rounds as desired. Layer the rounds with the cooled raspberry curd. Once layered, allow the assembled cakes to cool in the refrigerator to help them set. In the meantime, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and zest on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the lemon juice and beat for one minute longer.
Frost the chilled cakes with the lemon frosting. Garnish with fresh raspberries as desired.
