Quick, easy, and delicious dinner!
So I'm pretty sure I could find a use for Nutella in just about anything. Okay, maybe not dinner, but give me some time and I'm sure I could figure it out! :)
This isn't really a recipe so much as a fantastic breakfast idea. Make yourself a bowl of oatmeal and top it with about 1 TBSP of Nutella and some banana slices. You can either eat it by taking a bit of Nutella with each bite or mix it up and enjoy a chocolatey bowl of oatmeal. Come on... you know you want to try it!
Have a great Wednesday!!!
Dessert doesn't get much easier than this. 4 ingredients (I skipped the apricot jam glaze)- Puff pastry, apples, egg wash, and a little bit of sugar on top. Bake, eat, enjoy!
The Daring Bakers were challenged to make and decorate sugar cookies this month. If you have read this blog for a while, you know that I make sugar cookies often and love doing so. Every year for my children's birthdays I make a number cookie (the number being their age that year) and a cookie that goes along with the theme of the party.
Part of this challenge was to make cookies that represented September. It could be whatever September means to us. My birthday (along with about a million other family/friend birthdays!) is in September, so I decided to go with cupcake cookies.
Of course, I didn't get a picture with the full cookie (OOPS!), but you can look here, here, and here for other cookies I have done.
The September 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mandy of “What the Fruitcake?!” Mandy challenged everyone to make Decorated Sugar Cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and The Joy of Baking.
The weather is cooling (well, at breakfast it is in the 70s... no need to pay attention that it is still hitting 90 later in the day!) so that means it is time for oatmeal! I love to play around with different flavors in my oatmeal and these apples were the perfect topping!
This is a delicious way to start your fall days, so break out the apples and oatmeal and enjoy!
Apple Pie Oatmeal
Oatmeal (cooked to your liking)
1 TBSP butter
1 apple, diced
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Grated fresh ginger
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
Saute apples in butter until softened. Add remaining ingredients. Serve over apples.
Are there people in the world who don't like Nutella? I know people who don't like chocolate (or one person, specifically... Ingrid, you are my special non-chocolate friend!), but does Nutella fall into that category? I can't imagine anyone not liking Nutella, but then again, I have an over-the-top obsession for it!
I can and will put Nutella on everything and that is why I try to put some time in between jars. I can't be the person who always has Nutella in the house or else I will always use it. These brownies are the perfect example of that. Sure, a brownie on its own is chocolate perfection. Add a spoonful of Nutella to the center of it before baking and it becomes heavenly perfection.
And no worries (or worry away if you are a Nutella lover!), I only have a few tablespoons left in the jar, so with the exception of one more post I have in the works, it will be awhile until Nutella fever hits the blog again. Unless, of course, the recipe Megan teased me with, is completely irresistable! :)
Enjoy!
Nutella Brownie Cups
1/2 cup butter
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Nutella
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 muffin cups.
Melt butter and chocolate together in double boiler. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and salt. Add flour and mix to combine.
Divide batter between 8 mufifn cups. Spoon 1 TBSP Nutella in center of each cup.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in brownie portion comes out mostly clean.
I have been making this chicken for years and have always done it in the oven. I don't know why I never passed it over to Nathan to grill but the other night I finally did. While it is fantastic in the oven, it takes on a whole new life on the grill.
Whether you make this in the oven or on the grill, I hope you'll give it a try... It's a winner!
Huli-Huli Chicken
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 TBSP sherry
1 tsp fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, minced
chicken pieces
Mix all ingredients (minus chicken). Broil or grill chicken 6-8 minutes on each side. Baste chicken with sauce and continue to broil or grill until done.
Up until about 2 years ago, I couldn't stand coffee. I didn't like the smell and definately didn't like the taste. I'm not sure what changed it for me, but now I start out every morning with a cup of coffee (or two... or three... you know how it is!). I still am learning to like the coffee flavor in things other than coffee, but it is sometimes hit or miss for me.
Luckily, these muffins were a hit! Nathan and I really enjoyed them. I could taste the coffee, but it wasn't overpowering. I actually enjoyed the coffee flavor in it and would make these again.
Thanks to Rhiani of Chocoholic Anonymous for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog or on page 15 of Baking: From My Home To Yours.
Go ahead.... I'll give you a minute to pick your jaw up off the ground. You probably thought that I had given up on my CIA project since it has been about 3 months since I have posted something. I really haven't forgotten, but out of all the things I do for this blog, CIA Homeschool kinda gets pushed to the back burner since there are no posting dates/rules/minimum posting requirements. I am slowly hacking away at the list and hope to not have 3 more months pass before I post again!
This bread is a great one to come back with. This is one of the best homemade wheat breads I have ever had. It was so soft and so delicious. The loaf was gone pretty quickly (not sure it even lasted 2 hours!) and I will definately be making it again!
List of Recipes to be made from CIA book
Yeast Raised Breads and Rolls
Boule (White Wheat Lean Dough)
Split Loaf (Lean Dough with Pate Fermente)Batard (Whole Wheat Lean Dough)
Baguette (Lean Dough with Poolish)
GrissiniBagels
Ciabatta
Stollen
PannetoneSoft Roll Dough (Knot Rolls & Parker House Rolls)
Brioche a Tete
CraquelinChallah (6 Braid)Coffee Cake (Twisted)
Pita Bread
Apple Fritters
Berliners (Jelly Doughnuts)
Yeast Raised Doughnuts
Yeast Doughs (Not listed above)
Prosciutto and Provolone Dough
Tomato Dough
Roasted Potato Dough
Apple and Walnut Sourdough
Quick Breads and Cakes
Ginger Cake
Buttermilk BiscuitsBran MuffinsLemon Buttermilk Cake
Polenta Cake
Devil’s Food Cake
Chocolate XSCarrot Cake
Roulade
Chocolate Souffle Cake
Patterned Jaconde Sponge
Walnut Cheesecake
Cookies
Mudslide Cookies
Sand Cookies
Orange Coconut Macaroons
Fudge Brownies
Pecan Diamonds (Short Dough)
Mirror Cookies (1-2-3 Cookie Dough)
Citrus Crisps
Zedern Brot
Vanilla Kipferl
Checkerboard Cookies
Madeleines
Springerle
Vanilla Pretzels
Ladyfingers
Langues-de-Chat Sandwiches
Frangipane Cake (Made into Petit Fours)
Custards, Creams, Mousses, and Souffles
Crème Brulee
Pots de Crème
Vanilla Pudding
Lemon Curd
Chocolate Mousse
Bavarian Cream
Raspberry Souffle
Frozen Desserts
Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream
Lemon Frozen Yogurt
Orange Sorbet
Vanilla Bean Sherbet
Fresh Ginger Granita
Praline Parfait
Frozen Lemon Savarin
Pies, Tarts, and Fruit Desserts
Blueberry Pie
Warm Apple Charlottes
Lemon Fantasy Tart
Zesty Lime Tart
Cheese Tart
Clafoutis
Cranberry Pecan Tart
Apple Strudel
Filled and Assembled Cakes and Tortes
Bavarian Cream Torte
Charlotte RusseBlack Forest Cake
Opera Torte
Orange Mousseline Torte
Individual Pastries
Lemon Curd Tartlets
Pecan Cranberry Tartlets
Strip Tartlets
Pecan Passions
Classic Napoleons
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombes
White and Dark Chocolate Mousse in Glasses
Trifles
Chocolate Eclairs
Bear Claws
Plated Desserts
Blueberry and Cream Cheese Crepes
Brown Sugar Roasted Pear
Funnel Cake with Maple Syrup and Summer Fruit Sauces
Chocolates and Confections
Milk Chocolate Truffles
Fujiyamas
Rochers
Candied Orange Peel
Soft Caramels
Hard Candies
Fudge
Nuss Bonbon
Marshmallows
FINAL PROJECT
TBD (Trying to pick a cake with gumpaste, modeling chocolate, and possibly pulled sugar)
Everyone knows that I am not a huge seafood fan. I don't know if it is all mental or if I just don't like the taste, but needless to say, I don't eat it often. My family, on the other hand, would eat seafood every day if they could. Anya told me last night at dinner that her favorite meat was salmon. That girl would eat fish breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I let her!
In order to get a seafood fix, Nathan and Anya love to go to Red Lobster. (I don't know if Eric cares about the food so much or if he just likes looking at the live lobsters!) They go crazy and eat a ton of crab legs and I usually order a salad and go crazy on the biscuits. They are so delicious and I won't say how many I end up eating but know that it is more than my share! :)
Megan from My Baking Adventures is one of my favorite bloggers. Her blog posts are always entertaining and the food she makes is amazing. She posted about these PB & Nutella bars over a year ago and I bookmarked the recipe. Of course, shortly after she posted these, we had our international move and they were lost in my files. Lucky for me, she posted them again last week (she posted the original recipe, PB&J bars). She mentioned in that post that Nutella is a great substitute for the jelly and I knew that these weren't going to get lost in the files again!
Holy moly are they delicious! Rich, but so delicious! I thought I could steal another little bite after finishing my piece and ended up with a bit of a stomachache. The stomachache was definately worth the extra bite, but just be warned that they are rich. :)
Enjoy, although if you like PB & Nutella, I know you will!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
adapted from Ina Garten
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam (or NUTELLA)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.
Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don’t worry if all the jam isn’t covered; it will spread in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.
My five year old daughter, Anya, is our fearless eater. She loves trying new things and lives by the "one bite" rule. She will take at least one bite of anything to see if she likes it. When she was 2 1/2 she would eat calamari and call it noodles. Her favorite all time food is crab legs and this is her requested "special dinner". She even likes to try combinations of things that we would all think was gross. Her most infamous combination was a frosted donut with peas for sprinkles. :) She says she wants to be a chef and open her own restaurant when she is older (in addition to being a ballerina and an astronaut), so I guess she is just working on her palate!
With extra paprika... YUM!
This is an updated version of the chicken and rice dish most of us remember from when we were younger. Instead of chicken, rice, and cream of mushroom soup, this dish has chicken, orzo, sun dried tomatoes, and delicious feta. It tastes so good and is definately comfort food. It doesn't photograph well, but not many casseroles do!
I hope you'll give this one a try... we loved it!
Orzo with Chicken and Feta
Recipe from ...And a Cookie for Dessert
1 lb orzo
1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
6 oz feta or goat cheese, crumbled
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Juice of half a lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
3/4 cup Panko
Preheat oven to 400. Add orzo, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, lemon juice and feta to a 2.5 - 3 quart baking dish. Bring chicken broth, water, 1 tbsp butter, salt and pepper to a boil on the stove. Pour into baking dish, stirring slightly to mix. Bake for 30 minutes.
Mix Parmesan and Panko. Melt remaining 1 tbsp butter and mix into Parmesan and Panko mixture. Sprinkle mixture on top of orzo dish and and bake for 7-10 minutes more until bubbly. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
I am trying to figure out something original for this post but I am having a hard time. The problem is that I LOVE peanut butter cookies and it is really hard to me to dislike one. Of course, if one of super crunchy, I probably wouldn't care for it too much. But this PB cookie was soft, delicious, and full of peanut buttery flavor. Another winner for Dorie!
Thanks to Jasmine of Jasmine Cuisine for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.
Out of all the scones I've made, I am pretty sure this is my first savory scone. It is filled with bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese. They were fantastic and we all loved them. They were great by themselves but would also be a great on the side of some eggs.
Have a great weekend!
Bacon Scones
Taste of Home
1 3/4 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
6 TBSP butter
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
In a large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Cut butter into mixture. In a small bowl, combine milk and eggs. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in onion, cheese, and two thirds of the bacon.
Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and pat into a 7 1/2" circle. Cut into 8 wedges but do not seperate. Sprinkle with remaining bacon.
Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
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