Are you hungry?: 10/1/11

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Halloween Game Day – Mummy Dogs and Chili Cheese Potatoes Wedges

A Halloween and Monday night football dinner combo that is easy, fun for the kids and ideal football food! What’s more the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program sent me Simply Potatoes coupons which made this meal even easier.

First I made a quick chili con carne. Brown a half pound of ground sirloin beef, stirring while cooking to fine crumble the beef. Next tossed in chopped onions, green peppers, and garlic and cooked until fragrant. Add about a tablespoon of chili powder, 1 can of Rotel tomatoes with green chili peppers, a can of rinsed pinto beans, 1 small can of tomato sauce, a teaspoon of cumin and salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or so stirring occasionally.

Red Chili Cheese Potatoes

1 bag Simply Red Potato Wedges

Oil for frying

Cajun Seasoning

2 cups chili

8 ozs. Sargento® Fancy Shredded 4 Cheese Mexican Cheeses

Brown Simply Potatoes in oil, season while cooking. Arrange in baking dish, cover with chili, top with cheese and bake until cheese is melted and edges are brown. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or your favorite taco toppings.

Mummy Dogs

Adapted from Pillsbury

1-8 oz can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls

8 all beef hot dogs

Cooking spray

Mustard or ketchup

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll dough and separate at perforations. With knife or pizza cutter, cut each roll into thinner strips of dough. Wrap strips of dough around each hot dog to look like "bandages," stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog.

About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog separate bandages so hot dog shows through for the face. Place mummy dogs on a large baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown. When done let cool a bit and add some mustard eyes.

Even though we have no little ones at home, this was a really fun meal. Hubby was impressed with the mummy dogs and enjoyed dunking them in the chili. The light flaky crust was nice alternative to a hot dog bun too.

Chili cheese fries are one of my favorite snacks. The Simply Potatoes provided a quick potato base however they were not what I expected. The potatoes absorbed much of the oil flavor while browning rather than the Cajun flavor as I expected [sad face]. Next time I will brown them in an olive oil rather than canola and cook a few cloves of garlic preceding the browning in order to enhance the flavor. Other than that, the chili cheese fries were yummy. Dad and I finished the plate before the game ended!

Happy Halloween

Comments Recipe Tags: beef, foodbuzz, side dish, snack, spicy

Monday, October 17, 2011

Pumpkin, Godiva, Triberr - Fall Recipe Buzz

What do pumpkins, Godiva, Triberr, and FoodBuzz have in common? Pumpkin Recipes! The breezy and below 90 temperatures here in SW Florida were enough to inspire the purchase of a sugar pumpkin. Couple the beautiful weather with inspiration from my foodie tribe mate Arlene and Godiva’s special fall coffee flavors; well you get these delicious pumpkin infused home baked treats! I do so enjoy being a geek and a FoodBuzz Tastemaker.

Cooking Fresh Pumpkin

Last year the microwave and roasting methods were used to cook my pumpkins. This time the pumpkin was halved, cleaned, and steamed for about 15 min each half. I turned them after about 5 minutes of steaming. I really liked this method best as the pumpkin didn’t need to be drained and sieved. The 2.5 lb pumpkin yielded 2.5 cups of mashed pumpkin and cost 40% less than canned pumpkin.

Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

Adapted from Taste of Home

Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each)

Ingredients

2 Cups white wheat flour

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I used 2 ½ tsp cinnamon, ¾ tsp ginger, ½ tsp all spice, ¼ tsp nutmeg)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 eggs

1 ¾ cup fresh pumpkin

2/3 cup strong Godiva caramel pecan bark coffee

2/3 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup flax seeds

1/3 cup old fashioned oats

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients, whisk to combine. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, water and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips, flax seeds, and oats.

Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 70-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Wrap in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To use frozen bread: Thaw at room temperature. I froze one loaf as directed. No one, including me, could tell that the pumpkin bread had been frozen. Score! This is a great recipe to get ahead of the holiday baking season.

Oh my gosh, this was the most moist and luscious pumpkin bread I ever baked. The caramel coffee flavor added a rich aspect to the pumpkin and chocolate blend. Flax seeds and oats created the ultimate crunchy contrast. I reduced the amount of sugar and the chips called for by half a cup each. Hubby and I concur both could easily be reduced by another half cup for those who prefer a lesser sweetness.

Never Fail Pumpkin Muffins

Flour On My Face

Yields: 18 medium muffins or 12 large muffins

(my adaptations)

Ingredients
1 egg

3/4 cup of canned pumpkin (fresh steamed)

1/2 cup softened butter (margarine)

1 1/2 cup all purpose unbleached flour (1/2 cup white wheat)

1/2 cup of evaporated milk

1 cup granulated sugar (3/4 cup)

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup hot water

Put all of the ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium until evenly combined.

Line your muffin pan with cupcake papers. (No papers, I sprayed with cooking spray)

For 12 muffins fill wells using the entire batch of batter.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes

Pumpkin Glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 Tbs milk

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 to 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I used ½ tsp)

Whisk the pumpkin pie spice with the powdered sugar.

Add the vanilla extract and the milk. Whisk until smooth and lump free.

Drizzle over completely cooled muffins.

Upon first bite it was quite apparent to me why these are labeled never fail muffins. Not only was the muffin recipe easy to prepare but also perfectly baked in 15 minutes. The texture is amazing, not as dense as a tradition muffin yet heavier than a cupcake. This is now my “never fail” pumpkin muffin recipe as well!

I always have issues with glazing baked goods. The muffins were definitely cooled completely yet the glaze soaked into the muffins unlike Arlene’s beautiful muffins!! I would to like try glazing the next day but muffins never seem to make it long enough to do so in my house.

Have a glaze suggestion or tip for me?

Thanks to FoodBuzz and Godiva Coffee for providing me with two bags of delightful fall inspired coffee!

Happy Fall Baking! ♥

Comments Recipe Tags: baking, bread, coffee, foodbuzz, fruit, muffins, Taste of Home

Sunday, October 09, 2011

Spicy Lentils and White Rice Recipe

Lentils are delicious, versatile, and easy to prepare. Sometime after my first son was born, thirty years ago, a dietician provided me with numerous healthy and economical meals. Lentils were included in many of those recipes. Healthy and economical is a very alluring combination these days as well. Lentils are rich in fiber and protein. We know that a diet rich in fiber is heart healthy but did you know soluble fiber helps stabilize blood sugar levels? All I can say is shame on me for not continuing to prepare lentils regularly!

Using this Lentil and Rice recipe from the NY times as a guide and what was in the kitchen, we enjoyed this spicy "on hand" version!

Spicy Lentils and White Rice

1 tablespoon olive oil, extra for drizzling
1 small white onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage patties, chopped fine
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over
1/2 cup white rice
2 bay leaves

Put the oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add onion, carrot, and sausage. Cook until vegetables begin to become tender and meat begins to brown in places, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt and pepper, and Creole seasoning; cook for another minute or two.

Add lentils, rice, bay leaves and 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat so liquid bubbles gently, and cover.

After 20 minutes, if rice and lentils are tender and liquid is absorbed, the dish is ready. If lentils and rice are not tender, add enough liquid to keep bottom of pot moist, cover and cook for a few more minutes. If rice and lentils are soft and there is much liquid remaining (which is unlikely), raise heat a bit and cook, uncovered, stirring once or twice, until it evaporates. Discard bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary, fluff with a fork and serve, garnished with a drizzle more of olive oil.

I forgot how much I enjoy lentils. Lentils are known to ready absorb flavors and that fact was proven here! I was surprised they cook up so quickly yet had the ideal amount of spicy flare. The Creole seasoning was the just the thing to compliment the sausage. That entire flavor in combination with the veggies was absorbed by both the rice and the lentil beans. I’m linking this up with Side Dish Saturdays!

Next time I’m thinking about incorporating a bit of spinach or kale into the mix. Have a favorite lentil recipe or tip for adding greens, do share!

Are you hungry? ♥

Comments Recipe Tags: pork, rice, side dish, spicy

Saturday, October 01, 2011

Ghirardelli Chocolate Peanut Butter Bread

UPS surprised me with a double delivery, chocolate and coffee on the same day, woo hoo! Oh my gosh, be still my heart, the first box filled with Ghirardelli chocolates and dark chocolates are my all time favorite. The depth of my chocolate obsession prevailed, couldn't wait till later to sample this chocolate.

Removing the large bars first, I noticed they felt a bit soft. Overcome by that chocolate obsession, regardless of the “feel” I was determined to sample the New Sea Salt Soiree flavor straight away. I attempted to unwrap a single serving. Guess I shouldn’t have ignored that first touch because the single servings were liquefied!

I decided to pop the bars into the fridge while allowing the individual pieces to reach room temperature. Refrigeration proved ineffective and quite frankly, damaging. The chocolate bars were coated with a white bubbly film. This melting and cooling process severely altered the taste. I purchase Ghirardelli dark chocolate bars frequently and can tell you for sure, straight from the package these tasted rather flat. I thought to myself, "Oh my this review will be severely skewed" followed by a big sigh.

The Sea Salt Soiree squares, while uneven and crumbly in the corners, were edible and quite delicious. The sea salt granules along with the almond bits present the palate with a nice contrast to both the sweetness and smooth texture of the chocolate. Dark, rich, and yummy!

Depressed by the ~~UPS~~ heat damage, I checked out these Ghirardelli Tastemaker Reviews, hoping to gain some insight.

Not ever wasting food much less chocolate, this was the inspiration I so needed. I melted and drizzled, chopped and baked with the large bars. The Twilight Delight Bar, which contained 72% cacao, was drizzled atop a square of flat apple cake. Not only did the Ghirardelli drizzle add some chocolate flavor, it improved the overall presentation too, don't you think?

The final baking experiment was to adapt this peanut butter bread recipe I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a long time now. “You got Ghirardelli in my peanut butter!” came to mind. My thought was not only funny but also the perfect addition to this rich peanut butter bread.

Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

Peanut Butter Bread
(adapted from Tate's Bake Shop)

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup salted butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 Midnight Reverie Intense Dark Chocolate Bar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan and set it aside.

2. In a small bowl whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. (Pulse a 3 oz. Ghirardelli Intense Dark Midnight Reverie chocolate bar until ground, set aside.)

3. In a separate large mixing bowl beat butter and sugars until combined. Mix in peanut butter. Mix in egg and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl. Add flour mixture and beat on low until combined; the batter will be very thick and crumbly. Pour in milk and beat on low until batter is smooth. (Stir in the ground chocolate)

4. Add batter to loaf pan and evenly spread it out. Bake for 50 minutes or until the center springs back when pressed with a fingertip. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, remove from pan, and cool completely.