Category Archives: Recipes

Blueberry Muffins for Breakfast

17 Friday Sep 2010

Posted by in Baking, Breakfast, Muffins & Quick Breads, Recipes

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I have a few recipes for Blueberry Muffins, one of my favorites made with oatmeal and orange juice in the ingredient list, this one though makes nice moist puffy muffins that hold up well. Not a lot of introduction needed for this recipe, other than try it, soon.
Blueberry Muffins

Recipe Originating at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

Ingredients:  

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups blueberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Prepare the muffin pans with cup cake liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and mix on low to medium speed until blended. Fold in the blueberries carefully. Fill 15 muffin cups evenly.

Bake for 18 – 21 minutes until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out dry.

Makes 15 muffins.

 

Encrusted Tilapia with Peach Mango Salsa

14 Tuesday Sep 2010

Posted by in Entree', Recipes, Seafood

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One of my resolutions for this school year was to spend more time preparing hearty, healthy meals for the family. That’s not to say that hasn’t always been my desire, time however, does not always cooperate. With three kids, sports, home etc… I felt like last school year ended in a flop when it came to a family dinner. Well, so far so good.

To fulfill my resolution I have set out to plan meals out by the week and shop once accordingly. Well tonight was spot on. My plan all day was to prepare the Tilapia I recently purchased, but I couldn’t settle on a final cooking method. My options included doing a foil pack with vegetables cooked on the grill. An oven “fried” prep, or pan seared. I decided on the latter two. I surfed different recipes that included some type of breading, then I combined some of these ideas to make this delicious dish. Everyone spoke very highly of this preparation and I was even asked to put this on a regular rotation. So, here goes:

 Encrusted Tilapia with Peach Mango Salsa

  • 6 – 8 Tilapia Filet, or other white fish
  • 3/4 cup seasoned Panko
  • 1/4 cup crushed pretzels*
  • 1/4 cup crushed oatmeal*
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Old Bay seasoning
  • Olive oil for pan
  • Peach Mango Salsa (I bought fresh prepared from local produce dept)
  • Hot cooked rice

Rinse fish in cold water and pat dry, season with salt and pepper. Combine Panko, pretzels, oatmeal (I used a food processor) and 1 – 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning in a medium bowl. In another bowl, combine egg and milk. Preheat large skillet with 2 – 3 tablespoons oil to medium.

Set up a small assembly line beginning with fish, then egg mixture and finally crumb mixture. Dredge fish through egg then into crumbs, thoroughly coating each side of fish. Place in pan and cook until fish is white and flakes easily – about 3 minutes on each side. Serve over rice and top with salsa.

 

 

 

Back and full of Spice!

05 Sunday Sep 2010

Posted by in Baking, Cookies, Dessert, Recipes

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I have been anxious to get back to baking, however spare time has been sparse. This week though I got a new camera, and decided no matter what, that I would set aside some time this weekend to bake and take (photos that is). With literally millions of options on the WWFB (world-wide food blogs) I came across this recipe on one of my favorites, Get Off Your Butt & Bake. This is an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, but it is put together in a way I haven’t seen before. That is you boil the raisins and the flour is added with the butter and sugar prior to adding the soda and salt… The aroma of the spices in there was tantalizing and made the house small like Christmas… which by the way is coming sooner than you would believe.

But I digress. I did change-up a few small items, but otherwise stuck to the original recipe. My husband and youngest daughter were my taste testers. After the first bite, my husband had this like “pregnant pause”, which alarmed me. Then he stated, “Those are good, really good!” My daughter said the same and didn’t even complain about the raisins (which she swears she hates).

So here is the recipe and some practice photos taken with the new Rebel T2i (which so far is amazing).

Mom’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Slightly adapted from Get Off Your Butt & Bake

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 3/4 cup softened butter, cubed*
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 eggs*
  • 2 cups original oats
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips (or nuts)
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp each: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom
  • Sea salt to top if desired

Begin by combing the raisins and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on low for 15 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely. Once cool, pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the raisin mixture with the butter, sugar, eggs, oatmeal,  flour and chocolate chips (or nuts) and salt. Mix well with a wooden spoon and/or your hands. Add the remaining ingredients until well blended and drop by tablespoons onto parchment or non stick pan, sprinkle some sea salt on cookie tops if desired. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Let the cookies rest on baking sheet just long enough to not fall apart 1 – 2 minutes.

*Note: in halving the recipe I had to use 1 1/2 eggs. I used my kitchen scale, but you could just open one egg, beat it lightly, and use half of it.

My changes in the cookies were:

  1. I halved the recipe and mixed it with my hands, not a mixer
  2. I used 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup shortening because I ran out of butter!
  3. I used chocolate chips instead of nuts
  4. I didn’t have allspice, so I used cardamom

Vanilla Rich Chocolate Chip Cake

15 Sunday Aug 2010

Posted by in Cakes & Pies, Dessert, From a Mix, Recipes

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Surprisingly enough, photo’s taken with my iPhone while driving down the road!

 

Last minute cake, literally…

Earlier in the week I volunteered to prepare a cake to sell in a fundraiser. I thought about many options for a “go to cake” and just couldn’t settle on one. I needed something sturdy, climate safe and eye-appealing. This cake kept coming up, but it wasn’t until about 6:00 this morning, (2 hours before it was due) that I finalized the selection. Of course this required a store run… At any rate, long story short this cake is easy to prepare, and delivers a simple, yet beautiful cake. It is moist and rich, but not overly sweet. I chose to just dust it with powdered sugar versus a glaze.

I would suggest serving this cake with a cold glass of milk, or for a more delicate occasion, a nice cup of tea would do well. I rank this “cake mix” cake in my top 5, maybe even top 3… Try it!

Vanilla Rich Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake (adapted from a McCormick recipe)

What you need:

  • 1 box (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix
  • 1 box (4 serving size) vanilla pudding
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup miniature chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray.

Beat all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl on low to moisten, then on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into pan.

Bake in the center of the over for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert cake onto wire rack. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or glaze (powdered sugar and milk mixture).

*Note: Using miniature chocolate chips ensures that the chips are evenly dispersed throughout the cake. You can also dust the chips with a little cake batter before adding to the batter.

 

Caramel Popcorn, Quick & Easy

10 Tuesday Aug 2010

Posted by in Candy, Dessert, Recipes

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Summer break is, unfortunately, coming to an end… not summer mind you, just the break. Here in Florida, I anticipate weeks more of summer weather, ugh. I spent my summer working at a week-long camp about an hour from my home. My job position has taken on many more hats which have come to include working in the kitchen. I enjoy this, as I grew around food and catering… but don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy. I worked my butt off. Each week we served about 12 meals to an average of 100+ people.

For fun, here’s the breakdown of the baked goods I prepared this summer: 925 Cinnamon Rolls, 1,049  Blueberry Muffins, 1,502  Carnival Cookies, 216 Banana Nut Muffins, 432 Double Chocolate Muffins, 320  Chocolate Chip Cookies and 60 Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies.

It truly has been an interesting summer! So, to commemorate the excitement (or lack thereof) of returning to school (and work), make some caramel popcorn, pop open a cold Coke (Zero) and stand in line for school supplies. So long Summer 2010!

Easy Microwave Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients:

  • 10 cups popcorn, air popped or 1 microwave bag
  • 1/3 cup butter, unsalted
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Place popcorn in a large microwave-safe glass bowl, set aside.

In another glass bowl, microwave the butter until melted, about 45 seconds. Stir in brown sugar and corn syrup. Microwave on high until mixture boils, 1 to 3 minutes, stirring once, then on high for 3 minutes without stirring. Remove bowl and stir in soda and vanilla.

Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and stir until most of the popcorn is coated.  Microwave on 70% power for 1 minute. Remove and stir, then microwave at 70% for 1 more minute. Remove  and stir again to coat popcorn evenly. Pour popcorn onto wax paper and cool completely, about ten minutes. Break apart and serve, or store in an airtight container.

You can add nuts or candy coated chocolate if desired. Add nuts with the popcorn before coating with the caramel.

Note: Add-ins such as M&M’s or chocolate morsels can be added, however if “melt-able”, add at the very end, or risk a big blob!

 If you are using chocolate, add it just before pouring on cooling sheet…or you will have a big melted blob.

Enjoy! Makes about 10 servings, about 1 cup each.

I’m not dead, I swear…

25 Sunday Jul 2010

Posted by in Breakfast, Recipes

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It has been yet another wonderfully busy, short summer. I did “my time” working at summer camp again which kept me from having the spare time to blog, so I have some catching up to do. I can’t say I didn’t have time to cook, because that is pretty much all I did for five weeks. However that cooking was in bulk… for upwards of 140 people a week. The only food pictures I took this summer were quick shots with my iPhone and nothing to write home about.

I am though, working on a menu for Sunday dinner today. We will be having a small family celebration of my daughter’s 14th birthday. Traditionally we are on vacation when her birthday comes (as we are again this year) but we like to have a little meal with the family. Today’s menu, at her majesty’s request, includes:

  • London Broil: Montreal Steak Seasoned and Grilled
  • Seasoned Potato Wedges
  • Roasted Vegetables
  • Caesar Salad

and for dessert:

Photos: (iPhone shots of my summer camp Friday morning baking routine. Yes, we serve breakfast in bed.)

Cinnamon Brunch Cake

20 Sunday Jun 2010

Posted by in Breakfast, Cakes & Pies, Dessert, From a Mix, Muffins & Quick Breads, Recipes

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Cinnamon Brunch cake

 

This cake originates from a cake mix that is doctored to produce a wonderful breakfast dessert. The recipe comes from Duncan Hines Cake Mix Magic Cookbook that a friend loaned me. I prepared the cake this morning because I was bored… actually I woke early and decided to bake. Plus I thought it would be a nice Father’s day treat. The cake is dense, yet moist. I didn’t have almonds so I used recently picked Georgia Pecans.

Incidentally, I am excited to use my new cupcake plate. I actually painted it myself during a recent visit to a local pottery store with my youngest. I love the way it turned out!

Cinnamon Brunch Cake

Duncan Hines Cake Mix Magic, page 82

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup fine chopped almonds (pecans)
  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 1 box instant vanilla pudding (4 serving size)
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil (see note)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tsp almond extract (I used vanilla)

Directions:

Pre heat the oven to 350. Spray a 10 inch Bundt pan with baking spray.

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, set aside. Sprinkle nuts evenly in the bottom of the Bundt pan. Combine the remaining ingredients and beat for two minutes.

Spread half of the batter in the pan and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over batter. Pour remaining batter into pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool about 15 minutes and remove from pan.

Glaze cake if desired. To prepare glaze, combine 1 cup of confectioner sugar with 1 – 2 tablespoons of milk. Stir until desired pouring consistency.

Note: To reduce some of the oil, I suggest using 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce, 1/2 cup of oil, and 1/2 cup of water. Or any combination of this reaching 1 1/2 cups of liquid. The applesauce renders a moister crumb.

Easy Southern Style Potato Salad

05 Saturday Jun 2010

Posted by in Entree', Recipes, Salad, Sides

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My family, immediate and extended, always seem to enjoy this recipe. It is straight forward, no extra’s, just potatoes, eggs, relish and mayo. Of course you can add onions, celery and other crunchies… but with a family of picky eaters, I still with the “if you like it that way, add it yourself” principle. (Is that harsh?) Oh, and I’m not really sure what southern style really means, but I live in the south, so I’m calling it southern.

Here it is:

Southern Style Potato Salad

  • 1 (5 lb.) bag potatoes, russet or Idaho
  • 8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup light mayonnaise (more to taste and texture)
  • 1/4 cup sweet relish (more to taste and texture)
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Paprika to garnish

Directions:

Peel and dice potatoes and boil in salted water until fork tender. Remove and drain. *If you like a chunky potato salad, allow potatoes to cool completely. I usually add the other ingredients to warm potatoes. Return potatoes to pot and add other ingredients. Stir lightly until all of the potatoes are covered. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, or refrigerate until ready. Garnish with paprika and greens if desired.

Honestly, the amount of mayo and sweet relish are approximate. I add until I reach a smooth texture and to taste. I think the key is having enough to cover all of the potatoes well. And again, I like to prepare it with warm potatoes. Some of the potatoes end up mashing some, adding to the creaminess of the dish. Yum.

A 5 pound bag makes quite a bit, enough for at least 10 servings with leftovers.

Chocolate Chip Marble Bundt Cake

31 Monday May 2010

Posted by in Cakes & Pies, Dessert, Recipes

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I was drawn to the original post of this recipe by the its title “Stupid Delicious“. Obviously it must be pretty good to earn that title. I prepared this for a Memorial Day Cookout we attended today – which by the way was a pool party and the beautiful weather of this three-day holiday weekend ended at 3:00… the time the party began. Being a native Floridian however, I know that in 30 minutes, the sun will probably be shining, so we waited… and waited… The sun never came out, but the lightning stopped, so the kids got their swim in.

Anyway, I digress. I hesitate to take new recipes to parties, but after reading this post, I felt strongly it would be good. It was. The oohs and aahs were strikingly exclaimed. Try it, you will not be disappointed.

Don’t be afraid of the larger amount of ingredients, it is actually very easy to prepare, and once it’s in the oven, your work is done. No layers, no frosting, nothing but a beautiful, rich chocolaty cake ready to be devoured.

Chocolate Chip Marble Bundt Cake

From Shauna at Piece of Cake 

  • –       2½ cups sugar, divided
  • –       ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
  • –       ¼ cup light corn syrup
  • –       2½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
  • –       2 2/3 cups flour
  • –       2 teaspoons baking powder
  • –       ½ teaspoon salt
  • –       1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • –       4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • –       1 cup milk, at room temperature
  • –       1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli)

1.) In a small saucepan, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sugar, the cocoa powder and corn syrup with ½ cup hot water. Bring just to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Set aside.

2.) Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Butter and lightly flour a 12-cup bundt pan.

 3.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

4.) In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter with the remaining 2 cups sugar until light in color and fluffy, about two minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Beat in the remaining 2 tsp vanilla.

 5.) Reduce the mixer speed to low, and beat in a third of the flour mixture just until the flour begins to disappear into the batter. Beat in half the milk. Beat in another third of the flour, then the rest of the milk, and finish with the remaining flour until the batter is smooth. Stop the mixer and gently fold in the chocolate chips.

 6.) Scoop out a third of the batter into a medium bowl, whisk in the chocolate syrup and set aside.

7.)  Pour another third of the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth it with a spatula. Evenly top this layer with the chocolate batter. Finish by pouring the last third of the vanilla batter over the top.

8.) Lightly swirl the batters with a wooden skewer or knife to give a “marble” effect–a continuous figure-8 motion while going around the pan works well.

9.) Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake springs back lightly when touched, about 60-70 minutes.

10.) Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. Invert the cooled cake onto a serving platter and dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving if desired. Store any leftovers in a cake dome at room temperature for 4-5 days, maybe more.

*I didn’t have time to wait till the cake was completely cooled and turned it onto a plate while still slightly warm. There was a very minor amount of thin cake layer remaining “here and there” in the pan, so if you can’t wait, it should be ok.

 

Brunch Sweets

22 Saturday May 2010

Posted by in Breakfast, Muffins & Quick Breads, Recipes

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Quite a while back I made a breakfast roll with just a few ingredients. I wanted to post it again since it is such an easy sweet addition to breakfast or brunch, especially for a small group. The first time I made it, the recipe originated from a great food blog ~ My Kitchen Snippets ~ a blog worthy of bookmarking… check it out.

I prepared the roll with apples and cream cheese. I suppose any fruit that goes with cream cheese would be a great substitute. For the original recipe and great illustrations, click here.

Fruit & Cream Cheese Loaf

Ingredients :

  • 6 oz cream cheese
  • 1 egg, separated
  • 3 tbsp of powder sugar
  • 1/2 cup apple pie filling with cinnamon
  • 1 (11 oz) tube of bread stick dough

Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup of powder sugar
  • 2 – 3 tbsp milk

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

In a bowl combined soft cream cheese, powder sugar and egg yolk. Mix until well combined.

Unroll and separate the dough into two rectangles. On a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet, place the rectangles horizontally and press the steam together. Spread cream cheese mixture onto the center of the dough then dollop the fruit filling evenly over the cream cheese. Separate the dough perforations up to the cheese mixture (You might need a scissors for this) Slightly pull and stretch the dough strips. Start from one end of the loaf and alternate pulling the dough strips over the filling to form a “braid”. Make sure to tuck and seal both ends of the loaf.

Beat the egg white and brush it all over the loaf, sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, remove and allow to cool.

For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp milk, adding more for desired consistency. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle all over the cool loaf before serving.

(Original recipe was posted on January 25, 2009)