Cranberry Custard Pie

Seems like these days The Chef is spending more time rockin' the Gibson Flying V and less time rockin' the kitchen, and that means I get more "stove time" so yay!! I'm baking!! Seriously, as he is putting together a new band there is a lot of work to do. Working with other musicians can be as challenging as it is rewarding. You already know about his musical background, so let's talk about the future- still no solid band name, lots of ideas being tossed around. The lineup is complete with Mike, Steve and Dave rounding out the talent. The set list is mostly classic rock, not as heavy as I usually like, but its solid, has a great variety or eras and a lot of songs people are going to want to sing along with. 

The Chef is a big fan of Uncle Ted so Stranglehold is one he is particularly excited to play. He's got some Tom Petty in there, and the Buckethead/Alien Ant Farm version of Smooth Criminal, and of course, true classics from Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. He is a HUGE fan of Chicago so 25 or 6 to 4 is in the mix too. I tried to get him to add some Damn Yankees, to no avail, but a couple other suggestions might actually make the set list. I haven't given up on the Damn Yankees though. A girl can always hope, right?

The guys have been at this for a while now, sometimes derailed by the unpredictable Iowa winter weather. Schedule a practice on Monday and by Friday you're knee deep in heavy wet snow. Reschedule for Sunday but now it's 65 degrees and at least one guy is sopping up water in his basement. Plan on next weekend, but hey, ice storm!

As springtime reluctantly begins to shine here in Iowa, many of us, myself included, are thinking of all the beautiful spring berries that are starting to pop up in stores. Raspberries are by far my favorite of all berries, but there is a close second that you might find surprising. I mean, on one hand, we have plump, juicy and so sweet raspberries, and on the other we have kind of waxy textured, definitely not juicy and absolutely NOT sweet, and not in season in spring, cranberries. I love those guys! So much so that when they are in season, I will grab several bags of fresh crans and toss them in the freezer for later. When the holidays roll around I can always whip out a bag of cranberries and make homemade sauce, but I also like using them in other recipes, and outside of the normal cranberry season they are fun and unexpected. Which brings us to this pie. In all honesty I DID make this for Christmas dinner, but.... since I still have four bags of cranberries in the freezer this is something easy and inexpensive that I can whip up in a minute.

I make my own pastry usually but you absolutely can use purchased pastry- just roll it out and fit it into your pan, or use frozen in a disposable pan. I won't judge. Another pantry item I always have on hand is heavy whipping cream. I say pantry because I buy shelf stable heavy whipping cream at Trader Joe's. It's in the baking aisle and it comes in little boxes like juice boxes. No refrigeration is needed until you open the package. It's the best invention ever.

Cranberry Custard Pie

Adapted from Country Living

1 recipe single crust pie pastry

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries*

1 cup sugar, divided

1 tablespoon flour

1 egg white

1 cup heavy whipping cream

*If using frozen cranberries, allow the thaw at room temperature for an hour or so. I spread them out on a sheet pan to help them thaw quickly.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare the pastry, roll out and fit into 9 inch pie plate. Flute and crimp edge. Set aside.

Stir together 2/3 cups of sugar with the flour. In a separate bowl, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form. Fold into the flour mixture, stirring in the cream as well.

Pour the cranberries into the pie shell. Sprinkle the 1/3 cup sugar over the cranberries, then pour the cream mixture over all. 

Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then lower the temp to 350 and bake for 40 minutes. Cool completely before serving. 

This pie is the perfect combination of sweet and tart and is absolutely wonderful with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Try it!!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Super Easy UnFried Pickles

Spring is here!!! That means it's time to start planning and getting ready to grow a whole summer's worth of fresh herbs. As you know, we like to grow our herbs in pots on the deck so it's super convenient to just step out the door and snip off a few sprigs when cooking. Some of our favorites are flat leaf parsley, thyme, basil and chives. This year however I think I'm going to include some mint- maybe even plant that right in the ground so it keeps coming back (and yes, someplace we won't care if it gets a bit out of hand), a couple additional types of thyme and a couple oregano varieties. Basil is an absolute must for us, and I'm on the lookout for some lettuce leaf basil. Those giant leafs make fantastic greens for sandwiches and also make cute small carb free wraps. Plus, the flavor explosion- wow!

When the summer winds down I'm often drying tray after tray of herbs before the first freeze hits. While fresh is always best, dried herbs have their uses too, and making up homemade salt-free seasoning blends is one of my favorite ways to use them. I have several books in my cookbook collection with tons of ideas for delicious blends, everything from vegetable seasonings to meat rubs. I like stirring the seasoning into softened butter and minced garlic for a wonderful spread for garlic toast. Another favorite idea of mine is to combine some chives, parsley, thyme and garlic with softened butter and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, roll into a log and chill the butter for a perfect compound butter to slice and serve on top of a sizzling grilled steak.

Today let's use some seasoning to make a delicious and pretty healthy snack that's a snap to put together, and way healthier than the fried version. Unfried Pickles are a great homemade way to enjoy the popular bar snack/appetizer menu staple and it doesn't involve any oil or messy frying. For my unfried pickles I like to use just regular crinkle cut hamburger dill chips. Choose a good brand so your pickles aren't too soft. Pickle chips work better for this recipe than pickle spears, I know some restaurants do serve fried pickle spears, but I am not a fan of that style. Pickle chips crisp up nicely in the oven and don't take very long to bake. It's very important when picking out your seasoning mixture that you choose a salt free blend. Pickles are salty enough so you want to be sure you're not adding additional salt or you will have very very very salty pickles.

UnFried Pickles

1 jar sliced dill pickles, such as hamburger chips

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon your favorite salt free seasoning

1 egg

cooking spray

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.

Drain about 1 cup of pickle slices and blot dry with paper towels. In a small shallow dish combine the panko with the seasoning and set aside. Beat the egg in another small bowl. Dip the pickle slices into the egg, then coat completely with the crumb mixture and place on the prepared sheet pan. When all pickle slices have been coated, spray the pickles very lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned and crispy. 

For my dipping sauce I combined half a cup of mayonnaise with Sriracha and freshly ground pepper to taste. You can use any type of dipping sauce you like. Ranch dressing is a big favorite!

Nothing Special but Delicious- Tuna Noodle Casserole

Sometimes when we cook at home, we go way out, and other times we just make something "not special." We aren't too proud to throw a frozen pizza in the oven, or even hit a drive thru someplace and get something fried and not healthy. We might make a fabulous meal with seared scallops and meticulously prepared risotto, but we are just as likely to slap a couple grilled cheese together. It's not surprising that on this Monday evening after a long day at work, neither one of us wanted to cook. Sadly, it's a necessary evil and I drew the short straw.

Recently I made a batch of my Mom's famous shrimp salad. The Chef gobbled it all right up and said it was something I needed to make all the time. Duly noted. My next trip to the store I stocked up on pasta and salad ingredients. I happened to stop in a smaller store and unbelievably they didn't have the baby shrimp I needed, so I grabbed some tuna. Mom used to make it with tuna once in a while so I figured I'd just tuck it in the cabinet until I made the salad again. 

Fast forward to Monday evening and our choices were a whole chicken that would need to be butchered before cooking, and cans of tuna. We weren't feeling a cold salad for dinner so...... why not whip up a tuna and noodle casserole and dinner is done? That's exactly what I did. I had a bag of frozen mixed vegetables in the freezer, plenty of cheese and some fun pasta shapes so dinner was in the oven in a snap. Here is how I made it.

The Baker's Tuna Noodle Casserole

2 cans tuna in water, drained and broken into chunks

1 lb package pasta such as farfalle or shells

1 can evaporated milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

2 teaspoons onion powder

salt and pepper

fresh chives or scallions

panko bread crumbs

3 tablespoons butter

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook per package directions until just al dente. Do not overcook- the pasta is going to be baked. 

Place the frozen vegetables in a large colander. Drain the pasta right over the vegetables. Let stand to completely drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in the same pot, add the evaporated milk and one can of water. Bring to boil, then remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper and add fresh chives or scallions (a couple tablespoons is fine) and the onion powder. Return the pasta and vegetables to the pot. Add the tuna and gently stir to coat the pasta.

Pour into well buttered 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle the top generously with panko bread crumbs. Melt the butter and drizzle over. Pop in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and golden brown on top. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Wasn't that easy? No canned cream of something soup needed to get a rich and creamy sauce. The panko make a butery crunchy top crust and those vegetables. LOVE those vegetables. Who doesn't love lima beans?!?!

Make It Yourself- Rosewater

Part of the charm of living in England was living in a small village, well away from the air force base and all the American things, the hamburger place, the convenience store, the big grocery store (commissary). Adapting to life in rural England was very easy. I fell in love with the town of Stanton, where we lived, and surrounding bigger towns like Bury St. Edmunds, Thetford and Diss. There were no big shopping malls where we lived, and you had to travel a fair distance for a larger super market. We came to rely on the tiny grocery shop in Stanton for last minute items.

Because the weather was always so lovely the kids and I would often walk into town and visit the chip shop for lunch, the bakery for bread, and the grocery shop for a few items to complete a meal and a treat, like ice cream. Sometimes instead of ice cream the kiddos would opt for candy, and sometimes I would even have to join in. British candies are quite different from American candies. For one thing, the chocolate is much better quality. To me, growing up with a European family and always getting big boxes from Germany, I was raised enjoying the wonderful chocolates common in Europe, instead of the waxy tasting chocolate common here. One of my very favorite chocolates was Cadbury Flake. I can't even imagine how they make this unusual chocolate bar. It literally is a long bar of flaked chocolate, barely holding together. The first bite would often send a cascade of chocolate down the front of your shirt. There is absolutely nothing like that here in the U.S.

The chocolate was wonderful, and so was the caramel. Hard caramels and soft caramels, or toffees as they are called there, were a favorite of mine. Licorice All Sorts were fun, if you enjoy black licorice, which I love, but by far the most unique, and delicious candy I had while living there was something called Turkish Delight. Talk about different, Turkish Delight is a milk chocolate covered jelly bar. Yes, jelly. Not hard like gummy bears or crazy sticky like say, sugar coated orange slices, but a firmer version of a gelatin-like sweet jelly that's intensely flavored with rosewater. It's almost impossible to describe the flavor. It tasted like you think roses should taste. Floral notes, perfumey, subtly sweetened. It smells like roses and the dark chocolate heightens the flavor. It was such a unique and complex flavor it was surely created for adults. Paired with a light white wine, on the dry side, Turkish Delight is totally dessert worthy, and I've had a terrible time trying to find it now that I am back in the United States.

Sooooo hard to find but soooo worth it if you do.

As a baker I often experiment with different extracts and flavors- in cakes, fillings, meringues. In pastry cream. Citrus extracts such as orange or lime bring such a bright flavor to desserts that is a stark contrast to the warm and familiar vanilla. Spicy extracts add their own unique flavors, but I find myself continually gravitating towards florals. Flowers make lovely jellies, and they ar the perfect essences for baking too, especially rosewater. Rosewater can be a bit difficult to find unless you have a very well stocked market or specialty store nearby. Once you find this gem, you can use it in so many incredible ways both in and out of the kitchen. It makes a great facial toner, a lovely spritz to remove wrinkles from clothing, and in the kitchen you can use rosewater to bring a soft floral hint to so many things, baked goods, of course, ice cream, dairy foods like yogurts, cheesecake filling, frostings, beverages, cocktails. You can replace vanilla in most recipes and have a whole new flavor profile.

So we are going to make rosewater at home. There are a couple key things to keep in mind. First, choose roses that are fresh and brightly colored natural red or pink preferably.Red, pink and orange roses make the prettiest rosewater. Be careful to avoid roses that have had their color enhanced. When choosing roses, be sure to let the florist know they will be used in food so you can purchase roses that have not been sprayed with waxes and preservatives. I think you will find many larger florists in most cities keep food-safe flowers on hand, so be sure to ask. If you grow your own roses, or have a friend who gardens, even better! Our recipe calls for two cups of distilled water and 3 or 4 roses. These roses would be comparable in size to the typical long-stemmed variety you find in arrangements, so if you are using smaller roses from the garden, adjust the number accordingly.  Use only the petals, be sure you discard the rest of the rose, and choose very fragrant roses. You will be much happier with the result. Distilled water gives you a crystal clear finished product. If you don't have any you can use regular bottled or tap water but you might have a little cloudiness. And finally, I add a teaspoon of vodka to the finished rosewater. This acts like a preservative but is purely optional. You can omit the vodka if you like. 

Homemade Rosewater

3 or 4 fresh roses

2 cups distilled water

1 teaspoon vodka

Pull the petals from the roses and discard the remaining parts of the flower. Combine with distilled water in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer approximately 30 minutes. The petals will become very pale and the water will take on the color of the roses.

Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vodka.

Allow mixture to cool slightly, then bottle. Store in a cool dark location.

Use your homemade rosewater in Turkish and Middle Eastern recipes, cakes, whipped cream, candies. It's delicate floral flavor will be subtle but you will know it's there. You can make a similar tincture from any edible flower, the brighter the color, the better the water will look.

She Bakes- Rhubarb Mini Muffins

Rhubarb recipes are continuing from my little kitchen, as we're venturing into baking territory. If you ever spend any time looking through old church cookbooks, you probably noticed there are a LOT of people who used to cook with rhubarb. Like I have said before, back a generation ago it seems like every backyard in Iowa had a rhubarb patch and everyone's mom or grandmother had an arsenal of delicious rhubarb recipes. I just can't get enough of this stuff!

I know I could buy it at the store or the farmers market, but jeez, enough people still have it in their yards and so many people think they don't like it or don't know what to do with it that I can usually get a decent sized score from friends for free, and this year is no exception. My good friends Paul and Jennifer offered some freebie rhubarb and I've been playing around with it the last few days. I've been trying to be better at bringing food from home to work for breakfast and lunch instead of spending too much in the cafeteria all the time, and what better way to ration it out than to make muffins? Mini muffins? Even better (plus I couldn't find my regular size muffin pan so......).

As a baker, I can whip up a batch of basic plain old muffin batter with ease, but rhubarb is a bit of a challenge. It's heavily loaded with water so baking with it can be a bit tricky. If you overbake it, the rhubarb can break down and become soggy. Using it in pies, which have a long bake time, you definitely need a thickening agent like cornstarch or flour tossed with that fruit to make it saucy and delicious. You also have to think about the size of the cuts- the smaller they are, the less time they need to cook through. If you cut it too large, it won't cook enough during baking. Mini muffins presented quite a challenge! One way I altered my recipe was to use sour cream instead of the cup of milk I would normally use- it moistens the batter with just the right amount of "wet" so the muffins don't end up soggy from the fruit, and the diced rhubarb is just the perfect size to cook through during the baking without becoming mush. You can finish your muffins with a drizzle of glaze made from powdered sugar, or a quick roll in some cinnamon sugar. They are so delicious!

Cinnamon Rhubarb Mini Muffins

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups finely diced rhubarb (1/4 inch dice)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cooking spray

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and spices in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Add the sour cream, melted butter and vanilla. Combine well.

Add the rhubarb to the dry ingredients and toss to coat the rhubarb. Add the wet ingredients all at once and mix, folding gently, until just combined. Don't over mix. Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Spray your mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Use a small scoop to evenly add the batter to the pan. Sprinkle each muffin with the cinnamon sugar. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned. 

Four mini muffins in a zip top bag make a great on-the-go breakfast for busy work days, or tucked in a lunch box for a mid day snack. The rhubarb keeps the muffins moist and remind me of something my mother would have made wen I was growing up. I think I should seriously start my own rhubarb patch right in my own backyard.

Greek Lemon Chicken Pizza

Friday night! The end of the work week and two days of peace and quiet with no phone ringing and clients needing help and payments not processing and claims and applications and enrollments and....... 

So I'm sitting here working out some recipe ideas......tossing things around in my brain..... thinking about the upcoming recipe contest Sinful Food is holding, and wishing I could enter. I think I have a winner here.....

Everyone loves pizza, right? I do, but I do get tired of the same red sauce and cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms pizza we always seem to go with. Instead of using red pizza sauce I've gone with a brushing of olive oil- Sinful Food garlic olive oil to be exact. Then instead of fatty sausage or pepperoni, boring mushrooms and peppers, I went to the Greek Isles with Greek-marinated chicken, Kalamata olives, preserved lemons (a Mediterranean mainstay) and feta. You don't want a thick bready crust for this pizza- think thin and cracker-like crust. You can use homemade or store bought pizza dough or mix, or even pre-made crusts. I've also included a recipe for easy pizza dough if you want to make it homemade. It's a breeze with a stand mixer- mix the dough with a dough hook instead of kneading it.

If you haven't tried the Sinful Food oils yet, you absolutely MUST!! Get yours by clicking HERE.

Greek Marinated Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup Sinful Food olive oil, garlic or Italian herb
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely minced preserved lemon
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

In a medium bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, juice, preserved lemon and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove about 1/4 cup of the marinade and refrigerate for later.

Place the chicken breasts in a large zip top bag. Add the marinade, seal the bag and pop in the fridge for a minimum of four hours. Overnight is best.

To cook, remove the chicken and discard the marinade. Pat the chicken dry. You can either cut the chicken into cubes before you cook it or after. Heat a skillet, grill pan, or grill until hot. Add a couple teaspoons of oil to the skillet or grill pan. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle. When chicken has cooled, cut into bite sized cubes and place in a clean zip top bag. Drizzle about half the reserved marinade over. Seal bag, and refrigerate until ready to use. Save the last of the marinade too.

You can make the chicken a day or two ahead of time or double the recipe and serve chicken with grilled veggies for dinner one night and reserve a couple boneless skinless breasts for pizza night. This Greek chicken is delicious in sandwiches and salads too.

Greek Lemon Chicken Pizza

pizza dough
Greek lemon chicken
1/2 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
1 small onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely minced preserved lemon
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup feta cheese
chopped fresh parsley
Sinful Food garlic olive oil

Cut the onion in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise. Cook in a small skillet until just beginning to brown. Add garlic, cook for one minute. Set aside.

I mixed the cooked chicken, the onion, garlic and lemon
together before topping the pizza.

Stretch the pizza dough to form a thin crust. You want a cracker-like crust, not a heavy doughy crust. Place dough on baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. 

Brush a couple tablespoons of Sinful Food garlic olive oil over the crust. Scatter chicken cubes, olives, onion mixture and minced preserved lemon. 

Sadly I forgot to save some kalamata olives for this recipe.
I had to use sliced ripe olives in their place. 

Top with shredded cheese and feta cheese. You may not need all of the mozzarella. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Bake in 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Remember that reserved marinade? I like to make a small salad of arugula and Italian parsley leaves dressed lightly with the marinade and piled on the baked pizza. So fresh and delicious. As promised, here is that pizza dough recipe: 

Homemade pizza crust recipe

1 packet yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
3-4 cups all purpose flour
Sinful Food Italian herb olive oil

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Allow to rest about 5 minutes. Pour over 3 cups of flour in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix the dough together gently, adding more flour as needed until you have a smooth dough. Knead for about 3-4 minutes, or use a stand mixer. Form into a ball. Wipe out the bowl, pour a couple tablespoons oil in the bowl and brush it around. Place the dough ball in the bowl and turn over to coat with oil. Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot for an hour or so, until dough doubles in size. Punch down, and you're ready to make pizza.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." As a Brand Ambassador, the company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift or something of value. Regardless,  I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

McGuyver Dinners- Unstuffed Peppers

Some of the funniest moments in my life took place in a townhouse in Johnston, where my best friend Ronda and I were starting new chapters in our lives. She was starting over in a new city, and I was starting over as newly single. Our friendship is a fun mix of eclectic things- some we have in common, some we couldn't be more opposite if we tried. I'd be lying if I said we didn't have a few cocktails over the time we lived there. We had a fully stocked bar!  Some of our crazy antics included driveway bowling, numerous Jager bombs, and driving through snowdrifts in my SUV. Let's just say this last antic was not so successful.

Anyway, lots of times two adult women looked at the contents of our pantry and bemoaned the selection. Not wanting to go to the store or order delivery, I was usually assigned the task of coming up with a dinner. Ronda would always say that I could take black pepper and an ice cube and come up with a three course meal so, like McGuyer and his crazy paper clip and rubber band saves he day storylines, we just started calling it McGuyver Dinner. I've made many many McGuyver Dinners over the years. It's really not that hard, since I've always got some basic ingredients on hand like some kind of pasta or grain. Making a sauce or gravy isn't too difficult if you keep canned soups, broth or soup bases, or even tomato products on hand. Throw a few things together and you've got a, hopefully, tasty dinner.

Today The Chef was going through our cabinets and came upon my grain stockpile. At any given time I have an assortment of eight or nine grains on hand- everything from rice to quinoa to millet to amaranth. I love trying the ancient grains and using them in recipes. The textures are so varied, the flavors so unique. Some grains, like farro and kamut, look similar to rice. Farro is a larger grain and takes longer to cook than rice. Kamut has a chewy texture and remains firmer than rice. After piling every bag and package of grain from my stash on the counter, I decided to go with the kamut. Kamut is a great source of fiber and protein too, and who doesn't want that? 

I had some bell peppers and mushrooms to use up, so I thought I'd got for an inside out stuffed pepper type dish using Sinful Food products. The Signature Seasoning is great for replacing the salt and pepper. I had just a little bit of garlic olive oil left so I used that and also used he jalapeno oil. It was perfect- the jalapeno added just the slightest bit of heat and another layer of fresh pepper flavor.  Here is my recipe- 

McGuyver Unstuffed Pepper Soup

3 bell peppers

1 large onion

8 oz package mushrooms

handful fresh garlic cloves

1 lb ground beef

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

2 cups uncooked kamut

6 cups beef broth

Sinful Food Signature Seasoning

Sinful Food garlic and jalapeno olive oils

Chop the bell peppers, onions and garlic. Heat a couple tablespoons of garlic olive oil and jalapeno olive oil in a LARGE stockpot. Add the chopped vegetables and season. Cook over medium high heat until softened. Remove from the pot.

Add the ground beef to the pot and break up. Cook until browned and cooked through. Drain any accumulated fat. Return the vegetables to the pot and add all remaining ingredients. 

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, about an hour until the kamut is tender.

The kamut will not be as soft as rice. It retains it's chewy texture, which I loved. I originally intended this to be more of a casserole-type dish but instead we ended up with a pot of a delicious and hearty soup. I was happy with the result. Kitchen disaster averted!! 

To get your own Sinful Food olive oils and seasonings, click HERE.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." As a Brand Ambassador, the company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift or something of value. Regardless,  I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Easiest Cake Recipe Ever

You know how sometimes folks will come home after a really crummy day, kick off their shoes, shrug off their work clothes, and relax with a nice cold adult beverage? For me it's not about the adult beverage. When I have had THAT kind of a day, all I really want is.......cake. Yes. Cake. Funny thing about cake, you usually have to make an entire cake. In our household of two, a whole cake usually goes to waste, so we don't often bake cakes. In desperate times I have been known to snag a cake slice or a cupcake from the local grocery store bakery, but alas, it's bakery cake, not the same. It's often a little on the dry side from being already sliced and the frosting is either that weird whipped stuff or a buttercream so overloaded with sugar it's crunchy. Not very satisfying. Times like these I long for the days of my childhood where cake heaven was just a few minutes away after a quick run through the Easy Bake Oven.

 Fear not, my friends, cake heaven is again close at hand. This really doesn't even qualify as a "recipe" in the truest sense- it's more like a cake hack that is super simple and super delicious. Are you ready for this? Freshly baked cake for one from the microwave. You can have cake in just 45 teeny tiny seconds!!!  Yes!!!

So how do you do this? Easy- grab two cake mixes- one must be angel food, the other can be any flavor you like. For my current batch of "instant cake" I used a chocolate fudge cake mix. Dump both DRY mixes in a big bowl and use a whisk to fully incorporate them together. Break up any clumps in the mixes. Spoon the mixture into a big, airtight storage container. To make a cake, grab a custard cup and add 3 tablespoons of the dry mix. Stir in 2 tablespoons water and mix with a fork til smooth. Pop in the micro and bake for 45 seconds. Done!

The little cakes are springy and light. The angel food cake mix, which is mostly egg whites, lightens the texture of the cake and helps it rise. Now you can dress up your cake however you like. A drizzle of icing, a scoop of ice cream, pile on some fresh fruit.

Last night while experimenting I made mine into a peanut butter lava cake by mixing the batter as usual but before baking, I added a big rounded tablespoon of peanut butter right on top. When it bakes, the batter rises up and encloses the peanut butter, which becomes all melty and happy. Invert on a plate and hit with a little whipped cream or ice cream. Delicious!  You can also use caramel sauce, chocolate truffles, cherry pie filling, Ferrero Rocher candies, mints- use your imagination. Anything that melts makes an easy lava cake and any other candies make a candy bomb cake!

My experimenting with instant cake is going to continue for sure. Stick around and see what I come up with!

Sinful Brownies

Let me just say, my experience as a junior Brand Ambassador for Sinful Food has been a very rewarding experience. Using these products to create delicious dishes has really been a great experience, working with and learning from Brand Ambassador Michaela Rosenthal has been such a huge boost to my confidence and holy cow, her cooking expertise and knowledge..... just wow! So is chatting with and getting to know the company founder, Chris. It was during one of those conversations that he mentioned expanding their line to include high end chocolate and coffees as well and he wanted to know if I'd be interested in checking them out, possibly creating some new dishes or desserts. Of course I would! As I explained to Chris, I am the Baker in this house and dessert is right up my alley.

Chris was so excited talking about the new line of chocolate, made from certified heirloom Arriba Nacional beans, the chocolate is 70% cocoa and is 100% dairy free. Of course, I then had to learn as much as I could about chocolate production and how it's grown and then made into what we know and love. Chocolate begins as a plant, and I often joke about cocoa beans being a vegetable and see? Chocolate is healthy! In all seriousness, it actually does come from a plant- the cacao tree to be specific, which grows in the warm moist equatorial region of South America. Each tree produces these really colorful pods that contain as many as 50 seeds which are actually the cacao beans. When the pods turn bright orange they are ripe,and they are cut off and the seeds are harvested. The beans are removed by hand and fermented covered with banana leaves. After a thorough drying in the sun you have the cocoa beans we are all familiar with.

Cocoa beans then go through several processes to make chocolate- roasting, removing the nibs from the shells, grinding- to eventually end up with cocoa powder and cocoa butter. You might have heard of cocoa nibs- a lot of pastry chefs use them in different recipes. Dark chocolate is simply cocoa powder, cocoa butter and sugar. Milk chocolate has milk powder added and white chocolate is cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder. The next step in the process is called "conching" and combines kneading, rolling, aeration and heat using a large mixer of sorts called a conche to manipulate the chocolate mixture. The longer a chocolate is mixed in the conche, the smoother the finished chocolate will be. After this point the chocolate is tempered and ready to package for shipment. It can be shaped into bars, cubes, pastilles, chips- whatever the chocolate maker prefers. This is the chocolate the you and I buy in the store. You know, the vegetable *wink wink*.

Testing out the new chocolate was fun for me too. The sinfully delicious chocolate is available in four varieties- pure 70% chocolate, Espresso, Mint and Pink Himalayan Salt. All four chocolates are excellent for eating, perfect for wine tasting and lovely for cooking and baking. The bars come in 50g sizes and are scored for easy portioning. Sampling the varieties was so heavenly. Deep dark chocolate flavor, kissed with a hint of espresso, a whisper of cool mint, the unexpected bite of Himalayan pink salt. This chocolate is amazing you need to get yours!!!

Since that conversation I have been busy thinking. What should I make? Pastry? Cake? Cookies? So many options........

I ended up deciding to go with a classic chocolate dessert- brownies. Melted chocolate makes a much richer and fuller flavored brownie than the cocoa powder recipes and what better way to use Sinful Food chocolate that a totally decadent chocolate brownie? Pick your flavor too- espresso? Mint? Original? Either one is perfect to amp up your brownie recipe.

Sinful Brownies

4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

3/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teapsoon instant coffee, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

1 50g bar Sinful Food chocolate, coarsely broken/chopped 

Hat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray for baking and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium bowl- a microwave works great for this step. Microwave for two minutes to melt the butter. Stir the chocolate until completely melted and smooth. Stir in the sugar, then add the eggs, vanilla, coffee and salt, finally, mix in the flour. Stir in the chocolate.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.

These brownies are soooo fudgy and delicious. Resist the temptation to add frosting- you do not need it. You can add whatever nuts you have on hand if you like.

The chocolate is so rich and densely flavored. The instant coffee crystals add a special something to the flavor you can't quite place- you don't taste it, but believe me it adds a backnote of flavor you will appreciate. The broken chunks of chocolate are so rich and add a BIG punch of chocolate flavor and creamy texture.