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BBQ Apple Sharp Cheddar Pizza

05/24/2012

This recipe was inspired by an appetizer I enjoyed at Crop. The apple and cheese flavor combination is somewhat nostalgic in my case. My maternal grandfather (Papa, as we called him) used to LOVE warm apple pie served with slices of sharp cheddar cheese as dessert on every major holiday. As a young child, I never even considered trying his concoction. As an adult, I LOVE apples and cheese together. Smart man. Apples + cheese = sweet meets savory meets YUM. I was feeling a bit adventurous on Sunday and decided to make this dish as an appetizer. Even those who scoffed at the IDEA were gobbling it up. Score!

Ingredients
1 pound thawed pizza dough
1/2 cup Open-Pit Original BBQ Sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons apricot preserves
1 Granny Smith apple, sliced thin
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
4 sage leaves, sliced chiffonade style

1. Preheat your oven to 400*. On your Silpat lined baking sheet, spread the pizza dough evenly. NOTE: For a flatbread-like crispy finish, spread the dough as thin as possible on the baking sheet. Bake for approximately 5-8 minutes, until the dough is firm or very lightly browned.

2. Combine BBQ sauce, garlic and apricot preserves in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Let sauce simmer until it begins to bubble. Brush sauce onto crisped pizza dough.

3. Sprinkle dough with apple slices and both cheeses. Garnish with chiffonade Sage leaves.

4. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until cheese turns golden brown. Slice and serve.

Buon Appetito!!

Dana

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Rock Shrimp Rigatoni with Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce

05/19/2012

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BF is a really good cook. When I tell him which ingredients to use. And how to combine them. Basically, he needs me. We've made so many wonderful dishes together but never take the time to write down recipes or take note of measurements. This time, I was determined.

Be warned that the picture taking for this recipe is sub-par. BUT the dish is fabulous...a recreation of the Lobster Ravioli with Rock Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce we had at Michaelangelo's--minus the lobster ravioli plus rigatoni.

Ingredients:
1/4 medium-large onion
1/2 medium shallot
7-8 basil leaves + 2 leaves for garnish
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 29 ounce can of regular tomato sauce (I prefer Hunt's)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 pound of rock shrimp
1 pound rigatoni
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese for garnish

1. Combine onion, shallot, 7-8 basil leaves, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until desired consistency is achieved. I like mine almost-pureed for a cream sauce, some people prefer more "chunk" in their sauce. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat in a small sauce pan, add onion/shallot/basil/garlic base to heated oil. Let the mixture simmer for about 2 minutes, until the base begins to bubble.

2. Add the can of tomato sauce, salt, pepper and red pepper to the mixture. Keep heat at medium, stirring every few minutes. Depending on how long you are leaving the sauce on the stove, you may want to reduce to medium-low heat. The sauce can be left cooking on the stove for a number of hours, perfect for a Sunday afternoon :)

3. Begin boiling water for rigatoni. Cook and strain according to package directions.
4. In the meantime, sauté the rock shrimp over medium-hot heat in a frying pan until completely cooked. Reduce heat to medium and add most/all* of the sauce mixture to the frying pan, stirring constantly. Add 1/3 cup heavy cream and completely cooked rigatoni, stirring constantly.

5. Remove from heat, garnish with Parmesan and basil chiffonade. Serve warm.

* I used all of the sauce in my dish, some people prefer less; I would start by adding about 3/4 of the sauce mixture to the sauté pan and add more as desired. If you have any left over, the sauce goes excellent as a dip for garlic bread, a pizza base, chicken parm--you name it!

Buon appetito!

Dana

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Warm Apple Waffles with Vanilla Whipped Cream

05/14/2012

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I very rarely eat breakfast on weekdays. On the weekends, different story. Lately I have been experimenting with waffles, eggs benedict, omelets, etc. I'm gonna have to start experimenting with a bigger size pants if I don't settle down with the gourmet breakfasts. However, Mother's day was NOT the time to trade the early morning delicacies for boring oatmeal with skim milk...yuck. Mother's Day was the perfect occasion to whip up some decadent dessert-like waffles for my mother with the eternal sweet-tooth. WOW...we loved it. Experiment on, Dana. And get some pants with a spandex waist. Problem solved. Warning: You may want to kiss me on the lips after you try this recipe. 1. I don't know you, and 2. I have mono. No kisses for you.

Apple Waffles
adapted from how Sweet it is

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice (or cinnamon)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons butter, melted (for the waffle iron)

1. Preheat your waffle iron and brush it with melted butter. Brush the iron with melted butter before making each waffle.

2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and Apple Pie Spice. Stir in eggs, milk, vanilla and 1/4 cup melted butter, mixing until combined and smooth. Make waffles per your iron’s directions.*

Warm Apple Topping

3 gala apples, peeled and sliced
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
½ Tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1. Sauté the apples in butter using a medium pan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until softened.

2. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened. Once thickened, remove from heat and cover.*

Vanilla Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Sugar (or regular granulated sugar)

1. In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form.

2. Beat in vanilla and Vanilla Sugar until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy. Store in refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap, until ready to serve.*

NOTE: Waffles should be served hot. Make the whipped cream first and store in the refrigerator in a bowl covered in plastic wrap until ready to serve. Then make warm apples, remove from heat and cover while you are making waffles. If necessary, you can return the apples to heat for 30 seconds - 1 minute once waffles are made, to reheat.

Assembly:
1. Make waffle.
2. Cover with a heap of warm apples.
3. Top with vanilla whipped cream.
4. Drizzle slightly with local maple syrup.

A poor attempt at portion control...obviously I went back for seconds.

Buon Appetito!

Dana

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Lemon Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting and Blueberry Drizzle

05/12/2012

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Bad news: I have been battling with mono for over a month now and it STINKS. I don't know how/where I got it, so don't bother to ask. Good news: I finally decided to stay home from work yesterday, and as a result these cupcakes were born. Actually, the cupcakes were born because I watched hours of Don't be Tardy for the Wedding, and felt really guilty afterwards for being such a bum. I also felt guilty because I seriously love this show and laugh out loud the ENTIRE time. I want to be friends with this girl. Not because she's rich or 'famous' but because she says and does whatever she wants, she's hysterical, and even though everything about her appearance is fake/enhanced, her personality is authentic to the point of crass. Ok, I've said enough to spark your curiosity, now I know you'll have to go check it out. The rest of the season has now been set to record on my DVR. Don't judge me, I still make great cupcakes. Back to the cupcakes...they are phenomenal. I have always been intrigued by the lemon/blueberry flavor combination. Granted, my first lemon/blueberry obsession consisted of blueberry vodka with lemonade, but obviously I was on to something.

Lemon Cupcakes:
Recipe adapted from Baking with Basil

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Tip: For dry ingredients, soon to be incorporated with wet ingredients, I love these silicone mixing bowls.

2. On medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until completely combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture in small batches, alternating with additions of buttermilk and lemon juice, and beating until just combined after each addition.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Wait until cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting.

What's that giant lemon in the background, you ask? A lemon shaped bottle of Limoncello, of course.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 sticks Butter, Softened
1 1/2 packages (8 Ounce) Cream Cheese, Softened
5 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar (more if needed)
2 1/2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
1-2 tablespoons milk (as needed)

1. Cream together butter and cream cheese until combined. Add 3 cups powdered sugar and 1 Tablespoon vanilla, combine completely. Add remaining powdered sugar and vanilla, combine completely. If the consistency of the frosting seems too thick, add milk 1 Tablespoon at a time. If the consistency of the frosting seems too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time.

2. Frost cupcakes as desired. I prefer with a pastry bag and a medium to large piping tip. Finish with blueberry drizzle (recipe below).

Blueberry Drizzle

1 cup blueberries
1 Tablespoon water
1/4 cup sugar
1-2 tablespoons corn syrup (as needed)

1. Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat.

2. Let simmer for 4-6 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes thick and sauce-like.

3. Remove from heat and pour the blueberry drizzle into a glass bowl. Refrigerate until completely cooled. If you find that the drizzle is too "runny" for your liking, add corn syrup 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Drizzle desired amount over frosted cupcakes.

Buon Appetito!

Dana

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Corn Salad

04/23/2012

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I hope you guys like corn 'cause I made it again. Sorry. I didn't even realize that my last post included a recipe for Corn Cakes. But I'm not really that sorry. I mean, it's summer--the perfect time to overindulge in corny sweetness.

This salad was really good. Panzanella Salad used to be Elyse's favorite dish that I make. But I think this is her new favorite.

Here's what you'll need:

5 ears of corn
1/2 red onion, diced
30 basil leaves, julienned
1/2 cup feta cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon herbes de provence

I didn't even mention how easy this recipe is! It's really, really easy.

Bring a big pot of water to a boil. If you like your corn to taste a little sweet, add a couple tablespoons of sugar to the water. Once the water is boiling, cook the corn for five minutes. (It's not completely cooked at this point. I like it crunchy for this recipe.) Drop the corn in an ice bath to stop cooking. Cut the corn kernels off the cob. Mix everything together in a bowl. Serve room temperature or chilled. That's it!

Enjoy your summer side dish!!

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Corn Cakes with Avocado Sour Cream

04/16/2012

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This recipe was inspired by two things; crab cakes and Sweet Corn Fritters from Cheesecake Factory. Both dishes have a lot to offer, but the combination of the two is even better!

I was in the mood for some good summer food, so I planned on serving this alongside some grilled chicken and a fresh salad. Then Aunt Terry invited us over for brisket, and my Corn Cakes very quickly became an appetizer. (A very well-liked appetizer at that!)

Frankly, I don't really care how you serve your Corn Cakes. Just make sure you try them, okay?

The ingredients list below made 2 batches. Use this list if you're bringing these to a party. If you're just making them for your family, I would cut everything in half. Here's what you'll need:

Corn Cakes:
2 cups frozen yellow corn, thawed
2 cups frozen white corn, thawed
1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar & Monterrey Jack cheeses
2 cups Italian Seasoned bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 (generous) teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
2 jalapenos, chopped (take out the seeds if you like your food less spicy)

Avocado Sour Cream:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 avocados
16-ounce jar of sour cream
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
the juice from half of a lime

For the corn cakes, just mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Let the mixture cool in your refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This will make it easier to form. Then just roll the mixture into golf-ball sized balls and flatten them. Heat up some oil in a frying pan over medium-high, and fry on each side for about 3 minutes each.

Place all the Avocado Sour Cream ingredients into your food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth, creamy mixture.

Easy and Delicious! I hope you love these as much as my Uncle and cousins did!

xoxo,
Chrissy

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Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

03/29/2012

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I know that seems like a bold statement. I actually really hate when people call their recipes "Best OmNommies Ever," but these cookies are deserving of their name. A few years ago, some genius person at The New York Times set out to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. When they couldn't find it, they made their own.

You can find this recipe on about a million blogs by typing New York Times Cookie Recipe in your Google search bar. These cookies are so amazing because they make everyone happy. Crispy cookies lovers will savor the crunchy outside of this cookie while chewy cookie lovers will drool over the cakey yet dense inside.

Want my advice? Make this mo-fo's for Easter. Everyone will be talking about what an amazing chef you are. Seriously. You need to plan ahead though because the dough needs to sit in your fridge for 24-36 hours, and it DOES make a difference.

Ok, let's get down to business. Here's what you'll need:

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate (I used Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chunks)
Sea salt

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them.

Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside. Scoop (6) 3.5 ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet. I used a food scale to measure mine, so they would all be the same size and bake to perfection.

Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes (mine baked for 24 minutes). Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin and glass of milk.

You're Welcome.

xo,
Chrissy

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Chocolate Cupcakes with Kahlua Buttercream Frosting

03/18/2012

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Confession: These cupcakes were supposed to be chocolate with Baileys buttercream frosting for St. Patrick's Day. While baking at 10:00 pm 2 nights before SPD, I realized I lacked an essential ingredient: Baileys Irish Cream. Not sure how that happened. BUT I made a quick substitute and--voila! The frosting still had some kick. I threw some green sprinkles on them and they became instantly Irish. In reality, these cupcakes are about as Irish as I am.

More important than these cupcakes or the frosting snafu--this is THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE EVER. It's one of those recipes I've hesitated to publish, because it's THAT GOOD. Like--what if I decide to open up a bakery one day and everyone knows my secret weapon--good. SO, save this one to your favorites, because everyone needs a go-to chocolate cake recipe, right? The bottom of the recipe provides instructions on how to make this chocolate cake in a number of variations. So, I've done everything except break into your house and actually make this recipe FOR you. You're welcome!

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE EVER
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with foil or paper baking cups.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be VERY thin; see below).

3. Fill baking cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 20 - 22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with frosting of your choice. Makes approximately 30 cupcakes.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

TWO LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour 2 (-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

Kahlua Buttercream Frosting:
2 sticks butter, room temperature
4 - 4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
6-7 tablespoons Kahlua
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated. Add in the Kahlua and beat on medium speed until combined. Add in the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Buon Appetito!
Dana

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Tor-Tata (Mexican Frittata)

02/07/2012

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While eating lunch today, I decided to watch The Rachael Ray Show because David Duchovny was on as her featured guest . Right before his (hilarious) interview, Rachael made this Tor-Tata (Get it? Tortilla Frittata). Now, I have to be honest; I'm usually not a huge fan of Rachael's recipes. However, I've been in kind of a rut lately (like a pasta all the time kind of rut), so I decided to give this recipe a chance. If nothing else, I knew it would be interesting.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this recipe! I changed a few of the original ingredients to make it a little healthier, but it is still very much Rachael's recipe. Honestly, this was delicious. I think this may have put me on a bit of a frittata kick (stay tuned!). I definitely won't write off Rachael Ray so quickly anymore.

Here is the link to Rachael Ray's Original Tor-Tata Recipe. Like I said, mine is a little different.

Here are the ingredients you'll need for my lower-fat version:
3 cups Original Egg-Beaters
1/2 cup skim milk
Salt and Pepper
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons Chipotles in Adobo Sauce, pureed
Zest of 1 lime
2 handful cilantro, chopped
1 bag Baked! Tostitos Scoops, a little crunched/smashed
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
Juice of 1 lime

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Start by beating the Egg-Beaters, milk, salt, and pepper.

Stir in the cheddar, chipotle in adobo, lime zest and cilantro.

Fold in tortilla chips, making sure all the chips are evenly coated and let stand for 10 minutes. The tortilla chips will kind of soften and settle, I stirred mine every few minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with PAM non-stick cooking spray. Pour in the frittata mixture, and let it cook until the edges start to bubble and brown, about 5 minutes.

Then, put the pan in the oven until the middle is no longer jiggly,about 10-12 minutes. While the frittata is in the oven, saute the peppers and onion with some lime juice.

When the frittata is finished, top it with the sauteed peppers and onions. Serve hot with sour cream or salsa.

My roommate and I had this for dinner tonight, but I think it would make a great brunch too! Enjoy!

xo,
Chrissy

p.s. I apologize for the minimal amount of pictures. My computer is fighting with me today.

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Greek-Style Quinoa

01/09/2012

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Happy New Year! You know what this means? Diet time! I've heard a lot of people saying that it's kind of cliche to diet as a New Year's Resolution. Wanna know how it became a "cliche" to start the new year with a diet? A lot of people did it. Because it's a good time to do it. Think about all the sweets you ate starting on Halloween and going through January 1. I'm sure we've all gained a couple pounds. And there's no major holiday coming up for a while. So this is the most convenient time to eat smart!

With that said, I'm not the kind of person that can survive on lettuce, grilled chicken, and brown rice for more than three days. You're going to find me posting a lot of recipes that are low-calorie and low-fat but have a lot of nutritional value. And taste good. If I can't make healthy food that tastes good then I'm destined to be a fatty.

I decided Quinoa would be a good start. Everybody talks about all the amazing nutrients found in Quinoa, and after a little research I discovered a plethora of tasty recipes. I decided to do Greek-Style Quinoa for my first go-around because I'm good at Greek-Style anything so it was a good starting point. I really enjoyed the dish, so much that I'll eat it even when I'm not actively dieting. I paired the Greek-Style Quinoa with diced chicken breast, and I feel very satisfied. Which is a good thing. I'm not good at being a hungry-dieter.

Also, this is simple, quick and doesn't require a million ingredients.

Here's what you'll need:
1 cup uncooked, pre-rinsed quinoa
1-1/4 cup chicken broth + 1/4 cup water
*You can also use "no-chicken broth" if you have a vegetarian in your life, like I do :)
1 cup finely chopped cucumber
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
16 kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1 lemon
salt + pepper to taste

1. Bring the chicken broth and water to a boil. Add the quinoa, and drop the heat down to low.

2. Cover the pan, and simmer until the liquid is completely absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

3. Stir in the cucumber, bell pepper, olives, and onion. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the quinoa. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. That's it! How awesome is that??

Mmmm. Doesn't that look good? This is a great start to my diet. Whether you're dieting or simply looking for a delicious side dish, I know you will love this recipe!

xo,
Chrissy

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