Breakfast for Dinner

Growing up, pancakes were considered a delicacy in the Johnson house. This was due almost entirely to the fact that mother not only doesn't care for them, but can't, and all but refuses to, make them. As a result, sister and I got pancakes only when we could successfully con mother into making them (which was no easy feat). Summers with the grandparents were a different story. Not only was I greeted with a hot breakfast every morning, but I got pancakes at least once a week (with little to no begging required on my part...even better). It was a joyous time. About 10 years into my childhood, my grandmother discovered a delightful invention: the pancake puff maker. This little gadget revolutionized the way pancakes were made. No more flipping and breaking and burning. Instead, the batter just goes inside and a few minutes later out pops delightful, triangular puffs of pancake. What could be better?! 


I feel deeply in love with this gadget during one of our summers in Maryland and was deeply saddened when I had to part ways from it and return to pancake puffless Oklahoma. My grief turned to joy, however, when Christmas rolled around and one of the presents from my grandparents contained a magic puff machine of my very own! To be honest, it was for the family, but I loved it the most. Unfortunately, my time with it was not as long as I would've liked. It wasn't cleaned properly after use and when we moved it didn't manage to follow us. Mother tried to convince me that it was for the best, but I knew she'd always hated him and was not nearly as upset to see him go.


The years passed and I all but thought my dream of finding another pancake puff machine was gone. Then TF and I took one of our much loved outlet mall shopping trips to Rehoboth Beach in the fall of 2010. It was there at a kitchen store that I saw pancake puff machine again for the first time. It was a shopping miracle! For reasons that remain unclear to me, I didn't purchase him on the spot. I dreaded this for some time (that's how I always know I really want something) and then remembered the wonder that is Amazon.com. Before I knew it, we were reunited! I was so excited when he finally came in the mail, I used it everyday for a week! 


The new one was slightly different from the one I grew up with (it's pocket holes are bigger so they can do sandwiches too) but the basic premise remains the same. Sweet, glorious pancakes. Since I was blessed with my mother's pancake making skills, this little gadget allows me to have pancakes whenever I want with little to no headache. The other night, I arrived home after another emotionally draining day and was in no mood to cook. It was about that time that I remembered that I'm an adult and can eat whatever I want for dinner. I then further remembered that pancakes are my happy food and when cheering up is in order, they are just the food to do it. With minimal effort, I discovered the below recipe and all was soon right with the world (or at least my stomach).

As I've gotten older, I'm always excited to find healthier versions of the traditional white flour pancake

And there's nothing I love more in my pancakes than blueberries [and yes, I'm weird and don't eat syrup]

Whole Wheat Blueberry Lemon Pancakes

Original recipe found here

Makes 8-10 pancakes...or 6-8 puffs :)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 flax seed meal
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 1/4 c. buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp. melted butter 
• 1 c. fresh blueberries
• powdered sugar for topping (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 250, and place a large pan with a cooling rack on it in the oven [I omitted this and all other cooking steps since I was using my beloved pancake puff maker]
2. Whisk the flour, flax meal, baking powder and soda, salt and lemon zest together in a large bowl
3. Mix the buttermilk, egg and melted butter together in a separate bowl
4. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Stir gently with a fork until just combined; the batter will have lots of lumps
5. Melt the extra butter in a large skillet or griddle. Dollop the batter into the pan with a 1/3 cup measuring scoop and sprinkle with the blueberries. Cook until the pancake bubbles (look closely; it’s a little hard to tell with this thick batter); then flip and cook until browned on the second side
6. Keep finished pancakes warm on the cooling rack in the oven while you cook up the rest of the batter. Makes 8-10 pancakes. Serve with your choice of pancake topping

V-Day Treats for Alicia

In the last installment of the unintentionally two week long Valentine's Day blog roll, the treats I made for my dear friend Alicia. Even though we've only been friends for a little over a year, she has weathered a lot with me in recent months.   I always knew she was a good friend, but I don't think I truly appreciated her until she selflessly volunteered to accompany me to my grandfather's funeral in December. I continue to be amazed and jump at any chance to show her how thankful I am for our friendship. Because I tend to show my love for people with through the bake, enter Valentine's treats:

Cranberry White Chocolate Bars
[Adapted from Glorious Treats]

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (slightly softened)
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup dried, sweetened cranberries, chopped
• 6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) white chocolate chips
• festive sprinkles (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 (F) degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan then set aside (I also like to line the pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the two long sides- this allows the bars to be pulled out of the pan after baking for easier cutting)
2. In a medium bowl add the flour, powdered ginger, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set bowl aside
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, and orange zest and mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture and blend until combined
4. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate. Pour the batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Add sprinkles to top before baking
5. Bake 25-30 minutes, until edges are light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
6.  After cooled, use cookie cutters to cut out heart shapes 

Pineapple Upside Down Cake for Sister

It occurred to me this evening that I'd failed to complete my V-Day week love fest of posts/recipes. To be honest, the last couple of days have not been the best and I considered taking a break from blogging for a bit as I want this blog to remain a happy place. But after giving it some thought, I decided that I should focus on happier times to distract myself and thus, here I am, sharing the next of my Valentine's week inspired recipes.

As I was preparing to enter my fourth year of life, my parents informed me that I was going to be getting a sister. I don't really remember how I handled the news, but the life-size cookie monster that I received as a consolation prize certainly didn't hurt matters. Their words didn't really resonate with me until sister arrived and I was not amused (cut to many pictures of me with my vertical brow on and perched next to sister's carrier). As time passed, I grew accustomed to her face and as she became more mobile and coherent, I began to enjoy having a playmate. In recent years, sister and I have gotten much closer and I am continuously surprised by how wise beyond her years she has become (I'm certain no thanks to me trying to off her for so many years).

5 years ago this fall, my parents moved back to the east coast (my mother's native land) and since their return, August has become birthday month for our family. My grandmom, dad, and sister all have birthdays within two weeks of each other and it's quickly become a family tradition to merge our yearly crab feast with a triple birthday party. Even though it's not my birthday, I continue to find myself equally as excited for the event to take place. Although they're forced to partake in a triple celebration, they all still get their own cake. My dad loves pound cake more than anything, so I've always assumed the role of making his. I've made my grandmom her's a time or two, but not as a rule, and she usually does sister's cake. 

Sister loves a good pineapple upside down cake. I have never really cared for the creation, but when my grandmom announced that she was no longer into undertaking the task (to be fair, she is pushing 87), I decided to take the reins. Living up to the high cooking standards that my grandmother has set over the years is terrifying to say the least. Couple that with having to make something that I've never attempted before and I was beyond nervous about the end result. Thankfully, the cake gods decided to let me have this victory and I was able to present sister with my masterpiece (to which she was both thrilled and surprised).

Sister's 22nd Birthday

Grandmom's Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

• 1/4 c of butter or margarine
• 1 c of packed brown sugar
• 1 can of sliced pineapples (drained, but save the juice)
• 1 jar of maraschino cherries (these creep me out, so I used fresh cherries and just seeded/halved them)
• 1 box of yellow cake mix (when I make this again this year I will be doing this part from scratch as well)

Preparation

1. Melt butter in 13x9 cake pan 
2. Dump the brown sugar and stir until smooth into the butter
3. Lay pineapples on top of the brown sugar mixture
4. Mix cake mix according to directions on the box, BUT use saved pineapple juice instead of water
5. Pour cake mix over pineapples
6. Bake on 350 for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
7. Allow cake to cool (overnight is best). Flip pan over and try to lift it off the cake. The bottom part from the pan is now the top of the cake.
8. Put cherries into the pineapple holes--enjoy :)

My Maryland summers will never be complete without crabs

 Ready to get our feast on

Remains...we don't mess

Valentine's Dinner

Over the past couple years my tolerance for Valentine's Day has grown ever so slightly. The treat baking began 2 years ago, thanks to Snowmageddon. Sister has always been more advanced in the kitchen than I. While snowed in for days on end (for the record, the suburbs are cleared a lot slower than the District...and if this had happened in Oklahoma, we would've been stuck inside for a month and I likely would've hung myself) she crafted this masterpiece for her bf (she also earned the title of best gf years ago): 

Although I couldn't compete, I made this...with festive M&Ms:

It's from a box and I now feel shame...but it was pretty good (at least it was when I was stuck inside with no better options)

Luckily, my freedom from the igloo that was my parent's neighborhood came before Valentine's day and TF and I had our first Valentine's Day in the District (and one of my favorites to date). 

Outside Pasta Mia

After spending the past couple of Valentine's Days out in the world, I was ready for a relaxed night in. The added benefit of this was that I got to try out a new recipe that I'd been eyeing for far too long on a willing guinea pig. In hindsight, I could've just made this for dinner one night, but it was beyond what I consider an acceptable amount of time to spend on a non-holiday meal (recall: cooking is still new to me, I still have some work to do). 

Boy was it worth the wait! I serious loved this meal so much that even after it was gone I missed it...and spent the rest of the night reminiscing about it. The true miracle of the night was that we managed to work together to create it and not kill each other in the process (a true first). As an added bonus, I finally got to put the cheesecake pan I got for Christmas to use!

Eggplant and Zucchini Lasagna

This was my first foray into the lasagna world. Luckily, TF had a little experience in this area and was able to prepare me for how much I underestimated the time required to create this dish....the giant bottle of wine helped too :) But like I said, totally worth it.

Eggplant and Zucchini Lasagna

[Adapted from another blog]

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• About 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices
• 2 medium zucchini, cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large can whole tomatoes 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound no-boil lasagna noodles
• 12 ounces fat-free milk ricotta
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or italian seasoning
• 6 ounces mozzarella-blend
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. In a small pot, boil down tomatoes (seasoned with salt, pepper, and oregano/italian seasoning). This probably should have gone on longer than it did for us, but we were ravenous so probably rushed it a little.
3. Sauté zucchini, eggplant, onion, and garlic with olive oil, salt, and pepper until lightly browned. Set vegetables aside
4. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta with oregano and 3/4 teaspoon salt and stir to mix
5. As tomatoes continue to boil, use a potato masher to crush to desired thickness
6. In a 10-inch round skillet, pour about 1/2 cup of the tomato mixture. Layer with noodles, breaking them to fit the pan. Top with the eggplant/zucchini in one layer, then spread on half of the ricotta. Sprinkle with a quarter of chosen mozzarella and another 1/2 cup of sauce. Continue this pattern until all ingredients are gone. Spread with the remaining sauce, then top with the remaining half of the mozzarella.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover, sprinkle with the Parmesan, and bake another 25 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Let the lasagna rest 10-15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Valentine's Truffles for TF

As I confessed in my last post, I'm not a natural fan of Valentine's Day, but in recent years I've taken to baking my way through it. This year was no different. After getting Grandmom's gift taken care of, it was time to move onto my other two Valentines-Alicia and TF. As is unfortunately becoming my custom, the baking got put off until the night before, causing me to spend the evening in a veritable tizz. So many reasons I live alone...At least the end result was good. 


Of everything I made, I was most proud of my treats for TF. They took forever (or at least it felt like it because they had to be done in stages) but they were very well received which is all I really care about in a finished product. I stumbled upon the winning recipe almost by accident (this is why I love blogs, you never know what you're going to find) and I had to muster some courage to give it a go. When it comes to desserts, I've never met anyone that loves cookie dough as much as TF. Being the good girlfriend that I am, I am always on the prowl for recipes that allow me to incorporate cookie dough in non-traditional ways (ie: the cookie). I tried a recipe very similar to this one about 2 years ago and it was a major fail. Having all but blocked that failure from memory, I don't entirely remember what the finished product looked like, but I know it was not good. I've come to learn the hard way that eggless cookie dough recipes can be very hit and miss. More often than not, it's a fine line between ending up with something that actually tastes like cookie dough and ending up with a flour-dominated look a like that makes you want to gag. Since my earlier attempts have always fallen in the latter category, I was fearful the same would be the case again. It was not and I received pats...and a very happy boyfriend.

Cookie Dough Truffles (I couldn't resist incorporating some festive sprinkles)

Finished and ready to be devoured

The finished truffles were topped with another TF favorite, nonpereils (recipe here) but made with Ghiradelli dark chocolate instead of carob chips this time

I also saw this card on Pinterest and couldn't help trying to replicate it!

Cookie Dough Truffles

[Recipe adapted from Love and Olive Oil]

Yields 3-4 dozen (I only made a half batch and it still made plenty)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk or soy milk
• 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 14 oz dark chocolate candy coating (I swear by Ghirardelli chips for this)

Preparation

1. Beat butter and sugars and in large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips
2. Cover and chill dough for 1 hour
3. When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1" balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper
4. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes (this is extremely important and helps tremendously with coating them)
5. Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler or in microwave according to package directions
6. Using forks or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap fork on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week...they won't last that long though :)

Valentine's Treats for Grandmom

I've never considered myself a huge Valentine's person. I routinely profess to hate the holiday and would be completely fine if it fell off the calendar altogether. That being said, over the last couple of years, I've started to embrace it for what it is: a day to make pretty treats. In that vein, I decided to make something fun for my grandmom this year since it was her first Valentine's Day without my grandfather.


I attribute any baking abilities I have to my grandmother. She believed in my cooking abilities long before I did, so I'm always thrilled when I can share my new-found abilities with her. During a trip to the suburbs, I found this delightful heart shaped box and it became the basis for which I built my gift around. Since my grandmom can't have chocolate, I had to think a little outside the box in my treat making (and work with carob for the first time...not a fan) but it all came together wonderfully! 

Finished product, complete with homemade card (buying cards is a weird pet peeve of mine)

Treats (coconut cookies, nonpareils, and chocolate covered marshmallows) 

Coconut Cookies

Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Yields 36

Ingredients

• 1 package (14 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut (5 1/3 cups)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside 2 loosely packed cups of coconut on a plate. Place remaining coconut in a food processor along with sugar, salt, and baking powder; process until finely ground. Add butter, and process just until no lumps remain. Add egg and vanilla; process just until smooth. Add flour; pulse until a crumbly dough begins to form, scraping sides of bowl as needed (do not overmix)
2. Forming 5 or 6 at a time, scoop level tablespoons of dough, and place in reserved coconut. Roll into balls, coating with coconut
3. Arrange balls, about 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Bake until lightly golden, 23 to 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

*I don't care for (and in fact hate coconut) but I couldn't resist sampling one of these little balls of goodness...and they were quiet tasty! 

Chocolate Nonperils

Yields 36

Ingredients

• 1 (12oz) bag of chocolate chips (or carob chips in this instance)
• Seasonally appropriate sprinkles (I make these as part of my Christmas gifts with Christmas sprinkles) 
• Candy mold (I recommend using at least two so it'll go faster)

Preparation

1. Melt chips in microwave or double boiler according to directions on bag
2. Using a spoon, dish melted chocolate into candy mold
3. Top with sprinkles and allow to hard (to speed the process along, you can stick the tray in the freezer or fridge)

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

Ingredients

• 1 (12oz) bag of chocolate chips (or, again, carob chips in this instance)
• 1 bag of marshmallows
• Seasonally appropriate sprinkles (optional)

Preparation

1. Melt chips in microwave or double boiler according to directions on bag
2. Dip marshmallows into melted chocolate (I just held onto them, but you could also use tongs)
3. Top with sprinkles (if desired) and allow to harden on wax paper

Enjoy :)

7 Years with Baxter

Since Valentine's Day week is upon us, I have decided to share recipes this week that I have made for some of my favorite people. As luck would have it, today is also the 7 year anniversary of me adopting my Aussie Baxter. Bax and I have a very special bond and on any given day I will tell you that I love her more than anyone else and I will completely mean it. So, it's only fitting that her recipe kicks off this week of love. 

Christmas 2011

Backstory: Baxter was bought for me as an early birthday present sophomore year of college. The thought of turning 20 terrified me (although it's nothing compared to the angst I'm already feeling about turning 30 in a couple weeks...but I prefer not to think about that now) and since I was living in my first off-campus apartment I convinced my parents that I needed a pet to keep me company. It was also about this time that I was getting into running and I thought a dog would help me become a more regular runner. After much researching (and learning about the horror that is puppy mills) I decided I wanted an Australian Shepherd.[I will interject here that, despite how much I love Bax, I no longer support the way we came to be together and will only be rescuing dogs from shelters in future]. I found a breeder about an hour outside of my hometown and set up a meeting with her and a couple of her female pups. Mom and I went to meet her early on a Saturday morning (despite my mother cautioning me not to get my hopes up, I was so excited I'd barely slept the night before). Although the breeder was bringing three puppies, I already knew which one I wanted (she'd sent pictures that I gushed over for weeks). When we arrived she opened the cage in the back of her SUV to reveal two super-hyper puppies fighting to get out first, and little Baxter huddled in the back. She was the runt of the liter and her sisters clearly liked to keep her in her place (the irony of this is that she is now very much the alpha dog in any situation she's in, I really can't imagine her being bullied by anyone). I disliked her sisters almost instantly, not only because of their antics, but because one of them had the audacity to defecate in the cage and smear it on Bax (I still contend it was to make her look undesirable...and just plain cruel because she hates being dirty). She was cleaned for me and it was love at first sight. Because she was my first puppy, I had no idea what I was in store for during the next year. I credit several life events with playing a role in my desire not to procreate (mostly bad babysitting experiences during my teen years) but raising a puppy is definitely in the top 5 of that list. That being said, we had some good times over that first year and as puppyhood passed, she has become one of my greatest loves. 

As you can probably imagine, Bax is spoiled rotten. Her birthday is in December and two years ago I not only made her a cake, but also homemade treats to go along with it. We had a small party with her cousins (Labradoodle Penny and Westie Bella) and the homemade confections were a huge hit. For all the dog lovers/owner, here are two recipes that will be well received by the furry loves of your life.

Bax and her cousins anxiously waiting for the party to start

Peanut Butter Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 1 C flour
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 egg

Preparation

1. Preheat oven at 350F
2. Mix flour and baking soda
3. Add remaining ingredients
4. Pour into greased 8" round cake pan and bake 30 minutes
5. Let cool. Decorate with more peanut butter and carrots

Cake and treats ready to be devoured

Birthday Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted natural peanut butter
• 1 cup skim milk

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Stir together flour and baking powder; set aside
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and milk
4. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended
5. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth
6. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters (I used a B for Baxter and a 6 for her age at the time, plus the usual bone shape)
7. Place 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets
8. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown
9. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks

Sorry, the only close up of the treats I had was me holding them (and inadvertently taunting Baxter)

To conclude the Baxter love fest, I couldn't resist sharing some of my favorite pictures from our first year together. Enjoy :)

Our first day together, it was a tad exhausting for a small pup

Day 2 and her feisty energy was already coming out

As was her stubborn side. To this day, she is notorious for refusing to walk anywhere she doesn't want to 

Puppyhood is synonymous with mischief 

And curiosity 

And sheer cuteness

Graduating from puppy class (she was valedictorian....and class bully)

Graduation party (I just love how she's perched in this one)

This remains a picture that I keep framed around the apartment. I call it her "I was betrayed by Judas" incident. Our family dog at the time lured her into a huge mud puddle in the backyard, resulting in her having to get a bath while the older and wiser dog remained clean. She was livid.

First birthday. She used to love to tear into presents...and her back feet are adorable!

Before I baked her birthday treats, I brought them (at puppy bakeries). This year I'm going to try to replicate this cake!

Super Bowl Treats Part III

In the third and final installment of my Super Bowl snack series, I present one of my favorite holiday dessert recipes. 


For the past five or so years, my family Christmas gatherings have included butterscotch balls. I don't remember the exact moment that my taste buds first crossed paths with them, but it was love at first taste. I do remember my aunt cautioning me against eating too many, telling me that they were very sugary and I would be sick. I could not be deterred. I love sugar and routinely make myself sick from bad food choices (you'd think after almost 27 years I'd get it together, but alas it continues), and my relationship with these delightful little treats is no different. 


A few years ago I requested the recipe so that I could try my hand at them and not have to wait for Christmas to roll around again. I'm not sure what happened to the recipe, but I lost it and the the dream of making them once the Christmas decorations were packed away and didn't think about it again, until this year. My cousin (who's assumed the role of making them the last couple years) sent some down for Christmas and (as per usual) I had way too many. I was really beyond out of control this year (I also believe they were the force behind my Wii bowling championship). Nonetheless, I decided I must learn to make them. Given my history with them, I knew I had to make them to share with others rather than keeping them in the home. Enter the Super Bowl party. I won't pretend like I didn't have a few...or 5...while preparing them, but silverlining, way better than me eating two dozen!


Butterscotch Balls

Ingredients [made about 2 dozen for me, depends on how big you make the balls]

• 3 C Rice Krispies finely crushed
• 1 1/4 stick of margarine, melted
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 2 C. chunky peanut butter
• 12 oz. butterscotch chips

Preparation 

1. Combine ingredients (rice krispies, margarine, sugar, peanut butter) and form into balls
2. Chill balls on cookie sheet while you make coating (I also stored them in an airtight container overnight and coated them the next day, which works too)
3. Melt butterscotch chips in double boiler while stirring
4. Dip peanut butter balls in butterscotch.  Place on wax paper to cool

Super Bowl Treats Part II

Many years ago, a friend and I started a weekly dining tradition. Since we never had classes together or saw each other on campus, this was our way of making sure we always got together at least once a week to catch up and plot our escape from Oklahoma (we were way too liberal). Our gatherings began when we were in college with lunches around town (our quests for post-lunch desserts was also the start of my dessert obsession, which deserves a post of its own at a later time). As we continued on into grad school and found ourselves with less free time during the day, our tradition evolved into dinner at each other's homes. We would alternate weeks with the rule that whoever was hosting/cooking got to pick the recipe for the week. I dreaded my turn to cook (this was at the beginning of me beginning to dabble in cooking and I was failing more often than not). It was almost a rule that some part of my meal would have something wrong with it. She was always a very good sport (especially since she was, and still remains, one of the best cooks I know), which definitely helped my very shaky confidence. From time to time, I would love something she made so much that I would demand the recipe on the spot and try desperately to replicate it. One such recipe was for homemade salsa. 


I'm very particular about the texture and consistency of my salsa (similar to queso, I blame my Oklahoma upbringing). This salsa recipe was everything I loved about salsa and pretty much ruined my relationship with all store bought salsas (although lets be honest, we were never that close to begin with). The best part, it's super easy and the food processor does most of the heavy lifting. 


Homemade Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 can original rotel
• 1 medium onion (I've experimented with all varieties over the years, white and yellow tend to give it a better taste)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• lime juice (to taste)
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• cilantro (to taste)

Preparation

1. Cut onion into chunks and peel garlic cloves
2. Add onion and garlic cloves to food processor first, top with diced tomatoes, rotel, and cilantro
3. Process mixture until desired consistency (I'll add here that I have a large food processor so everything can go in at once. When I started making this, I had a much smaller one and had to chop the ingredients one at a time. It works that way too, but just takes longer and the consistency doesn't always match).
4. Empty salsa into a large bowl, mix in salt, pepper, and lime juice
5. Enjoy!

Super Bowl Treats Part I

Growing up, my dad and I routinely watched the Super Bowl together. As both a child of the 90s and a Dallas Cowboys fan, I often enjoyed the game more than the food. Since it's been over a decade since my Cowboys have played in the big game, the food has become what I look forward to most each year. This year I found myself attending a super bowl party which meant I got to try out several new recipes. 


In the first of a three part series, I present brownie cupcakes:

Brownie Cupcakes

Courtesy of the Village Cook

Ingredients [makes 12]

• 2 one ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

1. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder.
2. Using a microwave, melt the butter and chocolate at 50% power until smooth.
3. Beat in the eggs and the sugar and vanilla
4. Add the flour mixture, mix well and pour into lined muffin tins.
5. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.
6. *optional: add an unwrapped chocolate candy to each center before baking.

The icing wasn't part of the original recipe, but I added it as I thought they needed a little something to finish them off. It was a delightful touch!

Basic Buttercream

A la Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

FOTY Conquered!

For the past 5 years (as I discussed in more detail in this post), I've selected a food of the year (FOTY) each January to spend the year "conquering". This year's food is my greatest challenge to date. I genuinely admit being somewhat terrified of taking the plunge this year. 


My chosen food for 2012 is oysters. Having always been an east coaster at heart (and having spent my childhood summers in Maryland cracking crabs), I have a profound love of seafood. It's this love that drove me to choose oysters. I don't like there being types of seafood that I don't eat. Going into the whole oyster experience, Alicia did a wonderful job of lowering my expectations. She told me everything that I would have to deal with by choosing to consume oysters and was fairly certain (because she knows me so well) that these slimy critters were not for my tastes. 


On Saturday night, the opportunity to do what I'd been putting off for a month presented itself. It was go time, I was going to try oysters. I joined my favorite couple, Alicia and Daniel (I call them my favorite because they aren't gross with the excessive PDA and coupleness that makes others uncomfortable; even though I'm in a couple, I have no tolerance for such behavior) at a new oyster bar (Senart's Oyster Bar and Chop House) in Eastern Market. As we arrived, Alicia remained skeptical, Daniel believed, and I was in search of a drink to calm my nerves.

Drink first, then food... the anticipation continued to mount and peaked upon the oysters' arrival 

[sorry for the dim pictures..I had to rely on iphone to capture this momentous occasion]

And then it was time to take the plunge....

BAM, FOTY conquered. Only a little over a month into 2012, my scariest FOTY to date also holds the record for quickest defeat. I was thrilled, and Alicia and Daniel enjoyed being part of the momentous occasion. Since the oyster take-down was much quicker than anticipated, I'm mulling taking on a sub-food of the year, possibly mussels, but no definitive plans yet. There is nothing I love more than expanding my food pallet!  

Pizza, Pizza

As I've mentioned before, the child inside of me loves pizza. The ability to eat pizza, along with desserts, is a big part of why I run on a regular basis. As I've also mentioned, I am always on a quest to make pizza healthier so that I can eat it more often :) I've successfully achieved that goal once again.


Thursday night, I tried my hand at making pizza dough from scratch. I haven't made any yeast-based recipes in over 10 years. This is due to multiple bad experiences in my late teen years which not only led to my long held belief that yeast is the devil, but also that I should not be in the kitchen. After the last month, my cooking confidence has risen tremendously and I decided it was time to take the plunge. I made a whole wheat and rosemary crust (inspired by a delightful pizza I had at Alicia and Daniel's during our Christmas cookie baking marathon) and topped it with sun dried tomato pesto (completely made this up on the fly and was quite pleased with my ability to improvise), mushrooms, and cheese. After baking, I finished it off with some arugula. Paired with a glass of red wine and my stomach was in heaven!

Whole Wheat Rosemary Dough

Adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water, (105-115°F)
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup bread flour, or all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
• 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• Rosemary (fresh or dry) to taste

Preparation

1. Stir water, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl; let stand until the yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir in whole-wheat flour, bread flour (or all-purpose flour), cornmeal, and rosemary until the dough begins to come together. 
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, mix the dough in a food processor. Process until it forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.)
3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. (To make individual pizzas, see Variation.) Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Individual variation: The dough can be turned into 4 or 6 personal-size pizzas. After kneading, divide the dough into 4 or 6 equal balls. Brush with oil and place 3 inches apart on a baking sheet. Cover and set aside until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Roll each portion into a 6-to-8-inch circle. *You can also cover and refrigerate overnight...I did this and it worked just fine.
4. Bake at 450F for 8-10 minutes

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pizza with Mushrooms and Arugula

Ingredients 

[the amount needed really depends on how big of a pizza you're making]

• 8oz jar sun dried tomatoes
• sliced mushrooms and arugula for topping
• 3 cloves garlic
• cheese (I used a blended white cheese I found at Trader Joes--qualtro formaggio)

Preparation

1. Create pesto with sun dried tomatoes and garlic cloves (I used one of my new favorite appliances, my stick blender, and blended it until it was a pesto consistency). 
2. Saute mushrooms in olive oil, salt, and pepper (to taste) for 3-5 minutes. I didn't cook them all the way through since I knew they'd cook a little more in the oven.
3. Spread pesto on pizza crust, top with mushrooms and cheese. Bake for 8-10 minute or until cheese is melted.
4. Allow to cool, top with arugula and enjoy!