Last week on March 19, senior medical students all around the country learned where we would be going for our residency training.  It was an exciting day for myself as well as my friends!  Amazingly, in my group of close friends, every single one of us ended up matching here in Indianapolis.  We have a wide range of specialties represented within our group – psychiatry, OB/GYN, pathology, ENT, anesthesia, family medicine and neurosurgery!  I am so proud of us all for making it through medical school and getting our first jobs as M.D.s, so a celebration was clearly in order.

Since reaching this milestone is a huge accomplishment for us, I decided to make the event accordingly fancy.  And, since champagne is the signature drink of celebratory affairs, I created a menu with lots of delicious food including a few items incorporating the bubbly beverage.

The menu was as follows:
Blackberry Champagne Cocktails
Chicken-Stuffed Mushrooms
Caprese Tarts
Spinach Salad with Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette
Lobster Ravioli in a Champagne Cream Sauce
Chocolate Raspberry Tarlettes

It is safe to say, everyone thoroughly enjoyed this meal.  From the champagne cocktails to the last bite of dessert, everything turned out very well and went together nicely.  This dinner felt like a real achievement for me because I came up with several of the recipes on my own with no real recipe to go by.  A lack of recipe used to terrify me to the core, but now I am a much more confident cook and it turns out I do pretty well coming up with things myself.  I did take careful notes while I cooked though, so that I could share the recipes with you!   It wasn’t easy to get good photos before the food was gobbled up, but I did my best.

These champagne cocktails were a perfect specialty drink for the evening.  Some sugar cubes, a touch of blackberry puree and a few fresh berries made for a delicious and pretty beverage.

Blackberry Champagne Cocktails
Ingredients:
Sugar cubes
Blackberries (fresh or frozen), for puree
Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
Fresh blackberries, for garnish

Directions:
Place 1-2 sugar cubes in the bottom of each champagne flute.  Puree fresh or frozen blackberries in a blender or food processor.  Strain through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds.  Fill flutes with chilled champagne.  Top each glass with a tablespoon or so of the blackberry puree and garnish with two fresh blackberries.

Source: inspired by Williams Sonoma

A few weeks ago Ben and I had dinner at a local winery and had chicken-stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer.  They were fantastic and so I decided to try to recreate them at home.  My regular stuffed mushrooms are a favorite among my friends, and these are now a favorite as well.

Chicken-Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
2 chicken breasts, cooked (I poached them)
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Black pepper
Stuffing mushrooms (I used about 30)

Directions:
Place garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until finely minced.  Cut chicken breasts into large cubes and add to the food processor.  Add cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the bowl as well.  Process in pulses until the chicken is cut to very small pieces.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Clean the mushrooms gently.  Remove the stems from the caps, and chop the stems finely.  Add some of the chopped stems to the chicken mixture, if desired.  Fill each mushroom cap with the chicken mixture and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Serve warm.

Source: Annie’s Eats

I am of the mind that basically anything with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil can’t be bad.  So I took some squares of puff pastry and added the three magical ingredients for a quick, easy and delicious appetizer.  These went quickly as well, so quickly that I didn’t even get to taste one myself.  I heard they were very good though!

Caprese Tarts
Ingredients:
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Cherry tomatoes, sliced thinly
Fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
Fresh basil, minced

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Using a round biscuit cutter, cut rounds of puff pastry.  Transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush the puff pastry rounds lightly with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Top each round with sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.  Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden.  Serve warm.

Source: me! (Annie’s Eats)

I love spinach salads, but traditionally I am not a huge fan of sweet salad dressing.  I have had strawberry spinach salads in the past and enjoyed them, but this salad was in a class of its own.  I LOVED it!  I think that the strawberry puree as the dressing rather than strawberry slices really makes it perfect because there is strawberry in every bite.  The dried cranberries and apple slices on top were excellent as well.  I will be making this again and again!

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Champagne Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
For the vinaigrette:
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
2 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp. Champagne
1 tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt

For the salad:
Baby spinach leaves

For topping:
Chopped walnuts, toasted
Dried cranberries
Green apples, thinly sliced

Directions:
To make the vinaigrette, combine the strawberries, apple cider vinegar, champagne, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Store in an airtight container.

To make the salad, place some baby spinach in a bowl.  Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss to coat.  Add more dressing if needed.

Transfer individual serving portions of the spinach to salad plates.  Top each portion with a few chopped toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and a few slices of green apple.

Source: inspired by Epicurious

Since this was such a special occasion, I wanted an entree that was worthy.  Lobster immediately came to mind, but I’m not made of money so serving whole lobster to 10 guests was just not an option.  This lobster ravioli with champagne cream sauce seemed the perfect solution.  I used four lobster tails and wanted to make sure that the filling would go far enough to make ravioli for 10 people, yet I also wanted to be sure that the lobster flavor was prominent and not overshadowed by the other filling components.  I think I really achieved the right balance with these and will definitely make them again.

I made the ravioli a couple days in advance of the party and froze them.  Then just before dinner all I had to do was toss them in the boiling water and cook for a few minutes.  This really helped free up the day of the party so I could focus on other tasks.  The sauce was excellent as well.  Unfortunately my recipe for the sauce is not very exact because dinner was stalled by a couple late arrivals, and I kept having to make alterations and additions to ensure that the sauce came out okay.  I will give the best description I can, hopefully it will do!

Lobster Ravioli in a Champagne Cream Sauce
Yield: about 70 ravioli

Ingredients:
4 lobster tails
4 tbsp. butter
3-4 shallots, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 oz. cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
2 1/2-3 batches homemade pasta

For the sauce:
6 tbsp. butter, divided
2 shallots, finely minced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp. tomato puree
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup Champagne
3 tbsp. flour
Heavy cream

Directions:
Remove the meat from the lobster tails.  Roughly chop and set aside.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and saute for a few minutes.   Add the chopped mushrooms and saute a few minutes more.  Once the shallots are tender, add the lobster meat to the skillet and cook, stirring, just until cooked through (this only takes a few minutes).  When the lobster is cooked, transfer the mixture to a cutting board and chop fine with a large knife.  Transfer to a bowl.  Add the ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Roll out pasta into long sheets.   Scoop a couple teaspoons of the lobster filling and roll into a ball.  Place on one sheet of the pasta.  Continue topping with filling balls every few inches.  Once the sheet is covered with filling balls, lay another long sheet of pasta over the top.  Press the top sheet down and mold around the filling balls (if the sheets don’t stick together easily, wet your finger with water or egg and brush lightly between the two sheets).  Cut the ravioli into desired shapes with a pastry or ravioli cutter.  Repeat this process until the remaining filling and/or pasta is used up.

(At this point, you can cook the ravioli in boiling water or freeze them.)

If freezing, transfer finished ravioli to a lightly floured surface and allow to dry for 30-60 minutes.  Place in a plastic freezer bag and freeze until ready to cook.  To cook, drop frozen ravioli into boiling water and boil until cooked to your liking (about 7-9 minutes).

To make the sauce, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet.  Add the shallots and carrots and saute until the shallots are tender.  Add the tomato puree to the skillet, stir, and cook until the tomato has begun to caramelize a bit, 2-3 minutes.  Add in the chicken stock and champagne and stir.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and allow to reduce to about 1/3.  Once the sauce has reduced, in small saucepan melt the 3 tablespoons of remaining butter.  Add the flour and whisk, cooking 2-3 minutes to form a roux.  Add the roux to the skillet and mix well.  Whisk in heavy cream until sauce has reached the desired consistency (I also added in more champagne at this point).  Pass the sauce through a strainer to remove the carrots and shallots.  Serve warm atop the ravioli.

Source: inspired by Fotocuisine

I originally had a completely different dessert planned for this party, but after I started making it I quickly realized it wasn’t going to work out.  I decided to cut my losses and make something else.  These little cuties have been on my list to try forever, and they fit all the requirements of what I was looking for – something chocolate, personalized, and something I already had all the ingredients for.  Honestly, I am kind of glad that my original plan did not work out because these were phenomenal.  The crust was light and buttery, the chocolate filling was smooth and perfectly accompanied by the raspberries.  I considered skipping the raspberry jam underneath the chocolate filling but it was a delicious addition so I would recommend using it.  What a great way to finish off a great meal!

Chocolate Raspberry Tartlettes
Yield: 10 (3 1/2 to 4 inch) tartlettes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 recipes basic tart dough
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
Fresh raspberries, for topping

Directions:
Roll out the tart dough and use it to line 10 mini-tart pans (yield may vary depending on the size of pans you use – mine were 4 inches).  Trim off any excess dough.  Refrigerate the shells until firm, about 30 minutes.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.  Place the mini tart pans on a baking sheet for easy transfer.  Line each shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with baking weights.  Bake until the shells are pale gold, about 15 minutes.  Remove the weights and the foil and continue to bake until the shells are golden, about 5 minutes more.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

In the top pan of a double boiler over simmering water, combine the butter, chocolate, and corn syrup.  Melt and stir until smooth.  Remove from the heat.

Spread a few teaspoons of raspberry jam in the bottom of each shell.  Fill as full as possible with the chocolate mixture.  Let the filled tartlettes stand at room temperature until set, 1 to 2 hours.  Before serving, top each tarlette with fresh raspberries.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma

I have lots of other things waiting to be posted but I just HAD to move these to the the front of the queue – and you see why.  They are SO CUTE!  They needed to be shared immediately :)  I saw a few variations on cupcakes like these last spring, but never got around to making them.  I’ve been waiting all year for another chance!  This week Ben needed something sweet to take in to school so it worked out perfectly.  I heard they were quite a hit!  

I had really good intentions of doing a step-by-step photo post as I made these, but I wasn’t feeling well and ended up becoming so engrossed in the detail work that I forgot to take pictures.  Sorry!  I’m sure you can pretty much imagine how to assemble them just from looking at the picture.  Originally I had planned to do half of the nests with just mini egg candies and the other half with birds, but then I decided that the eggs I bought were not even half as cute as the birds so I went all the way with those.  These are the perfect treat for springtime and would also be welcome as part of any Easter spread.  Next time I’ll be sure to make a double batch.  They were too cute to only have 12!  Happy spring!

Baby Bluebird Cupcakes
Supplies:
1 batch cupcakes (any flavor – I used vanilla)
Shredded coconut
Pastry bags (large round and small “V” tips)
Chocolate frosting (I used Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Frosting – 3/4 batch)
Vanilla frosting (I used leftover canned frosting from another project)
Blue and yellow icing color
Chocolate (I used a few leftover chocolate chips)

Directions:
Level cupcakes if necessary with a small paring knife.  Toast the shredded coconut and let cool completely before proceeding.  (I like to toast coconut in a non-stick skillet, as it is much easier to control the browning and less likely to burn than when using the oven.)  Transfer to a bowl.

Using a pastry bag, pipe a ring or two of chocolate frosting around the outside edge of each cupcake to form the foundation of the nest (the tip you use doesn’t really matter since it will be covered with coconut anyway).  Sprinkle a large amount of the toasted coconut over each cupcake, gently pressing it into the chocolate frosting.  Shake off the excess.  

Color some of the vanilla frosting light blue.  Using a pastry bag fitted with a wide round tip, pipe three mounds of frosting into the center of each nest to make the birds’ bodies.  (If there is a little peak on the top of your mounds, just wait a few minutes until the icing begins to set and then gently smooth it down with a toothpick or your finger.)  Color the remaining vanilla frosting yellow, and using a pastry bag fitted with a small “V” tip, pipe a beak onto each bird.  Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, in 20-30 second intervals until completely melted.  Dip a toothpick in the chocolate and dot eyes onto each bird.

Source: inspiration from Martha Stewart

Well loyal readers, get ready for a bit of a lull in posting here on Annie’s Eats.  I just received my schedule for my rotation next month and it’s pretty much going to be terrible.  I have 4 days off all month, work one week of 13-hour night shifts, and 11 hour shifts the whole rest of the month.  Yeah, not good.  Not to mention, the hospital is almost an hour away from my house, so I’ll lose another two hours driving each day.  So, although I have a whole slew of delicious things waiting to be posted at the moment, I’m going to spread them out a bit to hold us over through the month of April since I anticipate no cooking or baking at all :(

In the meantime though, here is a delicious coffee cake!  Last week Ben’s school had one of their pitch-in staff breakfasts.  I always try to send something for these so we don’t waste money on a less tasty store-bought item, and also because it gives me the opportunity to try another new recipe.  Normally I omit nuts from most things that I bake, but I am not completely averse to walnuts so I gave them a try.  This is a really, really good coffee cake.  It is very moist and soft, and so tasty!  It must have been a hit with the teachers as well because Ben came home with an empty dish.  I didn’t get a picture of the inside once cut, but it has a swirl of streusel mixture running through the middle.  The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the streusel topping – it tasted fine, but it really wasn’t as clumpy as I think it should have been.  It seemed like there wasn’t enough butter to cut into the dry ingredients, so it ended up more of a sandy mixture.  Next time I would add at least one or two more tablespoons of butter to the streusel mixture to achieve a clumpier texture.  Otherwise, this was easy to make and yummy to eat!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
For the cake:
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

For the streusel:
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I’ll use 4-5 tbsp. next time)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the maple glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp. real maple syrup

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add in the vanilla and sour cream, scraping down the bowl between additions.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.  

For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and mix together with a fork.  Add in the butter and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble.  Mix in the walnuts, if desired.  

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife.  Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the streusel mixture.  Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan, spread it out, and sprinkle with remaining streusel on top.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  

Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.  Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate.  Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup, adding a few drops of water if necessary to make it runny.  Drizzle as much glaze as you like over the cake with the whisk, a fork or a spoon.  

Source: adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Ina Garten

I am a huge fan of marinating meat or poultry for dinner.  It always results in such a moist, flavorful entree that requires minimal effort.  Ten minutes of prep time, throw it in the fridge, and forget it…you come home, and dinner is almost done.  Talk about perfect for a weeknight meal!  This dinner was not without hiccups though…this was our first time using the grill after a long winter and we had a little mishap that made this meal less than fantastic – but I can tell it would have been incredible otherwise, so I can’t wait to make it again!

The original recipe recommends grilling the pork, which is what we did.  However, if you don’t have a grill or the weather isn’t agreeable, I find that baking the pork in a 9×13-inch baking dish at 375° F for 45-50 minutes works just as well.  I typically pour the marinade in the dish as well to be sure that the meat doesn’t dry out while baking.  I served this with roasted carrots and potatoes and they went nicely with the meal.

Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients:
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
2 tbsp. minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb. each
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon Ziploc bag.  Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade.  Squeeze out the air and seal the bag.  Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferable overnight.

When you are ready to cook the pork, heat a charcoal or gas grill.  Brush the grate of the grill with oil to prevent the pork from sticking.  Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade.  Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper.  Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 15-25 minutes (depending on the temperature of the grill) until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part.  Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Slice and serve warm with the juices that collect on the platter. 

Source: adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Every once in a while (you know, like once a week), I get the urge to make ice cream.  I just don’t think I’ll ever get over my amazement at the wonderful ice creams I can make in my own kitchen.  I haven’t bought a single container of ice cream from the store since getting my ice cream maker!  This week when the urge hit, it didn’t take me long to decide on Ben & Jerry’s Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream.  I had several left over Heath Bars in the pantry from some cookies I made months ago, just waiting for their purpose.  Well, they found it.  This was fabulous as you might imagine.  I think next time I make it I may add even more Heath Bar pieces because I love a lot of mix-ins in my ice cream.  I know it is easy to buy the pre-chopped Heath Bar bits – heck, I have them in my pantry as well – but I think using chopped up Heath Bars is important to the texture of the ice cream.  The pre-chopped pieces are too small and fine but the actual bars contribute a nice amount of crunch.  

Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream
Ingredients:
4 original Heath bars (1 1/8 oz. each)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Using a sharp knife, coarsely chop the Heath bars into large chunks.  You should have about 1 cup (next time I’ll use 1 1/2 cups).  Place the chunks in a bowl, cover, and freeze for about 1 hour.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more.  Pour in the cream, milk, vanilla extract, and whisk to blend.  

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  After the ice cream has stiffened, transfer half of it to an air-tight storage container.  Top with half of the Heath Bar pieces.  Transfer the remaining ice cream to the container and top with the remaining Heath Bar pieces.  Mix well until the candy pieces are evenly mixed throughout the ice cream.  Store in the freezer until the ice cream is ready.

Source: adapted from Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and Dessert Book

I have been on such an Ina Garten kick lately!  Receiving a couple of her cookbooks for Christmas really reminded me how much I love her recipes.  The books inspire me with her simple yet delicious recipes and beautiful pictures.  I make something of hers at least once a week now!  I have only made spanakopita once before, as an appetizer at the first ever dinner party I ever threw.  It actually turned out pretty well at that time, especially considering I had never worked with phyllo dough before.  Phyllo really isn’t difficult to work with, you just have to be gentle with it.  I find that a little patience goes a long way in the kitchen, and this recipe is a great example.  The filling is a cinch to throw together, so as long as you don’t have issues with phyllo, this is a simple yet elegant dinner.  

These strudels are very rich so I would recommend serving them with a light side dish like a simple green salad.  The only thing I will change next time I make these will be to chop the pine nuts up a bit before adding them to the filling mixture, as Ben and I both thought the whole nuts made for an odd texture.  Also, Ina recommends sprinkling a small amount of bread crumbs on each sheet of phyllo during the layering process, but I skipped this step and they were still wonderfully flaky so I’m not sure it’s necessary.  Otherwise, this is a great vegetarian dinner!

Dinner Spanakopitas
Yield: 6 strudels

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Plain dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 cup small-crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts, chopped
12 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan, add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat.  Add the green onions and cook for another 2 minutes until they are wilted but still green.  Meanwhile, add the thawed and drained spinach to a large mixing bowl.  When the onions are done, add them to the bowl.  Mix in the eggs, Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 tablespoons bread crumbs, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Gently fold in the feta and the pine nuts. 

Place one sheet of phyllo dough flat on a work surface.  Brush the dough lightly with butter.  Working quickly, place another sheet of phyllo on top of the first, and brush it lightly with butter.  Continue this process until you have a stack of 4 sheets of phyllo.  Cut the stack of phyllo in half lengthwise (I found a pizza cutter useful for this step).  Place 1/3 cup of the spinach filling on the shorter end and roll the phyllo up diagonally as if folding a flag.  Then fold the triangle of phyllo over straight and then diagonally again.  Continue folding the first diagonally and then straight until you reach the end of the sheet.  The filling should be totally enclosed.  Continue assembling phyllo layers and folding the filling until all of the filling is used.  Place on a sheet pan, seam sides down.  Brush the tops with melted butter, sprinkle with flaked salt (I used kosher) and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the phyllo is browned and crisp.  Serve hot. 

Source: adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Oh my goodness, am I ever a Caesar salad girl.  I order a Caesar salad pretty much every time I am out at a restaurant.  Even if it doesn’t particularly go with the entree I ordered, I just can’t resist it!  Having tried so many different versions, I realize that people make this dish thousands of different ways…but I’m not picky, I have yet to meet a version that I don’t like.  Some dressings are creamier, some are more oily, but they are all delicious in my book.  I have only tried making it at home once before and was not thrilled with the dressing, but this version is definitely a winner!  

Many of the creamier Caesar dressings are achieved by the addition of raw egg, and while I don’t mind eating it in a restaurant occasionally, I’m not about to make (and store) that at home.  This particular dressing is definitely more on the oily side of the spectrum, making it nice and light.  I think you could easily adjust the ingredients in this dressing (a little more or less of particular ingredients) to get the exact flavor you prefer.  I think next time I make this I will add a bit more Parmesan and garlic, but this is definitely an excellent starting point.  I’m ecstatic to finally be able to make my favorite salad at home!  I can’t wait to try it topped with some grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon.  YUM!

One word on the croutons – I think it is essential that you use good, crusty, bubbly French bread.  On my first attempt with this recipe I used bread labeled as “soft French bread” from the store.  While the bread tasted great, it made croutons that were too crumbly and just not right at all.  I tried again with classic French bread and the results were much, much better. 

Caesar Salad
Ingredients:
For the dressing:
4 canned anchovy fillets
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard (whole grain or creamy)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the croutons:
1 baguette French bread
1/4 cup olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
Kosher salt

For the salad:
Romaine lettuce, washed and dried

For garnish: 
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
To make the dressing, combine the anchovy fillets, garlic, Dijon, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse, or blend on low speed for several seconds, until well-combined.  Scrape down the sides.  With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream.  Scrape the sides of the bowl, and process again to thoroughly combine.   Add a dash of kosher salt and black pepper.  Add the Parmesan cheese.  Pulse once more until well combined.  Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the flavors to mingle.

To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.  Cut the French bread into 1-inch cubes.  Spread the cubes of bread on a baking sheet.  Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Crush the whole cloves of garlic and add them to the oil.  Stir them around for about 5 minutes to infuse the oil with the garlic flavor.  Remove from the heat and discard the garlic cloves.  Drizzle the oil over the bread cubes.  Toss lightly with your hands to help coat the bread with the oil.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.  Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally (I stir every 15 minutes).  After the croutons have baked for 1 hour, turn the heat up to 400 degrees F.  Bake the croutons at 400 degrees for 3-5 minutes, just until they have been lightly browned.  (Watch them carefully or they will burn!)  Allow the croutons to cool.

To make the salad, cut or tear the romaine lettuce into pieces.  Add the lettuce to a salad bowl.  Start by topping the lettuce with a couple of tablespoons of the Caesar dressing.  Toss well to coat, and add more as needed.  Transfer the lettuce to serving bowls and top with croutons.  Top with Parmesan cheese (either shaved with a vegetable peeler, or grated).  

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Last week I was planning on baking some muffins to ship to my grandmother, and the recipe I made totally flopped.  It had been a few weeks since I had sent her something though, so I was determined to get a package of goodies out to her within a couple of days.  I brainstormed a bit and remembered this recipe which I have wanted to try ever since I purchased Dorie’s cookbook.  This was perfect because I already had all the ingredients on hand (you probably do too!)  This is a very no-fuss muffin – just a basic muffin with streusel topping, flavored with allspice.  Dorie lists the lemon zest as optional but I think it was a unique counterpoint to the flavor of the allspice, so I would not recommend skipping it.  My grandma enjoyed them, as did the rest of us who sampled the leftovers.  I think these could also be great with some dried fruit mixed in, like raisins or cranberries.  Combined with some fresh fruit and yogurt, these would make a fantastic breakfast.  Enjoy!

Allspice Crumb Muffins
Ingredients:
For the streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
5 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

For the muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Center a rack in the oven.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.  

To make the streusel topping, put the flour, brown sugar and allspice in a small bowl.  Sift together with a fork.  Add the bits of cold butter and toss to coat, then use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until you’ve got irregularly shaped crumbs.  Set aside in the refrigerator.  

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, allspice and salt.  Stir in the brown sugar, making certain there are no lumps.  In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla together until well combined.  Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently but quickly stir to blend with the whisk or a rubber spatula; the batter will be somewhat lumpy.  Stir in the lemon zest.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  Sprinkle some streusel over each muffin, then use your fingertips to gently press the crumbs into the batter.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes.  Remove the muffins to the wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Source: adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Sushi is a food that so many people just LOVE.  I’ve tried it multiple varieties several different times in the past, and though I always thought it was good, I never quite understood the “thing” that people feel for sushi.  It was just okay, but I never craved it.  Then last month, we had dinner at our friends’ house and the hostess served her California rolls.  Next thing I knew, it was a month later, and I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about them.  So recently, we invited them over for dinner and I asked her to teach me how to make California rolls.  I was shocked when I realized how quick and simple they are to make!  

California rolls are probably the most basic and popular of sushi rolls.  They don’t contain any seafood so if you are afraid of raw fish, no worries hear.  You can easily alter the veggies you include in your rolls to suit your personal tastes.  I used scallions, red pepper and avocado but you can make it your own!

My biggest issue was simply finding the nori (seaweed wraps) in a grocery store.  A couple stores in my area have been rumored to carry them, but I searched high and low with no luck.  I ended up finding a large selection in a wonderful little co-op grocery store in my hometown.  Ironically enough, my regular grocery store did carry the bamboo rolling mat, but no nori – what’s up with that?  Anyway, if you are a fan of California rolls in restaurants, now you too can enjoy how incredibly simple it is to make them at home!

 Start out with a bag of sushi rice.  This is not the same thing as regular white rice.  This is the kind I used.  (I like that it is “extra fancy” – LOL.)  Prepare a batch according to the package directions.

Once the rice is cooked, mix in a couple tablespoons each of rice vinegar and white sugar.  Let the rice cool.

I hope you have better luck finding nori than I did!

Lay one sheet of the nori out on a bamboo rolling mat.

Using clean WET HANDS, cover the nori with a thin layer of sushi rice.  If your hands aren’t wet, the rice will stick to you and just be a big mess – trust me.  Press it down flat on top.  (Be careful not to use too much rice.  April tells me this is one of the easiest mistakes to make, and this can result in difficulty rolling the sushi.)

Place scallion pieces on top of the rice in a line near the end of the nori.

Then add a line of red pepper pieces (or again, use whatever veggies suit you).

And a line of avocado pieces (I don’t even like avocado, but I like it in this).

Once all your veggies are lined up at the end, use the bamboo mat to help roll the sushi up very tightly.  (You can wet the far edge of the nori lightly with water to help it stick to the roll, but I haven’t found that to be necessary.)

And keep rolling until it is completely rolled up.

Voila!  Pretty sushi roll.

Use a good, sharp knife to cut the roll up into pieces.  Normally I have cut each roll into 6 pieces, but they are a tad big so I think next time I will do 7 or 8.

Dip the rolls in soy sauce and wasabi, and enjoy!  I’m looking forward to trying more kinds of sushi rolls now that I have the itch!

Source: passed on to me by friend April E.

As much as I love making involved, multi-step desserts, sometimes I just need to bake something quick for the sake of instant gratification.  Also, sometimes you need a chocolate fix now.  These little cuties are perfect for such situations.  Even better, I usually have all the ingredients on hand to make them.  I also love that the batter is mixed up in one pan so you don’t have to dirty a lot of dishes.  Basically, these are great in many ways.  I think the only problem with them is that they will disappear before you know it!  

I found that mine required a few extra minutes in the oven, so watch them carefully to be sure they are fully baked.  Also, I did not get quite as many as the original recipe was said to yield.  That, combined with the fact that these are irresistible, ensures I will make a double batch every time from now on.  Enjoy!

Recipe Rewind: tried and true favorites I’ve made recently
The famous “Benchiladas” – they were always good, but making them with this salsa puts them over the top to WOW! 

Toffee-Topped Brownie Bites
Ingredients:
For the brownies:
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

For the ganache:
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

For topping:
Toffee bits (or coarsely chopped Heath Bars)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the unsweetened chocolate and butter.  Cook and stir over medium-low heat just until melted and smooth.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt, and whisk until combined.  Stir in the flour until just incorporated.  Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup.  

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until completely set.  Allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.  Remove brownies from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, heat the whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just until it simmers; remove from the heat.  Add the bittersweet chocolate to the heated cream, let stand for 30 seconds, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is well blended.

Gently dip the top of each brownie in the ganache and then sprinkle with toffee bits.  Allow the glaze to set completely before serving. 

Source: adapted from Cast Sugar

One of my most favorite dinners to add to my weekly menu is grilled veggie paninis.  They are fast, easy, healthy, and DELICIOUS!  I also love that they go so well with a variety of side dishes.  This week I decided to try a new side dish with them, these sweet potato fries.  I did not expect to like these myself, as I am traditionally not a fan of sweet potatoes.  However, I found myself going back for more…and more of these.  Ben loved them of course, since he does like sweet potatoes, and they were strangely addictive.  My only issue with these is that they were a bit soft.  Next time I make them I will try a little trick I learned recently – soaking the potato wedges in cold water before baking.  I tried this last time I made regular oven fries and it made a huge difference in the texture.  They were crispy outside, but soft inside, just as they should be.  I think that will make these go from good to great!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil greased with cooking spray.

Halve the sweet potatoes lengthwise and cut each half into long spears.  (Soak in cold water for 20-30 minutes before continuing for crispy texture outside.  Drain well and pat dry.)  Place the potato spears on the sheet pan and toss with olive oil.  Spread them in a single layer.  Combine the brown sugar, salt, and pepper and sprinkle on the potatoes.  Bake for 15 minutes, then turn with a spatula or tongs.  Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned.  Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and serve hot. 

Source: adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics by Ina Garten

I would like all my readers to know that I really try to post good, reliable recipes on this blog.  If I don’t really, really like something, I don’t post it.  It may seem like I post everything I try because I post so frequently, but this is not so.  Today I made a batch of muffins that sounded great, but they were just okay – they tasted fine but they sunk in the middle.  I wasn’t thrilled with them, so I won’t be blogging them.  These muffins, however, are AWESOME!  I made these for brunch with the in-laws and some of Ben’s extended family this weekend, and they went over very well with everyone.  Ben even deemed them “the best muffins ever!”  

These were absolutely fantastic in flavor, texture and shape.  The only thing I would change next time would be to add more espresso powder as I felt that flavor did not come through as much as I would like.  Ben and his grandmother both said they could really taste it though, so I suppose I will leave that up to your discretion.  I used a mixture of dark and semisweet chocolate chips because that is what I had on hand, and I loved the combination.  Enjoy!

Recipe Rewind: tried and true favorites I’ve made recently
Black Bean and Salsa Soup 

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2-1 tsp. espresso powder (depending on your taste)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature 
1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir together and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the mashed bananas, sugar, brown sugar, butter, milk, egg and mascarpone.  Mix on medium speed until well combined.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Gently fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. 

Source: adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody 

I know, I know – I say I’m not a fan of lemon and then go and post tons of lemon recipes.  What can I say, maybe I’m changing my mind!  Last week some great friends of ours came over for dinner.  I always love the opportunity to entertain at home because it gives me a chance to make a special dessert I wouldn’t normally make for just the two of us.  This is a perfect example of that.  These were definitely time-consuming because of the various steps involved, but the end result was so gratifying.  They looked absolutely gorgeous and tasted great too – even I thought so!  Our guests raved about them, so they were well worth the effort.  

I love the look of small cakes and personalized desserts, but this recipe could certainly be adapted to fit one larger pan (maybe an 8-inch springform.)  I used ramekins carefully lined with parchment paper for mine.  The lining process definitely took some time, but it paid off in the end when these came out of the dishes beautifully without a single problem.  While I was cooking the base for the mousse, I was convinced that I was going to hate the taste of these, because it smelled so strongly of lemon curd (which I do NOT like).  However, I was reassured when I took them out of the refrigerator and the smell was replaced by a sweet, light lemon scent.  The mousse itself is not overly sweet, and I would consider adding a tiny bit more sugar next time, but these were great and were rapidly devoured after dinner. 

Lemon Poppy Seed Cakes with Lemon Mousse
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup egg whites (from about 3-4 eggs)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest of one lemon
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the lemon syrup:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. sugar

For decoration:
fresh strawberry slices (you could also use fresh raspberries, etc.  Be creative!) 

For the mousse:
1 1/2 tsp. gelatin
2 tbsp. cold water
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  Line the bottom of a 9×13″ pan with parchment paper.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Stir to combine.  In a separate bowl combine the egg whites and milk.   Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly add the egg white mixture while stirring with a whisk.  Add the poppy seeds and the melted butter and mix with a whisk until smooth.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes.  Turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  

While the cakes are cooling, prepare the lemon syrup.  Combine the lemon juice, water and sugar in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. 

Prepare to assemble the desserts.  Line the bottoms of 4-5 ramekins with rounds of parchment paper.  Make a ring out of another piece of parchment paper to line the edges of the dishes.  (You could also use clean soup cans.)  Once the cake has cooled, cut out rounds of cake and place into the bottoms of the prepared containers.  (I cut a piece of card stock to fit the bottom of a ramekin, and then traced around it with my knife to cut the rounds so that they fit nicely.)   Brush the cake rounds with the lemon syrup. Place strawberry slices around the perimeter of the dishes, snugly against the parchment paper.

To make the mousse,  in a very small bowl sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let sit while you prepare the cream.  In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolks together.  Add the cornstarch and whisk until you have a thick, smooth paste.  Set aside.  Meanwhile, add the milk to a saucepan.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk, and add the remaining part of the bean to the pot as well.  Heat over medium-high heat until boiling.  Remove from the heat and add slowly to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.  (Pour through a fine mesh strainer if this happens.)  Remove the vanilla bean.  Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.  Add the lemon juice and zest, cook for 30 more seconds, and remove from the heat.  Immediately add in the gelatin and stir until completely dissolved.  Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream so that it does not develop a skin as it cools to room temperature.

Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold it into the cooled pastry cream.  Spoon the mousse immediately into the prepared ramekins so that it reaches just above the top of the strawberry slices.  Level the top and refrigerate until set.  Remove the desserts from the ramekins, peel off the parchment paper and serve.

Source: adapted from Tartlette

I think that Mexican meals can be some of the hardest to plan.  Of course, most people love Mexican food, myself included – spicy hot food with melted cheese, warm tortillas, yummy beans and peppers – what’s not to love?  Aside from chips and salsa, I usually have a hard time thinking of what else to serve as side dishes.  I am crazy about the standard refried beans and rice served on the side of almost every entree in a Mexican restaurant.  However, I had never found a recipe for making Mexican rice at home that even came close to what I was looking for…until now.  This version is exactly the right side for a wonderful Mexican meal.  I served it with refried beans as well and felt like I was in a restaurant!  I will be making this again and again and again.  I think the tomato and onion puree used in cooking the rice really helps impart both color and flavor to the rice.  It may seem like a fair amount of work for a side dish (or at least quite a few dishes) but it is definitely worth it, in my opinion.

Recipe Rewind: tried and true favorites I’ve made recently
Roasted Tomato Soup 

Mexican Rice
Ingredients:
2 ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 medium white onion, peeled, trimmed and quartered
2 cups long grain white rice
1/3 cup canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
3 medium jalapenos, ribbed, seeded and minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)
1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and move a rack to the middle position.  Process tomatoes and onions in the food processor until smooth and thoroughly pureed, about 15 seconds, scraping down the bowl if necessary.  Transfer the mixture a liquid measuring cup; you should have 2 cups (if necessary, spoon off excess or add water so that the volume equals 2 cups).   

Place the rice in a large fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Shake rice vigorously in strainer to remove all excess water.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed oven-safe Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the rice and fry, stirring frequently, until it is golden and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium; add the garlic and minced jalapenos; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Stir in pureed tomatoes and onions, chicken broth, tomato paste and salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Cover the pan an transfer to the oven; bake until the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30 to 35 minutes, stirring well after 15 minutes.

Stir in cilantro (if desired) and serve with lime wedges.  

Source: adapted from Dinner and Dessert, originally from Cook’s Illustrated, September 2004

All throughout the food blogging world I have heard such hype about Meyer lemons.  Everybody and their brother has been making all sorts of Meyer lemon treats.  Apparently Meyer lemons are a cross between lemons and mandarin oranges so they are less tart than regular lemons.  When I saw them at the store a few weeks ago I grabbed them – and then they sat, and sat, and sat some more in my fruit bowl.  I’m traditionally not a lemon-lover (although that seems to be changing lately) so I was at a loss as to what to do with them.  Eventually the lemons had been around enough that they were on the verge of going bad, so I knew they had to be used quickly.  I decided on this sorbet and it was wonderful!  I used about half Meyer lemons and half regular lemons.  Honestly, I’m not sure my palate is sophisticated enough to pick out the difference between Meyer and regular lemons, but this was delicious nonetheless.  This recipe can be made with less sugar if you prefer a stronger lemon flavor.  The only thing I will change next time I make this will be to add a bit of alcohol to the mixture to help prevent it from freezing so hard.  Since it is almost completely water and juice, it is very icy.  I think a small amount of vodka or limoncello would work well.

Recipe Rewind: tried and true favorites I’ve made recently
Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta al Forno 

Lemon Sorbet
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups water, divided
1 1/4 cups sugar (1 cup for a more tangy sorbet)
2 lemons, preferably unsprayed
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)
1 tbsp. vodka or limoncello

Directions:
In a medium non-reactive saucepan combine 1/2 cup of the water and the sugar.  Grate the zest of the 2 lemons directly into the saucepan.  Heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 cups of water.  Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.

Stir the lemon juice into the sugar syrup.  Add the vodka or limoncello.  Freeze the mixture in your ice cream mixture according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 

Source: adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

I saw Ina make these cakes ages ago while I was watching Food Network, and I knew right away that I had to try them.  Unfortunately, I did not own mini-bundt pans until recently, and though I could have baked the batter in any other sized pan, I just had my heart set on the mini-bundts.  When I received my pans for Christmas, I knew that I would have to try these soon.  Last weekend my friend Amanda hosted us for dinner (which was fabulous, by the way) and I brought these for dessert.  Even though we were all stuffed from the delicious meal, we still managed to finish our dessert as well :)  

Ina’s recipe calls for semisweet chocolate but to me dark chocolate seemed a more natural pair with the orange flavor, so that is what I used.  I only made four mini-bundts because that is how many pans I have (and people I was serving), but I probably had enough batter to make five or maybe six.  I tend to overfill my mini-bundt pans because I like the cake to be at least as tall as the edge of the pans so that I can level them all to be exactly the same size.  If you like orange and chocolate together, you will love these!

Recipe Rewind: tried and true favorites I’ve made recently
Soft Garlic Knots 

Mini Orange Chocolate Chunk Cakes
Ingredients:
For the cakes:
3 tbsp. melted butter, for brushing the molds
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp. grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 oz. buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 

For the syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

For the ganache: 
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Brush 4-6 mini bundt pans with melted butter, flour, and tap to remove excess.  Place all pans on a baking sheet.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions.  Mix in the orange zest.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.   In another bowl or large liquid measuring cup, combine the orange juice, buttermilk and vanilla.  Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl of the mixer and mix on low speed until just incorporated.  Add the liquid ingredients, mixing until blended.  Add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined.  Fold in the chocolate chunks with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in one of the cakes comes out clean.  Allow the cakes to cool in the molds for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the syrup.  In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the sugar with the orange juice just until the sugar dissolves.  Remove the cakes from the pans, place them on a wire rack over a tray, and spoon the orange syrup over the tops of the cakes.  Allow to cool completely.

To make the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.  Drizzle over the tops of the cooled cakes. 

Source: adapted from Food Network

After making the wonderful cinnamon waffles with caramelized apples a couple of weeks ago, I decided I really need to try to get better use out of the awesome waffle maker I got for Christmas.  Last weekend I gave this recipe a try mostly because the name sounded intriguing to me, and they were delicious!  This is particularly nice if you are searching for a healthier waffle recipe.  These have some whole wheat flour and oats rather than all white flour, and use honey as the only sweetener.  Also, I have found that just about everything I bake with yogurt turns out great.  They weren’t quite as crispy as some waffles I have had, but they definitely weren’t overly soft and the taste didn’t suffer.  They made the whole house smell good while they were cooking.  We ate these drizzled with honey and topped with fresh raspberries, and it was the perfect combo.  Enjoy!

Recipe Rewind: tried and true favorites I’ve made recently
Shrimp Lasagna Rolls 

Honey Yogurt Waffles
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Melt the butter; set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  In another bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, honey, eggs, and vanilla until well blended.  Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.  Gently fold in the melted butter.

Preheat and lightly grease a waffle iron.   Pour batter into the wells of the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is golden and set.  Place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees F to keep the finished waffles warm while you use the rest of the batter.  Serve with maple syrup or honey and top with fresh fruit.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma

When I was growing up, my family had a “brand name” cookbook – a book filled with recipes using specific brand name items.  It sounds kind of ridiculous, but we actually have a lot of favorites that came from it.  One thing that my dad made often from that book was “chicken cacciatore” – and I use the term loosely and in quotes because it was basically breaded chicken with jarred pasta sauce and melted provolone on top, served with pasta.  Almost the same as chicken Parmesan.  Yummy?  Yes.  Authentic?  NO.  

Last week I was making my menu and Ben suggested trying, “a real version of chicken cacciatore”.  I thought that was a fantastic idea as I have been meaning to try it for quite some time.  Well, this was nothing like the version from the cookbook, and it was absolutely fantastic.  According to Williams Sonoma, cacciatore is Italian for “hunter”, and hunter-style food includes mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and herbs.  All of these ingredients make a very flavorful yet healthy meal.  This is a keeper!  This makes quite a bit of sauce, so you could reduce the amount if desired.  I made the whole batch and then we ate the leftover sauce with pasta even after the chicken was all gone.

Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 slices turkey bacon, chopped
2 chicken breasts, butterflied in half (4 pieces total)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 oz. white button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 sprigs fresh oregano
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and herbs

Directions:
In a deep saute pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil.  Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes total.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon; set aside.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the pan and brown on both sides, about 7 minutes.  Transfer to a platter.  Add the onion to the pan and cook until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the bacon, chicken, mushrooms, garlic, oregano, thyme, red wine, chicken broth, and tomatoes (including juices) to the pan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma

I think sandwich cookies might be the next cupcake for me.  I mean, of course nothing can replace the cuteness that is cupcakes, but I do think there are a lot of fun cookie/filling combos that you could come up with, and there are lots I want to try.  This is one of the recipes that I have had bookmarked longer than any other, so I decided it was finally time to try them.  Unfortunately, the first attempt was a total bust.  Not because of me – just not a good recipe.  The cookies spread out so much it was unbelievable, they were very soft, and they didn’t even taste that great.  I decided to try again the following week with my tried and true oatmeal raisin cookie recipe and the results were MUCH better.  

I was slightly worried that these would be too chewy with two oatmeal cookies involved, but the filling seemed to soften them up once assembled so that they had the perfect texture – still chewy, but also really nice and soft.  In fact, the texture was incredibly similar to Little Debbie oatmeal sandwich cookies.  Yum!  The filling is delicious as well.  The honey was just the right addition to the cream cheese filling.  You could actually taste the honey and it contributed just the right amount of sweetness without being overwhelming.  

Recipe Rewind: tried and true favorites I’ve made recently
Buttermilk Honey Bread 

Oatmeal Raisin Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients:
1 batch oatmeal raisin cookies* (this will make more cookies than the amount of filling, so either make more filling or just have some extra non-sandwiched cookies left over)

*Note – I like to use a cookie dough scoop when making sandwich cookies to ensure as much as possible that the cookies are similar in size.

For the filling:
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the filling, combine the cream cheese, honey and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium-high speed until completely smooth.

Once cookies are completely cooled, match them up in pairs according to size. Lay one cookie of each pair face down, so that the flat side is up.  Using a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, pipe a swirl of cream cheese filling onto the the flat side of each cookie. (Alternatively, just spread a layer of filling on each cookie with a knife.  The edges won’t look quite as nice, but they will still taste great.)  Top with the other cookie from each pair so that the flat side is on the filling and press down slightly so that the filling is pushed to the edges.  Chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Source: cookies from Annie’s Eats, filling adapted from Baking Bites

I have mentioned before that our babysitter has three wonderful daughters of her own, two of whom happen to be HUGE fans of the Twilight books, movies, etc.  (And now they have turned me into one too!  If you haven’t read the books, you should.)  For Cassie’s birthday in January I made the uber-popular vampire cupcakes.  For Caitlin, I knew another Twilight-themed treat was the exactly what she would want.  Unfortunately I had a hard time thinking of what I could do other than the vampire cupcakes, until I realized the answer was right in front of me!  Another fabulous idea from my Hello, Cupcake! cookbook.  Werewolf cupcakes – PERFECT!!!  And, they really were.  
 

Honestly, I was quite nervous to make these because I didn’t know if they would turn out as cute as the ones in the book, but they really did!  I was so thrilled with the way they turned out and I hope the birthday girl enjoyed them as much as I expect she did :)  They were a bit time consuming (obviously), but totally worth the effort.  Happy birthday, Caitlin!!!

Werewolf Cupcakes
Supplies needed:
12 chocolate cupcakes (I used Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate cupcakes)
marshmallows
red fruit leather
chocolate frosting
M&Ms (green, yellow, orange, red and purple are great for the scary eyes)
black jelly beans
vanilla frosting
 

Delicious chocolate cupcakes are always a good start.

Cut two triangular-shaped wedges off of each marshmallow…

until you have 12 little pairs of ears.  (Don’t worry if they don’t look perfectly neat, they will be covered with frosting.)

Cut a large wedge out of the center of 12 more marshmallows to create the mouth shape.

Cut small lengths of red fruit leather and press them over the “mouth” area.  They will stick easily to the gummy inside of the marshmallow.

 
Using clean kitchen scissors, trim the fruit leather to fit the mouth shape of the marshmallow.
 
 

Pipe a few blobs of chocolate frosting onto each cupcake and attach the ears and mouth.

Don’t they look like little cows at this point?  :)

Using a pastry bag fitted with a “V” tip filled with chocolate frosting…

cover the ears, and pipe a circle of “fur” around the outside edge of the cupcake.

Continue piping fur from the outside edge in towards the center, and up the snout until completely covered.

Finish up by placing M&Ms on top for the eyes and a black jelly bean for the nose.  Using a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip and filled with vanilla frosting, pipe teeth around the edges of the mouth.  Grrrr!

Earlier this week I had the urge to bake something for all the residents on my most recent rotation, but I couldn’t decide what to make.  I asked Ben for ideas and he suggested chocolate chip muffins.  These have been on my list to try for a long time so I thought that sounded perfect. These were very simple to make and everyone at work absolutely loved them!  I left them in a public area and then went to work on my research paper in my cubicle nearby.  Throughout the morning I could hear everyone talking about the muffins and how much they enjoyed them, and almost everyone stopped by to thank me.  I’d call that a success!  My only issue with the recipe is that the muffin cups were a bit overfilled.  Next time I make them, I will make a few extra muffins so that the batter doesn’t overflow (I have reflected this change below).  Be sure to have a glass of juice or milk ready to enjoy with these babies!

Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yield: 13-14 muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 13-14 muffin wells with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir together with a fork.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions.  Mix in the vanilla until well blended.  Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Add the milk and mix until combined.  Mix in the rest of the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated.  Fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin liners.  Bake for 21-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. 

Source: adapted from Williams Sonoma