Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Welcome to the most delicious dessert you will eat this holiday season. When I say this recipe is a winner, I mean it is seriously winning! It is so tasty and ever so decadent. Do you love cheesecake? Do you love brownies? Do you love Red Velvet? If you answered yes to any of the above questions you will be totally hooked on this creation. I originally made this for my coworkers birthday in September and it was a hit. Literally, my coworkers have been asking me to make this for them again every time I mention baking. So with the approach of another coworkers birthday I decided to pull out the recipe and have at it again. And I just couldn't do so without sharing with you all. The recipe comes together pretty easily and there are no crazy ingredients. Just be sure to use really good quality dark chocolate it really does make a difference and is worth the few extra bucks. I found the original recipe on this blog, SweetPeasKitchen. My brownies didn't come out quite as pretty but seriously it didn't even matter they tasted oh so good! I am doubling the recipe for you and you will thank me.

All packed up ready for the office! 

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
Brownie Batter:
1 cup unsalted butter
4 oz. good quality dark chocolate chopped
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tsp. red food coloring
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Cheesecake topping:
2 -- 8 oz. packages block style cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Prepare a 9x13 pan with butter and parchment paper. Leave the parchment paper long on two sides for easy removal. For the brownie batter which will be your first layer begin with a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate together until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and food coloring.  Using an electric mixer, mix until combined. Slowly add the butter/chocolate mixture, stir together. Pour the brownie batter in the prepared pan. For the cheesecake mix together all ingredients until smooth. Pour cheesecake batter over top of the brownie batter. To swirl use the end of a knife (my swirling skills are lacking). Bake at 350 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Oh, and did I mention I am trying to get to 50 followers by the New Year? So if you have friends who like to cook and are looking for new recipes feel free to forward on One Recipe at a Time! You can follow the blog by "Joining this Site" in the right hand column and entering your email address. Thanks guys, I have one more recipe before the holidays so be on the look out!

Power Smoothie

So with the holidays comes decadent eating, and I am not one to pass up the sweets. This is by far my favorite time of year to eat. All of my favorites seem to find the table during the holidays....turkey, mashed potatoes, magic cookie bars, sweet potato casserole. Name that holiday food and it has probably made an appearance on my favorites list. But all of this heavy food tends to weigh me down, literally weigh me down. And I need plenty of energy to get through shopping and wrapping presents and planning all of my holiday travel. So I have been whipping up this quick, super healthy, and tasty power smoothie. It is packed with vitamins and nutrients that make me feel good. It helps me start the day off on a good note. I use my Cuisinart Stick Blender to make this even quicker. 

Renee's Power Smoothie

1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 small ripe banana

1 tsp. honey

1/4 cup orange juice

1 large handful baby spinach

1 cup frozen blueberries

In a tall measuring cup (I used the one that comes with the cuisinart blender) or in a blender pitcher, pulse the rolled oats until they are the texture of corn meal. Add the banana, honey, and orange juice and blend until combined. Add the spinach and blueberries (still frozen) and blend until desired consistency. Then enjoy! 

You can see the specks of green spinach and rolled oats and you just know this is good for you. The smoothie comes in at a little under 300 calories and packs in the vitamin C, A, B-6, folate, iron, and magnesium. But the best part, it tastes great so you won't even mind that it is healthy! Hope you try out this delicious recipe in the near future, I promise you won't regret it. 

French Toast Bites

Hey all! It's the holiday season and that means my kitchen has been working over time. I just can't resist cooking for friends when holiday cheer is upon me. My coworkers are especially lucky since it is just so easy to bring leftovers into work with me. They get cookies galore! But the product of this recipe was for me alone, there was no sharing here ;) Plus breakfast foods don't tend to pack well.

I recently acquired the photography app Instagram on my iPhone, so I will be using that to show off my handiwork. In case you were wondering where the artistic flare came from.

These little pillows of delight are seriously the best breakfast I have had in a while. But beware these are a holiday treat and should be treated as such since they definitely pack the calories. But hey this is what holidays are for right, a little indulgence! I had a leftover baguette that needed to be used up since it was a little stale and what better way then to incorporate my favorite breakfast food.

French Toast Bites

1 loaf day old Baguette or French Bread
2 eggs
1/4 cup or so of half and half
dash of nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. butter

For dusting:
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Syrup for serving

Beat together eggs and a generous splash of half and half (I say about 1/4 cup but adjust to the amount of bread you have, more half and half for more bread). Add nutmeg and vanilla. Cube the bread into bite size pieces or to the size of your liking. You could always do slices but I found the bite sized cubes more fun! Toss the cubes of bread into egg mixture until the bread soaks up all of the egg.

Melt 1 tbsp. of butter into large saute pan (or griddle if you have it) over medium high heat. Place the half of the soaked pieces of bread in the pan once the butter has begun to bubble. Watch carefully! They will cook up fast.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until pieces are browned on all sides.

In a medium bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar. Once you remove the fully cooked pieces of bread from the pan, place directly into cinnamon/sugar mixture and toss lightly until pieces are coated evenly. Set aside and repeat with the remaining pieces of bread.

Serve with a side of warmed maple syrup for dipping and enjoy! 

This is a super simple, quick and easy delicious weekend breakfast recipe. I hope you give it a try and if you do let me know how it comes out! 

The finished product! 

p.s. how do we like the new photo technique...yay or nay? Any requests for recipes or any challenges out there? I'm always looking for ideas to share with you all so just let me know. 

Quick and Easy is the Name of the Game

So, I wanted to get a quick post into you guys before I head back up north for the food holiday of the year! That's right I'm heading back to good ole NY for some feasting with the family. I'm more than excited to among friends and family and my mom's cooking of course. But first I wanted to share these recipes that I have tried this past week. They are super simple and are great for week nights when the last thing you want to do is cook. 

Chicken Sausage over Potato Slivers and Sauteed Spinach

4 Chicken Sausage (I used Trader Joe's Pesto flavored; but any would work great)

1/2 bag baby spinach

1 large Potato, thinly sliced 

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

Salt and Pepper

To start, I thinly sliced my potatoes using a mandolin. The first batch I cooked up I did on the stove top and they came out crispy just how I imagined they should. Using about 1/2 Tbsp. butter I cooked the potato slices in a saute pan for about 5 minutes each side until they were golden brown and crispy. But since my potato produced an insane amount of thin slices I decided to speed up the process. I turned my oven on to 450 degrees. In one layer I placed the potatoes on a cookie sheet drizzled them with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, then seasoned with salt and pepper. Then using my hands I ensured all of the potatoes were coated with the oil. I stuck them in the oven for about 20 minutes until they were slightly golden and soft (still just as delicious as the first batch). While my potatoes were cooking up I sliced my sausages at an angle and sauteed them up until heated through about 5-7 minutes. I removed the sausages from the pan, and in the same pan placed a drizzle of olive oil and my baby spinach. I cooked until the spinach wilted about 2 minutes. Then I simply plated my dinner, potatoes first, then spinach, topped off with the sausage. Quick and Easy! It makes about 4 smaller servings, I had plenty for dinner (slightly larger portion) and two days of lunch. 

Pumpkin Roll Ups and Mini Apple Cream Cheese Roll ups 

I used one can of crescent rolls with two different flavors apple and pumpkin. I baked them at the same temperature and used the same cinnamon/sugar combo for dusting the rolls. A little something for everyone. 

Pumpkin Roll Ups 

1/2 tube crescent rolls (low fat)

1/2 can pureed pumpkin

2 oz. softened cream cheese (1/3 less fat)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. all spice

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

3 Tbsp. sugar

For dusting, 3 tbsp. sugar and 1 Tbsp. cinnamon combined in small bowl. 

In a small bowl combine pumpkin, cream cheese, spices, and sugar. Using an electric mixer, mix until smooth. Spoon about 1 Tbsp. pumpkin mix into each crescent roll, then gently roll into crescent shape.  Once you have rolled all of the pumpkin crescents place each roll in the sugar and cinnamon mixture until coated. Place evenly spaced on a cookie sheet set aside. 

***I had extra pumpkin filling left over after this that I didn't use up in the above recipe. So the next morning I stirred it in with my oatmeal for a heart warming breakfast, I highly recommend you try it***

Apple Cream Cheese Roll Ups

1/2 tube crescent rolls (low fat)

1/2 can prepared apple pie filling

2 oz. softened cream cheese (1/3 less fat)

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. sugar 

In a small bowl combine cream cheese, lemon juice, and sugar. Mix until smooth. Spoon cream cheese mixture onto crescent rolls. In a small bowl, using a spoon gently cut apart the apple slices in the apple pie filling so that they are easier to manage. Then spoon the apple pie filling on top of cream cheese. Roll up the crescents and coat with the same cinnamon and sugar mixture used for the pumpkin roll ups. Place evenly on the same cookie sheet as the pumpkin roll ups.

In a preheated oven at 375 degrees bake the roll ups for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. The apple roll ups will be bubbling slightly. Then enjoy while still warm! This is a great week night dessert that is just perfect for the fall. I brought these in for my coworkers the next day and I just told them to nuke them in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds and they were just as yummy. 

Hope you enjoy! And just to start this holiday off right, I wanted to thank each of you for tuning in to my little blog. This truly has been a fun little adventure for me. I love to hear your feedback on my posts and the stories of the recipes you have tried from here! I'm always looking for suggestions so feel free to shoot some my way. Love you all and just know I'm thankful for you everyday :) 

Mushroom Bourguignon

Hey all, it has been awhile! But no worries I am back and with the holidays around the corner I will have lots of recipes to share. You would think with the three day weekend that I just enjoyed I would have more than just one recipe to give to you, but alas I spent most of the weekend lounging and shopping. You can't blame a girl can you? I found this recipe on, Pinterest, and wouldn't you know it is from one of my favs Smittenkitchen. Back in the days when I ate red meat I loved a good beef bourguignon, so I have been on the search for a vegetarian or pseudo-vegetarian version. And boy did Smitten deliver! This was a truly hearty, warming, best eaten in the dead of winter when your freezing your bum off dish! I basically followed the recipe as is, except I could not find pearl onions* in my grocery store and the dish did not suffer from the loss, but I imagine it would be a lovely extra touch.

Mushroom Bourguignon
2 Tbsp. Olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp. Butter, softened, divided
2 lbs. Mushrooms (I used whole creminis, and sliced baby bellas 1lb. each make sure to thoroughly clean all grit from mushrooms)
1/2 carrot, finely diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup full bodied wine (I used Yellowtail Shiraz and it worked great)
2 cups vegetable broth (you can use whatever you have on hand beef, chicken, or veggie your preference)
2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp. dried Thyme
1 cup pearl onions*
Egg noodles, cooked as package directs

In large pot, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter add mushrooms and cook for about 3-4 minutes. remove from pot into a bowl and set aside. Add remaining olive oil, onions, carrots, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes or until the onions have softened and slightly browned around the edges. Add the garlic and continue to cook for an additional minute or two. Pour in wine and increase temperature to high, let reduce to half (about 5 minutes). Add broth, tomato paste and mushrooms (with any juices that have collected). Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 Tbsp. butter once combined add into mushroom sauce. Continue to cook until desired consistency (this is when you would add pearl onions if going that route). I cooked mine for another 5-7 minutes so that it thickened slightly more. Serve over egg noodles, season to taste and get ready for a delicious heart warming dinner! I slopped up the extra juices with a hunk of crusty bread and enjoyed a glass of Shiraz, perfecto!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Coconut Choco-Chip Cooooookies

I love to bake, end of story. Seriously, there is something so comforting about getting out all of your ingredients, carefully measuring the correct amount, mixing it all together, popping it in the oven, then VOILA a sweet treat comes out for you to enjoy! I can bake anytime of day whether it is early morning or late at night. It is always the right time of day to bake. I love that you can always take out an old recipe and without fail it will come out the same almost every time. OK, so maybe you burn your first batch. But usually there is always enough batter left over for a second round. Don't get me wrong I love a good savory dish and cooking is what started me onto this blogging adventure. However, baking will always hold a special place in my heart. So as I'm sitting reading my book tonight (Song of Ice & Fire, A Clash of Kings) I have a hankering for oatmeal cookies. I wanted to make it a slightly healthier version of the classic cookie so I played around a little bit. I actually deviated from the printed recipe, gasp. I am not very good at ad-libbing baked goods. I pretty much will always stick to the exact recipe, so don't expect a huge change from the original. I did put my stamp on this one though. I adapted it from Mark Bittman's Oatmeal Cookie in, How to Cook Everything (my cooking bible, you should get it). 

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Coconut Choco-Chip Cooookies (said as if you are cookie monster!)

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups rolled oats (not the instant)

2 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 cup milk (I used skim)

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream sugars and butter with an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla beating until well blended. In a separate bowl combine, whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, pinch of salt (I used a generous pinch of kosher salt), choco chips, and coconut. Alternating with the milk, add flour mixture to batter by hand stirring with a wooden spoon. Make sure the batter is well blended, it will be quite sticky but that's OK. Drop onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I made my cookies pretty big so the recipe yielded about 2 1/2 dozen cookies. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are just golden brown. 

This recipe will give you a nice dense oatmeal cookie, with less of the guilt ;) The cookies have a nice earthy tone from the whole wheat flour and a sweet finish with the chocolate and coconut. And as a plus, your house will smell of warm, freshly baked cookies.  Yes, I will admit I was eating two cookies while I wrote this! Somebody must enjoy the benefits of this blog. Let me know if you try them out, I promise you won't regret it. 

Roasted Veggies over Israeli Couscous Pilaf

Sitting in my living room tonight after a long day at work, the only thing I wanted to do was pop open this bottle of wine....

North Fork Shinn Estate Vineyards

and eat my left over mom baked birthday cake for dinner. And let me tell you, I almost did. I admit I had a  sliver of the cake while I pondered my dinner. I curled up on my comfy couch enjoying the sound of pouring rain and thunder and started flipping through my new cookbook, Super Natural Everyday, courtesy of my lovely sister Tara. Let me tell you how much I love Heidi Swanson.... A LOT!! I have followed her blog 101 Cookbooks for a while now. I just think she is this really rad, artistic chef. Basically she is my idol. I know I have mentioned her a few times prior on this here blog. I highly recommend that you buck up and sign-up to follow her as well. She has some great, healthy, and different recipes. Her photography is amazing and I can only hope that one day with a good camera my pictures will come out as beautiful as hers. 

Well, once again she inspired me to prepare a healthy meal for myself. So using the fresh veggies I had in the pantry (thanks mom!) I threw a little somethin' somethin' together. This is a classic that I love. My mom makes these roasted vegetables all of the time. I decided to pair mine with pearl couscous, a.k.a. israeli couscous. I used the veggies as an entree but these would both work separately as side dishes to a nice apple cider chicken breast, or if you like red meat to a steak. 

Roasted Veggies

1 small baking potato-peeled and cubed

1 butternut squash- peeled, seeded and cubed

1 small head of cauliflower, chopped

1 large red onion, thickly sliced

2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tsp. Thyme

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Throw all veggies onto two big cookie sheets. Drizzle olive oil overtop veggies, sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Quickly toss the veggies right there on the pans. Make sure not to over crowd the veggies, you don't want them to steam in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Flip once at about 17 minutes or until the bottom of the veggies are golden brown. Make sure not to flip the veggies too soon, you want a nice caramelized texture on the bottom. Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand. I also use sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and turnips. Have fun with it! 

prior to being cooked

Israeli Couscous Pilaf

1 cup Israeli or pearl couscous

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

Salt and Pepper 

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onions and allow to soften approximately 3 minutes.  In a separate saucepan bring stock to a boil. Add garlic to onions and continue to saute another minute or two, add pearl couscous and toast for one minute. Pour boiling stock into couscous and cook for 8-10 minutes or until couscous is soft but still has a slight bite to it (al dente). Serve with vegetables on top. I added an extra drizzle of olive oil before serving and a some freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano.

This was a great fall dinner full of warmth and flavor. The thyme adds a nice earthiness to the vegetables and the couscous adds that extra heft to make the meal feel substantial. The colors even remind me of fall :) I hope you enjoy the recipes and let me know if you try it in the comments section below! Be on the lookout for recipes from the above mentioned cookbook, I will be trying them out shortly. 

Double Chocolate Tiramisu

I'm back....life has been crazy over these last few weeks. I cannot even believe that October is here and almost half way through to boot. I just spent the most amazing weekend with my family. They ventured down to DC for a visit. Me, my dad, and my Uncle Gregg raced in the Army Ten Miler yesterday and we all finished with respectable times! Woohoo, all that training really did pay off. Although, it may take a few days to be able to walk normally again. We visited the National American History Museum, where I was able to see Julia Child's kitchen, so cool! It was really neat to see all of her copper pots, and how she organized all of her tools. It was definitely a chef's kitchen. We lounged on the National Mall enjoying the view of the Capitol and the Washington Monument, taking in the great weather. It was so nice to have my family here with me and to have that time to spend together. We don't get to do that often enough. 

Acting like proper tourists

Enough about my weekend let's get onto the good stuff, double chocolate tiramisu. Yes, you heard right double chocolate. This seriously is one of the best desserts I have made in a while. A few weeks back, I visited my grandparents and aunt & uncle. I wanted to make them a nice meal and a kickin' dessert. I definitely think I hit the nail on the head for the dessert. I based the recipe off of Martha Stewart's tiramisu but I tweaked it to my tastes. This is the recipe I followed:

Double Chocolate Tiramisu (adapted from Everday Food)

2 Tbsp. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (plus more for garnish)

1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream

4 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate, chopped

1 bar (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup Sugar

24 Ladyfinger cookies (premade/bought)

1 1/2 oz. Amaretto Liqueur

2 Tbsp. brewed Espresso

1. In medium bowl, mix cocoa powder with 1 1/2 cups very hot water until disolved. Add brewed espresso and let cool. Once cool, add amaretto. In a small microwaveable bowl, place 1/4 cup heavy cream and chocolate; microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring each time until melted and smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.

2. In a mixing bowl, add cream cheese, sugar, and cooled chocolate mixture. Using an electric mixer, cream together. Add the remaining heavy cream and mix until fluffy about 2 minutes. 

3. Line the bottom of pan with 1 cup of chocolate/cheese mixture. One at a time dip ladyfingers in cocoa/espresso mixture and line on top of chocolate in a single layer. Repeat layering until all chocolate mixture and ladyfingers are used. Cover tiramisu and refrigerate for at least two hours. Before serving dust with cocoa powder and server with homemade whip cream.

This was a nice fluffy yet rich dessert. Make sure the portions are small when serving. I will definitely be using this one again! 

OK, since this is a cooking blog and I did promise to share the good and the bad, I am going to quickly share my failed attempt at Apple Fritters. I found what seemed to be this great recipe on Pinterest (my new online obesession). It was for Apple Fritters, which is always something I had wanted to try. I have not done a lot of frying in my kitchen so I thought it would be a good blog post right? Wrong. I just don't have the right equipment for it (no heavy bottom pots, candy thermometers, splash screens, none of it). But, I thought I would give it a whirl since the recipe seemed pretty straight forward. You can find the recipe by following this link: Apple Fritters

My fritters came out too dark and raw in the middle. I was cooking them at too high of a temperature and I did not use enough oil in the pot. The glaze came out fine and added a sweetness but overall I would say that I might need to find a new fritter recipe to really find my groove here. Feel free to give it a try and let me know how yours come out, any help with this would be greatly appreciated!

What mine looked like :(

What they were supposed to look like :) 

Just Peachy...

Tis' the season of peaches...delicious, juicy, succulent peaches...they are everywhere. At every farmer's market, every grocery store, and every road side stand. You can't miss them this time of year. So, as I was perusing the fresh produce section of Whole Foods, what did I come upon? That's right folks fresh local peaches that were screaming to be picked up. So I surrendered to the pleas and plopped them ever so gently into my basket. Since they weren't quite ripe I had a few days to search the internet for the perfect recipe to use them in. I found this great one, Peach Cobbler for one or two,  from one of my favorite bloggers Joy the Baker. Which, I think would be absolutely delectable but I went a different route this time. 

Step 1

I put my trust into the ever genius Martha Stewart. I found a great drop cookie recipe that uses fresh chunks of peaches and peach jam (I went a different route with the jam) to sweeten the soft cookie. I had never made cookies with fresh fruit before. I was actually quite baffled when I thought about it. How did the fresh fruit not break down and turn the cookie into a pile of mush. Well, I should have known, Martha knows best. These cookies came out soft and moist and with the flavor of peaches just pouring out of them. They are a soft cookie, with just a slight crunch at the edges. Be careful to wait until they are cool to enjoy. The peaches hold a lot of heat and can burn the roof of your mouth, ow. I wouldn't know from experience or anything :) 

Step 2

Fresh-Peach Drop Cookies (adapted from Martha Stewart)

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 stick (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large organic egg

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 1 3/4 cup)

1/3 cup peach jam or preserves (I used my Mom's homemade pear and ginger preserves)

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

Step 3

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, at medium speed mix butter and sugar for about 2-3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and continue to mix. Add one cup of flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined. Add second cup of flour and mix gently. Fold in fresh peaches and jam. Using a tablespoon, drop cookies on a nonstick cookie sheet. In small cup, mix 2 tbsp. sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle each cookie with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Let cool and serve! This recipe made about 3 dozen good sized cookies. 

Enjoy! 

Sunday Doughnuts...

Sunday has been my favorite day of the week for quite sometime. It also has been my least favorite day since I decided to go off on my own and live in a small studio apartment. I have always associated Sunday with family. And since my family is approximately 339 miles away it makes for a lonely day. It makes me thankful for all of the years that I was able to spend with them on a lazy Sunday either cooking, going for a walk along the beach at Seagyan, or when my Great-Grandfather was alive eating Entemann's and Ball Park hot dogs at his house. To say I miss my family on Sunday's is an understatement, but that is why Mom usually gets a call just so I can hear her voice.

Prep

Why do I still love Sunday even if I can't be with my family? Well, because it is my day. I have finished all of my errands for the week, the fridge is stocked, and I can basically do whatever my heart desires. And that usually includes some kind of baking. This Sunday I found myself waking up to the sound of the neighbors vacuuming, ugh. I had barely slept a wink, since Hurricane Irene decided to blow her mighty winds the hardest at about 2am just about the time my power decided to go out for a short bit. But I can't complain since that was the worst of it, and I know how many people are much worse for the wear after the storm.

These doughnuts made my
 entire apartment smell like fall!

I needed to get out of my little apartment since the walls felt like they were starting to close in after 36 hours or so of being cooped up. I headed off to church for some much needed spiritual attention. Then I was off to Tyson's Corner to pick up a few new shirts from H&M and catch a movie, "The Help". Great shirts for fall and a great movie that had me shedding a few tears (just as good as the book!). When I was back home, sitting, eating my leftover Andouille Chicken Sausage and Rice and looking into my very clean kitchen, I had the sudden urge to bake up a batch of pumpkin doughnuts.  I have been craving the fall weather and I had this recipe sitting in my browser bookmarks section. I just so happened to have all the ingredients on hand. What was a girl to do?! Well, I had at it.

Dry Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

Follow this link, Pumpkin Doughnuts with a Cinnamon Glaze , to get to the recipe. I followed it exactly and the doughnuts came out scrumptious. The cinnamon glaze is a must. It adds depth of flavor and brings out the taste of pumpkin. The doughnuts are baked not fried so they are a whole lot better for you then any you would buy from the supermarket. I'm not sure if I would change anything in the recipe. I might try to get creative with the glaze. I think a maple or an almond glaze might add some nice flavor. 

Pre-glaze

I'm really hoping my coworkers enjoy doughnuts because I am bringing these delicious suckers in. Here's to hoping these won't go to waste or to my waist ;)

Andouille Chicken Sausage with Saffron Rice and Veggies

This morning I set my alarm for 7:00am determined to get my long run in before Hurricane Irene decided to grace us with her presence. Well, I rolled out of bed at around 7:45am quickly dressed, ate a slice of whole wheat toast and off I went. Not as early as I had hoped, but early enough to fend off the rain. I decided to stay on the W O&D bike trail that way I could track my mileage. I got 4.3 miles in, woohoo!! After, a delicious breakfast of over-easy eggs, on toast with avocado and tomato my stomach was still a rumblin'. This training is definitely giving my appetite a run for it's money. But I evaded the urge to snack with what else a nap? Seriously, is there anything better then a nap on a rainy Saturday, I think not. After the nap, a little cleaning and watching "Something Borrowed" (the book was better than the movie!) I was ready to cook up something delicious. 

I had a package of saffron rice sitting in my pantry that I had wanted to save for a delicious paella. I, however, was running low on seafood. What I did have, was some delicious looking andouille chicken sausage. So this dish was inspired by my classic paella using what I had on hand. 

Andouille Chicken Sausage with Saffron Rice & Veggies

1- 5 oz. package Saffron Rice cooked (I used Mahatma long grain rice)

3 andouille chicken sausages, sliced (I used Open Nature 100% natural smoked andouille chicken sausage)

1/2 cup each of diced green bell pepper, onion, carrots, white button mushrooms

1 can Organic No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes (I used Trader Joe's)

1/4 cup frozen peas

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Prepare saffron rice as directed on package. I cut down the cooking time so that the rice still had a little bite to it (it will continue to cook once added to the veggies). 

In a large sautee pan add butter and olive oil. Add peppers, carrots, and onion and allow to soften, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to cook. Once the veggies are softened, add saffron rice, sausage, tomatoes, and peas. Cook until hot and bubbly, approximately 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

 

This dish took less than 30 minutes to make but tasted as if I had worked all day on it. The sausage added a delicious smoky flavor, the rice was fluffy with a full saffron flavor, and the veggies were cooked to perfection. I will most definitely be making this again sometime soon. So glad that I have a ton of leftovers! This would be a great meal to make for company. I would increase the amount of rice and add some fresh shrimp, mussels, and maybe some clams and a delicious hearty seafood feast would be had! 

Fingers crossed I don't lose my power and we miss the worst of Hurricane Irene. NY stay safe, love to all my family and friends!  

Leftovers

So I just finished a 3.2 mile run on this beautiful day and I'm feeling like I should continue this productive streak with a little bloggin'. I had been trying hard to think of a creative next post and I was running short on ideas (no pun intended ;). I remembered I had taken this picture of my dinner the other night...

and I thought I would share with you my week of leftovers. The above was my creation with leftover Asian Seared Tuna (please see previous post for that delicious recipe). I had a lot of fresh produce from the farmer's market, my Saturday routine, so I wanted to be sure to use it up before it went bad. This was the quickest dinner I have put together in a long time and it tasted totally gourmet!

So before I give you all the recipes let me just map out for you what my dinners looked like:

Day 1: Asian Seared Tuna served with Lemony Green Beans
Day 2: Tuna Salad My Way
Day 3: Lemon Chicken served with Couscous and fresh sauteed vegetables
Day 4: Lunch- Couscous Salad; Dinner- Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas

I definitely got my money's worth with this weeks grocery trip! And I felt good about using up all of the delicious produce I had in my crisper. I was feeling very green.

Tuna Salad my way :) 
1 leftover Asian Seared Tuna Steak sliced to your desired thickness
1 handful of lemony green beans cut into bite sized pieces (see this post for tuna and bean recipes)
1 handful fresh cherry tomatoes halved
2 tbsp. wonton crisp strips (you can find these in the produce section near the croutons)
1/4 tsp. sesame seeds
1 cup arugula (or any kind of green)
1 cup baby spinach
2 tbsp. Newman's Own Light Sesame Ginger Dressing

I simply tossed everything together and sprinkled the sesame seeds on top. So easy and so delicious.

The lemon chicken and sauteed vegetables were exactly what they sound like so I won't waste any space with the recipe. But I will let you know the veggies I used: summer squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, onion. For the couscous salad I raided my pantry to come up with a delicious, fresh lunch salad. I loosely based this recipe off of an orzo salad that I make often.

Couscous Salad
4 cups cooked leftover couscous (I used plain but I bet any of the flavored varieties would only add to the flavor of this dish)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 Tbsp. chopped pistachios
1/2 cup sliced english cucumber
1 large shallot, sliced
1 oz. crumbled goat cheese
1 cup arugula
1/4 cup olive oil
the juice of 2 large lemons
salt and pepper

In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl combine couscous, cranberries, cucumber, pistachios, and shallots. Once combined mix in arugula and crumble goat cheese on top. Pour lemon vinaigrette over the couscous and serve chilled!

This +

Couscous Salad

This=

Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas

2 leftover lemon chicken tenders, cubed

1/4 cup leftover sauteed vegetables

1 oz. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

2 whole wheat tortillas

1 Tbsp. reduced fat sour cream

2 Tbsp. salsa (your favorite kind, I used Trader Joe's Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa)

Using my always handy grill pan, I simply sprayed the pan with cooking spray- placed one tortilla on the  pan sprinkled half of the cheese on the tortilla- piled up the chicken, cilantro, and veggies- sprinkled the rest of the cheese on top then covered with second tortilla- then placed the panini press on top and cooked for about 4 minutes each side or until the cheese was melted and filling hot through- Served with the sour cream and salsa and voila leftovers made easy!

Is it fall yet???

So as much as I love the summer and hitting the beach, I am more than ready to feel the crisp chill in the air that only fall can bring. I know what your thinking, who doesn't love summer and all that it brings? The nice tans, the fresh produce readily available, the overall good mood that people seem to have when the sun is shining bright. But for me, there is nothing better than a cool autumn evening curled up next to a fire with a good book and a hot cup of cocoa and maybe a tiny bit of apple crisp. And the "back to school"  shopping that I partook in today did not help my incessant want for a change in seasons.  And yes, I still go back to school shopping even though I have not been in a classroom for almost 4 years. Therefore, I am counting down the days until the hot DC weather decides to call it a quits. For now though, my recipes are sticking with the hot weather trend.

Readily Available Fresh Produce :) 

 I tried this great seared tuna recipe last night and I was not disappointed. I found these frozen tuna steaks by Archer Farms in the freezer section of Target, and I thought I would give them a try. I realized that they wouldn't be the best quality so my expectations were pretty low. I will admit though I was seriously impressed. For $8.99 you get three nice sized tuna steaks individually vacuum sealed so that you can use one or all at once.  I used a simple marinade recipe that I adapted from Martha Stewart. Then I served them up with some delicious green beans I got at the farmer's market. 

Asian Seared Tuna Steaks

3 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced

2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4-1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil 

2- 4 oz. Tuna Steaks 

In a shallow bowl or pan whisk together the first 5 ingredients. Pat the tuna steaks dry with a paper towel. Salt and pepper the steaks on both sides. Place the steaks in the marinade and let sit for 10 minutes in the refrigerator. After 10 minutes, flip and let sit for an additional 5 minutes.  On a preheated grill pan sear the tuna steaks for approximately 2 minutes on each side. This will leave the middle nice and rare and in my opinion the only way tuna should be served. But if you like your tuna slightly more well done you can take it up to about 4 minutes on each side. 

I am always trying to think of different ways to serve vegetables as a side dish. I feel as if I get into these ruts of a baked sweet potato and steamed broccoli. I mean really?! I can't come up with anything better than that? So I fancied up my green beans just a bit. And what would you know it took little to no extra effort on my part. 

Lemony Green Beans with toasted Almonds

2 cups trimmed green beans

Zest of one lemon

1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds*

1 tsp. olive oil 

salt and pepper

In a large sauce pan bring about 2 quarts of water to a rolling boiling. Place the greens beans in the boiling water for about 3 minutes to begin the cooking process. Using a slotted spoon remove the green beans and place in a colander. Pat the green beans dry with a kitchen towel (careful they will be very hot!). Over medium high heat place the oil in a saute pan. Transfer the beans into saute pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until the beans are tender and slightly caramelized. Remove from the heat and zest the lemon over top, season with salt and pepper to taster, sprinkle with almonds and serve.

 * An easy way to toast nuts is on the stove top in a dry saute pan at high heat, toast the nuts for about 5 minutes or until nuts are slightly golden brown and fragrant. 

Enjoy! Let me know if you try out any of the recipes I posted and how they worked out for you. I'm also looking for suggestions for my next post so leave any you might have in the comments section! Thanks for reading :) 

Bread Bread and more bread

I feel like I am making up for lost time with this weekends multiple posts. Woohoo, go me for keeping up with this project!

My friend Kim emailed me this recipe last week and it did not take me very long before I went ahead and tried it. I mean I already had all of the ingredients stocked in the pantry and an entire afternoon ahead of me what was a girl to do?? The fact that it was a Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread recipe had nothing to do with...at all. Right, anyways so the recipe came from this blog Joy the Baker. Another food blog I must add to my favorites list. I love the recipes she includes and her narrative keeps me entertained. Whilst I was perusing different blogs, I happened upon this recipe for Pumpkin Doughnuts, which I just might have to try for doughnut pan round 2. Also,  I found this interesting tutorial on how to do a Side French Braid. I totally tried it out on myself for church this morning and it worked!! It was really easy and came out so pretty. The picture was taken at the end of the day, it wasn't quite so frizzy this morning ha.

This is going to be my go to hair style when I feel like dressing it up a bit. 

Onto the good stuff, the bread. The real reason I wanted to try this recipe was because it is a yeast based bread. I tend to stay away from recipes that include the dreaded yeast. Besides my easter babka, I don't believe I have tried a single yeasted recipe. Needless to say it is something that I would usually put aside and say maybe later. But since 2011 is the year to try things that scare me I went for it. And boy am I glad that a) I have a friend who knows me well enough to know I love a good sweet and b) that I actually went through and made this tasty treat.

Check out the recipe here: Cinnamon Pull Apart 

 Making the dough was actually very easy. The only thing that I changed from the original recipe is that I added an extra pinch of yeast, don't ask me why I did this but I did. Annnnnd, I'm pretty sure I should have stuck to the original. More about that later. The recipe just takes some time and patience. I made sure I had plenty of cleaning to do to fill up the time while the dough sat to rise then rise again. Make sure you keep the dough in a warm place while it doubles in size or else you will be waiting even longer. I kept it near my sink while I did the dishes so the steam from the hot water kept the kitchen nice and warm. It also helped that the outside temperature was 95 degrees. 

Once I got to this point, it was ready to be put in the oven. 

Before

This is where the more about that comes in. So the extra yeast allowed for the bread to rise just a little to high and the sugary, cinnamony goodness dripped over the sides and into the oven leaving me with a smoke filled kitchen/entire apartment since I do live in a studio. Ughhh, nothing worse than an apartment that will not clear out the smoke. Opening the windows is the last thing I wanted to do on such a hot day. But not to worry the bread was not effected by this little mishap.  

After
Can anyone pick out where I snuck a quick taste? 

This was absolutely the best Saturday project I have done in a while. The recipe includes two of my favorite spices, cinnamon and nutmeg. Seriously, any dessert is just ten times better when it includes the dynamic duo of cinnamon and nutmeg. I mean really have you met a dessert that wasn't better because it had hints of spice? Apple pie? Pumpkin Pie? Any pie for that matter? Cinnamon rolls? Coffee Cake? This recipe did not disappoint on that note.  

I couldn't stop taking pictures.

It was still just as delicious the next day with a cup of strong early grey tea. I think it was even better, if that is possible, with the tea because of the contrasting flavors of the strong tea and the sweet bread. Let's just say there isn't much bread left. But Mom, don't worry I racked up 4 miles on the treadmill yesterday and got in my yoga today :) So if any of you out there have any more suggestions I'm open to trying just about anything! And if you're lucky you might just get to try the results :) 

Heat Wave...

So down here in the lovely metro DC area, temperatures reached 110 degrees with a heat index of 120 today. I don't know about you but I was not made for this heat. Growing up, as the temperatures began to climb, we always had a nice breeze of the water for reprieve. And let's not even talk about the humidity, my hair is in a constant state of frizzy curl, and not the cute "just came from the beach" kind of hair. So I decided to hunker down in my nicely chilled air conditioned studio and cook up a delicious summer inspired dish. And aren't you lucky, I'm going to share :)

This was made with fresh veggies from my farmer's market that I had stowed away in my fridge that needed to be cooked up and fast. This is a super easy vegetarian dish that I used as my dinner but for those of you who don't swing that way it would be a great side to bring to a cookout. You would amaze your friends with your knowledge of an ancient grain super food and show them your mastery at making it taste delicious.

Grilled Zucchini over a Quinoa, Corn and Tomato Salad with a Lemon Vinaigrette 


1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/2 inch-1 inch thick
1 large heirloom tomato, diced
3 ears fresh corn on the cob
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup cooked quinoa (usually you can find this in the organic section or near the rice in your grocery store)
1 lemon, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, split
Salt and Pepper

Cook quinoa as directed on box. In a small bowl, toss the zucchini with 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper.   On a grill pan (or if your lucky enough out on an actual grill), grill the zucchini until slightly softened. The zucchini should still have a little firmness for texture. In a large pot filled with water and a pinch of salt, put the corn and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes or until corn is done. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper set aside. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, tomato, parsley, and the corn cut off the cob. Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the quinoa salad and toss. To serve top with the grilled zucchini and enjoy!

I enjoyed the salad warm but if I was a gambler I would bet it would be equally delicious as a cold salad!

Vacation Feast

So as promised I'm getting back on the bloggin' wagon. Vacation was a-m-a-z-i-n-g! I could not have asked for a better week to spend at home on the beach. Being with family and friends reminded me how blessed I am to have such wonderful, loving people in my life. I can assure you it was hard to leave that behind. Being home on the island I gorged on all of the best seafood that could be had. Clams, mussels, shrimp, lobsters, I didn't leave anything out.  But I will give credit where credit is due, my mother was the one spoiling me with these feasts night after night. I would be lucky to have just a bit of the talent she has in the kitchen. But I did lend a hand in the kitchen a few times. This fish taco feast was made on the last night of my vacation. It was enjoyed with some of the best people I know!

These super easy sides were used to create a make your own taco buffet! Any of these would be great sides for grilled fish or chicken if you didn't want to go the taco route.

 Cabbage Slaw with a Chili-Lime Yogurt Sauce
1/2 a head of red cabbage shredded
1/2 medium green bell pepper sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper sliced
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
juice of two limes
1 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper
Whisk together yogurt, lime, juice, chili powder, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over vegetables, serve.

Mango Salsa
2 large mangos, peeled and diced
1 fresh jalapeno, sliced (if you like it spicy leave the seeds and ribs; for a milder salsa remove)
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 cup sliced red onion
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients and serve!

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 box frozen corn kernels (feel free to use fresh if you have it available)
2 tsp. chopped cilantro
1/4 cup red bell pepper sliced
Drizzle olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and Pepper
Combine all ingredients and serve!

Grilled Swordfish, Flounder, Shrimp with Chili-Lime Marinade

3/4 cup Olive Oil

2 Tsp. Chili Powder

Juice of 1 Lime

Salt and Pepper

Simply brush the seafood on both sides and continue to brush the marinade on as you grill. I placed the shrimp in a grill top wok with the shells still on to keep the flavor. The flounder I placed in foil "boats" to prevent sticking. The swordfish cubes went straight on the grill. 

Serve all of the above with warm tortillas, shredded lettuce, guacamole and chips (my sister made her famous recipe), and of course some Skinnygirl Margaritas®. A great summer feast with great friends and family!