Sometimes, the simplest meals can be the most satisfying.  This weekend I made chicken cutlets in a simple herb butter sauce (recipe to come) along with these wonderful salads.  It is amazing how a couple easy steps can elevate a mixed green salad from blah to wow.  I’ve been working to eliminate my use of bottled salad dressings and this basic dijon vinaigrette helps a lot with that goal since vinaigrettes are my favorite salad dressings in the first place.  And oh. my.  Roasted portabellos are so simple to make but add such great flavor and heartiness to the salad.

The dressing comes together in under 5 minutes and uses ingredients I always have on hand.  Those are major selling points for a staple dressing like this.  Plus, you get the added fun of shake-shake-shaking it up.  (Just be sure the top is totally secure.  I was forever scarred by shaking a bottle of salad dressing at the request of my grandmother and ending up with dressing in my hair and on the ceiling.)  I can tell this combination of salad, mushrooms and dressing is a side dish we’ll be enjoying again and again.

Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette and Roasted Portabellos
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Ingredients:
For the dressing:
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Pinch ground black pepper
¼-½ cup red wine vinegar*
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

For the roasted mushrooms:
2 full-size portabello mushroom caps, wiped clean
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper

For the salad:
Mixed greens, rinsed and dried
Shaved Parmesan cheese
Cherry or grape tomatoes

*Start with ¼ cup of vinegar and add more as desired to taste.  The more tart you like your vinaigrette, the more vinegar you will want to use.

Directions:
To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a jar or bottle with a secure lid.  Shake well so the ingredients are well combined and emulsified.

To make the mushrooms, preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Slice the portobello caps about ½-inch thick.  Add to a bowl and toss with a bit of olive oil, just enough to coat lightly (about 2 tablespoons).  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast, flipping halfway through baking, about 15 minutes total.

While the mushrooms are roasting, portion the mixed greens between serving plates.  Top with shaved Parmesan and tomatoes.  Top with the warm mushrooms and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Source: A Couple Cooks

I was going to share a different recipe with you today, but then I decided you needed to know about these muffins as soon as possible.  You are welcome.  This is a fluffy, rich chocolatey muffin with no real nutritional value that is basically an excuse to eat a cupcake for breakfast, and it is made even better by a simple swirl of peanut butter on top.  The recipe calls for chocolate chips to be mixed into the batter, but I think it would also be great with peanut butter chips – or maybe both, if you’re feeling naughty.  But hey, there’s no frosting on these, so they totally count as breakfast, right?  We all need treats now and then :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Muffins
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Yield: about 20 muffins
Ingredients:
For the muffins:
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1¼ cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the peanut butter swirl:
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tbsp. milk

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.  To make the chocolate muffin batter, combine the butter and 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.  (Alternatively you can microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.)  Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk or mix briefly to combine.  In a liquid measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, egg and vanilla and whisk until combined.  With the mixer on low speed, blend in the buttermilk mixture just until combined.  Blend in the melted chocolate mixture.  Stir in the remaining chocolate chips with a spatula.  Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each no more than 2/3 full.  (These muffins will rise a lot!)

To make the peanut butter swirl, combine the peanut butter and butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave briefly until smooth.  Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth.  Drop a small spoonful of the peanut butter mixture on top of the chocolate muffin batter.  Swirl together using a skewer or knife.

Bake 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Cate’s World Kitchen who adapted it from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

I’m excited that I’ve been finding more ways to incorporate kale into our diets.  Recently I posted the spicy kale lasagna that we enjoyed to the very last bite.  Here, kale shines mixed with whole grain pasta and a very simple lemon-olive oil dressing.  This simple dish is quick and easy to throw together, and takes no longer to prepare than it takes to cook the pasta.  Jenny was exactly right when she described the sauce as being reminiscent of a Caesar dressing.  The flavors are indeed very similar and the only thing missing is the anchovies.  As a Caesar lover, it’s no surprise I loved this dish.  The original recipe calls for black kale (aka dino or lacinato kale) which is supposed to be more delicate.  Unfortunately the only organic kale at my store was red kale but it seemed to work just fine.  I’ll keep my eye out for the black variety to try in the future.

Lemony Kale Pasta
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Ingredients:
For the dressing:
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
5-6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
¼-½ tsp. red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the pasta:
1 lb. whole grain pasta, such as penne
1 large bunch kale (black/lacinato kale preferred), rinsed and dried, stems removed
Lemon slices, for garnish
Additional Parmesan, for serving

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.  Meanwhile, make the dressing.  Mince the garlic cloves.  Sprinkle the minced garlic with ¼ teaspoon of the kosher salt and smash the garlic into a paste with a fork or the side of a chef’s knife.  Transfer the garlic paste to a small bowl.  Add in the Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and black pepper.  Whisk together until well combined.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions.  Chop the kale into ½-inch ribbons.  Add the kale to a large bowl and toss with the dressing to coat well.  When the pasta is finished, drain well and let cool a minute or two.  Toss the pasta with the kale and dressing until well coated.  Serve with sliced lemon and additional Parmesan as desired.

Source: Spoon With Me, adapted from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark

I’ve done a post before about my idea of stocking the freezer.  As I mentioned then, I’m just not big on freezer meals.  I much prefer a fresh made meal, not to mention I love cooking, so freezing foods for later is not something I do often.  I normally prefer to utilize my freezer for stocking up on ingredients and things that I use frequently to make my cooking more convenient, but not to eliminate the need to cook in the first place.  That being said, my baby girl will be here in a week or less!  While we are adjusting to life as a family of four and I reclaim my position as a 24/7 dairy factory, I know I will be glad that I have some meals stored in the freezer.  (And for my regular readers – never fear.  I’ve also been working ahead so that I have lots of material ready for the blog and you won’t be left hanging.)

Let me preface this by saying this list is certainly not all-inclusive of what you can freeze.  As I mentioned in my first freezer post, you can freeze just about anything you want.  Some things freeze better than others.  This is simply a list of what I have done to stock my own freezer in this instance, to give some ideas for those interested.

First, I made four balls of pizza dough.  It may not be a fully premade meal, but topping and baking a pizza takes about 20 minutes.  I always get so excited when I find this in the freezer – it’s like finding money!  (It has been really hard to avoid using these the past month or so.)

I made a tray of baked ziti…but I guess right now, it is unbaked ziti.  I made the whole dish, fully assembled, and stopped before the baking step.  I will either let this thaw in the refrigerator a day before baking or just bake straight from the freezer until it is heated through.  (The containers in the back are a recipe I tried that was just okay, so I probably won’t be sharing it here.  I wish they contained chicken chili or white bean chicken chili.  Both of those freeze very well.)

I made my favorite enchiladas – woot!  Now, because of the regular baking instructions for these, I chose to leave the sauce separate so that I can still crisp the tortillas slightly in the oven before topping with sauce and cheese.  I think if I were making these to take to someone who had recently had surgery or was otherwise incapacitated, I would probably just go ahead and add the sauce and cheese in advance.  I don’t think the quality would be diminished too much by doing so, and I would rather keep it simple for those I was trying help.  We also made some of our favorite burger patties, and I’ll be making hamburger buns to accompany these tonight.  These are great plain or dressed up as teriyaki burgers with mango pineapple salsa.

When I made meatball sliders with pesto, I went ahead and made extra meatballs and tomato sauce.  I also saved some of the slider rolls, and pesto (not shown).  This gives lots of flexibility – we can do the sliders again, meatball subs, or spaghetti and meatballs.  And since it makes so much food, we will likely be enjoying a combination of those meals.  The meatballs are frozen uncooked.  To cook them, I will bring the sauce to a simmer and just add the frozen meatballs to the pot, heating until they are cooked through.

I also tend to keep a few breakfast items on hand.  Right now I have leftover waffles (those are really for Andrew), as well as all kinds of frozen fruit for smoothies.  I haven’t made them yet, but I will probably also add some scones to the stash because I just can’t resist.  With pretty much any type of scone, you can mix up the dough, shape them, freeze, and then bake straight from the freezer.

This gem might be the most important of all.  This is something I consider a freezer staple at all times.  Whenever I make cookies, I only bake as many as I need at the time and freeze the remaining dough balls for later.  Seen here are thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies and giant double chocolate cookies.  Double yum.  In the dessert category, I will probably also be making some vanilla ice cream to keep on hand so that any quick dessert I might serve to guests has the option of being a la mode.

A few additional tips:
Since I was stocking my own freezer, labeling everything with reheating instructions wasn’t crucial.  If I were stocking someone else’s freezer or bringing meals to new parents, I would be sure to label each dish clearly with contents and cooking/baking instructions.  I will label the meal that I plan to have my dad heat up while he is home with Andrew and we are still at the hospital.

If you know in advance that you are trying to stock the freezer, spread the workload out over several weeks.  Rather than devote a full day of work toward making tons of freezer meals (no fun), I just planned one meal per week for the last several weeks where I could make a double batch and freeze half of it.  If you are already making the meal, it takes little more effort to make an extra batch.

I personally don’t mind eating the same meal over the course of several days, especially when it’s a favorite of mine like baked ziti or enchiladas.  However, I know a lot of people don’t feel this way.  You can always freeze large meals in multiple smaller portioned trays so that they have only one or two servings each, allowing for more flexibility in meal options each day.

If you are taking meals to new parents, please see my post on that topic.  It has some suggestions on what to avoid, as well as what you can add that will be much appreciated touches.

A few additional ideas on meals to freeze:
Chicken Pot Pies
Pappa al Pomodoro
Chicken in marinade and pita bread for Chicken Gyros
Turkey Burgers
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
Classic Lasagna

I have turned into a cliché pregnant woman, and I did not see this coming.  I have always tried not to be one of those who uses pregnancy as an excuse for everything, like saying you are “eating for two” so you eat with reckless abandon when you really only need 300 more calories per day than normal.  I try never to send Ben out to stores or restaurants to satisfy sudden cravings, since they usually pass quickly enough on their own.  But last week was different.  We had had desserts in the house and everything was fine, and suddenly one night I found myself without dessert and a chocolate craving so bad, I decided to break my own rule just this once.  I sent Ben to the store in search of some ice cream and he was happy to oblige.

You must understand how dire the circumstances were – I literally have not bought ice cream from the store since getting my ice cream maker three years ago.  I gave him some flavor suggestions but figured he knows me well enough to know what I like.  He came back with cookie dough.  Now, I love homemade double cookie dough ice cream but store bought cookie dough is totally not worth the calories in my book.  I was frustrated.  I might have cried (though I’ll admit that several other upsetting things happened that day and this was the last straw, so to speak).  Thankfully he did pick up some good quality milk chocolate as well because I had mentioned that I wanted to make this ice cream again soon.  So as it turns out, I did get my super chocolatey ice cream and satisfy my craving – just a day late, but this ice cream more than made up for it.

Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Brownie Bits
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Ingredients:
For the brownies:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1¼ cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
½ cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

For the ice cream:
8 oz. milk chocolate (at least 30% cacao solids), finely chopped
1½ cups heavy cream
1½ cups whole milk
¾ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks

Directions:
To make the brownies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.  Lightly grease the foil with nonstick spray.

Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt.  Whisk in the chopped chocolate and stir just until melted.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Stir in the flour and salt.  Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.  Smooth the batter into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 30 minutes, until the center feels just set.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.  Cut into small bits to be mixed into the ice cream.  (Only half of the brownies are needed for the ice cream.  The remainder can be eaten whole or frozen for later use.)

To make the ice cream, combine the milk chocolate and heavy cream in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.  Remove from the heat and set a mesh sieve over the top of the bowl.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and salt.  Heat until the sugar is dissolved.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  When the milk mixture is warm, slowly add to the bowl with the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly.  Return the mixture to the saucepan and continue to heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens just slightly and coats the back of a spoon (170-175˚ F on an instant-read thermometer).  Remove from the heat and pour the custard through the strainer into the milk chocolate mixture.

Cover and chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.  Freeze the batter in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Once frozen, fold in the brownie bits with a spatula.  Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Once upon a time there was a very silly girl who thought that a person really only needed one recipe for mac and cheese.  That silly girl was me.  That was back when I was just venturing into the realm of homemade baked mac and cheese, after being scarred by so many dishes served at various potlucks that looked oh-so promising and tasted decidedly not so.  Now I realize that there are so many combinations and permutations possible, it is crazy to think that one version has to be “the one”.  From extremely simplistic to versions with more pizzazz, I have found a lot of great recipes, and still have plenty more that I want to try.

All that being said, the version I am sharing with you here today is, at least to me, what an ideal classic mac and cheese should be.  It is what all those potluck dishes were trying to be when they somehow fell short.  This final product is a clear winner for a couple of reasons.  First, there is more cheese than pasta in this dish – enough said.  Second, the pasta is undercooked initially and then baked with what will absolutely seem like waaay too much cheese sauce.  During baking, the sauce soaks into the pasta, finishing it to the right texture with the creamy cheese sauce all around.  I’m certainly not about to stop trying all different kinds of mac and cheese, but I am thrilled to have this classic version in my repertoire.

Classic Mac and Cheese
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Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
For the bread crumb topping:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp. dried parsley
Salt and pepper

For the pasta:
1 lb. pasta shapes
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dry mustard
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
3½ cups milk
1 lb. colby jack cheese, shredded
8 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Ground black pepper

Directions:
To make the bread crumb topping, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add in the panko and cook, stirring frequently, until the bread crumbs are a light golden brown.  Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add the pasta to the water and cook just until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes.  Drain the pasta and leave in the colander.

Return the pot to the heat.  Melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the garlic, dry mustard, and cayenne, cooking just until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.  Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute.  Whisk in the chicken broth and milk and continue to heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles and thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in the cheeses, whisking until completely melted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir the drained pasta into the cheese sauce.

Pour the pasta and cheese mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13″ baking dish.  Sprinkle with the bread crumb topping.*  Bake 30-35 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden brown.  (You may want to place a baking sheet on the rack underneath the baking dish to catch any sauce that bubbles over.)

*At this point, the dish can be wrapped tightly with foil and refrigerated for up to 2 days.  To serve, bake covered at 400˚ F until the filling is hot throughout, about 40-45 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake until the breadcrumbs are crisp, 15-20 minutes more.

Source: slightly adapted from Pink Parsley Catering, originally from The Best Make-Ahead Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated

Get ready for one of the most heavenly things to emerge from my oven in a while.  The moment I saw this bread on Joy’s blog, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I would try it myself.  I wiped the puddle of drool off of my keyboard and quickly put this on the menu for the coming week.  There are so, so many things to love about this bread.  Yeasted dough – check.  Browned butter – check.  Cinnamon sugar – double check.  An entire loaf that is reminiscent of the center of a perfect cinnamon roll – check.

All of this, not to mention it is really fun to make.  You can see the pictures below, but basically you brush a thin layer of dough with butter, cover in cinnamon sugar, cut into rectangles and stack them all together.  I love the low maintenance approach and the resulting irregularity of the appearance.  The layers pull apart, daring you to try and eat just one.  I think this would be ideal to serve at a casual brunch with friends.  I can just imagine everyone sitting around with lots of fresh fruit, yogurt, mimosas of course, pulling away piece after piece of this bread.  So, to all my dear friends, any takers?

Ever since trying the ham and cheese sliders last year, I’ve been pretty much smitten with the whole concept of sliders in general.  It’s an awesome sandwich, but small!  This is particularly useful for me right now as I can only eat a few bites of most meals before being too full to continue.  Meatball subs rank pretty high up there on my list of favorite sandwiches, so when I saw this version of meatball sliders with pesto recently on Georgia’s blog, I was very excited about them.  I normally add some chopped fresh basil to my subs, but the use of pesto here is brilliant and I wish I had thought of it sooner.  A wonderful thing about this meal is its flexibility – have spaghetti and meatballs one night, and meatball sliders later in the week.

I went ahead and made a double batch of meatballs so I could freeze half for baby time.  (Stay tuned for a post on how I have stocked my freezer very soon.)  We of course only made enough sandwiches to feed ourselves for one dinner, but I have no doubt that these would be a huge hit at a party.  You could make the meatballs, sauce, and pesto well in advance so that only assembly would be needed right before party time.  I am sure these will make an appearance at a party in my future, and like all the other times I have served sliders, I am sure they will disappear in no time.

Meatball Sliders with Basil Pesto
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Yield: about 20 sliders
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can tomato puree
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
Water (optional)

For the meatballs:
½ cup breadcrumbs, divided (I like panko)
¼ cup milk
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried parsley
½ tsp. dried basil

For the pesto:
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
2 small cloves garlic
2 tbsp. pine nuts
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the sliders:
About 2 dozen white dinner rolls
Spray olive oil
Sliced provolone cheese (about 12 slices, depending on size)

Directions:
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion to the pot and sauté until tender, 5-8 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute.  Add the tomato puree, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and sugar.  Add water to thin the sauce out to your desired consistency.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.  Let simmer for at least 2 hours.

To make the meatballs, combine ¼ cup of the breadcrumbs with the milk in a medium mixing bowl.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Add the remaining breadcrumbs, ground beef, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley and basil to the bowl.  Mix well until thoroughly combined.  Form into meatballs, about 1¼ inches in diameter.  Add the meatballs to the simmering sauce about 45 minutes before the sauce is finished.  Cover and let simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, 35-45 minutes.

To make the pesto, combine the basil, garlic and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  With the processor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube until well incorporated.  Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the grated Parmesan.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble the sliders, preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Slice the dinner rolls in half and lay open on a baking sheet.  Spray the rolls lightly with olive oil.  Bake for 5 minutes, just until lightly toasted.  Slice a cooked meatball in half and place both halves on the bottom portion of a roll, flat side down.  Spoon a small amount of sauce over the meatball.  Top with sliced provolone.  Repeat with the remaining rolls.  Bake again, 5 minutes more, just until the cheese is melted.  Spoon a small amount of additional sauce over the provolone, and finish small spoonful of the pesto on top.  Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from The Comfort of Cooking, sauce from here

When I was a kid, we never had smoothies in our house.  I don’t know why exactly.  I’m sure it never would have occurred to my dad to make them for us.  Anyway, this lack of smoothies meant that when I did finally get to have one, I thought it was like, the most special treat in the whole world.  Surely they were complicated to make and really bad for me – after all, they tasted so good.  I remember once going to a friend’s house to play after school and her mom made us smoothies as an after school snack.  I couldn’t believe it.  To me, it was equivalent to getting huge bowl of ice cream for a snack – before dinner, no less!  I thought her mom was way cool.

Once I moved into my own house with my own blender I decided I should start making smoothies.  After all, adults get to do what we want, right?  (This means I also drink chocolate milk almost daily, because I can :))  You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that smoothies are actually a very healthy indulgence.  I’m sure there are plenty of smoothies out there full of all kinds of refined sugars, artificial flavors and such, but not the kind I make.  And it’s amazing – just some frozen fruit, yogurt and a splash of milk make my perfect smoothie with no sugar added.  My kids will definitely grow up knowing the joys of smoothies.  In fact, Andrew and I have smoothie dates on weekend mornings where we split a big smoothie with two straws.  I’m thrilled that he loves them as much as I do.

I know a lot of people don’t use recipes to make smoothies and I really don’t either.  I never measure when I make mine.  But, I have given a basic recipe here which you can obviously tweak to your liking and based on what you have available.  A few tricks I have learned along the way include using frozen fruit so that you can skip adding ice, giving a more concentrated flavor.  The pineapple I use is nearly always from a whole pineapple that I cut up myself, and I keep it in the freezer so it is ready whenever smoothie time strikes.  I always add a banana no matter what flavor of smoothie I’m making because it helps with the texture.  I never add any sugar because the fruit and yogurt are sweet enough on their own, but you can add a tablespoon or two of honey if you need some extra sweetness (especially if you use plain or greek yogurt).  Finally, I add ground flax seed to the mix for a little extra fiber.  You can’t taste it at all but it is a nice nutritional bonus.

Strawberry Pineapple Smoothies
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Yield: 2 large or 3 small smoothies
Ingredients:
8 oz. low-fat vanilla or plain yogurt
1 large banana
1½ cups chopped pineapple, frozen
1½ cups frozen strawberries
2-3 tbsp. ground flax seed
¼ cup milk

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Process until thick and smooth.  Add ice to thicken, if desired, or milk to thin.  Serve immediately.

Source: Annie original

One of my good friends, Adam, just happens to be one of the biggest fans of my birthday cupcake effort at work.  It seems that he’s always contemplating what his next birthday choice will be.  I’m pretty sure he had something else in mind this time but when he saw rum punch on the menu, he was intrigued.  The truth is, I was too.  This was nothing more than a flavor idea I had but no concrete recipe plan.  The one thing Adam did request, similar to last year, was that I “challenge the laws of physics and fit as much booze as possible into one cupcake.”  With that in mind, I went to work.  Ever since buying Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz, I’ve had my eye on his Bahamian Rum Cake.  It is originally meant to be a bundt cake but I made it into cupcakes (with a bit of rum added to the batter, of course), brushed with a rum glaze and then just straight rum to really up the booze content.  The cupcakes are topped with a simple pineapple-rum whipped cream frosting, and fun little cocktail umbrellas are the finishing tropical touch.  (A piece of pineapple and a cherry would look great too.)

As with all spirited cupcakes, I find that everyone has completely different levels of taste tolerance.  Some think they were too strong, and though Adam didn’t tell me I am sure they weren’t quite strong enough for him.  I only tasted a few bites but Ben and I both thought the amount of rum, at least for us, was just right.  Definitely enough to be a prominent flavor but not so much we needed a chaser afterwards.  All in all, I think these cupcakes have earned their name – and also made me crave a real rum punch.  Won’t be long now until I can enjoy one!

Rum Punch Cupcakes
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Yield: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup canned coconut milk
3 tbsp. dark rum (optional)

For the rum glaze:
6 tbsp. canned coconut milk
3 tbsp. sugar
¼ cup dark rum

For the frosting:
1 cup chopped pineapple
2-3 tbsp. rum
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.  Stir to combine.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the butter and sugar.  Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Blend in the vanilla.  Combine the coconut milk and rum in a measuring cup.  With the mixer on low speed, alternately add in the dry ingredients and the milk mixture mixing each addition just until incorporated, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Divide the batter between the cupcake liners.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.  Let cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack set over foil or wax paper.

Meanwhile, make the rum glaze.  Combine the coconut milk and sugar in a small saucepan.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.  Off the heat, add the rum.  Poke each cupcake several times with a wooden skewer.  Drizzle some of the glaze over the cupcakes.  (If desired, brush with additional rum.)

To make the frosting, combine the pineapple, rum and lime juice in a blender or food processor.  Pulse briefly so that the pineapple is finely chopped but not fully pureed.  In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold in the pineapple mixture with a spatula.  Pipe the pineapple whipped cream on top of the cupcakes as desired.

Source: cake and glaze adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz, frosting Annie original

The moment I decided on an assortment of truffles for Kelsey’s virtual bridal shower, I knew blackberry had to be one of the flavors.  It just seemed spring-y to me, and a little different than the typical raspberry truffle.  This recipe took some testing and tweaking before I decided it worthy of posting.  Normally I’m not a big fan of using fruit preserves instead of fresh fruit puree, but in this case I knew preserves would be the way to go.  They are thicker and the flavor is more concentrated, meaning you can get more impact with less effect on the texture of the ganache.  An added bonus is that the preserves are already seedless so you can avoid spending time straining out seeds.  Not to sound too much like Ina Garten here, but using good quality preserves is important here.  They really make a difference in the end result.

The subtle, fruity notes of the blackberry pair beautifully with the bittersweet chocolate center.  As with any truffles you could certainly dip these in melted chocolate to achieve a smooth hard shell but I prefer the simple cocoa powder dusting for two reasons.  First, it’s just easier.  Second, it is a very thin coating so the subtle flavors of the filling are really able to shine and are not masked by additional chocolate in an outer shell.

Blackberry Truffles
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Yield: about 2 dozen truffles
Ingredients:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
3-4 tbsp. good quality seedless blackberry preserves
Cocoa powder, for dusting (I prefer Dutch-process)*

Directions:
Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1-2 minutes.  Whisk the mixture together until a thick, smooth ganache forms.  Whisk in the blackberry preserves.  Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is firm and scoopable, about 2 hours.

Have the cocoa powder ready in a shallow dish.  Using a small scoop or measuring spoon, scoop a small amount of the filling mixture and roll into a smooth ball, about 1 inch in diameter.  Roll each finished truffle in the cocoa powder so that it is very lightly coated.  Chill truffles until ready to serve.

*Note: I find the cocoa powder coating slightly bitter.  I haven’t tried it yet, but I think whisking with some powdered sugar would help offset the bitterness.

Source: Annie original

Right now I’m really hoping you took heed of my advice last month and made yourself a sourdough starter.  Hopefully you, like me, have been enjoying lots of amazing loaves of bread ever since.  And if you do have some of that magical stuff sitting around, here is another great use for it: sourdough waffles.  If your starter is sitting around in need of a feeding, you have a win-win situation.  You can make some of these waffles for breakfast (or breakfast for dinner) and end up with a lovely treat rather than simply dumping some of the starter before replenishing it.  One thing I really love about this recipe is that you mix up most of the batter the night before, so in the morning all you have to do is mix in a few more ingredients and heat up the waffle iron.  My father-in-law has been making fabulous sourdough waffles for brunches as long as I can remember.  So good, in fact, that whenever you ask Andrew anything about his grandpa, the very first thing he says is, “Waffles!”  I’m happy that now we can enjoy them at home as well.

Sourdough Waffles
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Ingredients:
For the overnight sponge:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sourdough starter, straight from the refrigerator (not fed)

For the waffles:
2 large eggs
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil, or melted butter
All of the overnight sponge
¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Directions:
To make the overnight sponge, combine the flour, sugar, buttermilk and sourdough starter in a large mixing bowl.  Mix well to blend.  Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature.

When you are ready to make the waffles, preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the eggs and oil or butter.   Add to the overnight sponge.  Mix in the salt and baking soda, stirring well to combine.  The batter will bubble.  Pour the batter into the preheated waffle iron and bake according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Note: The yield of this recipe depends on the shape and size of your waffle maker.  We got about 15 4″x6″-ish waffles from a full batch of batter.

Source: King Arthur Flour

I don’t know about you, but I like variety in my menu plan.  I’m not speaking only of variety in food type, protein source, or new recipes but also variety in how involved the meals may or may not be.  I know that some evenings I will get home and feel excited to get into the kitchen and make a great dinner, and some evenings I’ll be dead tired and want something low maintenance and relatively quick.  This meal is for those times.  It has a pretty short ingredient list and really I think the most time consuming part is peeling and deveining the shrimp.  Everything else is simple and quick, and the resulting meal is fantastic.  Diced tomatoes and onions are simmered briefly with herbs, then topped with the shrimp, feta, seasoned bread crumbs and baked.  Served with our favorite rice pilaf and a pan seared asparagus, this was a nice and easy meal that tasted much more involved than it really was.  It also makes great leftovers.  I had it for several lunches – score!

Roasted Shrimp with Feta
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Ingredients:
3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
2 tsp. tomato paste
1½ tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 lb. large shrimp (16-20 per lb.), peeled with tail segments left intact, deveined
5 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
Fresh lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until slightly tender, 5-8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.  Continue to cook 2-3 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half.

Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes.

Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, lemon zest and the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a bowl.  Toss well with a fork to blend.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Lay the shrimp in a single layer, tails up, on top of the the tomato mixture.  Scatter the feta over the top of the shrimp, followed by the bread crumb mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through and the breadcrumbs are browned.  Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp.  Serve with additional lemon wedges.

Source: adapted from How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten via Pink Parsley Catering

It’s March 14 and I have one thing to say – I remembered!  I remembered Pi Day!  Every year I completely forget about Pi Day until suddenly, I open up my feed reader and see pies, pies everywhere because everyone else remembered.  In fact, I’m fairly certain that the reason I remembered this year is because last year on March 14 after seeing everyone else’s lovely pies, I marked it on my calendar for this year.  Yep, I’m weird like that.

For those who still have no idea what I’m talking about, pi (Π) is a Greek letter that stands for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.  It starts with 3.14 (hence the connection to March 14) and then continues infinitely without repeating.  For me, pi always reminds me of my high school calculus teacher and one of the most wonderful teachers in the whole world, Mr. Strawn.  He has a passion for math and an incredible gift for teaching that made me actually understand calculus!  (I am ashamed to think how much of it I have since forgotten but hey – all that material from med school had to go somewhere!)  I know he is also a fan of the blog so Mr. Strawn, if you’re reading this, this pi is for you!  ;)

Now, let’s talk for a moment about this chocolate silk pie.  Chocolate pie has been a matter of much debate in our household since Ben and I were first married.  You see, I had an old cookbook that had a version of chocolate pie I would make occasionally.  It had a classic pie crust (as opposed to graham cracker or cookie crust) and the filling of that version was baked.  Ben loved it.  I thought it was just okay, and I didn’t hold on to recipe or the cookbook.  I’ve since been searching for a chocolate pie that would satisfy both of us.  Who knows how many I’ve tried?  Some have pudding filling, some had raw eggs, and none have been “the one”.  When my latest issue of Entertaining arrived in the mail, I saw this pie on the cover and it looked very promising.  It’s official – this pie gets the win.  The filling has a custard base that makes it soft and silky.  It is more rich and dense than a pudding filling, but still incredibly light in texture from all the whipping.  Another plus is that it uses staple ingredients so you could whip one up if you needed a dessert and didn’t feel like running to the store (as long as you have 3 hours to let it chill).  Happy Pi Day!

Chocolate Silk Pie
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Ingredients:
Dough for 1 9-inch pie crust

For the filling:
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
3 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
2 tbsp. water
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened and cut into 8 pieces

Freshly whipped cream, for serving

Directions:
Roll the chilled pie dough into a 12-inch circle.  Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough.  Trim, fold and crimp the edges.  Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F and adjust an oven rack to low-middle position.  Line the chilled pie shell with parchment paper so that it lays over the edges of the dough.  Fill with pie weights and bake until the surface of the dough no longer looks wet, 20-25 minutes.  Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and return the pie crust to the oven.  Bake until the crust is golden brown, 10-12 minutes more.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

To make the filling, add the cream to the bowl of an electric mixer.  Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.  Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate.

Combine the eggs, sugar and water in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (the water should not touch the bowl).  With a hand mixer on medium speed, beat until the egg mixture is thickened and reads 160˚ F on an instant read thermometer, about 7-10 minutes.  Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to beat until the egg mixture is fluffy and cooled to room temperature, about 6-8 minutes.

Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla to the cooled egg mixture and beat until well blended.  Beat in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until well combined.  Using a spatula, gently fold in the chilled whipped cream until no streaks remain.  Transfer the filling to the baked pie shell.  Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.  Slice and serve with freshly whipped cream as desired.

Source: slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Entertaining, Spring 2011

I have been dying to share these cupcakes with you guys.  Seriously, how fun are these?  I’ve seen numerous plays on ice cream sundae cupcakes all around the blogosphere and always wanted to make my own version.  I recently made cupcakes for a coworker who has an adorable little girl at home, and she often takes a cupcake home for her cutie.  With that in mind, I wanted to make something that a kid would go nuts for.  A cupcake with fruit filling, frosting, chocolate, colored sprinkles and a cherry on top?  Yeah, I think I got it just about right.  And the report I heard about her reaction to the cupcake confirms – these are a kiddo’s dream dessert.  But they aren’t just for kids.  Everyone likes cupcakes, right?  At least I do, but I’ll always be a kid at heart.

Here’s the basic run-down – banana cake, strawberry and pineapple filling, topped with vanilla frosting, drizzled with ganache and then garnished with sprinkles and a cherry.  Overall the flavor of these was exactly what I was hoping for.  You can taste every single component without one thing overpowering the rest.  The only thing I will do differently next time is to use a thick whipped cream frosting rather than whipped vanilla buttercream because the texture was just a bit too heavy for the sundae effect.  I have reflected this in the version below, but if you would prefer to use a buttercream, go for it!  If you wanted to play up the banana flavor even more you could add some sliced or chopped banana to the center of the cupcake as well, but I was happy with the balance here, not to mention there really isn’t room to add more filling!  I know I’ll be making these again and again.

Banana Split Cupcakes
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Yield: 30+ cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. buttermilk
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana

For the filling:
1 lb. strawberries, hulled and diced small
2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
12 oz. crushed pineapple, drained

For the frosting:
1½ cups heavy cream, chilled
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the ganache:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. light corn syrup

For garnish:
Multi-colored sprinkles
Maraschino cherries

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and add in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Mix in 1 the mashed banana until well combined.  With the mixer on low speed alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing only until just incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 to ¾ full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the strawberry filling, combine the strawberries and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl.  Toss well, smashing slightly with a fork.  Allow the berries to macerate at least 20-30 minutes.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a small cone out of the center of each cupcake with a paring knife or small biscuit cutter.  (The excess cake can be discarded.)  Add a teaspoon or two of the strawberry filling to the center of each cupcake.  Top with a teaspoon or two of the crushed pineapple, filling to the top of the cupcake.

To make the frosting, add the heavy cream to the chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  Add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until thoroughly combined and stiff peaks form.  Be careful not to over-beat!  Blend in the vanilla extract.

Add the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip.  Pipe a swirl of the whipped cream onto each filled cupcake, covering the filling.  Transfer the filled and frosted cupcakes to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Bring the cream to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Remove from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate; let stand 1-2 minutes.  Whisk together until a thick, smooth ganache forms.  Blend in the corn syrup.  Let stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes so the ganache is not hot.

To finish the cupcakes, pour a spoonful of the ganache over the whipped cream topping of each cupcake.  Garnish with sprinkles and maraschino cherries before the glaze sets.  Chill the assembled cupcakes until ready to serve.

Source: inspired by lots of places including Joy the Baker, cake adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2006

I’m apparently very late to be jumping on the steel-cut oat bandwagon.  Previously I operated under the assumption that all oatmeal for breakfast was tasteless and chewy.  Then I found a few variations that I liked by topping them with deliciousness.  Several readers recommended that I try steel cut oats, but my main problem was that I could never find them in my grocery store.  Finally, after over a year of keeping my eyes peeled, I found some.  As it turns out, they keep them in a different spot than all the rest of the oatmeal, but I still think it may be a fairly new item.  Either way, they have completely changed my perspective on oatmeal.  The flavor is nuttier, the texture is smooth and just a little bit chewy.  I’m sure I can’t do them justice with a description, you’ll have to try them for yourself.

I used to view oats as one of the very last things I would choose to eat for breakfast, but now I actually find myself craving them!  It’s only a shame that they take 30 minutes to cook, otherwise I might eat them daily.  At least for now I’ve found a weekend breakfast that I look forward to and is also nourishing (you know, as opposed to most waffles and pancakes).  Our whole family loves this dish and it is gobbled up in no time.  The recipe supposedly yields four servings, but I normally make a half batch and it is plenty filling for Ben, Andrew and I.  You can certainly play with different mix-ins as well.  The cookbook suggests honey and figs, cranberries and walnuts, or bananas (I add peanut butter).  This apple-raisin combo is our favorite but all are sure to be tasty.

Steel Cut Oats with Apples and Raisins
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Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 cup (2% or 1%) milk
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup steel-cut oats
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 apple, peeled, cored and grated
1/3 cup raisins
¼ cup maple syrup

Directions:
Combine the water and milk in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a simmer.  Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the oats and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Stir the toasted oats into the simmering liquid.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the mixture is very thick, about 20 minutes.  Stir in the salt, cinnamon, apple, raisins and maple syrup.  Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the oatmeal is creamy, about 10 minutes more.  Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Source: The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

A few weeks ago friends came over for dinner and I made Mexican food.  (My favorite enchiladas and Mexican rice, in case you were curious.)  Since I’m still not able to indulge in margaritas (sniffle), I settled on a lime dessert.  It’s been a pretty long time since I last made cheesecake and I had leftover blackberry sauce in my fridge, so this was a great fit all around.  I opted for mini cheesecakes because the last thing I need is a huge leftover cheesecake in my house – you know, kryptonite for my willpower.  This dessert was a hit with all of us.  A 4-inch mini cheesecake seems to be the perfect size for a couple to share.  The cheesecake is smooth and creamy, and the lime flavor, at least for me was just right.  I often find lime desserts overpowering, so if you love lime, you may want to increase the lime zest.  The blackberry sauce adds a nice pop of color and is a lovely sweet-tart compliment to the cheesecake.  I suppose the only bad thing about this is that now, I know how easy it is to make mini cheesecakes.  Uh oh.

Lime Cheesecake with Blackberry Sauce
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Yield: 1 9-inch cheesecake or 6 4-inch cheesecakes
Ingredients:
For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp. sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
Juice of 2 limes
Zest of 2 limes

For the blackberry sauce:
6 oz. blackberries, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. cornstarch
1½ tsp. cold water

Directions:
To make the cheesecake, preheat the oven to 325 ˚F.  Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a medium bowl.  Stir together until well combined and moistened.  Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (or 6 4-inch mini springforms).  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.  Gradually mix in the sugar.  Blend in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the lime juice and lime zest until well combined.  Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust.

To minimize cracking, place a shallow pan half full of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven during baking.  Bake for 55-65 minutes or until the center is set (25-33 minutes for mini springforms).  Turn the oven off and prop the door open about 4 inches.  Let the cheesecake stand 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.  Let cool 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the sides of the pan and let cool to room temperature on the rack.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before slicing and serving.

To make the blackberry sauce, combine the blackberries and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release some of their juices and the mixture is simmering.  Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; whisk until smooth.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the blackberries and mix well.  Reduce the heat to medium and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a low boil and thickens slightly.  Remove from the heat and press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.  The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

Drizzle the blackberry sauce over the cheesecake before serving.

Source: Use Real Butter, originally from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts

I think I may be one of the few food bloggers that wasn’t overly impressed by Ina Garten’s latest cookbook How Easy Is That? Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Ina and there are definitely some recipes in the book that I am looking forward to trying.  It’s just that overall, this book has a much lower percentage of recipes that pique my interest than many of her past books.  The book has sat on my shelf largely ignored since I pre-ordered it with such excitement back in the fall.  Finally I decided it was time to get some use out of it, and so this weeknight bolognese went on our menu.

This meal was enjoyed all around.  I particularly enjoyed its simplicity, and how wonderful it smelled while cooking.  I opted to use ground turkey instead of ground beef, and whole grain pasta to make it a bit healthier.  Next time I think I may try using chopped mushrooms in place of the ground meat for a meatless meal.  Yeah, it won’t be meat sauce but I bet it will still taste great.  Ben enjoyed this even more than I did, and finished up the leftovers for lunches during the week.  That’s always a good sign in our house, from someone who usually has refrigerator-leftover-blindness (sorry honey! ;))

Weeknight Bolognese
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Yield: about 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground sirloin (or ground turkey)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1¼ cups dry red wine, divided
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. dried pasta, such as shells
Pinch of ground nutmeg
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Crumble the ground meat into the pan.  Cook until no longer pink and starting to brown, 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add 1 cup of the wine to the pan and stir, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, finish the sauce.  Stir in the nutmeg, basil, cream, and remaining ¼ cup wine.  Simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.  When the pasta is cooked and drained, toss with the warm sauce and grated Parmesan until well coated.  Serve with additional Parmesan if desired.

Source: How Easy is That? by Ina Garten

In case you haven’t noticed, I have kind of a thing for cupcakes.  I just checked – there are 63 cupcakes on the blog so far.  Many of them are filled.  Not only does filling add an extra dimension of flavor, but people just get a real kick out of a filled cupcake.  Maybe because they think it is complicated to do, and it makes them seem fancier – I’m not sure.  But in reality, it couldn’t be much easier.

You don’t need much in the way of special equipment to fill cupcakes.  Shown here is everything you might need to fill a cupcake in one of three ways.  (By the way, these are the double chocolate raspberry cupcakes.)

One of the most common methods is known as the “cone method”.  All you need is a small paring knife to cut a cone out of the center of each cupcake.

Add some filling to the cupcake…

and replace the top portion of the cone, slicing off the tip to leave room for the filling.  (And yes, that extra tip of cake happens to be an ideal bite size.  Just saying :))

The second option is a variation on the cone method, but even easier.  Use a small round biscuit cutter to cut a disc out of the center of each cupcake.

Add some filling…

And replace the cake disc.  That’s it!  Frost as desired.  I like to use either the cone or disc method for more thick or solid fillings.  Of course, replacing the cake over the top of the filling is also optional.  Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.  It all depends on the type of frosting you are using and the effect you are going for.

The third method uses a pastry bag.  If the filling is fairly thin and totally smooth, as in this case, an injector tip works well.  Otherwise, a plain round tip as shown in the first picture works just fine too.  Just insert the tip into the cupcake and pipe in a small amount of filling.

Hooray for filled cupcakes!

Here are a few more of my favorite filled cupcakes:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Creme Cupcakes
Fauxstess Cupcakes

And stay tuned – I’m posting another really fun filled cupcake later this week!

It’s funny how my mind works when it comes to the kitchen.  The majority of the time, I have tons of kitchen projects, ideas, etc. planned out for weeks in advance.  It’s embarrassingly organized.  I have inspiration notes, checklists, timelines.  Usually I plan so much that I can’t even get to it all.  And then sometimes an impulse strikes and I need to make something right now.  That is what happened when I decided to make croissants.  They have always been on my list of kitchen goals and suddenly I was ready to cross them off the list.

Making pastry is always such fun for me.  I get such enjoyment from the process of it, and seeing the end results makes every second worth it.  The steps are not all that complicated and it is mostly a matter of patience while waiting on the dough to chill, fold, chill and so on.  Any thought of these not being worth the effort would be quickly dashed when you tear into one and see the tender buttery layers.

I know someone will ask if these can be made in advance and frozen at some point during the process.  The truth is, I’m not sure.  Normally the editors of Cook’s Illustrated make notes when such pauses are possible, but they did not mention it here.  Next time I make these I will try it with a freeze after the second set of folds and be sure to update the post with my results.  The finished croissants can be frozen after baking and rewarmed in the oven, but I tried this and they don’t hold a candle to the fresh ones.  Thankfully, when kept airtight, they were pretty good for the first two days after a quick 10-15 second spin in the microwave.

Croissants
Printer-Friendly Version

Yield: 12 croissants
Ingredients:
For the dough:
3 cups (15 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1 tbsp. instant yeast
¼ cup (1¾ oz.) sugar
1¼ tsp. salt
1¼ cups whole milk, cold
2 tbsp. unsalted butter

For the butter square:
24 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces and kept cold
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Egg wash:
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
To make the dough, combine 2¾ cups of the flour together with the yeast, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk together and set aside.  Add the milk to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  Add the dry ingredients and knead on low speed until a ball of dough forms, about 5 minutes.  Cut the butter into small pieces and add them to the dough.  Continue to knead until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth.  The dough should form a ball and begin to clear the sides of the bowl, about 5-6 minutes more.  The dough should be sticky but if the dough sticks more to the bowl than itself, add the remaining ¼ cup of flour a small bit at a time as needed.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the butter square, toss together the butter pieces and flour on a clean work surface.  Smear the butter back and forth using a bench scraper against the work surface until they have combined into a smooth, homogenous mixture.  (See this post for photos of making a butter square.)  Wrap the butter mixture in plastic wrap and use the edges of the plastic to form it into a 7-inch square.  Refrigerate until ready to use, at least 30 minutes.

Dust a work surface with flour.

Roll the dough into an 11-inch square .

Place the chilled butter square diagonally onto the dough.

Fold the corners of the dough up over the butter square so that they meet in the middle and pinch the edges of the dough together to seal them.

Using a rolling pin, gently tap the dough starting from the center of the dough and working outward, until the square becomes larger and the butter begins to soften.

Start gently rolling the dough into a 14-inch square, being careful to make sure the work surface stays well floured and the dough is not sticking.

Fold the dough into thirds to form a long rectangle.

Starting from the narrow ends, fold the rectangle into thirds again to form a square.  (This completes two turns of the dough.)  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Repeat this entire process again, tap the dough starting from the center of the dough and working outward, then rolling out to a 14-inch square.  Fold the dough into thirds to form a rectangle and into thirds again to form a square, completing two more turns.  Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 more hours.

To shape the croissants, line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Place the chilled dough onto the floured work surface and gently roll into a 20-inch square.  (My pastry mat does not fit this size, so I worked with half of the dough at a time and made a 10- by 20-inch rectangle.)

Cut each half into three rectangles and then slice each rectangle diagonally to yield 12 triangles.  Working with one triangle at a time, gently stretch the dough so that the two long sides are equal in length.

Cut a 1-inch slit in the base of the triangle.

Fold the two corners of the slit outward and begin rolling the triangle up, gently stretching the dough as you roll.  Leave the last ¼-inch of the tip unrolled.

Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and fold the ends toward each other to make a crescent shape.  Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Let rise at room temperature until puffy, about 45-60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Brush the shaped croissants lightly with the egg wash.  Bake until the croissants are golden brown, 18-22 minutes, rotating halfway through baking.  Allow to cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes.  Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days or wrap well and freeze.  Reheat in a 300˚ F oven for 5-10 minutes.

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated

While brainstorming truffle flavors for Kelsey’s virtual shower, I knew I wanted some bright, fruity flavors that would be nice for springtime.  Though lemon is pretty much never my first choice in the dessert realm, it is definitely a fresh flavor and I know Kelsey loves it.  While creating this recipe I learned that the ratio of white chocolate to heavy cream for making truffles is very different than making traditional chocolate truffles.  My first batch of filling was still basically soup even after chilling overnight.  I wasn’t giving up so I whipped up a new batch with much more white chocolate and a lot less cream.  This filling worked out much better and was the ideal consistency for rolling into neat balls.  The filling has just enough lemon flavor to qualify as lemon but not so much that you are puckering up.  I love the contrast of the dark chocolate coating with the creamy lemon filling.  Just be sure to use a very fine grater for the lemon zest so the smooth filling isn’t disrupted with large pieces of peel.

As a matter of personal preference, I tend to keep my truffles refrigerated after dipping them until they are ready to be served.  However, if you plan to store them at room temperature, you may want to consider tempering the chocolate to prevent it from blooming.  You don’t want all your work to go to waste with funky looking coating!  That said, the one time I tried tempering, it didn’t even work and I haven’t gotten motivated to try it again.  I keep my truffles in the fridge and avoid the issue.  You can use anything you like to give the truffles a little garnish on top.  I used royal icing this time but melted chocolate works just as well.  Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I named them “lemon chiffon” simply because it sounds nice than just “lemon” :)  If you have lemon lovers in your life, I suggest bringing them a box of these little sweeties.  I’m sure they would appreciate it!

Lemon Chiffon Truffles
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Yield: about 15-20 truffles
Ingredients:
For the filling:
4.5 oz. good quality white chocolate, very finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp. heavy cream

For coating:
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil (optional)

Directions:
Place the chopped white chocolate and lemon zest in a heatproof bowl.  In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream to a simmer.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1-2 minutes.  Whisk the mixture together to melt as much of the chocolate as possible.  If there are still small pieces of unmelted chocolate, microwave in 10-15 second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is completely smooth.  Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is firm and scoopable, about 2-3 hours.

Using a small scoop or measuring spoon, scoop a small amount of the filling mixture and roll into a smooth ball, about ¾-1 inch in diameter.  Transfer the shaped balls to a flat plate or baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  Chill for 30 minutes.

To coat the truffles, melt the bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water.  Mix in the oil, if using.  (You may want to transfer the melted chocolate to a small, deep bowl for easier dipping.)  Quickly dip a filling ball into the chocolate and remove, gently shaking off the excess.  Return the filling ball to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining balls until all are coated.  Chill to set the coating, at least 30 minutes.

Source: Annie original

This is not the first time I have talked about the wonderful friends I have made through the blogging world.  First it was during the holidays when we threw a virtual party to make up for the miles separating us.  Then again last month when so many of my loving and talented friends threw me an incredible virtual baby shower.  Now, along with hostess Amy of Sing For Your Supper, we are throwing a virtual bridal shower for my friend Kelsey of Apple a Day.  She’s getting married!  To a wonderful guy!  In less than two weeks!!  You’ll have to excuse all the exclamation points but I think this occasion is deserving of excessive emotion :)  Kelsey is one of the sweetest, most generous people I know.  I could not be more thrilled for her as she embarks on this new chapter in her life.

Kelsey is the only one of my close blogging friends that I have had the honor of meeting in real life (so far).  We both vacation frequently in Kiawah Island, SC and a couple of years ago our trips overlapped.  We had a wonderful time together and I certainly hope our paths cross again soon.

When deciding what to contribute to the shower, I thought it would be fun to make something that could be a favor for shower guests.  Of course my mind immediately goes to sugar cookies with royal icing, but I decided to try to think of something a bit different from my usual fall back.  Since she is having a springtime wedding, I thought it would be fitting to do a box of assorted truffles with fresh, fruity flavors.  While brainstorming, I came up with a very extensive list and had a hard time narrowing it down, but finally settled on these four: coconut, strawberry cheesecake, blackberry and lemon chiffon.

Truffles are an elegant favor for any occasion, but also very convenient since they can be made in advance.  When packaged up with some pretty ribbon, in this case coordinating with the wedding colors, they make a nice gift for party guests.  It is certainly optional, but I think it is a nice touch to include a flavor guide within the box so people know exactly what they are eating.  I’m always hesitant when eating assorted chocolates for fear of biting into something mint, but when I have a guide it’s all good.  Normally I would have typed and printed these, but I was crunched for time so I just did it by hand this time.

In the interest of keeping this post from being a mile long, I’ll be sharing the recipes for these truffles over the next few weeks.  I definitely spent a lot of time (and major frustration) testing to get the flavors and textures exactly right, but the final results were wonderful and worth it.  Unfortunately the strawberry cheesecake truffle is still going to take a little more work.  The flavor was spot-on but they were extremely difficult to work with.  I’m not giving up though, these are definitely too good to forget.  I’ll share that recipe when it is more reliable.

Be sure to check out the round-up posts on Kelsey and Amy‘s blogs so you can see the full spread of our virtual shower, as well as get the links to all the participants’ blogs with their contributions and recipes.  Congratulations Kelsey!  I am so very happy for you.

Resources: These favor boxes came from Paper Source.  I’m so addicted to this store.

I don’t play around much with lasagna recipes.  I have a classic version that I love and I tend to stick to that.  Normally I am not even tempted to stray, but when I saw this new recipe for a kale lasagna on my friends’ blog, I couldn’t wait to try it.  For one thing, it is vegetarian.  I’m not planning on going veggie anytime soon, but I like to incorporate as many meatless meals as possible into our menus and am always happy to add a new one to the list.  Also, this uses kale which is available year round.  I’m not a strictly seasonal eater but I do my best so I was happy to make something featuring this hearty winter green.

We really enjoyed this lasagna.  I originally considered halving the recipe, but I also knew I was not likely use up the rest of the kale that week, so I made the full pan.  It ended up feeding us for multiple lunches and dinners, and I still wasn’t sick of it by the time we had finished it all.  There are multiple steps in this recipe to help remove excess liquid from the cheese, kale, etc. but despite all this the lasagna was still just a bit liquidy when it was fresh from the oven.  I let it rest a while but maybe I was just impatient, I’m not sure.  However, after resting in the refrigerator it really set up and absorbed all the liquid and the leftovers weren’t runny at all.  Also, for fellow cottage cheese-phobes out there, don’t be scared.  This really doesn’t taste like cottage cheese, just creamy and cheesy.  I think this could also be great with more vegetables added in and next time I may experiment with that a bit.  There will definitely be a next time.

Spicy Kale Lasagna
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Yield: about 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
1¼ lbs. kale (or spinach), stems removed
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, (preferably with herbs)
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. lemon juice
4 cups cottage cheese
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ tsp. pepper
16 no-boil lasagna noodles (or noodles cooked according to package directions)

Directions:
To prepare the kale, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add the kale to the pot and boil for 2 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water until cool enough to handle.  Wrap the kale inside a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much excess liquid as possible.  Chop roughly, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

To make the tomato sauce, combine the oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in a cold saucepan.   Heat over medium-high, stirring frequently.  Once bubbling, cook for about 30 seconds.  Mix in the crushed tomatoes, reduce heat and let simmer 5-10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

To make the cheese mixture, strain all of the liquid out of the cottage cheese.  (I used a fine mesh strainer and pressed down to remove the liquid.)  Mix in ½ cup of the Parmesan, 1½ cups of the mozzarella, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  To assemble the lasagna, add a thin layer of the sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Cover with a layer of noodles, then half of the cheese mixture, half of the kale, and half of the remaining sauce.  Add another layer of noodles, the remaining cheese mixture, and the remaining kale.  Top with the remaining noodles, then the remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan.

Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbly and browned.  Let stand at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Source: A Couple Cooks