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Sunday, May 26, 2013

Coffee and Chocolate

Deep-Dish Brownies
Made: May 26, 2013

Ingredients
Brownies
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup water or coffee
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
- Heat oven to 350 F
- Coat 8-inch square pan with cooking spray
- Whisk sugar, melted butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla in large bowl; whisk in eggs until blended
- Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl; slowly whisk into egg mixture until well-combined
- Spread in pan
- Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean but with some crumbs attached
- Cool completely on wire rack
- Meanwhile, melt chocolate, 1 tablespoon butter and water in small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally
- Pour into medium bowl; whisk in powdered sugar until smooth
- Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Refrigerate until frosting thickens slightly (about 25 minutes), stirring occasionally
- Spread over brownies; let stand until set

To melt the chocolate, I used a double broiler and I used coffee instead of water. I used a lot of powdered sugar and it seemed like it was still too watery. Even after an hour in the fridge, it still didn't seem like it wanted to set. I used it as a glaze and it's finally starting to set (about 3 hours later).

(recipe used: Cooking Club of America)

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Taco spin-off

Beef Tostadas
Made: May 25, 2013

Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds boneless beef round steak
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 12 packaged tostada or hard taco shells
- 3/4 cup fat-free refried beans
- 1-1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 3/4 cup salsa

Directions
- Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper
- Place 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, the garlic, jalapeno, onion, chili powder, cumin and cayenne in a slow cooker
- Place beef on top and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 hours
- Remove beef to a cutting board and when cool enough to handle, shred with fingers or using two forks
- Place shredded beef in a large bowl
- Strain remaining liquid in slow cooker over a bowl or measuring cup, discarding solids
- Add strained liquid and remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice to beef in bowl and stir to combine
- Cover; keep warm
- Warm tostada shells in oven according to package directions
- While tostadas are baking, heat refried beans in microwave for 1-1/2 minutes on HIGH, stirring halfway through until warm and spreadable
- Spread each tostada with 1 tablespoon refried beans
- Place 1/3 cup beef over beans and divide lettuce equally among tostadas
- Top each with 1 heaping tablespoon cheese and 1 tablespoon salsa

I made mine slightly different ... I used ground beef instead of round steak. I browned the beef in a pan with the spices and I used lemon juice instead of lime juice. I also added in a touch of taco seasoning. I also used spinach instead of lettuce and I also used sour cream to add a touch of cool. Also makes a good salad



(recipe used: recipe.com)

Monday, May 13, 2013

Shells Green with Envy

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Made: May 13, 2013

Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) box uncooked jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 2 cups fresh chopped spinach
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
- 1 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 cups)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce

Instructions
- Cook shells according to package directions
- Be careful not to overcook them or they will tear easily when trying to fill them
- Drain and set shells out individually on a cutting board or baking sheet so that they don’t stick together
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Lightly grease two 9x13 baking dishes
- In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce
- Stir in 1 cup mozzarella
- Spoon into shells
- Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes
- Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce
- Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Bake, covered, for 40 minutes
- Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella
- Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes

I had a lot of filling leftover, but I only made 14 shells since we're a small family of 4. I used a Garlic and Onion pasta sauce to go with this and topped it with some shredded cheese. These shells seemed a lot smaller than others I've seen, but they were perfect for us!

(Recipe used: Paula Deen via Facebook)

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Swirly Cheesecake

Cappuccino Chocolate-Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Made: May 9, 2013

Ingredients
- 24 oreo Cookies, finely crushed (about 2 cups)
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp Instant Coffee
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 4 packages (8 oz each) Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 4 eggs
- 2 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted, cooled

Directions
- Heat oven to 325 F
- Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides
- Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of prepared pan
- Add coffee and cinnamon to boiling water; stir until coffee granules are dissolved
- Cool slightly
- Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended
- Add coffee and sour cream; mix well
- Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each just until blended
- Remove 1 cup batter; pour remaining batter over crust
- Stir chocolate into reserved batter.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls over batter in pan; swirl gently with knife
- Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set, cool
- Refrigerate 4 hours

A lot of prep work, melting chocolate, boiling water for coffee, then of course the normal for a cheesecake (cream cheese and crust). I probably should have added more coffee, but I'll have to adjust for a later recipe.

(Recipe used: Kraftrecipes.com)

Fajitas unwrapped

Warm Fajita Salad
Made: May 9, 2013

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3/4 pound boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut into thin, bite-size strips
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 small onions, cut into thin wedges
- 2 small green, red, and/or yellow sweet peppers, cut into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 10-ounce package torn mixed greens (8 cups)
- 12  cherry tomatoes, quartered
- Red or green salsa (optional)

Directions
- Combine lime juice, chicken broth, cilantro, garlic, and cornstarch; set aside
- Sprinkle beef with cumin, salt, and black pepper; toss to coat
- Coat an unheated large skillet with cooking spray
- Add onions and sweet peppers
- Stir-fry over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender
- Remove vegetables from skillet
- Carefully add cooking oil to the skillet
- Add beef strips; stir-fry about 3 minutes or until desired doneness
- Push to side of the skillet
- Stir lime juice mixture; add to skillet
- Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 1 minute more
- Stir meat and vegetables into mixture in skillet; heat through
- To serve, arrange greens and tomatoes on four dinner plates
- Divide beef-vegetable mixture among plates

I wanted something different and this was just what I was looking for. I also topped mine with sour cream and cheese, opted out of onions and cilantro and garlic. I did use Garlic salt in both the cornstarch mixture and with the steak rub too. I used red, green, yellow and orange peppers, romaine lettuce and some baby spinach.

(Recipe used: Better Homes & Gardens)

Monday, May 6, 2013

Meaty Taco Pasta

"Baked Taco Ziti"
Made: May 6, 2013

Ingredients
- 3/4 bag ziti noodles
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 package taco seasoning
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 package cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions
- Boil pasta until just cooked (al dente)
- Brown ground beef; drain
- Mix taco seasoning and 1 cup water in the ground beef; stir for 5 minutes
- Add in cream cheese, stir until melted & remove from heat
- Add pasta into a casserole dish, top with 1 cup of the shredded cheese
- Gently pour beef mixture on top and mix with the pasta
- Top with remaining shredded cheese
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, at 350 F, until cheese is melted and the dish is heated throughout

I used a normal sized box of pasta, used about 1/2 for this dish. We made over 4 servings with leftovers. I used a little more than 1/2 of a package of cream cheese and used cheddar jack & mozzarella cheeses. Overall, it came out nice and creamy, gooey and hot!

(Recipe used: via facebook)