I deleted my chocolate brownie post after cooking them twice more and not being happy with the taste and texture. Since then I have found and altered another recipe that Matthew and I feel can replace our love for box brownies. These brownies fall into the more cakey genre after my alterations because shiny gooey brownies due to the large amount of oil is just too nasty. So, without further ado. . .
Ingredients:
1/4 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix oil and sugar.
Add eggs and vanilla; stir just until blended.
Mix all dry ingredientes in a separate bowl.
Pour into a greased 9x9 or 9 round pan.
Bake for 20 minutes
**You can double the recipe and cook in a 9x13.
10.28.2012
10.22.2012
Creamy White Chili
Supposedly we're going to get snow this week. WHA?! I guess it means it's soup time. Here is one of our faves.
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (I'm not very tolerant of spiciness, so I do just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream (in an effort to use less fat, I sub with half and half or just plain old milk)
In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder (or fresh garlic, if using) in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Serve immediately with tortilla chips and/or shredded cheese.
If you plan ahead, you can also do this in a slow cooker. Here are the directions for that:
In a medium round slow cooker, place 1 pound chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) without cubing them. Add the chopped onion, garlic powder, beans, green chiles and all of the spices. Do not add the sour cream or whipping cream yet! Reduce the chicken broth to 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) and pour in over the other ingredients. Stir the mixture around a bit to incorporate the dry spices. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (if using frozen chicken you’ll cook on the longer end of that spectrum, fresh chicken will cook in less time). Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred in bite-size pieces. Stir back into the slow cooker. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and whipping cream until smooth. Whisk the cream mixture into the crockpot with the other ingredients. Let the soup cook until heated through. Serve.
***recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (I'm not very tolerant of spiciness, so I do just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream (in an effort to use less fat, I sub with half and half or just plain old milk)
In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder (or fresh garlic, if using) in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Serve immediately with tortilla chips and/or shredded cheese.
If you plan ahead, you can also do this in a slow cooker. Here are the directions for that:
In a medium round slow cooker, place 1 pound chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) without cubing them. Add the chopped onion, garlic powder, beans, green chiles and all of the spices. Do not add the sour cream or whipping cream yet! Reduce the chicken broth to 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) and pour in over the other ingredients. Stir the mixture around a bit to incorporate the dry spices. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (if using frozen chicken you’ll cook on the longer end of that spectrum, fresh chicken will cook in less time). Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred in bite-size pieces. Stir back into the slow cooker. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and whipping cream until smooth. Whisk the cream mixture into the crockpot with the other ingredients. Let the soup cook until heated through. Serve.
***recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
10.10.2012
Pumpkin Banana Muffins
These are a really yummy fall treat. Super moist and super easy.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin, cooked or from a can
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup banana, very ripe,mashed (I used 2 bananas, a bit more than 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin or line with paper liners.
Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt in bowl. Stir.
Combine pumpkin, eggs, sugars, banana and oil in another bowl. Beat until smooth.
Gradually combine flour mixture into wet mixture. Beat until just combined.
Spoon into prepared pan(s). Bake 25-30 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 12 HUGE muffins. Enjoy.
***I didn't have ground ginger, so for my spices I used 1 tsp. cinnamon and 2 tsp. allspice. Worked great.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin, cooked or from a can
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup banana, very ripe,mashed (I used 2 bananas, a bit more than 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin or line with paper liners.
Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt in bowl. Stir.
Combine pumpkin, eggs, sugars, banana and oil in another bowl. Beat until smooth.
Gradually combine flour mixture into wet mixture. Beat until just combined.
Spoon into prepared pan(s). Bake 25-30 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 12 HUGE muffins. Enjoy.
***I didn't have ground ginger, so for my spices I used 1 tsp. cinnamon and 2 tsp. allspice. Worked great.
9.04.2012
Lemon Bread- Sooooo FRESH!
This is GOOOOOOD! So good! It's refreshing instead of making you feel a bit heavy as most other breads do which means you usually ending up eating it quicker than you had planned. When we had finished the first loaf I was super bummed that we had given the second loaf away. I will be making this again this week.
*Makes 2 loaves
INGREDIENTS:
Bread:
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons lemon zest from about 3 large lemons
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, lowfat or regular
Glaze:
1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from the lemons that were zested for the bread)
4 tablespoons sugar, more or less according to how sweet you want it
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2 inch pans with cooking spray (I always use the Baker’s Joy spray with flour in it). You may have a bit of batter leftover to also make 1-2 mini loaves or a few muffins.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest and rub the mixture together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Stir in the eggs, vanilla, oil, applesauce and yogurt. Fold in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans about 2/3 full (if you have leftover batter you can make mini loaves or a few muffins) and smooth the top. Bake the bread until the top of the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes for a normal sized loaf and anywhere from 16-25 minutes for muffins or mini loaves.
While the bread is baking, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and let it come to a boil. Take it off the heat until the bread is finished baking. When the bread is done baking, carefully turn it out onto a cooling rack. Gently pour the warm glaze over the top of the warm bread (if the glaze runs off without soaking in, poke tiny holes with a toothpick over the top of the bread and then pour on the glaze). Let the bread cool completely. Store in an airtight container. It will stay moist for 2-3 days at room temperature.
INGREDIENTS:
Bread:
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons lemon zest from about 3 large lemons
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, lowfat or regular
Glaze:
1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from the lemons that were zested for the bread)
4 tablespoons sugar, more or less according to how sweet you want it
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2 inch pans with cooking spray (I always use the Baker’s Joy spray with flour in it). You may have a bit of batter leftover to also make 1-2 mini loaves or a few muffins.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest and rub the mixture together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Stir in the eggs, vanilla, oil, applesauce and yogurt. Fold in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans about 2/3 full (if you have leftover batter you can make mini loaves or a few muffins) and smooth the top. Bake the bread until the top of the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes for a normal sized loaf and anywhere from 16-25 minutes for muffins or mini loaves.
While the bread is baking, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and let it come to a boil. Take it off the heat until the bread is finished baking. When the bread is done baking, carefully turn it out onto a cooling rack. Gently pour the warm glaze over the top of the warm bread (if the glaze runs off without soaking in, poke tiny holes with a toothpick over the top of the bread and then pour on the glaze). Let the bread cool completely. Store in an airtight container. It will stay moist for 2-3 days at room temperature.
Recipe found here
2.12.2012
Pork Tamales
Yesterday I went down to my work friend's* house and she taught Stephanie and I how to make tamales. You can use any meat you want, but this recipe is for pork. They're actually pretty easy (and fun) to make, just time consuming. I'm sure next time, when I'm not learning, and we're not making 8,000, that it won't take as much time.
Pork
Ingredients
3 1/2 lbs pork shoulder or butt roast
4 - 6 cloves of garlic minced or chopped
1 Lg onion finely chopped
1/4 cup spiced dark chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cooking Instructions
Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low
for 4-6 hours until meat sheds easily.
Alternate cooking method:
Instructions: 1. In a large stock pot or dutch oven, combine pork, water, onion, and salt.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, tightly covered, about 2 1/2
hours. Remove meat and reserve liquid. Meat should be very tender. Shred meat while
adding dark chili powder.
Masa
Ingredients:
25-30 dry corn husks, plus more for steaming (you can get a small package of these at the regular grocery store, or a big bunch at a Mexican shop)
Tamale Masa (Dough) Ingredients:
3 1/2 C. Masa Harina (find this in Mexican groceries or specialty shops - it comes in a big paper bag, like flour)
2 1/4 C. Hot Water or1 to 1 1/2 C. chicken broth (as needed) or reserved liquid
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
10 oz. pork lard (or vegetable shortening)
Instructions for Dough:
1. In a separate large bowl, beat together the lard/shortening, salt, and baking powder
with an electric mixer on med-high. Beat one minute, or until fluffy.
2. Add the masa mix in three additions, beating between each addition.
3. Reduce mixer to med-low, and beat in one cup of broth. Beat for about one minute.
4. Beat in the remaining broth, up to 1/2 C., until your dough resembles a soft but not
runny muffin batter.
Assembly
Get a corn husk (if they're too dry and crack, just soak them in lukewarm water for a bit until they soften up) and open them up so the smooth side is exposed. Take a regular kitchen knife (it's best if it's a little flimsy) and spread the masa up the husk (this is difficult at first, but you'll get the hang of it) until about the top 3/4 is coated.
Next, put your pork in the middle (and whatever else you want - vegetables, hot sauce, whatever...), roll it up, and fold the bottom up or tie it off with a strip of corn husk. Stack them vertically in a pot with about 2 inches of water in the bottom (important: they cannot be in the water, but just above it so they can steam. There are pans that made for this where you can put a liner in the pot that sits just above the water, or you can use an upside down pie tin covered in foil that will sit above the water).
Cover and let them steam for about 2 hours or until the masa starts to peel off the corn husk. You will most likely need to put more water in for steaming throughout this process, so don't just leave them for the 2 hours.
Take out, unfold the husk and enjoy plain, or with salsa or sour cream. You can freeze a bunch and just have them on hand. I ate four today. I almost feel like they were better the day after.
*Big thanks to Shelly for letting us use her kitchen and teaching us how to make these!
2.09.2012
Chicken Bourbon (without the bourbon)
I decided to make this Chicken Bourbon (found here) for dinner because I was not up for taking a lot of time for dinner and I had all the ingredients because they are definitely things most people have on hand.
This tastes like teriyaki chicken and it is the most FLAVORFUL recipe ever. Matthew and I loved the taste.
This tastes like teriyaki chicken and it is the most FLAVORFUL recipe ever. Matthew and I loved the taste.
Bourbon Chicken
Time: 30-40 minutes
Yield: 5 servings
5 chicken breasts (update: I only used 2)
2 T oil
1 t minced garlic
1/4 C apple or pineapple juice
1/3 C brown sugar
2 T ketchup
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 C water
1/3 C soy sauce
pinch red pepper flakes
1 T cornstarch
1. Cut your chicken into small 1-2 inch pieces with some kitchen scissors.
2. Heat up a large skillet over medium high heat. Once it is hot, pour 2 T Olive Oil into it.
3. Add your chicken pieces to the pan and let them cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. The chicken will start to get a bit juicy and bubbly.
Put the lid on the pan, slightly tilted and drain the juices out into the sink. Return the pan to the stove top and continue cooking over medium high heat.
5. Into a medium sized mixing bowl combine 1 t garlic, 1/4 C apple or pineapple juice, 1/3 C brown sugar, 2 T ketchup, 1 T apple cider vinegar, 1/2 C water, 1/3 C soy sauce, a pinch of red pepper flakes and 1 T cornstarch. Whisk it all together until the cornstarch is dissolved and all ingredients are well combined.
6. When your chicken has a nice brown sear on some of the pieces...
pour the sauce into the pan. Stir it around to cover all the chicken pieces.
7. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pan with the lid at an angle to allow some of the steam to escape. Let this baby simmer away for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times during the cooking period.
8. Serve over rice
TRY IT! IT'S DANG GOOD!
2.06.2012
Pork and Cheese Nachos
I don't know who really watches the Superbowl, but I have always enjoyed my roommates and now my husband always being on board with sitting around eating lots of yummy food. This is what we had this year:
-Lil' smokies
-Dilly dip with celery and carrots
-Pizza
-Chocolate chip cookies
-PORK and CHEESE NACHOS!
That other place, not Costa Vida, serves nachos similar to this so Matthew and I decided to give it a try ourselves. I took the bbq pork recipe from our pork salads and put it on top of chips and cheese and it was an insane SUCCESS!
Here is what you do:
5 lb pork (ours is always smaller)
1 c brown sugar
1 c salsa
Place the meat in a crock pot with the brown sugar and then salsa on top and cook on high for 3-4ish hours. Take the meat out and shred it and then place it back in the juice until you are ready to eat so that it soaks in all the yummy-ness.
Place chips on a foil covered cookie sheet, load on the cheese and place it in the oven on broil until it reaches the desired melty-ness. Load it up with meat and go to town. You are welcome to throw on some green onions, sour cream, olives and whatever else, but we ended up loving them best by themselves.
These are SO EASY and divine.
-Lil' smokies
-Dilly dip with celery and carrots
-Pizza
-Chocolate chip cookies
-PORK and CHEESE NACHOS!
That other place, not Costa Vida, serves nachos similar to this so Matthew and I decided to give it a try ourselves. I took the bbq pork recipe from our pork salads and put it on top of chips and cheese and it was an insane SUCCESS!
Here is what you do:
5 lb pork (ours is always smaller)
1 c brown sugar
1 c salsa
Place the meat in a crock pot with the brown sugar and then salsa on top and cook on high for 3-4ish hours. Take the meat out and shred it and then place it back in the juice until you are ready to eat so that it soaks in all the yummy-ness.
Place chips on a foil covered cookie sheet, load on the cheese and place it in the oven on broil until it reaches the desired melty-ness. Load it up with meat and go to town. You are welcome to throw on some green onions, sour cream, olives and whatever else, but we ended up loving them best by themselves.
These are SO EASY and divine.
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