Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms

This week's challenge is asparagus. I love asparagus! We usually eat it about once a week, and this is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to prepare it.

To start prepping your asparagus you need to either cut the ends of the stems off, or gently bend them until they break off on their own. I use the bend method.

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Lay the asparagus out in a single layer on a cooking sheet, then add mushroom slices if you like mushrooms. These were large, pre-sliced button mushrooms that called out to me in the grocery store.

Spray everything with a little olive oil, then sprinkle some salt, fresh ground pepper and a little coarse ground garlic on it.

 You can see that this garlic is a lot more coarse than regular garlic powder.

Roast in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.

I served this with roasted potatoes and grilled flank steak. Sometimes I will also add a little fresh lemon juice before cooking the asparagus, and other times I melt freshly grated Parmesan cheese on it during the last two minutes in the oven.

Coffee Caramel Banana Muffins

This week's challenge is "coffee". There are so many things you can do with coffee. It can be savory or sweet. Since I am trying to waste less, I looked around the kitchen to see what I already had, that I could work with on this challenge. The only thing that I had to buy for this was espresso powder, so it was kind of a no-brainer. 

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup over ripe bananas (I used 3 to get this.)

Caramel squares

Combine the dry ingredients, except the sugar in a small bowl. 

Cream together the butter, sugar, eggs and bananas. 

Start adding the dry ingredients, one large spoonful at a time, to the wet ingredients and mix until just wet.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin tin, then top with a caramel, pressed into the center.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Not from the center, because of the caramel.)

This yielded 13 muffins.  I did the first 12 as directed, then added a sprinkle of sea salt to the last one. I wish I had done that to them all! It was so yummy!

Berries with Champagne Cream

This week's baking challenge is "elegant". That can be interpreted so many ways. I have many websites that send me daily emails with recipes, and this was one that came in this week. It looked so pretty and "elegant" that I decided to give it a try.

Here is the recipe.The only thing I did different was cut the recipe in half and I added about 1/4 cup of sugar to the whipped cream.

Hubby and I enjoyed this, so I will be making it again at some point.

*Chicken Fried Rice

Week 2 of the challenge is Chinese. I want to do two different dishes this week. This will be my "American" Chinese food, and my next offering will be more of an authentic Chinese dish.

Here is my chicken fried rice...

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
a handful of carrots, diced
1/2 cup scallions, sliced
1 can stir fry corn (baby corn)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen edamame
4 cloves of garlic, minced
about 1 tbsp of freshly grated ginger
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups cooked brown rice, cook this the day before, or at least about an hour before and stick it in the fridge asap. That's what I did.
sesame oil
soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Prep all the components before you start to cook so that they are all ready and waiting to be used.

Get the wok hot and add about 2 tbsp sesame oil. When the wok is hot, add the chicken. Cook until starting to brown and no longer pink, throughout.

Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add another tbsp sesame oil, then add the onions, garlic and ginger. Cook until onions are translucent.

Add the carrots, peas, edamame, corn and half of the scallions.

Add about 1/3 cup of soy sauce. Cook until the veggies are hot and tender.

Add the chicken back in with the veggies, then add the rice.

Stir the mixture every few minutes as it cooks. When it starts to brown, make a whole in the center of it all and add the eggs.

As the egg starts to set mix it in with the rest of the stuff, and cook until done.

Add the remaining scallions and serve. I also made some fried dumplings (store bought) and pan fried tofu to go with my fried rice.

*This can be done as a vegetarian dish if you just eliminate the chicken. You could also add cubed tofu for extra protein or just add more eggs.

Cinnamon Pancakes with Apples and Bacon

I'm getting a little bored with bacon, eggs and toast every Sunday morning, so today I wanted to try something different. Here's what I've come up with...

Pancake Batter:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated suger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a medium sized bowl mix the egg, milk and vegetable oil with a whisk. Using a flour sifter, slowly mix the dry ingredients, whisking as you go to avoid lumps. Pour about 1/4 cups of batter for each pancake into a hot, oiled pan. Turn when the edges start to get golden brown and bubbles start to appear throughout the batter.

Apple bacon topping: (My family is crazy and I'm the only one who wants the topping. If your family is not nuts, use more ingredients for a larger yield.)

• 1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, then add brown sugar and apples. Saute until soft, about  five minutes.

Then add crumbled bacon.

Serve pancakes hot, with the apple topping and maybe some maple syrup (The real stuff!!). Also, mimosas are a great compliment to this dish! :) These are VERY rich, but so yummy! Enjoy!



*For vegetarian, just eliminate the bacon. It's still yummy!

Mushroom Risotto

I LOVE mushroom risotto! This is a labor of love, but so worth it.

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
sm yellow onion, diced
8 cloves of garlic, minced
32 oz chicken broth, keep this warm in a pot while cooking the rice. (For vegetarian use vegetable broth)
1 cup arborio rice
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Parmesan cheese
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add 2 tbsp olive oil. Saute diced onion and garlic for about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes or until the mushrooms release their juices. Add wine and let the alcohol cook off, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of arborio rice, stir for about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of warm broth. Reduce the heat to low. This must be stirred every few minutes while cooking. Continue cooking until broth has been absorbed, then add another cup of broth. Continue to add broth as it absorbs. When you are down to about 2 cups of broth, start to taste it. You will know if it needs to cook more by the texture. I also keep a back up of chicken broth at the ready in case it needs more liquid, or you could always just use more wine. :) When it's ready, the texture will be nice and soft. It should also spread when it hits the plate. If it's too stiff you needed to add more liquid.

I posted a bit pre-maturely. Pics will be added later. 

Berry Crumb Pie

Berries were on sale at Safeway this weekend, so I figured I'd make a pie...

Start with a store bought pie crust. I still haven't even tried to make a homemade pie crust, but these are so easy, it's hard to find the motivation to try. Pre-heat oven to 375.

Pie filling...
2 6oz pkgs of black raspberries
1 16oz pkg of strawberries ,tops removed and cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar

In a large bowl combine the berries and granulated sugar. Stir to coat the berries with the sugar and set aside.

Place chilled pie crust into a pie plate and set it in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the pie.

Crumb Topping...

1/2 cup of butter, softened
1/2 cup of brown sugar, packed 
1 cup of sifted flour

Mix the topping ingredients together in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer until crumbs start to form.

Put the filling into the pie shell and top with crumb topping. Bake for about 40 minutes. Allow pie to cool before cutting.

I'm better at putting a pie together than I am at cutting it and putting it on a plate. This looks like a total mess, but it's really quite yummy!

I think next time I will pre-bake the pie shell a little, then add the filling and crumb topping. This was really good, it was just really wet. Maybe if I bake the filling less it won't get so juicy. It's still a good pie! Enjoy!

Candied Beets with Vanilla-Balsamic Reduction and Goat Cheese

I went to a little place in Old Ellicott City called Pure Wine, and they had beets on their tapas menu. I had never had beets, and since it was happy hour, and the apps were cheap, I figured, what the hell? So I tried them, and I loved them. I tried to re-create the recipe, and I came pretty close and they are yummy!.

You will need...
A bunch of beets. You can buy them at the grocery store, but check out your local farmers market. The food is so fresh and it's nice to put a face to the person who grows your veggies. Plus, They are usually pretty cheap. You can get so much for so little!
Butter
Brown sugar
Balsamic vinegar
Vanilla extract. The first time I made these I sprang for vanilla beans, but they are really expensive and extract was just as good.
Chevre cheese. I used regular chevre, but last night my friend made them and she had found a delicious honey chevre. YUM!

Start with the beets. Cut off the tops and bottoms. I haven't figured out what to do with the greens yet, but I'm working on it. Peel them, then cut them into chunks. Saute the beets with some melted butter and brown sugar.

While you're doing that, start the reduction. Put the vinegar and extract (Sorry, no measurements) into a small sauce pot and simmer, whisking occasionally until it has reduced.

Just before serving, add the sauce to the beets, then top with some crumbled cheese. A little cheese may go a long way. Some are stronger than others. Just remember that you can always add more, but it's difficult to take it away.

Sorry, no pic right now, but I'll add one the next time I make them. Enjoy!

Atomic Buffalo Turds, or ABTs

OMG! These are those yummiest things ever!!!! I know the name doesn't sound all that great, but man oh man, I swear they are awesome! Really, it's just kind of like a grilled jalapopper, but even that description doesn't do it justice. These are really versatile little snacks, because you can put whatever you want in them. I'll tell you how I do it, then I'll offer up some variations. I even have a vegetarian option!

You will need...
tooth picks
About 10 whole jalapenos
1 lb of bacon (Regular slices, not thick cut)
1 pkg cream cheese
1 lb ground pork
2 cloves minced garlic
some fresh grated ginger
your favorite seasonings

The first step is to prep your jalapenos. WEAR GLOVES!!! I can't stress this enough. The first time I made them I did not wear gloves, or use any tools to remove the seeds and membranes. My hands were on fire for about three days! I also wear safety glasses. Again, the first time I made them I didn't wear safety goggles and I got shot in the eye with jalapeno juice. Add to that the fact that the oils were all over my hands, and I was one very miserable red head! So now that you have your gloves and safety goggles, cut the tops off of each jalapeno, then cut them in half, length wise. I use a tomato corer to remove the seeds and membranes. Set these aside and start prepping the meat.

Saute the ground pork in a large pan on your stove top. Add some garlic and ginger and any other seasoning you want. Drain the grease and set the meat aside in a bowl. This usually makes too much, so I put the leftovers in a baggie and freeze it for the next time.

Now create an assembly line of the peppers, bacon, cream cheese, and meat. I like to fill the jalapeno with some cream cheese, then add the meat, then wrap a slice of bacon around the whole thing and secure it with a toothpick. Once they are all ready, sprinkle any seasoning you want all over the bacon. Grill over indirect heat for an hour, turning once, with a drip pan underneath. I have also done this in the oven, on a cookie sheet, with racks on the cookie sheet, but I prefer grilling them.

Once they are cooked don't allow too much time for them to cool, or by the time you go to get one, they will be gone!

Now for variations. I have seen these made with little smokies instead of the pork mixture, but I don't recommend it. Yes, it's easy, but not very yummy. My step dad always uses pulled pork for filling. That's yummy, but more effort than I want to do. You could try shrimp, ground beef, sausage (remove casing and cook first). I have even made vegetarian ones. For those I used crumbled veggies burgers for filling and veggie bacon. They were surprisingly yummy, and the girl we made them for was so pleased that we wanted to make sure she could have some too! I also cut the cooking time in half for the veggie ones so they wouldn't get over cooked.

These take a lot of effort, but they are worth every second you spend putting them together. I hope you enjoy them, and please let me know if you come up with any tasty variations.