Zucchini, Carrot and Cranberry Spice Muffins

Fall is in full swing here in Colorado and it has been making me search for ways to incorporate yummy fall flavors. When I came across this recipe I knew it was the perfect way to satisfy my cravings. It comes from SoNo Baking Company, my very favorite bakery of all time. If you like to bake, just buy the book, every recipe is just right. These are even better than I imagined, soft and moist with some texture from the veggies. The cranberries added bursts of tartness and beautiful color. I did make one change right off the bat and replaced half of the oil with natural applesauce. It worked out perfectly! The only thing I would add is some kind of nuts…maybe walnuts on top? Mmm Mmm Mmmmm.

Kelly


Zucchini, Carrot and Cranberry Spice Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ t baking powder

¾ t coarse salt

¾ t ground cinnamon

½ t baking soda

1 cup sugar

½ cup canola oil

½ cup natural applesauce (bonus points if you make your own!)

2 eggs

¾ cup grated carrot (about 2 medium)

¾ cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium)

1 ½ t pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole fresh (or frozen, unthawed) cranberries

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a muffin pan or insert muffin cups. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, grated carrot and zucchini, and vanilla. I used a coarser grate to keep some of the color and texture of the vegetables, but you could use a fine grate to hide those healthy veggies. J

Add the dry ingredients and fold until the flour has been absorbed. Fold in the cranberries. Use a 2 inch ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

Bake, rotating the pan about two-thirds of the way through, about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and a tester comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan. Use a knife to gently lift the muffins and turn them on their sides in the pan. Enjoy!

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Chicken and Sausage Bites

Do you ever rediscover a former love of a recipe? Last weekend we decided to have a freezer cooking day with each of us picking something we wanted to make. I chose an old favorite from Lidia Bastianich. I am sure I have said before how much I love Lidia. Her recipes are unique and always wonderful. I think they always turn out (though I do tend to modify things as I go). This time we made this to be eaten later and miraculously it actually made it to the freezer! I am looking forward to enjoying it some night we have nothing in the house. It is full of flavor both robust and tangy. Served with veggies and bread or brown rice and you have a great fall meal!

Kelly

 

Chicken and Sausage Bites in Vinegar Sauce

¼ c Olive Oil

1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage, cut into bite sized pieces

2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

Salt

4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

2 T Honey

2 T Butter

¼ c Red Wine Vinegar

½ c Aromatic White Wine

½ c Chicken Stock

Chopped Italian Parsley (for garnish)

 

In a large skillet heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until lightly brown on all sides. Pour off the fat if necessary. Add remaining 2 T of olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and add to the pan. Cook until brown on all sides. When close to done, make a space to brown the garlic. Once golden and aromatic, stir into the chicken and sausage.

Drizzle the honey over the top and cook, stirring often until chicken is a rich mahogany color. Add the butter and stir until melted. Pour in the vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil until the vinegar has almost completely evaporated. Add the wine and bring to a boil, then add the chicken stock. Boil until thick and there is just enough to coat the chicken and sausage.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve. YUMMY!

A Few Notes: This is a recipe where it helps to have all the ingredients laid out and prepped before you start cooking. Everything goes from not ready to done quickly! I like to use sausage out of the casing to save myself some time. I also find that it helps to remove the sausage while you cook the chicken. It helps free up the pan to encourage browning. I almost always use extra honey to get to the right color. Be a little flexible on the liquid amounts. Do what you like!

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Lemon Dream Cake

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Pho at Home

 

I got inspired to cook Pho in two ways. The first was from a WSJ article on the subject. The second was Ali and Geff who like this dish at a favorite restaurant for a weeknight dinner.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444180004578018390589710484.html

Another one I liked while researching this was this one below. I liked their opinions and details;

http://www.inspiredtaste.net/4307/vietnamese-soup-pho/

 

I don’t know of any great places for Pho in Boulder, but I did go to a noodle shop once in LA so I had a bit of a concept. Geff and Uncle Stacy provided a gift of some beef bones to get me started, but I have to say it was a bit overwhelming with my limited knowledge of the end game. So I started with the broth with the intention to freeze…Which I did. I wasn’t crazy though about the weird gray color of the stock. So, I kept that but started again with a more traditional stock with roasted bones. Think a cross between Ad Hock and Jacques Pepin. Anyway, I prefer roasted bones and veg for my beef stock. Still added the crazy roasted ginger and other spices. We did not use fish sauce as it’s not a fav in our house, but use it if you like it.

Yum…even though it was in the heat of summer Pho was great and fun to try. But, be prepared; it’s an adventure and lots of work!

Mary

 

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Pineapple Un-fried Rice

There is a Thai place in our old neighborhood that makes unbelievable pineapple fried rice according to Mary. Ever since she mentioned it last week, I couldn’t get it out of my head. Conveniently, we had extra pineapple leftover from our Pineapple Salsa. On a night with little else in the house, we had just enough ingredients to make this “un-fried” version. There is so much flavor that you will never miss the extra oil, nuts or the egg. You can put any veggies you like and we often use dishes like this to clear things out. In this case, our emergency frozen veggies made an appearance and we were thankful for it! We also added cucumber at the last minute for a bit of texture which was a great way to remove the nuts you often find in this recipe. For a great ode to Thai food, try this one!

Kelly


Pineapple Un-fried Rice

2 packages prepared saffron rice (one traditional and one Spanish flavor)

1 tomato, chopped

2 T olive oil

1 cup of fresh pineapple chopped (about ¼ inch pieces)

2 cups shredded chicken

1 ½ cups Whole Foods organic vegetable medley

1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

4 scallions, chopped

4 T basil, chopped

½ cucumber chopped

½ lime cut in wedges for garnish

For the sauce:

2 T light soy sauce

1 T Hoisin sauce

1 T coconut milk

1 t natural peanut butter

Juice of ½ lime

1 T Siracha

Combine the two types of rice and prepare as directed adding the chopped tomato to the cooking liquid. (We usually leave out the oil.) Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce and combine well. Heat the olive oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the garlic. When lightly cooked and aromatic, add the chicken to warm for 1-2 minutes then add the vegetables and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add the rice followed by the pineapple and combine all ingredients. Top with the sauce and add the cucumber and stir well. Garnish with the scallions, basil and lime wedges. Enjoy!

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Patriotic Fruit Salad

Fruit salad is a great addition to any party and always adds a healthy element! This is a simple one with a patriotic twist. Take some red fruits (I used watermelon and strawberries) and sprinkle in some blueberries and a touch of finely chopped fresh mint. Combine and add a bit of festivity to your buffet!!

Kelly

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Pineapple Salsa and Baked Tortilla Chips

What is more perfect for a Fourth of July celebration than a BBQ? It is the perfect way to celebrate America’s birthday!! We were invited to a friend’s house for the celebration and were asked to bring a side dish, so I thought who doesn’t like chips and salsa? This pineapple salsa was a huge hit (and may become margarita inspiration in the future!) If you wanted to get really fancy, you could scoop out half of the pineapple to use as a serving dish. I also baked up some tortilla chips for the leftovers, and they turned out great! Do you have a favorite party side dish that is your go-to? Happy (belated) 4th!

Kelly

Pineapple Salsa and Baked Tortilla Chips

For the Salsa:

½ Pineapple, Cored and Chopped

1 Tomato, Chopped

2 Avocados, Cubed

2 Scallions, Chopped

½ – 1 Jalapeño, Finely Chopped with Seeds

Juice of 1 Lime

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Chips:

Corn Tortillas (however many you need for your crowd)

Cooking Spray

Kosher Salt

Your favorite spice mixture

Preheat oven to 375°. Stack the tortillas and cut into quarters. Lay out in a single layer in baking sheets and spray with cooking spray. Season with salt and your seasoning mix. Turn the chips and repeat on other side. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes, turning once. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving to finish the crisping process.

In a bowl combine the salsa ingredients and gently stir to combine. Allow to rest about 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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Cedar Plank Salmon

Looking for an easy way to update your salmon recipe? Cooking on a salmon plank on the grill adds a whole new dimension. You end up with a slightly smoky flavor with a nearly candied finish. This is a great way to fancy things up a bit with very little work. BF brought this idea home one night and it was a huge hit!

Soak the cedar plank in water for 1-3 hours. (I will admit we cut it close at about 30 minutes and it should have been a bit longer, but we were hungry!) Season 1-1 ½ Pounds Salmon Filets with salt and pepper. Preheat grill. Remove the planks from water and place on the grill until hot. Brush smooth side of boards with olive oil. Place fillets on the smooth surface part of the plank. Brush teriyaki sauce (we like Soy Vey) over salmon. Cook over a medium to high flame for approximately 10 minutes or until done.

Serve with a great salad of CSA mixed greens and strawberries tossed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and finished with salt and pepper for a healthy meal!

Kelly

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First Day of Summer!

How did you spend your first day of summer? BF and I enjoyed an al fresco dinner on our brand new patio furniture.

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We had be looking for something for a while and finally found the perfect thing on sale. When you live in a place that boasts 300 days of sunshine a year, outdoor living is a way of life, and dining is no exception. I fixed one of our very favorite meals, Poisson Cru.

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It is so light and easy to make. If you are not a sushi lover, this is a good place to dip a toe in. The lime cooks the fish and it takes on a different texture. This one is a keeper! In fact, for lunch today I switched it up a little by eating the leftovers over rice.

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Try it, you won’t regret it! Enjoy summer!
~Kelly

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Weekend Breakfast

Friday brings with it the promise of a lazy weekend morning and a change from my boring weekday breakfasts. We have a lovely little breakfast place with some of the best pastries I have ever had. Frasca Caffe, makes our very favorite Almond Croissant as well as a fabulous breakfast sandwich and fantastic coffee. This is our normal breakfast…notice the smiley. J

Since I am currently laid up with a broken leg, BF brought Frasca Caffe to me and Mary made eggs to top our sandwiches. That little bit of semi-homemade love makes for a great weekend morning! I often make our weekend scramble with whatever we have in the fridge. It is always a unique combination.


Weekend Scramble


Combine 6 eggs, 2 T milk, salt, pepper and your favorite seasoning mix in a bowl and whisk well. Heat 2 T butter over medium heat in a pan, add eggs holding back about 2 T. Cook until you reach desired doneness stirring with a Wisk to create a soft fluffy texture. Remove from heat and add the reserved egg and stir. The residual heat will cook it, I promise! Toast an English muffin and top with eggs, cheese, and sliced avocado. Enjoy immediately! Have a fabulous weekend!!

Kelly

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