Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Easiest Pasta and Broccoli Recipe
Easiest Pasta and Broccoli Recipe
via: Skinny Tastes
12 oz uncooked pasta
6 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, no stems
5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and fresh cracked pepper
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When water boils, add pasta and broccoli at the same time and cook according to pasta instructions for al dente. When pasta is almost done cooking, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and broccoli.
Return the pot to the stove and set heat to high; add 1 tbsp olive oil, when hot, add garlic. Cook until golden, reduce flame to low and add pasta back to the pot.
Mix well, add remaining olive oil, grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste mixing well and smashing any large pieces of broccoli to break up.
Add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water and mix well adding more if needed.
Serve in pasta bowls with additional grated cheese on the side.
+ Blueberry Muffins Recipe, Pete's Amazing Meatballs Recipe and Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
Muffin Batter ~
2 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1 cup Sugar
3/4 tea Salt
1 TBL Baking Powder
1/2 cup Oil (Canola)
1 Egg
1/2 cup Buttermilk (it was very dry today, so I had to use 3/4 cup of buttermilk)
1 1/2 cup Blueberries (Fresh or Frozen)
Streusel Topping~
6 TBL Flour
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 TBL Butter, Melted
1 tea Cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place cupcake papers in the muffin pan.
To make the batter:
Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add in the oil, egg and buttermilk. Mix just to combine. Be careful to not overmix. Gently fold in the blueberries. The batter will be stiff.
Spoon the batter into the muffin papers. Fill them about 3/4 full. The batter will puff up while baking.
To make the streusel:
Mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and mix. Spoon this over the batter.
Bake for about 25 minutes.
* Next time I might add in a small bit of freshly ground nutmeg.
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Italian Wedding Soup (Modified)
1 batch Pete's Amazing Meatballs (see below)
4 cups Chicken broth
2 stalks celery, minced
2 medium carrots, grated
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 teas red pepper flakes
2 teas Montreal Steak seasoning
1 teas paprika
Salt & Pepper (to taste - I actually leave this out)
1 bunch (or bag) spinach
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 cup White Wine
Make small versions of Pete's Amazing Meatballs. (Mine are about 1 teaspoon each meatball.)
In a large stock pot, combine chicken broth, water, carrot, zucchini and celery. Bring to a boil. Add seasonings and rice and boil for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add white wine, spinach and meatballs to the soup. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve. Add shaved Parmesan cheese on top, if you wish.
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Pete's Amazing Meatball Recipe
Our friend, Pete M. makes amazing meatballs. As a boy he had them for breakfast every Sunday. I have fun picturing that in my head when I make a batch of these. They are fun to make and freeze well. They are good enough alone that you don't need any sauce.
Pete's Amazing Meatballs
3-4 TBL Parsley, fresh & chopped
3-4 TBL Basil, fresh and chopped
3-4 Garlic SHoots or 1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1# Hamburger (80%)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese or Romano Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (plain or seasoned)
3 Eggs
Salt & Pepper, if desired
Mix the herbs, garlic and hamburger in the food processor or by hand. Add in the grated cheese and process again. Add in the bread crumb with the eggs. Form into Meatballs.
Bake the meatballs in a 350 degree oven. You can also fry them in a skillet.
Muffin Batter ~
2 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1 cup Sugar
3/4 tea Salt
1 TBL Baking Powder
1/2 cup Oil (Canola)
1 Egg
1/2 cup Buttermilk (it was very dry today, so I had to use 3/4 cup of buttermilk)
1 1/2 cup Blueberries (Fresh or Frozen)
Streusel Topping~
6 TBL Flour
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 TBL Butter, Melted
1 tea Cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place cupcake papers in the muffin pan.
To make the batter:
Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add in the oil, egg and buttermilk. Mix just to combine. Be careful to not overmix. Gently fold in the blueberries. The batter will be stiff.
Spoon the batter into the muffin papers. Fill them about 3/4 full. The batter will puff up while baking.
To make the streusel:
Mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and mix. Spoon this over the batter.
Bake for about 25 minutes.
* Next time I might add in a small bit of freshly ground nutmeg.
-------------
Italian Wedding Soup (Modified)
1 batch Pete's Amazing Meatballs (see below)
4 cups Chicken broth
2 stalks celery, minced
2 medium carrots, grated
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 teas red pepper flakes
2 teas Montreal Steak seasoning
1 teas paprika
Salt & Pepper (to taste - I actually leave this out)
1 bunch (or bag) spinach
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 cup White Wine
Make small versions of Pete's Amazing Meatballs. (Mine are about 1 teaspoon each meatball.)
In a large stock pot, combine chicken broth, water, carrot, zucchini and celery. Bring to a boil. Add seasonings and rice and boil for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add white wine, spinach and meatballs to the soup. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve. Add shaved Parmesan cheese on top, if you wish.
-----------
Pete's Amazing Meatball Recipe
Our friend, Pete M. makes amazing meatballs. As a boy he had them for breakfast every Sunday. I have fun picturing that in my head when I make a batch of these. They are fun to make and freeze well. They are good enough alone that you don't need any sauce.
Pete's Amazing Meatballs
3-4 TBL Parsley, fresh & chopped
3-4 TBL Basil, fresh and chopped
3-4 Garlic SHoots or 1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1# Hamburger (80%)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese or Romano Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (plain or seasoned)
3 Eggs
Salt & Pepper, if desired
Mix the herbs, garlic and hamburger in the food processor or by hand. Add in the grated cheese and process again. Add in the bread crumb with the eggs. Form into Meatballs.
Bake the meatballs in a 350 degree oven. You can also fry them in a skillet.
Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy (the old fashioned way)
Buttermilk Biscuits
via: Bon Appetit, February 2014
(I made a half recipe and that was more than enough for Ethan and I. A half recipe made 9 biscuits.)
3 teaspoons baking powder
2½ teaspoons kosher salt (omit this if you are using salted butter)
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
5½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more
1½ cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I pulse this in the food processor before I actually begin putting the recipe together.)
1½ cups chilled buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten to blend (I do not use this. I top the uncooked biscuits with melted butter instead.)
Preheat oven to 375°. Pulse baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, and 5½ cups flour in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the texture of coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in buttermilk with a fork, then gently knead just until a shaggy dough comes together.
Pat out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1¼” thick. Cut out biscuits with a 3” biscuit cutter, rerolling scraps once.
Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush tops with egg. Bake until golden brown, 30–35 minutes.
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Sausage Gravy
This is a family recipe. It is really wonderful, but not at all healthy. I still think that it is worth making.
1 pound Breakfast Sausage (links or roll)
2-3 TBL. Bacon Fat (or butter)
2 1/2 cups Milk (2%, some people use whole milk. Other even use some milk and some heavy cream - this is too rich for me.)
1/4 cup Flour
Salt
Pepper
Cook the sausage in a skillet, breaking it up into bite size pieces. Once it is nearly cooked, add in the bacon grease/butter. Put the milk and flour in a canning jar (spaghetti sauce jar), shaking it to blend the flour into the cold milk. Pour this into the skillet once the bacon grease/butter has melted. Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir it as it thickens over medium heat.
Season to taste.
Serve over the biscuits.
via: Bon Appetit, February 2014
(I made a half recipe and that was more than enough for Ethan and I. A half recipe made 9 biscuits.)
3 teaspoons baking powder
2½ teaspoons kosher salt (omit this if you are using salted butter)
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
5½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more
1½ cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I pulse this in the food processor before I actually begin putting the recipe together.)
1½ cups chilled buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten to blend (I do not use this. I top the uncooked biscuits with melted butter instead.)
Preheat oven to 375°. Pulse baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, and 5½ cups flour in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the texture of coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in buttermilk with a fork, then gently knead just until a shaggy dough comes together.
Pat out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1¼” thick. Cut out biscuits with a 3” biscuit cutter, rerolling scraps once.
Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush tops with egg. Bake until golden brown, 30–35 minutes.
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Sausage Gravy
This is a family recipe. It is really wonderful, but not at all healthy. I still think that it is worth making.
1 pound Breakfast Sausage (links or roll)
2-3 TBL. Bacon Fat (or butter)
2 1/2 cups Milk (2%, some people use whole milk. Other even use some milk and some heavy cream - this is too rich for me.)
1/4 cup Flour
Salt
Pepper
Cook the sausage in a skillet, breaking it up into bite size pieces. Once it is nearly cooked, add in the bacon grease/butter. Put the milk and flour in a canning jar (spaghetti sauce jar), shaking it to blend the flour into the cold milk. Pour this into the skillet once the bacon grease/butter has melted. Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir it as it thickens over medium heat.
Season to taste.
Serve over the biscuits.
German Chocolate Cake + Heavenly Hummus Wraps
German Chocolate Cake
via:Bobby Flay & The Food Network
For the Cake:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light muscovado sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups strong brewed black coffee, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
Melt the 12 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the muscovado and granulated sugars and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the coffee, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract and continue whisking until smooth and just combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour before frosting.
For the Frosting:
1 3/4 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup goat's milk or additional whole milk
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, cold
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coconut rum (optional)
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 1/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Make the frosting: Combine the whole milk, coconut milk and goat's milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Keep warm while you prepare the caramel.
Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook without stirring until a deep amber color, 8 to 10 minutes. Slowly and carefully whisk in the warm milk mixture and continue whisking until smooth. Add the vanilla seeds and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is reduced by half and the consistency of a caramel sauce, about 55 minutes.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla extract, salt and rum (if using). Transfer the sauce to a medium bowl and stir in the pecans and shredded coconut. Let the frosting cool to room temperature, stirring it occasionally, before frosting the cake.
To assemble the cake, slice each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer on a cake round and spread one-third of the frosting evenly over the top. Repeat to make 3 layers, then top with the remaining cake layer, top-side up.
For the Ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, for garnish
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted, for garnish
Coconut Whipped Cream, for serving
Make the ganache: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, add the hot cream and the corn syrup and let sit for 30 seconds. Gently whisk until smooth. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Set the cake on a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake, letting the excess drip down the sides. Sprinkle the top with toasted coconut and pecans. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before slicing.
Slice the cake and top with a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream.
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Heavenly Hummus Wrap
via: The Pioneer Woman
1 Tablespoon Butter Or Olive Oil
1/2 whole Red Onion, Halved And Sliced
1 whole Spinach Flour Tortilla (large)
1/4 cup Hummus (homemade Or Storebought) - More If Needed
1 whole Roasted Red Pepper (jarred), Sliced
3 whole Canned Artichoke Hearts, Halved
2 cups Mixed Greens
1 Tablespoon Your Favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette (homemade Or Storebought)
1/4 cup Feta Cheese Crumbles
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the red onions and cook slowly for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and deep golden brown. Set aside and let them cool slightly.
Grill the tortilla on a grill pan over medium heat for 1 minute, just until it has grill marks on the outside. (If you don't have a grill pan, just use a skillet.) The tortilla should still be soft and pliable; just with a little bit of color! Let the tortilla cool slightly.
To assemble the wrap, spread the hummus down the middle third of the tortilla. Arrange the cooked onion slices and the sliced roasted red peppers all over the hummus. Add the artichoke heart halves.
Toss the salad greens in the balsamic dressing, then lay them on the wrap. Finally, sprinkle the crumbled feta all over the greens.
Carefully wrap up the tortilla, tucking in the ends. Slice the wrap down the middle, share with a friend, and chow down.
via:Bobby Flay & The Food Network
For the Cake:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light muscovado sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups strong brewed black coffee, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
Melt the 12 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the muscovado and granulated sugars and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the coffee, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract and continue whisking until smooth and just combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour before frosting.
For the Frosting:
1 3/4 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup goat's milk or additional whole milk
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, cold
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coconut rum (optional)
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 1/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Make the frosting: Combine the whole milk, coconut milk and goat's milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Keep warm while you prepare the caramel.
Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook without stirring until a deep amber color, 8 to 10 minutes. Slowly and carefully whisk in the warm milk mixture and continue whisking until smooth. Add the vanilla seeds and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is reduced by half and the consistency of a caramel sauce, about 55 minutes.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla extract, salt and rum (if using). Transfer the sauce to a medium bowl and stir in the pecans and shredded coconut. Let the frosting cool to room temperature, stirring it occasionally, before frosting the cake.
To assemble the cake, slice each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer on a cake round and spread one-third of the frosting evenly over the top. Repeat to make 3 layers, then top with the remaining cake layer, top-side up.
For the Ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, for garnish
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted, for garnish
Coconut Whipped Cream, for serving
Make the ganache: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, add the hot cream and the corn syrup and let sit for 30 seconds. Gently whisk until smooth. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Set the cake on a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake, letting the excess drip down the sides. Sprinkle the top with toasted coconut and pecans. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before slicing.
Slice the cake and top with a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream.
------------------
Heavenly Hummus Wrap
via: The Pioneer Woman
1 Tablespoon Butter Or Olive Oil
1/2 whole Red Onion, Halved And Sliced
1 whole Spinach Flour Tortilla (large)
1/4 cup Hummus (homemade Or Storebought) - More If Needed
1 whole Roasted Red Pepper (jarred), Sliced
3 whole Canned Artichoke Hearts, Halved
2 cups Mixed Greens
1 Tablespoon Your Favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette (homemade Or Storebought)
1/4 cup Feta Cheese Crumbles
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the red onions and cook slowly for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and deep golden brown. Set aside and let them cool slightly.
Grill the tortilla on a grill pan over medium heat for 1 minute, just until it has grill marks on the outside. (If you don't have a grill pan, just use a skillet.) The tortilla should still be soft and pliable; just with a little bit of color! Let the tortilla cool slightly.
To assemble the wrap, spread the hummus down the middle third of the tortilla. Arrange the cooked onion slices and the sliced roasted red peppers all over the hummus. Add the artichoke heart halves.
Toss the salad greens in the balsamic dressing, then lay them on the wrap. Finally, sprinkle the crumbled feta all over the greens.
Carefully wrap up the tortilla, tucking in the ends. Slice the wrap down the middle, share with a friend, and chow down.
Blueberry Muffins and Minestrone Soup
Blueberry Muffins
via: Allrecipes.com
Muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking
powder
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries
Topping:
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
For the muffins - Combineflour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a measuring cup; add the egg and enou milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
To Make Crumb Topping - Mix together sugar, flour, cup butter, and teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done
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Olive Garden Copycat Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker}(modified)
via: Cooking Classy
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups water
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup diced celery (3 stalks)
1 cup diced carrots (2 carrots)
1 cup diced yellow onion (1 small) (I use a small red onion)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/3 cups diced zucchini (1 small)
1 1/3 cups shell pasta*
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can white navy beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian green beans, drained
2 cups slightly packed chopped fresh spinach (kale works well, too)
(1 small box Grape Tomatoes)
Finely shredded Romano cheese, for serving (Parmesan works too)
Add vegetable stock, water, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and sugar to a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat 6 - 8 hours or high 3 - 4 hours.
Add in zucchini, pasta*, garlic, kidney beans and white beans and cook on high heat and additional 30 - 40 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir in spinach, grape tomatoes and Italian green beans and cook several minutes until heated through.
Serve warm topped with Romano cheese.
Notes:
* If I know that this will be saved, or froze, and eaten later, I will omit the pasta and add it in as it is reheating. You can also trade out the pasta for tortellini.
** Sometimes I use a bag of frozen stew veggies instead of fresh one, especially if I need to save time.)
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via: Allrecipes.com
Muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking
powder
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries
Topping:
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
For the muffins - Combineflour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a measuring cup; add the egg and enou milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
To Make Crumb Topping - Mix together sugar, flour, cup butter, and teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done
----------
Olive Garden Copycat Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker}(modified)
via: Cooking Classy
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups water
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup diced celery (3 stalks)
1 cup diced carrots (2 carrots)
1 cup diced yellow onion (1 small) (I use a small red onion)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/3 cups diced zucchini (1 small)
1 1/3 cups shell pasta*
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can white navy beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian green beans, drained
2 cups slightly packed chopped fresh spinach (kale works well, too)
(1 small box Grape Tomatoes)
Finely shredded Romano cheese, for serving (Parmesan works too)
Add vegetable stock, water, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and sugar to a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat 6 - 8 hours or high 3 - 4 hours.
Add in zucchini, pasta*, garlic, kidney beans and white beans and cook on high heat and additional 30 - 40 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir in spinach, grape tomatoes and Italian green beans and cook several minutes until heated through.
Serve warm topped with Romano cheese.
Notes:
* If I know that this will be saved, or froze, and eaten later, I will omit the pasta and add it in as it is reheating. You can also trade out the pasta for tortellini.
** Sometimes I use a bag of frozen stew veggies instead of fresh one, especially if I need to save time.)
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Sunday, February 9, 2014
Italian Wedding Soup + Pete's Amazing Italian Meatballs
Italian Wedding Soup
1 batch Pete's Amazing Meatballs (see below)
4 cups Chicken broth
2 stalks celery, minced
2 medium carrots, grated
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 teas red pepper flakes
2 teas Montreal Steak seasoning
1 teas paprika
Salt & Pepper (to taste - I actually leave this out)
1 bunch (or bag) spinach
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 cup White Wine
Make small versions of Pete's Amazing Meatballs. (Mine are about 1 teaspoon each meatball.)
In a large stock pot, combine chicken broth, water, carrot, zucchini and celery. Bring to a boil. Add seasonings and rice and boil for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add white wine, spinach and meatballs to the soup. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve. Add shaved Parmesan cheese on top, if you wish.
-----------
Pete's Amazing Meatball Recipe
Our friend, Pete M. makes amazing meatballs. As a boy he had them for breakfast every Sunday. I have fun picturing that in my head when I make a batch of these. They are fun to make and freeze well. They are good enough alone that you don't need any sauce.
Pete's Amazing Meatballs
3-4 TBL Parsley, fresh & chopped
3-4 TBL Basil, fresh and chopped
3-4 Garlic SHoots or 1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1# Hamburger (80%)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese or Romano Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (plain or seasoned)
3 Eggs
Salt & Pepper, if desired
Mix the herbs, garlic and hamburger in the food processor or by hand. Add in the grated cheese and process again. Add in the bread crumb with the eggs. Form into Meatballs.
Bake the meatballs in a 350 degree oven. You can also fry them in a skillet.
1 batch Pete's Amazing Meatballs (see below)
4 cups Chicken broth
2 stalks celery, minced
2 medium carrots, grated
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 teas red pepper flakes
2 teas Montreal Steak seasoning
1 teas paprika
Salt & Pepper (to taste - I actually leave this out)
1 bunch (or bag) spinach
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 cup White Wine
Make small versions of Pete's Amazing Meatballs. (Mine are about 1 teaspoon each meatball.)
In a large stock pot, combine chicken broth, water, carrot, zucchini and celery. Bring to a boil. Add seasonings and rice and boil for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add white wine, spinach and meatballs to the soup. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve. Add shaved Parmesan cheese on top, if you wish.
-----------
Pete's Amazing Meatball Recipe
Our friend, Pete M. makes amazing meatballs. As a boy he had them for breakfast every Sunday. I have fun picturing that in my head when I make a batch of these. They are fun to make and freeze well. They are good enough alone that you don't need any sauce.
Pete's Amazing Meatballs
3-4 TBL Parsley, fresh & chopped
3-4 TBL Basil, fresh and chopped
3-4 Garlic SHoots or 1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1# Hamburger (80%)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese or Romano Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (plain or seasoned)
3 Eggs
Salt & Pepper, if desired
Mix the herbs, garlic and hamburger in the food processor or by hand. Add in the grated cheese and process again. Add in the bread crumb with the eggs. Form into Meatballs.
Bake the meatballs in a 350 degree oven. You can also fry them in a skillet.
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
via: Sally's Baking Addition: A Sprinkle of Fun and Adventure
Ingredients:
CUPCAKES
1 and 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick or 115g) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1/4 cup (60g) yogurt*
3/4 cup (180ml) milk*
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
CINNAMON-SWIRL FROSTING
1 cup (2 sticks or 230g) salted or unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3-4 cups (360-480g) confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream or half-and-half*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
salt, to taste
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
12 snickerdoodle cookies, mini size (read above for how to make them mini-sized)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Whisk in 1 cup of sugar - mixture will be gritty. Stir in egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon together. Set aside. Spoon 2 scant Tablespoons of cupcake batter into each cupcake liner. Top with 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Top with 1 heaping Tablespoon of cupcake batter, until the cupcake tins are about 3/4 full. Some of the cinnamon-sugar filling from the center layer may peek through the top layer of batter. See photo above for a visual. Top each cupcake with 1 teaspoon more of the cinnamon-sugar.
Bake the cupcakes for 19-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners' sugar, cream, and vanilla extract with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes (the longer you beat, the creamier the frosting). Add more confectioners' sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if the frosting is too thick. Taste the frosting and add salt if frosting is too sweet (1/4 teaspoon). Remove half of the frosting from the mixing bowl and transfer to a smaller mixing bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
To swirl the frosting, spoon half cinnamon frosting into the piping bag and half vanilla frosting into the piping bag. See above for a visual. Pipe onto cupcakes as desired. I used a Wilton 1M swirl tip. If you do not have a piping bag and tip, simply frost the cupcakes with both the vanilla and cinnamon frostings. There may be leftover frosting depending how much you use on each cupcake.
Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 5.
*For the yogurt in the cupcakes, you may use plain or vanilla; regular or greek yogurt; any fat content; or even sour cream.
*For the milk in the cupcakes, you may use cow's milk; or soy milk; or almond milk. Vanilla or plain. I prefer using milk with some fat (like 1% or 2%), it makes the cupcakes moister.
via: Sally's Baking Addition: A Sprinkle of Fun and Adventure
Ingredients:
CUPCAKES
1 and 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick or 115g) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1/4 cup (60g) yogurt*
3/4 cup (180ml) milk*
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
CINNAMON-SWIRL FROSTING
1 cup (2 sticks or 230g) salted or unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3-4 cups (360-480g) confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream or half-and-half*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
salt, to taste
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
12 snickerdoodle cookies, mini size (read above for how to make them mini-sized)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Whisk in 1 cup of sugar - mixture will be gritty. Stir in egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon together. Set aside. Spoon 2 scant Tablespoons of cupcake batter into each cupcake liner. Top with 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Top with 1 heaping Tablespoon of cupcake batter, until the cupcake tins are about 3/4 full. Some of the cinnamon-sugar filling from the center layer may peek through the top layer of batter. See photo above for a visual. Top each cupcake with 1 teaspoon more of the cinnamon-sugar.
Bake the cupcakes for 19-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners' sugar, cream, and vanilla extract with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes (the longer you beat, the creamier the frosting). Add more confectioners' sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if the frosting is too thick. Taste the frosting and add salt if frosting is too sweet (1/4 teaspoon). Remove half of the frosting from the mixing bowl and transfer to a smaller mixing bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
To swirl the frosting, spoon half cinnamon frosting into the piping bag and half vanilla frosting into the piping bag. See above for a visual. Pipe onto cupcakes as desired. I used a Wilton 1M swirl tip. If you do not have a piping bag and tip, simply frost the cupcakes with both the vanilla and cinnamon frostings. There may be leftover frosting depending how much you use on each cupcake.
Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 5.
*For the yogurt in the cupcakes, you may use plain or vanilla; regular or greek yogurt; any fat content; or even sour cream.
*For the milk in the cupcakes, you may use cow's milk; or soy milk; or almond milk. Vanilla or plain. I prefer using milk with some fat (like 1% or 2%), it makes the cupcakes moister.
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