Monthly Archives: June 2012

Peanut Butter Icebox Pie

June 28, 2012 in Jessica, Sweets

Is there anything more Southern and wonderful than an icebox pie on a hot day? For Father’s Day, I wanted to make something nice my dad, my grandfather and my husband would all enjoy. When I stumbled across this recipe in Southern Living, I knew I had what I was looking for. It didn’t hurt that the peanut butter and banana combo reminded me of Elvis.

The pie is three basic steps:

And the final product was amazing. It was like peanut butter elevated to the best it can be. My husband wasn’t crazy about the bananas, but I thought they were good. They’re optional.

Here’s how you do it:

Recipe adapted from Southern Living magazine.

Ingredients:
1 graham cracker pie crust (you can make this or buy one from the store like I did to save time)
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups whipping cream, divided
1 8oz. package of cream cheese
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large banana, sliced (optional)

Directions:
1. Microwave chocolate and 1/2 cup of whipping cream at 50% power for 90 seconds, or until chocolate is almost melted, whisk until smooth.
2. Pour chocolate mixture into crust.
3. Beat cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar and 1/4 cup of whipping cream together at medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy.
4. In a separate bowl, beat vanilla and 1 1/4 cups whipping cream together at high speed until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold in 1/3 of whipped mixture into peanut butter mixture to loosen, then add the rest. (Note: If you’re using a Kitchen Aid style mixer, the peanut butter mixture tends to stick to the sides. Make sure it all gets combined with the whipped mixture).
6. Arrange banana slices over chocolate in the crust (optional).
7. Spread peanut butter mixture over the pie crust.
8. Cover and chill for 8 hours.

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Avocado Salsa Dip

June 27, 2012 in Appetizer, kid friendly, Vegetarian

I went to a cupcake party a few weeks ago, and after eating too many cupcakes, I needed something salty to even me out. At a table sat this dip. And it was amazing.

I’m pretty sure I sufficiently embarrassed myself by eating it all. By myself.

I don’t share well with others.

Serve it up with tortilla chips and enjoy!

 

Here’s how to make it:

recipe from a friend

Ingredients

1 tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 package crumbled feta
2 tbs purple onion
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Directions

Chop all the ingredients, and mix in the olive oil and the red wine vinegar. Serve immediately.

 

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Blueberry Breakfast Cake

June 17, 2012 in Breakfast, kid friendly, Sweets

While Father’s Day is technically a day where we honor our fathers and the fathers of our children, let’s be honest here. It’s a day where I can show off my baking and cooking skills.

What?

After the kids gave Matt his gifts and drawings, I set off to make breakfast. It included eggs, hash browns, toast made from the best bread ever, and this: the blueberry breakfast cake.

Let me first say that it was better than I had expected. It’s light like a muffin, but it’s a cake. Ingenious.

Here’s how you make it!

recipe adapted from Alexandra Cooks

 

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar with 1 tbs reserved for sprinkling on top
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups blueberries (I used frozen)
½ cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla until well combined.

In a second bowl, mix together baking powder, salt and flour. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk.

Fold in the blueberries.

Pour the batter into the baking dish and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top.

Bake for 35 minutes and check the cake. An additional 10 minutes may be necessary, as it proved to be true for me.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes prior to serving. Serve warm.

 

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Broiled Tilapia

June 14, 2012 in Dinner, Jessica, Main Dishes

Sometimes we run out of time to get a decent meal on the table. And then every so often, like once in a lifetime, my husband gets the shingles and can’t touch the food to help cook or the toddler for fear of spreading the chicken pox plague. But that’s another story.

Anyway.

When those sorts of things happen and I have to throw together something fast, healthy and easy I pull out the frozen tilapia. We buy it in family packs and they’re individually wrapped so we can cook however many we want.

Here’s how you do it:

 

Ingredients:
4-6 tilapia filets
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter melted
about a tbsp of garlic powder
about a tbsp of parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Defrost the fish (we put the them in their wrappers in warm water).
2. Preheat the oven to broil.
3. Put the olive oil in the bottom of a casserole dish and put the fish filets on top.
4. Pour the melted butter over the fish evenly.
5. Dust the fish with the garlic powder, parsley flakes, salt and pepper.
6. Broil for 10 minutes. Done!

 

 

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Baked Tacos: Vegetarian Option

June 14, 2012 in Cassie, Main Dishes, Vegetarian

We love tacos in our house. We do like most typical families do, where you add your meat, your cheese, your lettuce, your sour cream… but is there anything better than everything being hot, melty and delicious?

Oh, and that amazing crunch?

I think not.

So bake them! Bake the tacos! You seriously won’t regret it.

I make mine vegetarian by using lentils as my meat. You could always use meat or even soy crumbles. It’s obviously versatile.

Here’s how to make it!

original recipe

Ingredients

12 hard taco shells
1 cup lentils
2 cups vegegable broth or chicken broth
packet of taco seasoning or 1 tbs chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder (add Tabasco sauce only if you want a kick)
can of black beans
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 to 1 cup Mexican cheese
sour cream and refried beans optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×11 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Prepare the lentils by either using the crock pot or stove top. I used the crock pot method. Combine the lentils, vegetable broth and taco seasonings together in a crock pot. Cook on low for 3-5 hours or high for 2-4. Keep a close eye on the lentils so they don’t burn or dry out.

When ready to prepare the tacos, mix in the black beans, cheese and  salsa. Spoon the mixture into the taco shells and line in the baking dish.

Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until it’s bubbly and the taco shells are crispy.

Serve with sour cream and refried beans.

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Healthy Banana-Blueberry Bread

June 9, 2012 in Breakfast, Cassie, Sweets

We’re still having issues with the lessened need for bananas.

However, it’s working out well, since I’m getting to basically make up recipes. If they don’t turn out? That’s fine, because the bananas were going bad anyhow.

This? I was happily surprised. It’s fluffy, light, fruity AND healthy.

Win.

As with any recipe I substitute flax for eggs, you can use eggs instead. But seriously, give ground flax a try. It makes baked goods so much lighter and healthier.

Here’s how to make it!

original recipe

Ingredient

1 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup flax seed
6 tbs water
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 or 3 ripe bananas
1/3 cup milk (I used 1%)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a bread pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a bowl, mix together flax seed, water, butter and sugars. Mix until light and fluffy. Mix in bananas, milk, and vanilla extract. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until well blended. Fold in blueberries.

Pour into the bread pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Let rest in bread pan for 10 minutes before removing and allow to cool on a wire rack.

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Fiesta Corn Dip

June 5, 2012 in Appetizer, Dips, Jessica, Snacks, Vegetarian

“What’s the corn dip recipe?”

I can’t tell you how many times that text has been passed between me and my sister before she finally wised up and memorized it and I finally wrote it down. We make it a lot, but it just doesn’t seem to stick in our brains… even though it is the easiest thing to make ever. It’s made an appearance at every bridal shower we’ve helped host (or that was hosted for us).

Mix this up, serve it with Fritos and enjoy!

 

Ingredients:
3 cans of Mexi-corn (or Fiesta Corn)
1 cup of Mayonnaise (note: I did this with the light Mayo once, not so good)
1 cup of sour cream (however, light sour cream seems to work just fine if you’re so inclined)
Chopped green onions – as many as you so desire

Directions:
1. Mix it all up and serve with Fritos.

 

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Triple Layer Birthday Cake

June 4, 2012 in Cassie, Sweets

My little man turned three last week, and to celebrate, we had a little party at our house with family.

See, my sister in laws are really good at stuff. Being in shape, being pretty, good at baking, pinteresting things…you know. So I have to keep up with the Jones.

So I made this bad boy.

Score one for Cassie.

I mean, I had to outdo myself from Maelie’s first birthday cake.

That? Was phenomenal.

This? Was a diabetic’s nightmare. It was rich, chocolately, peanut buttery perfection.

If I’m not known in the family as being a fantastic baker yet, I don’t know what’ll get me to that status.

Here’s how to make it!

recipe adapted from She Makes and Bakes

Ingredients

For the cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs

For the peanut butter frosting:
10 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter

For the chocolate peanut butter ganache:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

Directions

Start with the cake.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray three 8- or 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray, then flour the pans.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the oil and sour cream and mix together. Next add the water and stir it together. Mix in the vinegar and vanilla and stir until combined. Add the eggs and mix until everything is well combined.

Divide the batter into the three pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 20 minutes and then finish cooling on a wire rack.

The cakes are soft and crumbly, so to frost them, they need to be super chilled and put together. I made the cakes the night before, by storing them in the fridge, wrapped in cellophane. If that’s not an option, stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Next, make the frosting! In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, slowly mixing in between until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the bowl. When everything is smooth and the frosting is light and fluffy, add the peanut butter and mix again until combined.

Next, put it together!  Frost the layers, with a thin layer of frosting to start. This is your messy layer, because putting a light frosting on a dark cake creates crumbs. Put the cake in the fridge and let it sit for 30 minutes. Once that is set, put a thicker layer of frosting on the cake and lightly, use a rubber spatula, smooth it to make it look pretty. Again, place the cake in the fridge so the ganache sets well.

To make the ganache, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup in a bowl over a pot of simmering water or the top of a double boiler. Stirring often, cook until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the half-and-half until well combined. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Once it’s a touch thicker, pour it over the top of the cake, spreading it to the edges so it drips down the cake. Place the cake back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving so the ganache can set.

Store in the refrigerator but make sure to take it out 30 minutes prior to serving, because no one likes to eat cold cake. OK, well most don’t.

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Pineapple Punch

June 4, 2012 in Drinks, Jessica, Summer Eats, Sweets

It’s already a million degrees here in the deep South and baby/wedding showers are in full swing. The combination of those two things means it’s time to put together a good, refreshing, summer punch.

I love pineapple. Love it. So did the mommy-to-be at this past weekend’s shower. I knew pineapple had to be involved in the punch. After scouring Pinterest and the internet though, I couldn’t find what I wanted. Most recipes included alcohol (which, you know, if fine for a day out on the beach, but probably not appropriate at a venue where the honored guest isn’t allowed to drink it).

So I combined elements from several recipes and came up with the perfect mix. It’s sweet, but delicious. Plus, eating the fruit after it’s been soaking in the punch is amazing.

Here’s how you do it:

 

Ingredients:
12 oz. frozen pineapple juice concentrate
6 oz. frozen lime juice concentrate
2 liters of ginger ale
Sliced strawberries, lines and oranges

Directions:
1. Let the frozen juice concentrates thaw a good bit.
2. Mix the frozen juice concentrates together with the ginger ale.
3. Add in sliced fruit.
4. Enjoy!

 

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Chicken Veggie Nuggets

June 1, 2012 in Dinner, Jessica, kid friendly, Main Dishes

Cassie and Angela originally slid this recipe past my inbox, excited over how much their kids loved these and hastily gobbled up their veggies without complaint.

So I set about making them, but I ran into a few complications: for one, ground chicken isn’t exactly easy to find in your average grocery store, at least around these parts. But I asked the butcher and they were able to give me some. Second, I found my veggie chicken meat mix to me more liquidy, so it was hard to cut them out into shapes and transfer them over to the pan while still retaining a pretty shape.  Instead I went with a round-ish patty. Maybe one day my daughter will care about these being in fun shapes, but for now, her 14-month-old little self has to eat them cut up and had no problem with their shape.

Plus, if you make paddies with them, you can eat them burger style!

Here’s how we did it:
Recipe from Cheeky Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz.) package frozen veggies, thawed (We used an organic mix of carrots, corn, green beans and peas).
1 egg
1/2 lb. ground chicken
1 tsp. onion salt
panko bread crumbs (enough to coat your nuggets, 2 cups or so)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put the veggies and egg in a blender. Blend until pureed.
3. Pour puree into a large bowl. Add the ground chicken and onion salt.
4. Mix together with a fork until well mixed.
5. On a large cutting board, spread a thin layer of the panko crumbs, salt and pepper them lightly. Spread chicken mixture on top of the crumb mixture until it’s about 1/2″ thick.
6. Sprinkle more panko crumbs, salt, and pepper on top of the chicken mixture.
7. Use a cookie cutter to cut the chicken into star shapes, or make them into paddies, whichever works for you.
8. Bake 14-16 minutes and enjoy.

Note: We froze some of these after we cooked them for easy re-heating later.

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