Saturday, March 31, 2012
Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Friday, March 30, 2012
Pretzel Bites
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| photo from getoffyourbuttandbake blog |
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake
I first got the idea for this cake from Bake or Break, but I wanted an easier, less dense version. So, I went the trusty, old allrecipes.com route and found this highly ranked beauty. Note: My cake looked nothing like picture above. I kind of mixed the Bake or Break recipe with the allrecipes.com one and came up with something totally new and scrumptious. It was like having cake that tasted like my favorite cookie.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake
adapted from allrecipes.com
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c butter, softened
4 eggs
1 (18.25 ounce) package butter cake mix (I just used a yellow cake mix with great results)
2/3 c water
2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 9x13, bundt, 2 9-inch rounds, or whatever you want to use. Combine 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each one. Add cake mix alternately with the water. Stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 min., or until cake tests done. Cool.
Optional: I put a chocolate ganache over mine, but I think it would be good plain, or with some rich or milk chocolate frosting, or even with peanut butter frosting. Most of these recipes can be found on the blog.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Mushroom Fajitas
Hi Everyone! Today's recipe is another vegetarian meal, this one is so versatile, in my video I give 3 ideas to serve it. This one is perfect for breakfast, lunch or even dinner! Super easy, delicious and very nutritious too! I'm only using 1 tablespoon of oil, and everything else is just healthy goodness, so if you are trying to lose some weight without loosing all the flavors in your meals, this recipe is definitely for you! It is so good, you wont even miss the meat in this dish!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
6 green onions cut in 2 inch pieces
8 oz sliced mushrooms,(any mushroom, or a combinations of your favorites)
2 Poblano peppers
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh parsley, also finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1-2 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 tablespoon chicken flavor bouillon
black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 avocado for garnish
Roast the bell peppers for about 3 minutes on each side or until they start to blister and their skin becomes a brownish-dark color. Place them inside a plastic bag, and let them steam for about 15 minutes. Peel them off, remove the seeds and membrane, slice in thin slices lengthwise.
On a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, cook the garlic on medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, add in the green onions and continue to cook for 1 more minute. Add in the mushrooms and stir fry for 3 minutes, just to soften the mushrooms a little bit.
Add the tomatoes, and the sliced Poblano peppers, season with 1/2 tablespoon of chicken flavor bouillon, 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme and black pepper to taste, stir in 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, mix together, and taste the flavor, add any salt if needed. Cover with a lid and continue to cook on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes or until the mushrooms are completely cooked. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fajitas, garnish with more fresh parsley and avocado slices and serve.
You can serve with Brown or white rice.

In Tacos
Or you can even make a delicious Panini!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Easy Chicken Stir Fry
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| photo from mariescookingadventures blog |
Easy Chicken Stir-Fry (with Ramen Noodles)
- 1-2 chicken breasts, cubed
- 2 packages chicken flavor, ramen noodles
- 1 bag of frozen stir-fry veggies, your choice of the stir-fry mix you want. I like the ones with water chestnuts. :) (we just get the Great Value mix from Wal-Mart and it is great!)
- 4-6 cups of water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
What you do:
1. Break ramen noodles to desired pieces. I break it into 4ths. Set seasoning packet aside.
2. Put in full bag of stir fry vegtables into a large pan or skillet. Add water and broken noodles to pan at this point.
3. Cook on medium heat, covered. Continue to add water as needed. Don't let the pan be dry. You always want a little water in there until the noodles are soft and cooked.
4. Cook until noodles are tender, stir occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, cook diced chicken in a separate pan. We heat a skillet to medium heat with a TBSP oil and then saute the chicken until cooked...but you can really cook the chicken any way you would like.
6. Remove stir-fry from heat and stir in cooked chicken and seasoning packet.
7. Stir to combine and serve.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes
picture courtesy of tastykitchen.com
I made these tonight with marinated steak and rice pilaf (also one of my new faves!) and it was a huge hit. I kinda felt like a celebrity chef. :) My husband (the ultimate critic) usually tastes one dish at a time. No sound means its ok. If he says something...holy cow...stop the press! So tonight he said, "mmm....these are good potatoes". In your world this may be of little significance. Yes, I may be deprived of compliments on my cooking but when the man says SOMETHING I know. I don't doubt. I know. So lets just say this was a home run. And I would also like to mention that the rice and steak was also amazing thus adding to my celebrity-chef-feeling status. Recipe from tastykitchens.com.SCALLOPED HASSLEBACK POTATOES
2 whole Golden Potatoes2 Tablespoons Butter
1 piece (about 2 Inches Long) Parmigiano-Reggiano, Sliced Thinly
¼ teaspoons Kosher Salt
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
¼ cups Heavy Cream
¼ cups Cheddar Cheese Blend
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Scrub potatoes.
You need 2 wooden spoons with handles of the same width. Place a spoon on each side of the potato and start slicing the potato into thin slices. The spoons will stop the knife from cutting all the way through the potato.
Slice the butter into thin pieces. Alternate the butter and the parmesan, stuffing them in between the slices of the potato. Season the potato with kosher salt. Drizzle the potato with olive oil.
Bake at 400ºF for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle heavy cream over the potatoes. Top with cheddar cheese.
Place back in the oven for 10-12 more minutes. Remove and serve!
Strawberry Shortcake
It always amazes me how early things start this close to the equator. I was shocked when a friend mentioned that it was already strawberry season in these parts. Granted, it has been plenty warm for a whole month already. In fact, it kind of reminds me of a summer day back home... I can handle the mid-eighties. Too bad the bottom will fall out soon. This friend said they were thinking of going strawberry picking this week, and I was tempted, until I realized I still had plenty left from last year and that I am trying to start "drawing down" the food stores in preparation for our move this summer.
Bake in a hot, preheated oven until it is nicely golden. You can test with a toothpick or cake tester to be sure, but usually, if it is golden all over, it should be done inside. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes before carefully turning out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Although most folks cut their cake so that there is a top and bottom which is filled with strawberries and whipped cream, I like to serve mine as wedges. This way, each serving is freshly prepared and the cake does not getting too soggy before you are ready to serve your family or guests.Friday, March 23, 2012
BBQ Chicken Salad
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| photo from mariescookingadventures.blogspot.com |
- 3 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 2 cups BBQ sauce (1 cup, 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup water
- lettuce (red, romaine, green leaf)
- frozen corn (cooked and chilled)
- 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 cucumber (seeded and cubed)
- 2 tomatoes (diced)
- tortilla strips (if desired)
- 1 green onion chopped
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 cup ranch dressing
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Shrimp Kebabs
Today's recipe: Shrimp Kebabs, another healthy, delicious and very easy to make recipe. This one is perfect with rice or over a bed of greens, or just by itself as an appetizer. Shrimp is a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals, it is low in fat and calories.
Makes 6 kebabs, 5 shrimp each.
Ingredients:
1 lb. Shrimp (about 30 shrimp) peeled and deveined
1 cup fresh parsley
1 green onion
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion
1/4 cup of water
wooden secures
**(optional) 6 Campari tomatoes (1 for skewer) (optional)**
**(optional) 6-12 sugar snap peas (1-2 per skewer)(optional)**
**(optional) 3 mini bell peppers chopped in chunks (optional)**
Soak the wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes before using them, this will prevent them from catching on fire.
In a blender add the parsley, green onion, garlic and the Parmesan cheese, season with 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
and 1 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, also add in 1/4 cup of water
and blend on high for about 2 minutes or until you have a soft paste. Add more water if needed. We want to get the consistency of a thick pesto sauce. Taste the flavor, add any salt if needed.
Pour this sauce over the shrimp and make sure every single shrimp is well coated with this mixture, marinate for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
Chop the red onion in chunks. Set aside until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
**(Optional) Chop the mini peppers in chunks. Season the tomatoes and sugar snap peas with a dash of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and a pinch of ground black pepper. Set aside. (Optional)**
After 10 minutes marinating,the shrimp is ready. Start building the kebabs. Alternate the vegetable and shrimp onto the skewers. (if using only onions and shrimp add about 5 shrimp per skewer, if adding any more vegetables, add as many veggies and shrimp as you can fit.)
Keep on building the kebabs until you are done.
Bake at 400ºF for 8-10 minutes or until the shrimp is completely cooked.
Or Grill for 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp is cooked.
Enjoy!
Brown Butter Parmesan Chicken Linguine
Pic courtesy of How Sweet It IsI'm still sitting at the dinner table as I write this. It was THAT good. There are some meals in life that are better than dessert. This is one of them. My kids had seconds. That never happens. It was seriously one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I could seriously go on, but just go make it and see for yourself.
Brown Butter Parmesan Chicken Linguine
adapted from How Sweet It Is
serves 4
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 to 3/4 pound whole wheat pasta (preferably noodles)
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for topping
fresh chopped parsley for topping
Heat a large skillet oven medium-high heat and add canola oil. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel then toss with salt, pepper and paprika. Add to the skillet and brown on all sides, cooking for about 8-10 minutes total. Remove and set aside in a bowl. Turn heat down to low and add 1/2 tablespoon butter. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and stirring occasionally, cook until caramelized – about 15 minutes.
While onions are caramelizing, heat a small saucepan over low heat and add 5 tablespoons of butter. Whisk constantly until butter has brown bits on the bottom, then immediately remove from heat. I usually whisk for about 30 seconds more just to make sure the bits don’t burn. Set aside. At this time also prepare the water for your pasta and cook according to the directions.
After onions have caramelized, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Increase the heat to medium and add wine. Let the wine bubble and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken and pasta both to the skillet, tossing multiple times to coat. Turn off heat and stir in grated cheese. Drizzle brown butter (make sure you get the brown bits!) over top, tossing to coat a few more times. Serve with additional cheese and chopped parsley.
Thai Style Curry
Despite the fact that I have never been a big fan of curry dishes, I am, in fact, a huge fan of this particular dish. It's got some heat, but isn't overwhelming. It's got a lot of flavors that all complement each other, and I love the combination of peas and cauliflower. Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Perfect Pumpkin Roll
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| photo from melskitchencafe |
From melskitchencafe
Cake:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
2/3 cup mashed (canned) pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15 X 10-inch jelly roll pan. Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of the pan and leave an inch overhang on each of the short ends of the pan. Lightly grease the wax paper and sides of the jelly roll pan.
Monday, March 19, 2012
ginger steak salad

Ingredients
- MARINADE INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Sherry
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
- 1 whole Rib-eye, Strip, Or Sirloin Steak
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- _____
- FOR SALAD DRESSING:
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons White Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
- 2 cloves Garlic, Finely Diced
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, Minced
- ½ whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Diced
- _____
- SALAD INGREDIENTS:
- 2 whole Green Onions
- 8 ounces, weight Salad Greens (baby Lettuce, Endive, Radiccio, Etc.)
Preparation Instructions
Combine steak marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Mix and place steak into bag. Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Combine salad dressing ingredients and slice green onion.
When steak is finished marinating, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a hot skillet. Cook steak about 1 1/2 minutes per side, or until medium rare. Remove from skillet and keep on a plate, allowing to cool slightly.
Toss salad greens in 3/4 of the salad dressing. Place steak on cutting board and slice thinly, then pour juices from the plate over the top. Mound tossed salad on a platter, then place sliced steak on top of salad. Pour remaining salad dressing over the top. Sprinkle green onions over the salad, and add cherry tomatoes if that makes your skirt fly up.







