RSS Feed

Category Archives: Recipes

Mediterranean Tacos

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Veronica

My best good friend, Jackie, calls these her “Hook the Guy Pitas” because she gives them partial credit for hooking her own man when she came up with them on the fly using ingredients she had on hand when they were first dating.

Well, that may have worked for her (they’re still going strong more than ten years and four children later!), but mine could care less about anything that isn’t steak or spaghetti.  He’ll eat them, but I’m the one who got hooked on the pitas!  Without ever having tasted hers, I started making them in January after she shared her recipe with me, but she made sure to make them for us while we were visiting them in Texas, bless her heart.   Have you ever noticed how food prepared by someone else, especially someone you love, always tastes better, even if they made the same exact recipe that you did?

This is a pretty quick meal to throw together, and if you enjoy foods with a Middle-Eastern flare, I think you’ll like them too!

Mediterranean Tacos

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 cloves garlic
Mediterranean seasoning to taste*
2-3 cups baby spinach
1 diced tomato
1 cup hummus
1/2 cup feta cheese (optional)
Creamy Dill Sauce (recipe follows)
1 package pita pockets or flat bread

Brown the hamburger with the onion over medium heat. When it is mostly cooked, add in the mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, and seasoning, and continue cooking until the veggies have softened but not completely died a cooking death. Stir in the spinach and turn off the heat. It will wilt a little while you prepare the pitas. Spread hummus on the inside of the pitas, then fill with meat mixture and top with tomato, feta and serve with creamy dill sauce.

Creamy dill sauce: 1/2 cup light miracle whip, 1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk, 1 tsp dried dill, 2 tsp dried chives, 1 tsp minced onion, 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Mix until blended–best if made in advance and refrigerated so the flavors can develop. If you use mayonnaise instead of Miracle Whip, add in some sugar to cut the sourness.

Makes 8 tacos

Per taco (using half a whole wheat pita pocket): 292 calories; 12 g fat; 30 g carbohydrates; 4 g fiber; 20 g protein; 8 Points Plus

*I use 2 tablespoons of McCormicks Mediterranean Herb seasoning; Jaci uses 1/2 tablespoon Cavender’s.

Recipe source: slightly adapted from Jackie H.

Danielle (my sister), Jaci, and I at a marsh in TX.



14 Comments

Posted in Burgers & Sandwiches, Lighter Fare, Mediterranean, My Favorites and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Veronica

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake simplified with a cake mix and kicked up a notch with the addition of rum in the brown sugar topping.  Super moist. Super delicious.  Super duper.

Need I say more?

Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon rum or 1 tsp rum extract
¼ teaspoon fleur del sel or kosher salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (20 oz) can sliced pineapple, drained and juice reserved
Maraschino cherries
1 (18.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
½ cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. In a small sauce pan melt the butter. Stir in the rum and pour into a 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle salt & brown sugar evenly over butter. Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice, and arrange remaining cherries around slices; press gently into brown sugar.

Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 1/4 cups. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pineapple juice mixture, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on low until moistened, then beat on medium speed for two minutes, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes (42 to 48 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold (I prefer cold with a little whipped cream). Store covered in refrigerator.

Veronica’s note: If using table salt, decrease to 1/8 teaspoon. To streamline things a little more, you can just use a stick of salted butter and omit the salt from the recipe.

Recipe source: adapted from Betty Crocker

12 Comments

Posted in Cake & Frosting and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

Cupcake Bites

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Veronica

Although this is a Bakerella original, I actually got the idea from a friend who learned about cake pops from me and has never even heard of Bakerella.  She was going to make cake balls for her sister’s wedding, discovered that they are a pain to dip (I AGREE!!  I WOULD LOVE MAKING CANDY IF IT DIDN’T EVER INVOLVE DIPPING THINGS IN CHOCOLATE! ARRRRG!), and then came up with this idea all on her own.  I didn’t discover until after I’d copied her idea that she’s not the first to have it but it just goes to show, great minds think alike.  And I’m not just saying that in hopes that Tina will share some of her famous peanut butter blossoms with me soon.  Although I certainly wouldn’t object to a few.  Ahem.

Anyway, cupcake bites are basically cake balls made to look like little cupcakes.  They are easier to make and there is almost no chance of messing them up the way there is with cake balls and cake pops.  And they are even cuter than cake balls and cake pops!  I’m so in love with them, it’s ridiculous.

What is a cake ball/pop you ask?  Why, only the most brilliant dessert invention ever!  It’s cake crumbled up and mixed with frosting until it’s a truffle-like consistency, rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate with or without sticks on one end.  And they are so. good.  Please make these in any form–you will be hooked!  (If you want the original cake pops/balls/truffles recipe, I have it posted here and have a modified version for using extra cake here.)

OK, so to make these babies, just mix crumbled cake with frosting to make your cake ball centers.

I'm recycling my old photo, which shows more frosting (probably 1/2-2/3 cup) than what I use now. This is OK, but not necessary.

Melt up a whole package of chocolate candy coating (chocolate flavored almond bark).  Or melt real chocolate with a tablespoon of oil or shortening.  Spoon some into a peanut butter cup candy mold about 1/3 full (I overfilled mine in these pics).

Place the cake balls on top of the chocolate and press down gently until the chocolate comes up to the edge.  Place filled mold(s) in freezer until the chocolate is set, about a minute or two, then pop out.

They really shouldn’t be this high, but like I said I overfilled the chocolate.  But they’ll still be cute regardless of how much chocolate you use.  No worries!

Melt white (or whatever color you please) candy coating and turn the cupcake bites over to dip the tops.  Shake off excess and shake on sprinkles, if desired, while the chocolate is still wet.

That’s it!  It still does take some time, but when it’s all said and done, there is like 100% less stress-related heart attacks and spontaneous combustion associated with making cupcake bites, versus cake balls and pops.  Or so I would imagine, based on my own zen state afterward, versus my usual crazed, eye-twitching state after making cake pops.  There is no cracking (the number one complaint of people making cake pops and balls), and there is no tap, tap, tapping foreeeeeeeeeever to get the excess chocolate off while wishing upon a star that the cake ball doesn’t fall off the stick before you finish tapping.  It’s made in a mold so it’s got a perfect shape, so you don’t have to bite your lower lip off while trying to get your chocolate to look completely smooth on the cake ball.  So.  I would highly recommend buying one of these molds and getting your own cupcake bites groove on!

Cupcake Bites

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 baked cake (I used a devil’s food cake mix)
1/3-1/2 cup frosting (I used my cream cheese celebration frosting, because I always have it in the freezer and it’s the diggity)
1 (24 oz) package chocolate candy coating
1 (24 oz) package vanilla candy coating
sprinkles or nonpareils (optional)
peanut butter cup mold

Crumble the cake into a large bowl, preferably using a food processor to get fine, even crumbs.  Mix in 1/3 cup of frosting with your hands, mixing well.  This will probably be enough–you just need enough so that the crumbs stick together when you pinch off some and roll it into a ball–but if not, add a little more and mix well.  Roll into balls a little smaller in diameter than your peanut butter cup mold and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  A small cookie scoop works well for this.  Refrigerate a few hours (or overnight) or place sheet in the freezer for a few minutes until chilled but not frozen.  Melt the chocolate candy coating and spoon into mold until each cup is about 1/3 full.  Place a cake ball in each mold, pressing down just until the chocolate comes up to the edge.  One the mold is filled, place in freezer for a minute or two, until chocolate is set, then remove and pop the molded cake balls out onto a second baking sheet.  Repeat this process and while the second set is chilling, melt the white coating and dip the tops of the cupcake bites with bottoms, shaking to remove  excess before placing back on the baking sheet and sprinkle on some sprinkles or nonpareils while the chocolate is still wet.  Store finished bites in the refrigerator if you are making more than a day in advance.  Will last a week in the fridge.

Recipe source: too convoluted to be fully ascertained. Bakerella posted them first.  Tina thought of the idea without help.  I stole her idea and made up my own recipe and instructions without help from her or Bakerella.  So you figure it out.

69 Comments

Posted in Cake & Frosting, Candy and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Homemade Kahlua {Coffee Liqueur}

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Veronica

When I was little, my Mom went through a Kahlua phase that joyfully caused her to have ice cream in the freezer for like a month straight.  Having any sort of sweets on hand was literally unheard of in our house, but when she discovered this coffee liqueur and how good it tasted on ice cream, she stocked up!  To our further delight, Mom let us have it with her!  That is until Dad found out and told us that our Kahlua and ice cream days were over.  Mom seemed stunned at his outrage, as if she hadn’t realized that giving alcohol to children 9 and under might be folly.  I was majorly bummed at the time, but appreciate Dad’s intervention now.  With my addictive nature (have I mentioned my sweet teeth?), I hate to think of what my teen years might have been like with an unlimited supply of delicious Kahlua!

Although I don’t drink, I do love to bake with alcohol because it’s excellent for highlighting and intensifying flavor.  Because of my early exposure to Kahlua, it is my favorite liqueur and the one I use most often in baking.  I go through a large bottle of it every year, using it in Mocha-Frosted Kahlua Brownies and THE Mocha Crunch Cake exclusively.  Seriously, I make those two things so much that I need that much Kahlua just for them!

Unless you live in Mexico, Kahlua doesn’t come cheap, so I was thrilled when my friend, Suzie, shared her recipe for homemade Kahlua with me.  It never even occurred to me that it was something you could make at home, or I could have saved hundreds of dollars by now!  It is so much cheaper to make it yourself, and just as delicious.  You can use it in any recipe that calls for Kahlua with good results.

Homemade Kahlua {Coffee Liqueur}

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

2/3 cup instant coffee
2 cups boiling water
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
3 cups vodka
1/4 cup Buttershots (a butterscotch flavored liqueur, optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

Place coffee in large glass bowl.  Pour water over and stir.  Add sugars and stir until most of the heat has dissipated.  The sugar won’t be completely dissolved but that is OK.  Stir in the vodka, Buttershots, and vanilla or vanilla bean.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about two weeks.  Stir every day or every couple of days.  Remove vanilla bean, if used, and ladle into bottles using a funnel.  Keeps in refrigerator for about 6-8 months.

Makes about 2 liters.

Recipe source: Suzie S.

85 Comments

Posted in Beverages, Condiments & ETC. and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Plum Lovin’ Pie

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Veronica

If you’re a fan of Janet Evanovich, you might have recognized the “Plum Lovin'” part of the pie title.  I just couldn’t help myself!  I’ve read every one of the Stephanie Plum novels!  I’m kinda addicted to them the same way I’m addicted to sugar.  Epic, brain-stimulating meat and potatoes novels have their place, but we all need book desserts once in a while too, and this series is mine.

This gorgeous dish belongs to my Mother-in-Law, who got it indirectly from her own Mother-in-Law.

Anyway, I thought I’d get this recipe up in honor of mothers since I first made this pie for Mother’s Day last year.  It disappeared so fast that I didn’t realize I failed to get a picture until it was too late.  It got high praise at my husband’s family’s annual Mother’s Day barbecue and again this year on Easter.  It’s a very simple pie that doesn’t disappoint.    Do ma a favor and make her one yourself!  And get her a copy of One for the Money while you’re at it!

This pie is best with my favorite pie pastry, which I used the first time, but pictured is the pie I made in a pinch with Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough.  Although I could never condone such methods (do as I say and make your own crust, not as I do), it works and the pie doesn’t suffer much for the added convenience.

Plum Lovin’ Pie

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

2 (15 ounce) cans whole plums in heavy syrup (I used a 30 oz can from Aldi)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup flour
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
Butter for dotting pie
Pastry for a two-crust pie
1 egg white, beaten

Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Strain the juice from the plums into a large saucepan. Cut the plums in half, then half again, pitting as you go. Set plums aside. Mix together the sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Do not skip this step or you’ll have flour lumps. Pour the mixtures into the saucepan with the plum juice. Cook the mixture over medium heat stirring often at first, then constantly as the mixture heats. Cook and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon until the mixture is very thick and gooey. Turn off the heat from under the sauce pan. Add the almond extract and sliced plums and stir to combine. Set aside. Line a 9″ pie plate with pastry and brush lightly with egg white. Pour the hot filling into the pie dish, arranging the plums around if needed. *Don’t overfill the pie. Leave out a little of the juice if it gets too full.* Dot with butter and top with the top crust. Flute, brush the top with some of the remaining egg white, and cut vents into the dough. Place a pie shield over the crust and bake pie for 30 minutes, then remove the pie shield and bake for about 10 more minutes, or until golden brown and done on the bottom. Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for several hours or overnight.

Recipe source: The Cooking Photographer

20 Comments

Posted in Pie and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Banana & Orange French Toast

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Veronica

I love food blogging because I love food and love sharing good recipes with good people.  But there are some things about this chosen hobby that sometimes drive me crazy!

It’s mostly the photographs.  Such as the two featured on this post.  To take them, I first had to find a spot that was had a lot of natural indirect sunlight, had to pick out a background and strangely went with this neon green poster board.  I figured I could maybe turn it a different color with editing but since I’m using a really cheap editing program, that didn’t work out.

Anyway, I picked the front porch (my neighbors probably think I’m crazy but I photograph food on my porch without batting an eyelash!), plopped down the poster board and the plate on top of it, drizzled on the syrup and immediately turned on my camera, hoping to catch the slide of the syrup onto the plate for optimal salivating effect.  As soon as I selected the macro setting on my uber-cheapo camera (cheap is how I roll if you haven’t  already gathered that by now), my camera informed me it was out of memory.  Doh!  Forgot to put in the memory card.  I go stalking into the house and snap it up and run back out to hopefully catch the last of the syrup dripping from the toast onto the plate.  I turn on the camera, and it informs me the battery is low before it dies.  Doh!  I go tearing through the house, lamenting that my toast will now be stone cold by the time I eat it and the syrup will be in a lazy puddle surrounding it on the plate instead of dripping gorgeously down onto it, to find an extension cord so I can plug in my camera and drag it out the front door with me.

I scream at Dennis to help me find an extension cord while I try to locate my charger.  Where is it? Arg!!!  Cold French toast!  I finally find it, and get my own extension cord because Dennis is still elbow deep in dish water (bless him, my studly dishwasher!), plug the sucker in and drag it to the front porch.  I finally get the pics, now hating the crazy neon green color of the background but not wanting to take any more time to switch to a white or black one, and then start eating the French toast in desperation while still crouched in front of it on the front porch.  Just a normal pre-meal ritual for this scatter-brained food blogger!

So about this French toast.  Usually I keep it simple when it comes to making French toast.  Beat the eggs, add in some milk, soak the bread, sprinkle on cinnamon while it cooks, and drown it in syrup on my plate.  I wanted to try something different and I have to say this turned out fantastic!  (It was still warm when I ate it, thankfully, but I think I still would have loved it cold!)  The orange and banana are really highlighted by the rum and freshly grated nutmeg.  I had mine with sugar-free syrup (I know, the horror!), and I actually liked it better than the taste I had of my husbands with pure maple syrup because it overwhelmed the flavor of the French Toast itself, which I found a travesty.  This might be the one case where I recommend using pancake syrup, instead of the real stuff.  Forgive me!

Banana & Orange French Toast

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 fresh mandarin orange (also called clementines or Cuties)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup fat free milk
2 teaspoons rum or 1 teaspoon rum extract
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg, divided
4 slices bread
2 small bananas
Syrup for serving

Heat a skillet over medium while you prepare the egg batter.  Grate the zest from the orange into a bowl.  Slice the orange in half and squeeze juice into bowl.  Add the eggs and whisk until smooth, then beat in the milk, rum, and 1 teaspoon of the nutmeg.  Spray skillet with cooking oil, then soak bread thoroughly in egg mixture before placing on hot skillet.  Cook two minutes per side or until cooked through.  Unless you use a griddle, you will most likely have to cook the French toast in batches of two.  Place two pieces of French toast on two plates, slice one banana on top of each plate, sprinkle remaining nutmeg over each and top with syrup.  Serve hot.

Serves 2

Per serving (calculated without syrup, and using Nature’s Own WhiteWheat bread at 50 calories a slice): 317 calories; 10 g fat; 47 carbohydrates; 7 g fiber; 17 g protein; 9 Points Plus.

Recipe by Veronica Miller

12 Comments

Posted in Breakfast, Lighter Fare and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Sunshine Bars {Citrus Gooey Butter Cake}

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Veronica

Food blogging can be rough on a girl’s diet.  I told you that I didn’t have any Easter-ish recipes and gave you what I could, and yet I still felt the pressure of posting one before the holiday.  And so I got to work in the kitchen and came up with something so delicious that sampling it when it came out of the oven at 1 AM, and having more for breakfast this morning (the breakfast of champions!) has completely depleted all my Weight Watchers Points Plus for the day.  And then some.  Oi.  But a dedicated food blogger owes it to her readers to sacrifice valuable points for the sake of their holiday enjoyment, right?  Yeah, that’s right.  I did it all for you.  Because I so wouldn’t have eaten all that tart-sweet gooey butter cake without my readers as motivation.

What?  You don’t believe me?  OK, fine.  I so totally would have made and eaten this regardless, but I’m rushing to post this recipe before work so you can make it for Easter and that’s all for you.  You’re welcome.  :)

I really love gooey butter cake, and in fact I was already planning to do a few posts on the basic recipe and the chocolate version since I made both almost two years ago and never got around to blogging them.  It reminds me of a different form of cheesecake, sort of like cheesecake bars, but muuuuuch more buttery.  The crust layer is soft, yet firm enough to hold the bars together, somewhere between cookie and cake, while the filling is creamy & gooey.  In this springtime version, I used an orange cake mix for the base (though lemon or even yellow would be great), and used up the rest of my lemon curd in the filling.  I had no idea how it would turn out and was greatly relieved to be rewarded with something I can proudly share with my husband’s family this weekend.  Well.  I mean.  What’s left of it.

Sunshine Bars 

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

Crust:
1 (18.25 oz) orange or lemon cake mix
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg

Filling:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup lemon curd
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 eggs
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1 lb (4 cups) powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in center of oven. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with oil and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, egg, and butter with an electric mixer until well combined. Press the dough into the prepared pan and set aside. Wipe out the bowl and clean off the beaters, then cream together the cream cheese and lemon curd until well combined. Mix in the lemon juice, then the eggs until incorporated. Add the butter and powdered sugar and mix until well combined. Spread over the crust layer and smooth the top with spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 45-47 minutes, or until browned on top but still jiggly in the middle. Cool on wire rack until completely cool, about two hours, before cutting and serving. Can also be served cold, depending on your preference.

Recipe source: adapted from Paula Deen’s Gooey Butter Cake recipe.

18 Comments

Posted in Brownies & Bars, Cake & Frosting and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Tortilla Pinwheels

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Veronica

I know this appetizer isn’t very Easter-y, but it’s party food and the closest thing I have in my saved pictures of all the recipes I need to post so I hope that it might come in handy for a few of you.  If not, you can always save it for a later date!

Whenever I need to bring something to a party, I usually think of desserts first (I just can’t help it), brainstorming what sort of deliciousness I can create, and then I remember I should bring something real to eat as well, and I rely on a few basic recipes for this drudgery.  Crockpot Meatballs and Peppers in Cranberry Chili Sauce is my #1 go-to recipe, and these Tortilla Pinwheels are my #2 for non-dessert party food.  (Did you know party food is divided into just two food groups?  Well, it is in my world, anyway: desserts and non-desserts.  Guess which one ranks #1 with me? )

These are really tasty with a creamy, cheesy filling that is kicked up by the green chiles, onions, and olives.  I never bother, but since they have a southwestern flare, you can serve salsa alongside for dipping.  Enjoy!

Tortilla Pinwheels

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 can (4-1/4 ounces) chopped ripe olives
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, well drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
5 flour tortillas (10 inches), room temperature
Optional: fresh parsley for garnish & salsa

In a large bowl, beat the first eight ingredients until blended. Spread over the tortillas; roll up tightly. Wrap each with plastic wrap, twisting ends; refrigerate for several hours. Unwrap; cut into 1/2-in. to 3/4-in. slices. (An electric knife works best.) Discard ends (into your mouth :D big grin). Garnish with parsley. Serve with salsa if desired. Yield: about 4 dozen.

Recipe source: slightly adapted from Taste of Home

14 Comments

Posted in Snacks & Appetizers and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Muhammara (Hot Pepper Dip)

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Veronica

This spicy vegan dip originates in Syria and I didn’t discover it until my friend, Pia, introduced me to it.  It’s her favorite dip and she recommended it to me when she found out I enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine.  I knew it was right up our alley simply because it’s spicy, and since I’d seen some of the pomegranate syrup the recipe calls for at a market attached to our favorite Lebanese restaurant, I snapped a bottle up next time we were there and set out to make this dip.

It is great simply as a dip, but I’m also going to include a “recipe” for a veggie wrap that I’ve incorporated it into for quick lunches.  The first time I served this to my husband, he raved, and it wasn’t until afterward that I realized he had eaten an entirely vegan meal with no complaints. Score!

Muhammara (Hot Pepper Dip)

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 (12 oz) jar of roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs — 1/2 cup (I turned pita bread into crumbs in the food processor)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses/syrup/concentrate
1 tablespoon sriracha hot chile sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Chop the peppers roughly and place them, along with all the remaining ingredients, except the olive oil, into a food processor or blender. Pulse to roughly chop the ingredients, then slowly pulse in the olive oil. Try not to purée the ingredients too much. You want the dip to have a little texture.  Adjust seasoning to taste and serve as a dip or spread with pita wedges, vegetables or kebabs.

*Veronica’s notes: the original recipe calls for four fresh red peppers which you roast before processing.  Click the recipe source link below for instructions on this if you would like to do it this way.  The original recipe also calls for red pepper flakes instead of sriracha, so that can be used in place of sriracha if you desire.  As for the pomegranate syrup, my bottle is actually a pomegranate juice concentrate and I know that Pom is now selling this so you might be able to find it where Pom brand pomegranate juice is sold if you don’t have a market that sells ethnic foods in your area.

Recipe source: Inato lang Filipino Cuisine and More


Muhammara Veggie Wrap

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

You will need:

  • Muhammara
  • Black beans
  • Parsley
  • Fresh baby spinach
  • Shredded carrots
  • Tortilla, flat bread, or pita bread*

Spread muhammara down the center of your tortilla or bread, then sprinkle on some beans, a little parsley, a handful of spinach and shredded carrots.  Wrap tightly and cut in half to serve.

*I used a pita “tortilla” for my wrap bread:

Recipe source: inspired by My Kitchen Adventures

***For those who wish to participate in BSI this week, don’t forget to submit your cream cheese recipes to me by Sunday night!  Details here.***

16 Comments

Posted in Burgers & Sandwiches, Condiments & ETC., Mediterranean, My Favorites, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetarian & Vegan, Videos and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

My Favorite Cheesecake and BSI: Cream Cheese Announcement

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Veronica

Fact: I don’t have a sweet tooth, I have 24 sweet teeth and if I hadn’t had my wisdom teeth and first molars removed to make more room in my tiny sugar-addicted mouth, I have no doubt they would be sweet too.  Fact: Despite my sweet teeth, there are certain things I make or buy very rarely because I like them so much that my self-control us utterly nill when in their general vicinity.  These things are: any kind of cookies, but particularly homemade chocolate chip, chocolate éclairs, pecan pie, and cheesecake.

Prior to giving in and making this particular recipe, I hadn’t made a cheesecake in seven years.  But a friend requested one last year and I chose this recipe since I found it through one of my most trusted sources.  After raving over it for two days, my friend let me have a piece while I was at her house (it was a gift to her in exchange for a favor she paid me), and I’ve never made another cheesecake recipe since.  I have now made her three of these cheesecakes, which is a perfect arrangement because she always lets me have a slice and I don’t have to worry about going crazy and eating the whole thing in one sitting since it is not my cheesecake to dominate.  But I totally would if I could, which is why I will never make this cheesecake only for myself.  Never say never, but I’m saying it.  NEVER.  It is just too risky.  (Full disclosure: the last cheesecake I possessed that was only for the two of us was ten years ago.  It was about two-thirds the size of this one, and I ate it all by myself.  In one day.  And now you understand why I make them so rarely.)

This cheesecake comes out perfectly creamy with the best sweet-tangy flavor, enhanced by lemon zest.  Due to the minimal mixing time, it is not prone to cracks caused by air bubbles in the batter.  This doesn’t matter to me since I usually cover my cheesecake with a fruit topping anyway, but if you’re a cheesecake purist, you might dig the perfect top that comes out without doing anything special to achieve it.  No water baths, no pan of hot water sitting in a rack below the cheesecake, no baking it at super-low temps or leaving it in the oven an hour after you turn it off.  It’s a very simple, straight-forward recipe that yields a superior result, far better than any other I’ve tried.  Try it for yourself and you be the judge.

Favorite Cheesecake

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

Crust:
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 25 squares)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 (16 oz) tub of sour cream

To prepare crumb crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the pan, using your fingers or the smooth bottom of a glass. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

To prepare filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute just until smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sugar and beat just until incorporated.  Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to slowly beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. Blend in the sour cream. The batter should be well mixed but not overbeaten. Overbeating incorporates too much air and will cause the cake to puff when baking, then fall and crack when cooling. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and poke any air bubbles you see with a toothpick.  Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 50-55 minutes (mine usually takes a little more than an hour, but I think my oven runs cooler than most). The cheesecake should still jiggle slightly, it will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook! Do not do a toothpick test in the cake’s center, this will make a crack. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours to set up. Demold and transfer to a cake plate. Slice the cheesecake with a thin, nonserrated knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each cut.

Recipe source: adapted slightly from Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Cheesecake

BSI Announcement

I’ve chosen CREAM CHEESE for this week’s Blogger Secret Ingredient contest.  You can use regular, low-fat, homemade, or even vegan.  Sweet or savory, snack or main course, you choose!  I know you guys probably have a lot of great recipes using cream cheese and I can’t wait to see what you submit!

How to enter:

  • Make a recipe using the secret ingredient and write a blog post about it.
  • Include a link back to this post.
  • Add your entry to the comments section at the bottom of this post (permalink to your entry, not homepage, please).
  • Older/archived posts may be used as long as they’re updated with a link to this post.
  • If you don’t have a blog, but would still like to enter, please email me your entry (w/ photo) to vraklis (at) yahoo (dot) com

Deadline for submissions is Sunday, April 17th at 9pm (Central).  I will post the roundup and the winner the following day and send a prize to the person whose recipe I like best.  Please let me know if you are interested in hosting next week’s BSI.

For a list of all the previous hosts/choices, check out Biz’s BSI page.

If you have any questions please leave them in the comment area or send me an email and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

42 Comments

Posted in Announcements & Awards, Cake & Frosting, My Favorites, Pie and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →