Veronica's Cornucopia

No Bake Cookie Bars

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Veronica

No-bake cookies are probably made most often during these sweltering summer months, and in our house that is no exception (despite the fact that I regularly turn on the oven to bake!! I can’t help it. I have a problem). Since I pretty much think of them as “beneath me” (hello, I need a dessert recipe that is at least two pages long with instructions that include things like whipping something for ten minutes straight!), my hubby is the one who makes them and his recipe is pretty much the standard except that it has a lot more cocoa powder, which makes it that much better (IMHO). I usually let him do his thing with the cookies, including this amusing little mishap, where he decided to make long “bar” cookies that ended up looking a bit like…well, see for yourself.

Yeah. Let’s just delete that from our memory, shall we?

So anyway, when he made the next batch I convinced him to pour the batter into a greased pan and (proper) No-Bake Cookie Bars were born! The recipe was already insanely easy, and dumping the mixture into a pan makes it even easier since you don’t have to put spoonfuls onto wax paper. All you have to do is pour and slice. The extra benefit to this method is that the mixture stays glossy since it doesn’t stay in the pan too long. I hate it when the cookies lose their gloss and look all dry and sad. No danger of that here!

So next time you need a cookie and it’s too hot to turn on the oven, whip some of these babies up! You can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate, even if it does look like…nevermind.

No-Bake Cookie Bars
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2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spray an 8″ square pan with cooking spray and set aside. Measure the peanut butter & oats and set aside so they’re ready when you need them. Have your vanilla bottle handy along with a teaspoon. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil and once it reaches a full rolling boil, cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter until melted, then stir in the vanilla and lastly the oats. Immediately pour mixture into prepared pan and put on a cooling rack to set until completely cool. Once cool, cut into bars. To make this recipe into the regular round cookies, just drop the mixture by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool. You can store them in an airtight container several days at room temp or over a week in the fridge.

Recipe source: Dennis Miller (no, not that Dennis Miller), the bestest husband on the planet (IMHO) :)

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Posted in Cookies and tagged extra chocolatey, no bake cookie bars, no bake cookies recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

One Ingredient Ice Cream

Posted on July 20, 2010 by Veronica

Just on the off-chance that I’m not the last person to try this nifty idea, I thought I’d post it since the heat index makes it relevant. The only ingredient in this “ice cream” is bananas. It’s pretty amazing that frozen bananas mimic the texture of ice cream so perfectly. This stuff is delicious and perfectly sweet, so nothing else is needed, but I can’t wait to try adding chocolate, peanut butter, Nutella, etc. Enjoy!

Banana “Ice Cream”
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Ingredients:
Bananas (about 1 per serving)

Directions:
Peel and chop bananas into 1 inch slices. Place slices in a Ziploc bag and freeze until completely hard. Place them in the bowl of a food processor and process until creamy. You will probably have to stir the mixture to check on it because sometimes the cold pieces look like they’re not mixing, but when you stir it gets creamy. Scoop into a bowl and eat!

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Posted in Lighter Fare, Sweets, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged banana ice cream, easy, ice cream, one ingredient ice cream. Bookmark the permalink.

Antipasti Sandwich

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Veronica

This sandwich would make great party food because it needs to be made ahead and it’s fun & unique with great flavors. And of course it’s perfect for summer because there is absolutely no cooking involved! But don’t wait until your next party to serve it–make it for your own family for dinner like I do! I’ve already made this sandwich twice in the last month. We love it!

Antipasti Sandwich
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Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 red bell pepper
1 loaf crusty bread (about 1 lb), sliced in half lengthwise
1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. mortadella, prosciutto, or thinly sliced deli ham (I used Genoa Salami)
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered or sliced
1/2 cup (1 oz) shaved Parmesan
1/2 cup pepperoncini, drained and halved if large

Sprinkle a double layer of paper towels with salt and place zucchini on top in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and roll up like a newspaper. let sit 10 minutes to draw out excess liquid.

Over a low gas flame or under the broiler, roast bell pepper until skin is charred, 10 minutes, turning frequently. Place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. (I always just pop the blackened pepper into a quart-size Ziploc bag.) Let sit 10 minutes. Rub bell pepper with a paper towel to remove skin, then core, discard seeds, and slice flesh into strips.

The black skin is very easy to remove once it sweats for 10-15 minutes.

<picture source>

Pull out about 2 cups bread from inside loaf halves. In a food processor, combine beans, garlic, lemon juice, and oil and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Completely cover inside of both bread halves with an even layer of bean puree.

I used half a loaf of French bread both times because I'm only feeding 2 people. This makes 3 sandwiches.

Arrange zucchini on bottom half of bread. Top with meat, parsley, roasted pepper, artichokes, Parmesan and pepperoncini. Sandwich with top half of bread and wrap tightly in plastic. Place on a baking sheet in refrigerator. Place another baking sheet on top and weight with several heavy cans. Let sit at least 3 hours (or up to overnight). To serve, unwrap and cut into wedges with a serrated knife.

Serves 6 to 8

Nutrition information (per serving–based on 6 servings): 496 cal; 16.2 g fat; 21.8 g protein; 63.5 g carb; 10.1 g fiber
Recipe source: Everyday Food, July/August 2010

9 Comments

Posted in Burgers & Sandwiches, Italian and tagged antipasti sandwich, antipasto sandwich, party, recipe, sub. Bookmark the permalink.

30 Minute Meal: Easy Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Roasted Garlic Couscous & Zucchini

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Veronica

I do realize it’s sort of ridiculous to be turning on the oven when it’s practically hot enough to bake something on the sidewalk, but I figure I can’t be the only person crazy enough to do it, so I wanted to share this super-easy recipe with the other zany people out there that throw common sense to the wind.

This is a true 30-minute meal. It looks & sounds like you put some time and effort into it, but thanks to a few convenience products & very few ingredients, everything comes together in a snap and you are rewarded with some amazing deliciousness. The chicken is so juicy and flavorful–it will knock your socks off. And while the method of preparation may be a bit foolhardy, it is a light meal that is absolutely perfect for summer.

I received two boxes of Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous from the Near East company and ended up using both of them with this exact meal, twice, because it was so easy and delicious! I am a big fan of their whole wheat couscous (I use it in Orange Couscous with Chicken and Colorful Couscous Salad with Chickpeas) and while my husband and I both liked this preseasoned version, I think you’d get better flavor by adding your own seasonings. However, this is perfect for a night when you need dinner on the table in a jiffy.

Easy Parmesan Garlic Chicken
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½ cup grated (not powdered) Parmesan cheese
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
½ teaspoon garlic powder
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 lb.)

Preheat oven to 400. Mix cheese, salad dressing mix and garlic powder. Moisten chicken with water; coat with cheese mixture. Place in shallow baking dish that has been lined with foil and coated with cooking spray. Bake 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (170 degrees). If your chicken is not as golden as you like, you can broil it for a few minutes after it’s done cooking.

Serves 6

Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Couscous
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1 box (5.8 oz) Near East Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous
1 1/4 cups water
1/4-1/3 cup chopped red pepper

Bring water & contents of spice pack inside the couscous box to a boil. Stir in the couscous & red pepper and remove from heat. Cover and let stand five minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve hot. You could also add the red pepper after the couscous is done so that it would be more bright and crunchy, which I think would be better but didn’t think to do that until after we’d eaten it, of course.

Garlic Oven Roasted Zucchini
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1-2 medium or large zucchini
olive oil
garlic salt

Wash and dry your zucchini, then slice into 1/4″ rounds. Slice rounds in half and put into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir until all pieces are coated. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the zucchini out on it. Sprinkle with garlic salt and put in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. I stuck mine in on the top rack when there was 15 minutes cooking time left on the chicken so they’d be done at the same time.

*I received free Near East product in conjunction with this blog post. Near East did not influence my opinions expressed here as a result.

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Posted in Meats, Pasta, Side Dishes and tagged couscous, easy, oven roasted zucchini, parmesan garlic chicken, roasted garlic. Bookmark the permalink.

Perfect Blueberry Pie

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Veronica

This must be the longest I’ve ever gone without posting a recipe! Did you miss me? I missed you! I don’t really have an excuse, other than life getting hectic.

I have a treat for you since you’ve waited for so long with bated breath for my next recipe. ;) Well, ever since I’ve known my husband, he has sworn that his favorite pie is blueberry, but he’s never had one he liked. How you could think something is your favorite when you’ve never liked it is beyond me, but it has always been my goal to make a blueberry pie that he could finally say, “Yes, this is the way I’ve always imagined a blueberry pie should taste!”

After handing him a slice of this pie, I indiscreetly watched him with bated breath for his reaction and was rewarded with a big, blue smile. He finished the entire slice (in just a few seconds) before he said, “It’s perfect.”

This is a simple combination of berries, sugar, and a bit of lemon juice to offset the sweetness, in a flaky & buttery crust. With something as naturally delicious as blueberries, you don’t need a lot of complexity to get a great taste. Simplicity is key–you want the blueberry flavor to shine and it really does here.

Perfect Blueberry Pie
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1 recipe Perfect Pie Crust
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
6 cups frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Butter for dotting pie and brushing bottom crust
Milk for brushing pie and granulated sugar for sprinkling top

Make the crust at least an hour in advance so it is chilled beforehand. Roll out half the dough 1/8″ thick on a floured surface and line a pie plate, trimming the edges. Brush softened butter over the bottom and place the dish in the fridge. Place the oven rack on the lower 3rd of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

Mix together sugar and cornstarch. Don’t skip this step, as it gets the lumps out of the cornstarch & helps the pie consistency. In a large bowl, toss together the blueberries, sugar mixture, and lemon juice. Pour mixture into the crust-lined pie plate and spread out evenly. Dot the mixture with little bits of butter here and there. Roll out the top crust on a floured surface and cover the pie with it. Seal & flute the edges. Brush the pie with milk, sprinkle with a little granulated sugar, and either poke holes or cut a design for venting.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the filling is bubbling. Remove the pie from the oven and set on a cooling rack to set up overnight before serving. Place in a box or paper sack if you wish, but do not put in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap or the crust will absorb moisture from the filling and lose its flakiness. You want your pie to be able to breathe a little. Serve with cool whip or vanilla ice cream.

Recipe source: adapted from The Cooking Photographer

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Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Veronica

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you! I’m very proud of this creation because, like with the Banana Peanut Butter Bites (shared on my weight-loss blog), it’s all my own–I didn’t even do an internet search for recipe inspiration before throwing it together. This is very unlike me because baking is an exact science and if you don’t get the liquid to dry ratio right, you can end up with a dense, dry, or mushy result. I think I’ve finally been baking long enough that making my own recipes is becoming intuitive. This makes me happy.

I made this recipe with two goals in mind. I wanted it to be as healthy as possible while still being as tasty as possible. I’ve found with baking, the healthier you make a recipe, the more unpalatable the taste. Muffins, however, seem to be a lot easier to healthify without getting too healthy-tasting.

These muffins are low-fat, cholesterol-free, naturally sweetened, and are still moist and delicious. The only concession I made for taste/texture over health was using more all-purpose flour than whole wheat because it yields a nicer, less dense & dry, crumb. The ripe mashed banana keeps the muffins moist without a lot of added fat and I chose to use agave nectar to sweeten them, since it’s natural and the flavor is so mild that it wouldn’t compete with the chocolate & banana flavor like honey or maple syrup might. I also left out the egg since I had success with it before, and actually liked the texture better than when I had tried it with the egg, giving an added bonus of making the recipe cholesterol-free.

You could certainly turn this recipe fat-free and use more whole wheat flour, and I have done both (I have made three batches of these so far, each with a different amount of fat and liked the one here best). It results in a more rustic, dense muffin but we had no problem eating them up in less than a week. They are great in the morning with a steaming cup of coffee and I find that one muffin, especially with coffee or milk, keeps me satisfied for hours.

Let me know if you try these and what changes you made. I’d love your feedback!

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
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Dutch process cocoa gives these muffins their deep dark color & chocolate flavor. You can find it online and in specialty stores, or you can get Hershey’s Dark cocoa powder at most supermarkets.

Dry ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:
1 cup mashed overripe banana (about 3 medium bananas)
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon banana extract

And just for fun:
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips + 2 tablespoons for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. Sift dry ingredients together into a medium bowl and stir to mix. Whisk wet ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir dry into wet just until moistened, then fold in 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips. Divide batter between prepared muffin cups and sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate chips in the very center of each muffin (chips will spread out as the muffins bake and rise). Bake about 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of one. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container (I use a large Ziploc bag). These freeze very well–I like to take one out of the freezer before my shower in the morning and by the time I’m done getting ready for work & am ready to eat, it has thawed. If you are in a hurry, about 15-30 seconds in the microwave will thaw and warm your muffin for you.

Makes 12 muffins.

Nutritional Information (per muffin): 171 calories; 5 g fat; 33 carb; 3 g fiber; 3 g protein

Recipe by Veronica Miller

These are from the fat-free batch with 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup white. They were more dry and dense, but still yummy.

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Posted in Breakfast, Lighter Fare and tagged banana, cholesterol free, double chocolate, healthy, low-fat, muffins. Bookmark the permalink.

Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Veronica

I found this recipe over at Kalyn’s Kitchen, where she posts South Beach Diet-friendly recipes. I’m not on the South Beach Diet, but I am trying to eat healthier and this one really appealed to me. The only change I made was to add a bit of honey to offset the sour vinegar, which was overpowering without it. Now I’m completely in love and hooked. I’ve made it twice in as many weeks!

Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken
Printable Recipe

8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti (1/2 package)
salt for pasta water, about 2 tsp.
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Sauce:
3 T rice vinegar
2 1/2 T soy sauce
2 T vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 T chili garlic paste (I prefer to use 2 T but adjust to your tastes)
1 T grated fresh ginger root
1 T sesame oil
1 T honey

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, then break spaghetti noodles in half and add to water. Stir, let it come to a boil again, then cook until noodles are tender but still have a little bite, about 8-9 minutes.

While pasta water is coming to a boil, grate enough fresh ginger to make 1 T, then combine with rice vinegar, soy sauce, vegetable oil, chili garlic paste (or sriracha), sesame oil, and honey.

While the noodles are cooking, chop the chicken into same-size pieces about 1/2 inch square, and slice green onions. Wash cilantro, spin dry or dry with paper towels, and chop enough to make 1/2 cup.

When noodles are cooked but still al dente, drain them into a colander placed in the sink. Put noodles back into pan you cooked them in and add the diced chicken. Pour sauce mixture over chicken and noodles, then toss well enough that noodles and chicken are well-coated with the sauce mixture.

Add chopped green onions and chopped cilantro and toss just enough to combine. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (per serving): 328 calories; 13 g fat; 48 g carb; 7 g fiber; 13 g protein

Recipe source: very slightly modified from Kalyn’s Kitchen

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Easy Pickled Beets

Posted on June 9, 2010 by Veronica

Growing up, we ate a lot of pickled okra and pickled beets and I still have a taste for both. I’ve never seen pickled beets for sale in the store like I have okra, but it doesn’t matter because they’re so easy to make. If you’ve never had them, try this simple recipe and see if it suits you. I like eating them pickled so much more than plain!

Easy Pickled Beets
Printable recipe

1 can sliced beets
3 Tablespoons vinegar (I use apple cider or white)
3 Tablespoons sugar (I use Splenda to make them sugar-free)

Drain the juice from the beets into a pint size jar or another container. Stir in the vinegar and sweetener until dissolved. For Splenda, this is instant but you may have to let it sit a while if you use sugar. Add the sliced beets, twist on the lid and refrigerate at least a few hours before eating. These will last several weeks in the fridge if you don’t eat them all within a few days like I do. Enjoy!

Recipe source: Recipe Rhapsody

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Posted in Lighter Fare, Side Dishes, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged easy, pickled beets. Bookmark the permalink.

Clandestine Chocolate Fudge Cake

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Veronica

I’ve been making this cake for almost a year and since it was recently requested again for a bridal shower, I had the opportunity to take some pictures so that I could finally post the recipe.

This cake is intense. We’re talking over a pound of chocolate and 2 cups of heavy cream. And that’s just in the frosting. The cake itself is dense and fudgy, almost like a brownie but definitely recognizable as cake. It is a thing of beauty to a chocolate lover. Chocolate cake nirvana.

If you’re wondering about the “clandestine” part, I put that in the title because this cake has a secret. Folded into the luxurious batter…are beets. (!) Trust me, you would NEVER guess that the cake had beets in it. I always let people finish their slice before revealing the secret ingredient and they are astounded. The beets increase the chocolate flavor & keeps it nice and moist.

Another thing about this cake. It is sad. A sad cake is one that sinks in the middle and this one does. Don’t try to fight it. Sad cakes are some of the happiest cakes I’ve ever eaten because they are so moist. I read in BakeWise that sad cakes usually have too much fat to flour ratio, but I think in this case it also has something to do with all the brown sugar as well. But having a dip in the middle is totally worth the flavor. I wouldn’t dare to change a thing.

Clandestine Chocolate Fudge Cake
Printable recipe

Cake
3 squares (3 oz) unsweetened chocolate
1 can (8 ¼ oz) julienne beets*
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ½ cups brown sugar, firmly packed
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

Fudge Frosting
2 cups whipping cream
1 pound semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Prepare Cake:
Don’t be alarmed if your cakes dip in the middle—this is due to the high ratio of butter and sugar and is normal. To ensure an attractive presentation, you can either fill in the dips with frosting or level the cakes (I slightly level mine and fill in the remaining dip with frosting so as to not take too much height off) to make them stack nicely.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of two 8”** round cake pans, then smooth a parchment paper round onto the bottom of each. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of both pans and set aside.

Place the chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 50 seconds, then stir well. The chocolate will nearly be melted. Microwave for another 20 seconds. After stirring a second time, the chocolate should be smooth and completely melted. If not, microwave for another 20 seconds and stir. Once smooth, set aside.

Drain beet juice into a small bowl. Place beets on a cutting board and chop into very small pieces. Add to the beet juice and set aside.

Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until very fluffy, about five minutes, scraping sides occasionally. Reduce speed to low and beat in melted chocolate.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium-size bowl. With mixer on low speed, alternately beat flour in fourths and buttermilk in thirds into chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add beets with juice and mix on medium speed until blended, about 1 minute more.

Divide the batter equally between the 2 prepared pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cake will feel very moist to the touch, but if the tester is clean, it’s done. Do not overbake or cake will be dry. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes and then invert onto racks. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
You can start the frosting as soon as the cakes are in the oven. If you time it right, your cakes will be cooled by the time the frosting is ready.

Heat cream in a medium-size saucepan just until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate and vanilla, stirring until mixture is smooth and chocolate is melted. Transfer mixture to a plastic or glass bowl (metal causes the sides to get too cold and set up too quickly). Refrigerate, stirring every 10 minutes until mixture is as thick as pudding, about 50-60 minutes. At this point the frosting will begin to set up very quickly. Leave in refrigerator and stir every 5 minutes until frosting is as thick as fudge, about 15 more minutes. Alternatively, the frosting may be placed over ice water and stirred constantly until spreading consistency. If it begins to get too thick, immediately remove it from the water.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer bottom side down on serving platter. Spread a third of the frosting over the top and place the second cake layer bottom side up over that. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Let stand at room temperature for frosting to set. The frosted cake may be held at room temperature, uncovered, overnight or refrigerated up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

*If you are unable to find a can of beets in the size specified, buy the regular 15 oz. size. Use 1/4 cup of the juice and ½ cup beets for this recipe.

**If you use 9” pans, the cakes will bake faster so check them at 30-35 minutes to see if they are done.

Recipe source: originally titled “Absolutely Divine Devil’s Food Cake” in The Dessert Lover’s Cookbook by Marlene Sorosky.

I made this one last August for the planning committee meeting for our family reunion. Yes, our family reunion is so big it requires a planning committee!

This is the first one I made last July.

We made quick work of it.

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Watermelon & Tomato Salad

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Veronica

I got this recipe from my friend, Pia, who has a wonderful blog with tons of ethnic recipes, particularly Filipino since she is from the Philippines. Now, I know what you were thinking when you read the title of this post. You’re wrong! Watermelons and tomatoes CAN be put together in a salad–and it is delicious! This salad is sweet, salty, acidic, tangy, and is so refreshing. You will love it.

Watermelon & Tomato Salad
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5 cups seedless watermelon, cut into cubes
1/2 lb. tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly julienned
freshly ground black pepper
chopped cilantro for garnish

In a large bowl mix chopped watermelon and tomatoes. Stir in sugar and salt and place in fridge to marinate for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, mix in red wine vinegar, olive oil and onions. Keep chilled.

When ready to serve add freshly ground black pepper and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serves 8.

Nutritional Info (per serving): 106 calories; 7 g fat; 11 g carb; 1 g fiber; 1 g protein

Recipe source: Inato lang Filipino Cuisine and More