This Cooking Light frittata comes together quickly and is healthy enough to split between 2 people for a satisfying breakfast. Otherwise, it would serve 4 as part of a larger meal. It was the perfect way to use up some of my egg whites left from my ice cream ... need to balance the healthy with the unhealthy, of course.
Mushroom Frittata
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 tsp. thyme
3 large egg whites
2 large eggs
Preheat broiler to low. Heat an 8-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with non-stick spray, and saute mushrooms until lightly browned. In a separate bowl, combine mushrooms, mozzarella, thyme, egg whites and eggs, stirring until whisked.
Spray skillet again with non-stick spray, and pour in egg mixture. Cover, and cook without stirring for 3 minutes or until almost set. Remove cover, and broil 3 minutes or until egg is set. Slide frittata out of pan onto a serving plate. Serve warm or room temperature.
April 24, 2012
Pasta with Asparagus, Bacon & Pine Nuts
Our asparagus has magically appeared, which means I can try some of the recipes I've flagged in my Cooking Light magazines. It's difficult at times to try new asparagus recipes because it's so delicious simply tossed with olive oil and salt and roasted in the oven or grilled. And I'm not sure there's anything better than asparagus drizzled with olive oil, wrapped in prosciutto, sprinkled with pepper and roasted.
But, I'll never know that for sure unless I try new recipes. This pasta dish comes together quickly with the modifications I made and is a satisfying simple spring dinner.
Pasta with Asparagus, Bacon & Pine Nuts
8 oz. uncooked penne pasta
1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 Tbsp. pine nuts
2 oz. bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add asparagus during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain, and return to pan. Sprinkle with garlic, and toss to coat.
Meanwhile, heat skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts, and stir constantly until toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pine nuts from skillet, and set aside. Add bacon to skillet, and cook until desired consistency. Drain grease.
In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, whisking until combined. Drizzle over pasta, and toss with pine nuts, bacon and cheese. Serve warm. Makes 4 servings.
But, I'll never know that for sure unless I try new recipes. This pasta dish comes together quickly with the modifications I made and is a satisfying simple spring dinner.
Pasta with Asparagus, Bacon & Pine Nuts
8 oz. uncooked penne pasta
1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 Tbsp. pine nuts
2 oz. bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add asparagus during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain, and return to pan. Sprinkle with garlic, and toss to coat.
Meanwhile, heat skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts, and stir constantly until toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pine nuts from skillet, and set aside. Add bacon to skillet, and cook until desired consistency. Drain grease.
In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, whisking until combined. Drizzle over pasta, and toss with pine nuts, bacon and cheese. Serve warm. Makes 4 servings.
April 19, 2012
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter High Hats
These cupcakes are downright messy to eat, leaving you with chocolate on your face and both hands smeared with chocolate. And it's worth every brown smudge.
These cupcakes certainly are a treat, not meant for everyday consumption unless you run at least 6 miles on a daily basis. (I'm grateful for my 8-mile run this morning to negate the cupcake I savored this evening.) However, they were an instant favorite for my husband and me.
I'll admit the High Hats are a bit more work than the traditional cupcake, but they look quite impressive for a relatively simple process. As I got near the bottom of my dipping chocolate, I actually ended up spreading the chocolate on the last cupcake using my finger. (Don't worry, that was the cupcake my husband ate.)
These cupcakes are a hybrid of Bakers Royale's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cupcake and Betty Crocker The Big Book of Cupcakes Peanut Butter High Hats. I was going to follow both recipes to make each cupcake separately, but I thought it was crazy that Betty Crocker did not use a chocolate cupcake in its version.
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter High Hats
Cupcakes
1 cup butter
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
24 miniature peanut butter cups
Frosting
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
7 oz. marshmallow fluff
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
Topping
3 cups chocolate chips
6 Tbsp. shortening
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 24 cupcake tins. Combine butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and microwave on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Stir in cocoa until smooth. Set aside until mixture cools to near room temperature.
Whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder in small bowl to combine. In separate bowl, whisk eggs, and then add sugar, vanilla and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture, and beat until combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, and mix on low until combined. Beat in sour cream until combined, and then add remaining flour mixture. Beat on low until batter is combined. (Batter will be thick.)
Fill cupcake line 1/4 full. Add a peanut butter cup to each cupcake, and then finish scooping cupcake batter on top until batter is evenly divided. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes on wire racks to room temperature before frosting.
To prepare frosting, beat together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Whip in marshmallow fluff. Gradually add powdered sugar and then vanilla. Beat on high 3 minutes until fluffy. Use a large piping tip to frost cupcakes, making sure you have a large dome similar to an ice cream cone on each cupcake. Place cupcakes in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 45 minutes to harden the frosting.
Melt chocolate chips and shortening together in a heatproof bowl in the microwave, stirring at least every 30 seconds. Dip cupcakes into chocolate to coat frosting completely, shaking off extra chocolate. Chill cupcakes at least 5 minutes to set frosting. Makes 24 awesome cupcakes!
These cupcakes certainly are a treat, not meant for everyday consumption unless you run at least 6 miles on a daily basis. (I'm grateful for my 8-mile run this morning to negate the cupcake I savored this evening.) However, they were an instant favorite for my husband and me.
I'll admit the High Hats are a bit more work than the traditional cupcake, but they look quite impressive for a relatively simple process. As I got near the bottom of my dipping chocolate, I actually ended up spreading the chocolate on the last cupcake using my finger. (Don't worry, that was the cupcake my husband ate.)
These cupcakes are a hybrid of Bakers Royale's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cupcake and Betty Crocker The Big Book of Cupcakes Peanut Butter High Hats. I was going to follow both recipes to make each cupcake separately, but I thought it was crazy that Betty Crocker did not use a chocolate cupcake in its version.
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter High Hats
Cupcakes
1 cup butter
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
24 miniature peanut butter cups
Frosting
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
7 oz. marshmallow fluff
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
Topping
3 cups chocolate chips
6 Tbsp. shortening
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 24 cupcake tins. Combine butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and microwave on medium power, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Stir in cocoa until smooth. Set aside until mixture cools to near room temperature.
Whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder in small bowl to combine. In separate bowl, whisk eggs, and then add sugar, vanilla and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture, and beat until combined. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, and mix on low until combined. Beat in sour cream until combined, and then add remaining flour mixture. Beat on low until batter is combined. (Batter will be thick.)
Fill cupcake line 1/4 full. Add a peanut butter cup to each cupcake, and then finish scooping cupcake batter on top until batter is evenly divided. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes on wire racks to room temperature before frosting.
To prepare frosting, beat together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Whip in marshmallow fluff. Gradually add powdered sugar and then vanilla. Beat on high 3 minutes until fluffy. Use a large piping tip to frost cupcakes, making sure you have a large dome similar to an ice cream cone on each cupcake. Place cupcakes in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 45 minutes to harden the frosting.
Melt chocolate chips and shortening together in a heatproof bowl in the microwave, stirring at least every 30 seconds. Dip cupcakes into chocolate to coat frosting completely, shaking off extra chocolate. Chill cupcakes at least 5 minutes to set frosting. Makes 24 awesome cupcakes!
Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
The more I read Brown Eyed Baker, the more I realize her tastes in food are quite similar to mine. That explains why the majority of recipes I have flagged are from her site. These granola bars are simple to make and quite tasty. They don't taste identical to Quaker Oats Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars as they have a more distinct honey flavor, but they are in the ballpark.
The only issue I had with these granola bars is they didn't seem to compact properly, which is probably my own fault as I was a bit skittish about burning myself while pressing them into the pan. I'm going to try flattening them next time (and there will be a next time) with an old-fashioned bacon press.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
4 Tbsp. butter
2 cups oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips
Lightly grease an 8-inch pan. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey and butter over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla extract.
Combine oats and rice cereal together in a large bowl, and cover with liquid. Stir well to thoroughly coat the dry ingredients. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and press down to ensure the bars are tightly compacted. Sprinkle the top evenly with chocolate chips, and press down lightly with the back of a spoon.
Cool at room temperature at least 2 hours, until chocolate chips are set, prior to cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Makes 10 bars.
The only issue I had with these granola bars is they didn't seem to compact properly, which is probably my own fault as I was a bit skittish about burning myself while pressing them into the pan. I'm going to try flattening them next time (and there will be a next time) with an old-fashioned bacon press.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
4 Tbsp. butter
2 cups oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips
Lightly grease an 8-inch pan. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey and butter over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla extract.
Combine oats and rice cereal together in a large bowl, and cover with liquid. Stir well to thoroughly coat the dry ingredients. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and press down to ensure the bars are tightly compacted. Sprinkle the top evenly with chocolate chips, and press down lightly with the back of a spoon.
Cool at room temperature at least 2 hours, until chocolate chips are set, prior to cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Makes 10 bars.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
I'm truly not on a cookie dough kick right now. I was on a cookie dough kick during Lent when I couldn't eat chocolate, so I bookmarked all these cookie dough recipes for the future. Well, now is the future, and it's mighty tasty.
Eating these brownies feels slightly naughty like you're sneaking the cookie dough you're not supposed to eat. I think that makes them taste even better. These would be a quick seller at a bake sale and are not difficult to prepare. I had bookmarked these brownies from both Brown Eyed Baker and Recipe Girl, and here's my variation:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Brownie
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
Edible Cookie Dough
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Garnish
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil, with enough to hang over all four sides. Spray the foil with nonstick spray.
In a medium glass bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla. Mix in the melted chocolate until combined. Reduce the speed to low, and gradually mix in flour until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, combine all cookie dough ingredients together. Scoop out a heaping cup of dough, and add mini chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough evenly over the cooled brownies.
Melt the remaining chocolate chips, and use a fork to drizzle chocolate over the cookie dough. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about an hour. Cut the brownies, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Makes 32 brownies (but not if I'm cutting them!).
Eating these brownies feels slightly naughty like you're sneaking the cookie dough you're not supposed to eat. I think that makes them taste even better. These would be a quick seller at a bake sale and are not difficult to prepare. I had bookmarked these brownies from both Brown Eyed Baker and Recipe Girl, and here's my variation:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Brownie
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
Edible Cookie Dough
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Garnish
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil, with enough to hang over all four sides. Spray the foil with nonstick spray.
In a medium glass bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla. Mix in the melted chocolate until combined. Reduce the speed to low, and gradually mix in flour until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, combine all cookie dough ingredients together. Scoop out a heaping cup of dough, and add mini chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough evenly over the cooled brownies.
Melt the remaining chocolate chips, and use a fork to drizzle chocolate over the cookie dough. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about an hour. Cut the brownies, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Makes 32 brownies (but not if I'm cutting them!).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)