Herbed Monkey Bread

Monkey bread is the best! Little rolls rolled in something yummy (here I used butter and herbs), baked in a bundt pan, and then when they are done, you just pull apart and dip! I love making these herbed rolls to go with spaghetti or lasagna. You can also roll them in butter and then cinnamon and sugar for a sweet treat!

Herbed Monkey Bread

Dough
1 cup (8 ounces) water
3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Herb Coating
5 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
1 tablespoon fresh stemmed thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, stirring until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it's smooth, shiny and supple. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Meanwhile, melt butter (or oil) in a saute pan. Add chopped herbs and let cook for a minute or two. Add garlic and then remove from heat. Pour into medium bowl. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick spray.
Once dough has risen, remove from bowl and cut off 1 1/2 inch pieces, roll in hands to form balls. Place about 5 or 6 dough balls at a time into the butter and herbs, stir gently to coat and then place in the bundt pan, continue until all dough is in the pan. They will rise a lot, to the top of the pan, so don't worry if it looks like there isn't very much. Cover and let rise 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until top is browned and dough is cooked through.
Let cool in pan 10 minutes and then invert onto plate, best if served warm with marinara sauce! Would be great with soups too!

Chewy White Chocolate and Cranberry Granola Bars

I've always wanted to make homemade granola bars so I did it today. They turned out fabulous! They tasted so much better than store bought, and I'm sure they were more nutritious too. Change it up with different flavor combinations, anything would be good in these!

White Chocolate and Cranberry Granola Bars

1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. light corn syrup
3 Tbs creamy peanut butter
1 egg white
1 Tbs reduced fat evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 c. old fashioned oats
1 1/2 c. crisp rice cereal (rice krispies)
1/2 c. vanilla or white chocolate chips
1/3 c. craisins
1/4 c. chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, combine first seven ingredients, whisk well. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl, add to sugar mixture. Gently stir in oats, cereal, chips, craisins, and walnuts.

Press into a 13X9 pan, coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 18 minutes, should have puffed up a little and be golden brown. Let cool. Cut into bars and store in airtight container, yields about a dozen.

Coconut Macaroons

I cannot describe how good these are! This is the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for her macaroons, I've seen her make them and I've always wanted to try them. I drizzled chocolate over the tops to make them extra yummy. They are even better the next day! To prevent spreading I removed 1 Tbs of the sweetened condensed milk and refrigerated the batter for 5 minutes before baking.

14 oz. sweetened shredded coconut
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (minus 1 Tbs)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 extra large egg white, room temp
1/4 tsp kosher salt
parchment paper (must have!)

Preheat oven to 325.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed until they form medium firm peaks. Gently fold into coconut mixture. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

Drop the batter onto a 1/2 sheet pan lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4 inch ice cream scoop or two spoons. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve. Makes about 14.

Sangria Punch

This is my all time favorite punch to make for a party! With the limes and the oranges, it's perfect for a summer BBQ.

Sangria Punch

1 qt. (4 cups) cold reduced calorie cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup cold orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3/4 cup COUNTRY TIME Lemonade or Pink Lemonade Flavor Drink Mix
3 cups cold club soda
2 oranges, sliced
2 limes, sliced

ADD cranberry juice cocktail, orange juice and lime juice to lemonade drink mix in large pitcher; stir until mix is dissolved.

REFRIGERATE until ready to serve.

STIR in club soda and fruit. Serve over ice cubes.

Carrot Cupcakes

Thanks King Arthur for another great recipe! This was a very simple, very good carrot cake recipe that I made into cupcakes.

Carrot Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
3 cups finely grated carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 c. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs milk
about 3 cups powdered sugar (more depending on if you want a thicker consistency)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease one 9 x 13-inch pan, or makes 22 cupcakes.

Beat together the oil, sugar, eggs and spices. Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir in. Add the carrots and nuts, and mix until just blended.

Pour the prepared pan(s). Bake the cake(s) for 35 to 40 minutes (15 minutes for cupcakes), or until the cake tests done. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it. (If you're using two 9-inch round pans, remove the cake from the pans after about 15 minutes, and place it in a rack to cool.

For frosting beat together all ingredients, adjust the consistency with more milk or powdered sugar if needed. Frost and sprinkle with cinnamon!

Raspberry Cupcakes

My sister came up with this delicious idea for a raspberry frosting, I love it because it is super easy to make and you can tell there are REAL raspberries in it, not just raspberry flavoring, thanks Becky! I used it on my fudge cupcakes and Becky used it on my coconut cupcakes, both combos were great!

Raspberry Frosting

1 regular size bag frozen raspberries
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 container Betty Crocker Whipped Fluffy white frosting
(it doesn't work with a homemade frosting for some reason, too runny)

Pour the frozen raspberries into a saucepan, turn heat up to medium and let defrost and heat up. Meanwhile, combine small amount of water (1/3 c.) with 2 Tbs cornstarch and whisk together. Add to raspberries. Let raspberries heat up and come to a soft boil, turn heat down and simmer until very, very thick. Let cool completely. At this point it has set up enough that you should be able to cut it with a knife. Stir gently into the frosting and pipe onto cupcakes. Serve same day, these don't really last overnight.

Tacosagna

This is a Rachel Ray recipe, it turned out so good, I will definitely be making this again. I love the fresh lettuce and tomatoes served on top, and that it had grated carrots and zuchinni "hidden" in the meat mixture.

Tacosagna

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 lbs. ground turkey
1 zuchinni
2 carrots, peeled
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can large black olives, drained and chopped
taco seasoning
salt
pepper
1 c. beef broth
6 soft taco sized flour tortillas
4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 green onions, chopped
2 hearts romaine, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat large skillet with vegetable oil. Add the meat and brown for 5 minutes. While the turkey is browning grate the zuchinni and carrots and add to meat mixture. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper, and olives. Add about 1/4 c. of taco seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Add beef broth and let simmer until veggies and turkey are cooked through. Spray a 13X9 pan with cooking spray. Layer 2 flour tortillas, 1/3 of meat mixture, 1/3 of cheese and repeat two more times. Sprinkle a little taco seasoning over top and bake for about 15 minutes, until hot and cheese is melted. Top with green onions, lettuce, and tomatoes and serve.

Simple Glazed Fruit Salad

This is a very simple fruit salad, by no means is it gourmet, but I like it because it adds a pretty, sweet glaze to the fruit. I love making this in the summer when the strawberries are in season!

Simple Glazed Fruit Salad

1 pint strawberries, rinsed and cut in half
2 banans, sliced
1 large orange, cut in cubes
2 cups green grapes
1 small box vanilla instant pudding
milk

Toss all fruit together in a large bowl. Sprinkle about 2/3 of the package of instant pudding over the fruit, pour about 1/2 a cup of milk over fruit. Toss gently until the milk and pudding combine to make a nice glaze. Add more milk if necessary. You can use all kinds of fruits and puddings, I tried coconut pudding once and it was yummy too.

Luscious Lemonade Cupcakes

Mmmm, mmmm! These cupcakes are perfect for spring! The lemon cream frosting really makes these delicious, and ta da! This recipe is actually from the Cooking Light magazine, who would have thought I would bake anything low fat? :) This recipe makes a two layer 9 inch round cake or about 20 cupcakes.

Luscious Lemonade Cupcakes

1 1/3 c. sugar
6 Tbs. softened butter
1 Tbs. grated lemon rind
3 Tbs thawed lemonade concentrate (I used MinuteMaid)
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 c. lowfat buttermilk

Frosting:
2 Tbs butter, softened
1 Tbs grated lemon rind
2 tsp thawed lemonade concentrate
1/2 tsp vanilla
8 oz. 1/3 less fate cream cheese
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat sugar, butter, lemon rind, lemonade concentrate, and vanilla together for 2 minutes. Add eggs and egg whites one at a time, beat well after each addition.
Combine baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to batter, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into two greased 9 inch round cake pans (or makes 20 cupcakes). Bake for 20 minutes (15 for cupcakes), let cool for 10 minutes in pan and invert onto a wire rack.

For frosting combine first five ingredients. Add in enough powdered sugar to reach the consistency you like. I did add in a little yellow food coloring to make them look lemony. Frost cake and store in refrigerator. Cupcakes are best eaten the same day.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This soup is amazing! So flavorful and delicious! It's even better served in a bread bowl. Thanks Dawn!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1 6 oz. box Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice, prepared according to package
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 c. sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 c. water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 c. evaporated milk
2 Tbs. cornstarch

Heat oil in a large stock pot, add chicken, mushrooms, onion, and garlic; saute for 5-8 minutes.

Add rice, water, bouillon, tarragon, and thyme to chicken mixture in pot. Bring to a boil. Whisk together cornstarch and evaporated milk in a small bowl, add to soup. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until thickened. Serves 5-6 adults.

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken (for Tacos)

This is a great, easy recipe for chicken tacos.

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 16 oz. container salsa
1/3 c. finely diced onion
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can drained corn
1 can rinsed and drained black or pinto beans

Combine salsa, onion, and seasonings in crock pot, add in chicken. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. Before serving remove chicken and shred, add back into pot. Add in corn and beans.

Corn Salsa

There is nothing I like better in my burritos than corn salsa, I just love the little bursts of sweetness it adds. You can use thawed frozen or drained canned corn, I haven't noticed a difference either way.

Corn Salsa

2 c. corn (thawed frozen or drained canned)
1 c. seeded and diced tomato
2 green onions, chopped
3 Tbs chopped cilantro, more or less to taste, whatever you like
1 Tbs. seeded and finely minced jalapeno
1 Tbs lime juice
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and let chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

Cilantro Lime Rice

This tastes just like the rice at Cafe Rio and Chipotle, super yummy. It's so good you could serve it as a side dish or as a filling in tacos and burritos.

1 c. uncooked long grain rice (I like Jasmine)
1 Tbs. butter
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
2 1/4 c. water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 Tbs. fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tsp sugar
3 Tbs. fresh chopped cilantro

In a medium saucepan combine the rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp of lime juice, and water. With your fingers, gently break apart bouillon cube and stir into rice and water mixture. Bring to a boil and cover with lid. Turn heat down to medium low and let cook for apprx. 20 minutes; remove from heat. In a small bowl combine 1 Tbs lime juice, sugar, and cilantro. Pour over hot rice and mix in as you fluff with a fork.

Lemon Cookies

This is the King Arthur sugar cookie recipe that I talked about in my last post. It called for almond extract, but I don't really care for that, so I added 2 tsp. of lemon zest, they turned out to be amazing lemon cookies! The next time I make these, I am going to drizzle with a lemon glaze to really put them over the top.

Lemon Cookies

3 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbs. light corn syrup
2 tsp lemon zest
1 large egg

Glaze if desired:

2 c. powdered sugar
fresh lemon juice, just keep adding until you reach the right consistency

Preheat oven to 375.
Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line with parchment.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla, corn syrup, and egg. Scrape down sides of bowl to insure a good mixing.
Add flour mixture, mix at low speed until the dough is evenly moistened.
Place 3/4 c. of sugar in a small bowl.
Roll tablespoons of dough and drop in sugar, roll around in sugar to coat and place on baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, cookies will barely begin to brown. Let cool on pan 5 minutes before transferring to a rack. Let cookies cool completely before glazing.

BEST Sugar Cookies

I recently had the idea to have a sugar cookie taste testing, BRILLIANT if I do say so myself! :) My husband, sister-in-law and I had so much fun judging them! I tried out a white velvet (made with lots of cream cheese), a recipe from King Arthur Flour Co., and one I found off of Allrecipes.com. In addition to the other two sugar cookie recipes I've tried in the past, here is my all time favorite sugar cookie recipe! It is crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and the flavor is delicious!

Chewy Sugar Cookies

2 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbs. buttermilk + more for glaze

Preheat oven to 375.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk to form a soft dough.
Roll rounded Tablespoons of dough and place on cookie sheet or stoneware pan. Flatten slightly with fingers. Using a brush or fingers moisten the top of each cookie with a little buttermilk.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool.

They will end up being pretty flat, I covered with frosting and let the kids decorate!

Hawaiian BBQ Dinner- Homemade Teryaki Chicken & Macaroni Salad

I was given these recipes from a Hawaiian family I know, they are delicious! I crave having this meal all of the time!

Teryaki Chicken

2 c. soy sauce
2 c. sugar
3 Tbs. fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced (if garlic cloves are small, use 6)
1 c. water
Chopped green onions for garnish
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

In a medium saucepan, combine soy sauce through water. Whisk to combine, pour half into a gallon zip lock bag (set aside remaining half in saucepan for later use), add chicken and marinate for 2-3 hours, no longer. At about the time that the chicken will be done marinating, take the saucepan with the remaining sauce in it and heat on medium heat until it starts to simmer, turn heat down to low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes to reduce while chicken is on the grill.
Grill chicken on medium high heat for 15-20 minutes or until done, turning once halfway through cooking time. Brush with cooked, reduced sauce if desired. Throw away zip lock bag with uncooked marinating teryaki sauce in it, do not use this sauce, it must be thrown away.

To serve I like to place the chicken on the rice, drizzle some of the reduced sauce over the top and sprinkle on some green onions. It is so good!

For the rice I like to either cook in chicken broth instead of water to add flavor, or cook in water and add chicken bouillon to it. I add a little salt too.


Macaroni Salad

1 box elbow macaroni
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbs. sugar
1/3 c. red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 c. red or yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. grated carrot
1/3 c. sweet pickle relish
1 1/2 tsp all season salt
pepper to taste

Begin by bringing a large pot of water to boil. Add in the eggs, cook for 5 minutes and then add in the macaroni, boil for 7-8 more minutes until el dente, drain.
Peel the eggs and throw away the yolks, chop up the egg whites.
Add the egg whites and macaroni into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Scrambled Egg Muffins

I thought these were so cute and anything tastes better in a muffin cup right? Very easy to do, the ingredient combinations are endless, be creative! I used ham, but you could use chopped bacon or cooked sausage, actually anything you would put in an omelette would be good in these.

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) bulk pork sausage or any kind of breakfast meat
12 eggs
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped green bell pepper
1/4 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
Spray liberally a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the onion, green pepper, and seasonings. Stir in the sausage and cheddar cheese. Spoon by 1/3 cupfuls into greased muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Best if eaten immediately while hot!

Tortilla Soup in the Slow Cooker

I love this recipe because it is so good and so easy! I usually have most of these ingredients on hand. Serve with avocados, sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips! Thanks Stefany for the corn and bean idea!

2 cans diced tomatoes (plain or with garlic and onion)
2 cans chicken broth
1 c. salsa (I use Pace, medium heat)
4 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbs. cumin
2 Tbs butter
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder if you're in a hurry!)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
1 can drained sweet corn
1 can rinsed and drained black beans

Add tomatoes through salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Cook on low 6 hours or on high 4 hours, remove chicken and shred, add back into soup. Add cilantro, corn, and beans and ready to serve!

Blueberry Muffins

This is a new blueberry muffin recipe that I found in a Fine Cooking magazine. They are really delicious, especially with the glaze on top. It's really important with this recipe to not overmix the batter, that's why you add the fruit before the batter is fully mixed. I love that the batter overflows onto the pan and forms a big muffin top (Seinfield anyone?) I take out the room temp ingredients and melt the butter an hour before I make these.

Blueberry Muffins

Cooking spray for the pan
3 1/2 c. all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
10 tbs. butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 c. whole milk, at room temp
1 c. sour cream, at room temp
2 large eggs, at room temp
1 large egg yolk, at room temp
2 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (save lemon for glaze)
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries (no need to thaw if frozen)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray the top of a 12 cup muffin tin and then line the cups with paper or foil baking cups. (Spraying the pan keeps the muffin tops from sticking)

In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
In a medium bowl whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk, and zest until well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together gently with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are mostly moistened, there should still be quite a few streaks of flour. It will be lumpy, that is okay. Sprinkle the blueberries on the top of the batter and fold them in until just combined. (The batter will still be lumpy, do not try to smooth it out)
Fill the muffin cups, the batter should mound higher than the rim of the cups by 3/4".
Bake until the muffins are golden brown and spring back lightly when you press on the middle, about 35 minutes. The muffin tops will meld together. Let the pan cool for 15 minutes. Use a butter knife to separate the tops, invert the pan and pop out the muffins.
Let muffins cool for 30 minutes before drizzling glaze.

For Glaze:

2 c. powdered sugar
fresh lemon juice (from lemon that you zested)

Whisk together powdered sugar and enough fresh lemon juice to make a runny glaze. Drizzly liberally over muffins, let set to harden.

Blueberry Sauce and Buttermilk Pancakes

I'm back! I'm sorry I've been gone for so long, my family has been going through a two month relocation process! Not fun, I'm so glad it's over! We are now settled and here are some of my favorite new recipes...

This blueberry sauce is so yummy! I served it on pancakes, but it would be delicious on ice cream too. I'm tempted to can it so I have it on hand all of the time! It's a cinch to put together. I'm posting my buttermilk pancake recipe again, I started adding vanilla and I think it really puts them over the top! Ignore the styrofoam plates, I was tired of doing dishes :)


Blueberry Sauce

2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbs water
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. water
1/8 tsp salt
2 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Whisk together cornstarch and water in a saucepan. Add in sugar, 1/3 c. water, and salt. Turn heat on to medium and cook until slightly thickened. Add blueberries, boil for 3-4 minutes. Serve warm over ice cream, pancakes, etc. Makes 2-3 cups and enough for my pancake recipe below.

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 c. all purpose flour
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 Tbs. canola oil (or vegetable oil)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
stick of cold butter

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup, level with knife, add to large bowl. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of mixture, set aside.
In separate bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add to dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
Heat skillet to medium low heat. With cold stick of butter, unpeel end and rub a thin layer of butter over pan. Drop about a 1/4 c. batter onto skillet. Flip pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Remove from pan, and re-butter, then add more batter, continue this way with the rest of the batter.
Yields 9 4 inch pancakes.