Maryland's Attempt at Portuguese Stuffed Quahogs

Right. No Portugeuse Products. Not the exact seafood we need. But cooking is all about improvising and using what you've got. I would say we passed with flying colors. Now I'm going to warn you. We made this recipe a while ago. It was amazing. I will tell you what we put in it, but the amounts, well. no. It's something you just need to eye. For some people (like my Mom. Love you Mom!), they need the exact amounts. We do not do that here in Casa de Greer. (I always know the answer to "Hey Justin, how much XXX did you put in this?" (usual answer: "I don't know. Until it tasted good.")

Ingredients we used:

Cherrystones (instead of Quahogs) (steam them in white wine and water until they open) Then take the meat out of the shell (keep the shell) and dice em up.
"Stale" Italian bread. (We used Italian sliced bread, toasted it, and then diced it up)
Chorizo (instead of Chourico), saute in peppers and onions
Garlic
Salt & Pepper
(I'm sure I'm missing something)

Once the chorizo, peppers & onions are done, incorporate everything together in a bowl. One thing this recipe "missed" was some spice. Use red pepper flakes or even cayenne pepper to taste. Stuffed quahogs are meant to be a little spicy. Clean out the shells so there's no grittiness. Fill the shell with the mixture. Bake on 350 for about 20 minutes (or when it begins to get crispy on top).

We made 6. Whether you make 6, 16, or 26, it will take the same amount of time. This would be a good appetizer course that you can basically make ahead. Pop it in the oven when guests start to arrive.

The quahog was an app for the scallops beurre blanc w/ mashed sweet potatoes. (This was probably one of the BEST meals we've made thus far. When I say we I mean Justin. He added spice to the sweet potatoes.  I will make him blog about this one) 

Christmas Cookies

It has been too long since the last post. It is not because we haven't been cooking...cause we have. To tell you the truth I've been eating like a queen, which is nice because now I don't have to worry about fitting in a wedding dress anymore. (everything in moderation!) This past weekend I decided to bake bake bake! I used my 6 qt Kitchenaid stand mixer for an entire day...and it was glorious! I also used the silicon baking mats that Justin "made" us get. Justin and I will make wonderful B&B owners one day. I'm excited.

Things I realized when baking cookies:
1. Never do it in a rush. You'll burn them.
2. Cookies bake best at 375 F for about 10 minutes. (at least in my oven :) Don't let recipes tell you otherwise.
3. Bake one tray at a time. (see #1)
4. While you have cookies in the oven, make a batter that needs to sit for awhile (like sugar cookies or gingerbread) You'll feel efficient.

Most of the cookies I made were based from recipes I found in cookbooks or online. I'm beginning to get comfortable with the chemistry of baking and realizing when something is just not "right." Here we go:


The Best Peanut Butter Cookies I've Ever Made (and Had)

2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
~1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter*
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. The starred peanut butter is what I added to the recipe. The recipe called for chopped peanuts. Didn't have it (or want it). It didn't have the peanut butter taste that I wanted, but I didn't want to compromise the texture that I wanted, which is why I added the smooth peanut butter. I think adding the peanut butter created the perfect texture.

This next recipe I got from slashfood.com. I've never heard of this website until I was searching for the "right" recipe. When they had an interview with our favorite artist, Zac Brown, we knew we should visit this site regularly.

Cranberry, Orange &  Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
zest of one orange (about 2-3 tsp)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I used a semisweet chocolate bar that I cut up....it makes the cookie look more rustic and pretty)


Read more: http://www.slashfood.com/2006/12/08/christmas-cookie-of-the-week-cranberry-orange-and-dark-chocolate/#ixzz1905E7dMv


I tried to add pecans to it (I dipped a pecan into the raw batter and ate it...). And it really detracted from the chocolate and cranberries. The orange zest really pulls everything together and when you add a nutty flavor, the essence is lost.

I used Alton Brown's Sugar Cookie recipe. The key is sticking to cold temperatures, especially when rolling out the dough.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

All in all, I'm excited. I think after this baking experience, I'm really going to read up on the chemistry of baking. And so will my children. I am doing a lab when we get back to school where we bake muffins in a microwave. I perhaps may frame my chemical reactions unit through baking. Perhaps.

Millions of Peaches. . .

This is a short post, but many, many more to follow in the coming days.  Justin & I have been given dozens of peaches the past 2 weeks. (like 4 dozen on the 1st, and another 4 dozen on the 9th) Justin could eat them all day.... whereas I do not like "raw" peaches. Too sweet for me. I like 'em warm & in something.

This is the first time in awhile that I found a fantastic recipe that I didn't need to tweak. I could tweak it to make it less fattening... but whatever. I don't have to fit into a wedding dress anymore. :) (Let's see how long it takes Justin to read that...)

But alas, I got this recipe from About.com in the section Southern Foods. Super easy. Super good. Stay tuned for more postings.... including  Justin's tomato sauce (we also got dozens and dozens of tomatoes), focaccia bread, peach hot sauce, peach cake, peach salsa, and maybe a pie, cobbler, and/or crisp.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 medium peaches peeled, diced (about 1 cup diced - can use frozen thawed or canned)
• Topping:
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and flour 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. Combine topping ingredients until mixture is crumbly; set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together butter, milk, and egg in a separate bowl. Stir milk/egg mixture into the flour mixture and blend just until moistened. Fold in diced peaches. Spoon into muffin cups; sprinkle evenly with topping mixture.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan.

Makes 12 muffins.

Chili Honeymoon Style

Our meal, featuring the Tillerman Red Table Wine from Hook & Ladder Winery

This evening we are blogging from beautiful Cannon Beach, Oregon. We've been told Oregon is a really pretty state... and it has yet to let us down.  We both agree that the views and vistas along US 101 in OR are gorgeous and ever-changing. Sorry California, but Oregon is in the lead.... and we are only half way through the state.

Last night we stayed at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park near Winchester Bay.  We got there around 5:15  PST and began cooking dinner. It was really good, but today we heated up for lunch and it was FANTASTIC. Chili is always best when it soaks overnight.

Chili:

1lb ground turkey
1 small onion
1 red bell pepper
McCormick's Quesadilla Casserole Spice Packet (so we didn't have to actually purchase)
Garlic & Bell Pepper Seasoning (used also with our mussels pasta.)
Some good beer
Tomato sauce (5 oz or so...)
Fire Roasted tomatoes with garlic (small can)

We had a small pot and actually had to scoop some out.
Season turkey with the garlic & bell pepper seasoning. Diced and add the vegetables. Add everything else and simmer. The longer the better.

Justin, giving the go ahead to serve. 

Simmering.

Now we are off to EVOO to a cooking show in Cannon Beach. Enjoy!

Honey Moon

As most of you know, the JG and I got married last Saturday. We are currently on our honeymoon ...road tripping up from San Diego to Seattle, then Vancouver by train.  Hotels, B&Bs, and camping. . .

Last night we camped just south of Santa Barbara in Carpinteria State Beach. Not rural...but we got to use our new stove & camping gear. (Thanks everyone!!)

Last night we made a 1 pot meal- spaghetti & mussels over our stove.

Need:

whole wheat pasta
1lb mussels
seasonings with garlic in it
evoo
white wine
parmesean cheese

Steamed the mussels until they opened with the seasons & wine. The amount? Until it reached a good level in the pot.
Remove mussels & store in sand/dirt free locations. add water to the wine mixture & boil. Add pasta. Drain pasta. Add mussels (we shelled them so we had room in the pot). Add evoo to pot & parmesan cheese. (to your own liking)

This was fantastic & easy.

stay tuned for more adventures. Big Sur tonight. :)

Easy Pasta Salad

I could probably eat pasta every day of my life. Summer time means cold pasta salads.  I figured today I would make a salad along with our fantastic turkey burgers. (I'll probably blog about those at a later date. )

I'm not going to put any measurements down because it's really to taste.

Tricolor rotini (though I was hoping I had whole wheat rigatoni in the pantry)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Parmesan Cheese (the kind in the green can is just fine)

Italian seasoning

Fresh Garlic, minced

Fresh Basil 

Mix all together. Serve chilled. I could have kept eating this. 

Georgia Peach Upside Down Cake

Justin's Mother just came back from Georgia with barbeque sauce from the awesome Wiley's Barbeque in Savannah, vidalia onions, tomatoes, and of course, peaches. Did we actually eat the peaches? Of course not. We made ice cream & cake.

Justin's Mom also gave me a journal so I can write out & figure out recipes.

 

           Crossing out as I go: 

If you can't read my handwriting:

1/2 c soften butter

3/4 c sugar

1/4 c brown sugar

3 large eggs 

2/3 c milk

2 c flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1.2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 fresh peaches, peeled & dices

1/2 c yogurt

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 

topping: 1/2 c brown sugar, 3 tbsp of melted butter, 1.5 tsp cinnamon with the peaches

Dry ingredients together. Milk. Add 1 egg at a time, using a hand mixer. Butter. Any other wet ingredient. (I usually do it in steps so I can taste the batter a few times so I get the taste I want) Pam a 9" circular pan. Put the topping on the bottom. Pour the batter on top. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes. 


Final Product:

The circular shape in the middle was accidental. The batter pushed the peaches, so looks fancier, I think. I wish I had fat free cool whip to put in the center!

Why it's a work in progress: The taste is great, but I'm not thrilled with the consistency.  Almost too cakey or dense. I wanted a more light & fluffy cake. I need to start doing research on the chemistry of baking. Any suggestions? 

We are pairing this with the peach ice cream Justin made, which is excellent. Justin experimented with not adding any sugar so that diabetics in our life could enjoy a little ice cream live as well. 

Fresh is Best

Obviously. Many places, like grocery stores and restaurants advertise that they have the freshest ingredients. One unnamed sub shop urges everyone to eat fresh...but then the lettuce comes from a vacuum- sealed bag. Yum. When Justin and I started our herb garden last year, our dinners were tasty. My only complaint was that we did not use our herbs enough! There's one thing to put lettuce on your sandwich. There's another thing to put fresh cilantro or basil on your sandwich. Adding fresh herbs to your favorite recipes will really enhance your cooking without too much more work.


Our newest addition to our herb garden are our topsy turvy planters. We have 1 for tomatoes and 1 for red peppers. I also just planted dill in the flower box so when I do my tzatziki sauce, I won't have to keep buying fresh dill.

So at first when we bought these as-seen-on-tv products, Justin had the great idea of getting a cast-iron stand that had 2 hooks that is put into the ground. We grossly underestimated the weight of these things and we were playing a balance game. We lost.


Justin made this stand for our topsy turvy plants. It is much sturdier. He will actually be making it even more sturdier, on the advice given from his father. I stained/waterproofed it today. (Picture does not reflect that)

Underneath our topsy turvy are our herb garden boxes. We have chives, dill, mint, and basil.  I also planted green onions that I bought from Wegmans about a month ago in the actual ground to the right of the picture. They are still alive, although Tiller keeps walking over them. 

I am realizing that although this is a cooking blog, this is the first time I mentioned Tiller, our furry son. This is a picture of us taken by my wedding photographer and friend, Molly Bergeron during our engagement photo session at Colt State Park in Bristol, Rhode Island.  Tiller LOVES our cooking. If you have a dog, something to consider: Grapes, onions, avocados, as well as chocolate (the higher the % of cacao, the more potent it is) are extremely toxic for dogs. Grapes?  Yes. Tiller ate a bunch and we had to take him to the Pet ER. Some dogs, grapes are no problem. Some dogs, they've eaten as few as 7 grapes and had kidney failure and died. Rancid meat- not a good time.  No cooked bones.  (They splinter and could puncture the digestive tract)

All in all, Tiller is awesome and is the one that always watches us cook and bake. 

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I tend to buy enough bananas to last about 4 days if both Justin and I ate one per day.  However, I never pull my weight in the banana eating department. It's only when I have the occasional charlie horse in my right calf muscle that I'm reminded that I should eat some potassium. Needless to say, bananas have a tendency to become extremely ripe before I get a chance to eat one. How do I solve this problem? Banana bread. So easy. So fast. And hey, it makes 2 5x7 loaves. 1 for you and 1 for your neighbor, grandma, mother, mother-in-law or whomever.


Chocolate Chip Banana Bread


1.5 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt


Sift the above ingredients together. Mix that with:
 1 cup sugar


In separate bowl:
2 eggs
3 large ripe bananas (I used 2 this time around because Justin was pulling his weight + my own)
6 tbsp butter, melted


Mash 'em all up together. Add the dry stuff to the wet stuff. I then added about 1/2 cup of my "secret ingredient," Stoneyfield's fat-free french vanilla yogurt. I SWEAR by it. I really do.


Add about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. (Or as I like to say, add chocolate chips, to taste)


Bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes. I've told you before on when you should take a baked good out of the oven. (see 5/17's Blog about my mini muffins.) Cool 5 minutes & then take them out of the pan, if you'd like. 

If I were to change something, I'd. . . add some chopped pecans. This is a great recipe to play around with. I suggest you do! Enjoy!

Greek Comfort Food

We occasionally go to two restaurants on York Road that make wonderful Greek food. Something that stood out for me was slouvaki, specifically the tzatziki sauce. I love eating it....so I figured, hey why not? So I bought ingredients that I assumed would go in the sauce. Funny thing ....when I was checking out at Wegmans, the guy behind me was also making a tzatziki sauce. I was impressed. 


Either way, this recipe was a hit with the JG. I will be making this again in a few days for Miller & Sarah's wedding extravaganza. (I will also be taking a stab a guacamole for the first time....you'll see a post soon enough about that one. ) This came from AllRecipes.com. 

Tzatziki:

• 2 (8 ounce) containers plain yogurt
• 2 cucumbers - peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled

If I had to do it all over again, I'd put it all together in a food processor. I didn't register for one of those... I would use all of these measurements as guides.... except the plain yogurt.  Everything is to taste. I think I used 4 cloves of garlic and a little bit more dill. It was dried dill. 

Once you put this all together, I would advise you to put it in the fridge to set for a little bit. Justin ate the sauce about 5 days later and thought it was even better. 

I seasoned and grilled chicken to taste. I served the chicken with diced yellow onion and tomato over a whole wheat pita. 

The Perfect Summer Drink, Part 1

Justin played bartender on this one. The excuse for this recipe was to use our brand new drink dispenser from Crate and Barrel. This is a Guy Fieri recipe. We took a few ingredients out and added some in... (didn't think 1/2 c of sugar was necessary!)

Ingredients

• 6 cups ice
• 6 ounces light rum
• 1 (750-ml) bottle Sauvignon Blanc
• 3 ounces peach schnapps
• 6 ounces fresh lime juice
• 4 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 6 ounces sprite
• ~1 lb frozen peaches
• ~1lb frozen strawberries

Directions

In a pitcher add ice and stir together all the ingredients except for the garnishes. Serve drinks over ice garnished with lemon and lime wheels.

Pretty easy. I'm going to continue making a good signature cocktail ala Sandra Lee. 

Cheers!

We shall experiment with a Part 2 soon. 

Small Beautiful Muffins

I made these muffins for a morning with Cirucci, Myers, Big, JD, and the JG. I got up early knowing that I should make something & because sleeping until 7 meant I had slept in 2 hours. I looked at my pantry....hmm only 2 eggs....no milk....no bread....

I found this recipe in America's Test Kitchen cookbook. Instead of Big... I made them mini, using my Pampered Chef mini muffin pan. They came out delicious and they were still warm when I brought them over.

Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups Stoneyfield french vanilla non-fat yogurt
2 eggs
1 stick of butter, melted & cooled

This recipe yielded about 2 1/2 dozen mini muffins. I baked each batch at 375 for about 10 minutes or so. (To be honest with you, I can't remember exactly as I am catching up on recipes.)

My biggest hints for baking anything- if it says to bake it for a certain time, (like 30 minutes) set the timer to go off after 2/3rds of the way.... (i.e. 20 minutes) Because ovens heat differently, I don't always trust the instructions. I like to determine how long the "last third" will be.
Also, when you start to really smell the wonderment... it's time to at least check it. Then touch it for firmness. (Obviously this only goes for baked goods.)

Pineapple Upsidedown Bundt Cake

It's been awhile since my last blog. I'm teaching, I'm tired, and I can't wait until I'm done on May 13th. (I apologize for my shortness.) I want to shout out to my great friends whom featured this blog at my bridal shower a few weeks back. 

Pictured: Me at my bridal shower opening up my new Pampered Chef's fluted stoneware pan. Thanks Auntie Sharon!

They really made my shower unique and personal to me and Justin...so they handed out my recipes. I did get recipes from the family...so when I have time, I will go through them and start making them. One by one. Why not? I will be jobless and "schooless" in t-10 days (not counting weekends, of course). 

So Baby Justin came to town and Julie is not a big fan of chocolate. (wish I had the same will power) So I decided to make this cake as I remembered when Julie was pregnant she could not get enough pineapple. 

Justin with Baby Justin. 

A Proud Mama, Julie

So I've never made a pineapple upside cake. I've never made a bundt cake. So why not make them together at the same time!? I used my new Pampered Chef fluted stoneware pan.(Thanks Auntie Sharon!)

This recipe is so easy and soo good. 

Pineapple Upsidedown Bundt Cake

Preheat oven 350 degrees

- Mix white box cake, 1 pkg instant vanilla pudding together in a large bowl

- Add 3 eggs, 3/4 c of non-fat sour cream, and 1/2 cup of non-fat french vanilla yogurt (Stoneyfields, of course)

- 1/2 cup of pineapple juice (use the juice from can from the slices 

- Mix very well and carefully. It was really thick so I added a little bit more pineapple juice to get a thinner (not thin...I said thinner!) batter. 

In the meantime, after the oven has heated up, put about 2 tablespoons of butter in the fluted pan. (I chopped up the butter into smaller pieces so it would melt faster and more evenly) Once the butter has melted, take the pan out and try to get all the sides of the pan with the butter. Whatever the butter doesn't hit, spray with a little Pam. (Especially since my stoneware is brand new, I did this. Need time to season it!) 

Put about one cup (or desired amount) of brown sugar in the bottom of the buttered pan. Line the bottom with pineapple slices. Put cherries in the center of the rings, or your preference. :) 

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the cake springs back when you push down on it. 

This cake was FANTASTIC. I hope to dream about it tonight!

Bon Appetite. 

Homemade, Fall off the Bone, Oven Smoker, Babyback Ribs

Well, Lauren is usually the one who makes the post so I am trying my hand at it for the first time. To celebrate Valentine's day I decided to makes us a tasty dinner. I found inspiration in the meat aisle of Wegman's in the form of beautiful and affordably priced ($10.50 for a 13 bone rack) baby back ribs. Having done a lot of research on how to cook ribs from outdoor to indoor cooking methods and combination of both I think I have found a method that produces ribs that  are so tasty you would think they came from the kitchen of a competition barbeque professional. Any way here is how I did it.

First, the preparation of the rack:
1) Trim the fat from the sides and top of the rack.
2) On the under side of the rack there is a two part membrane. There is an outer layer  that you have to remove. It is a little tricky but work your fingers between the ribs bones and the membrane. Once you have a little pocket gently start to lift it off the bones. Then you can carefully peel the membrane off the bones. Ideally it will peel of in one piece.
3) With a sharp knife gently slice in between each rib. Be careful not to go all the way through the meat. You just want to slice the inner layer of the membrane.

Second, the rub:
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (reduce or leave out if you don't like heat)
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix the rub with a utensil, I prefer my fingers that way I can break up any clumps of brown sugar. Once it is all mixed rub it on both sides of your meat. DO NOT be gentle or stingy. It is called a rub for a reason! Give the ribs a good massage with the rub.

Photo 1: (The rack rubbed down ready cook note wire racks on top of the wood chips)

Third, the cooker:
To build your oven smoker your will need four things:
1) Large aluminum rectangular roasting pan
2)  2 Cooling racks (like you use for cookies)
3) Wood chips (I used mesquite)
4) Roll of aluminum foil

Dump the wood chips into the bottom of the pan a spread them out into a thin, even layer. Place the cooling racks on top of the chips with the legs folded up. Dump in about 2 cups of water over the chips. Let this sit about 15-20 minutes so the chips absorb the water. You can set this up before you trim the ribs and make the rub that way you can slap the ribs in once they are ready. After the ribs are in build a tent around the roaster with the aluminum foil. Make sure the peak of the tent is 6-7" over the top of the roaster. Also make sure that there are no gaps. Every thing must be sealed up tight.

Fourth, the cooking:

This is the easy part... Pre-heat the oven to 275 and then put the smoker in the oven for 5-6 hours. Don't peak! It is like Christmas when you open the tent, just be very, very careful because the tent is filled with steam!

Photo 2: (The Cooked Rack note the "bark" or skin made by the rub)

Five, the eating:
I served this with homemade fries (see the fish and chips recipe) and green beens with shallots and garlic olive oil sauce (see the Wegman's frozen food aisle). We sauced the ribs with Wegman's Memphis style BBQ sauce warmed up a little. We enjoyed the meal with Manage  a Tois, a blended, red, California table wine.

Photo 3: (Fixin' to eat these delicious ribs)

Photo 4: (The meat fell right off the bone and melted in my mouth)

I know what you are thinking...5-6 hours that is a long time...You didn't sauce the ribs while you cooked them...They must have tasted like you were eating a campfire... Well let me reassure that while 5-6 hours is a long time you don't need to tend to these in any way, so you can go about your business around the house while these cook, but don't leave them unattended (you know the whole fire safety thing). Again the research suggests that the best BBQ is sauced after it is cooked. The sauce is a condiment, not an ingredient. You don't put ketchup on your hotdog while you cook it so so don't sauce your ribs while you cook them. And as for the smoke taste, it is very mild and not over powering in the least.  This is a very easy way to make great ribs and the results are worth the little bit of effort. ENJOY!

Another Blizzard Breakfast

With all of this snow and no place to go, we've been cooking up a storm. (ha, ha) Here's the same location with updated snow level:

Since we still had challah bread from the Blizzard Breakfast Bake, I decided to make french toast.

Challah Bread

2 eggs

Milk

Brown Sugar

Cinnamon 

Confectionary Sugar

Heat up a grill pan over the stove so that it is evenly heated when you put the bread in the pan. Scramble the eggs and add some milk. Cut challah bread into 1" thick slices or so. Dip challah bread into egg mixture and put onto pan. Sprinkle cinnamon & brown sugar onto each piece. Flip over once the side is golden brown. Sprinkle cinnamon & brown sugar on other side. Once you plate the french toast, sprinkle confectionary sugar to taste. Easy, fast, and good. The best type of breakfast. 

The Blizzard Breakfast Bake

Over the weekend, we received over 2 feet of snow.... 25-30".  Besides the fact that I'm student teaching and I don't have to make up any days, I love snow because it makes you slow down and be able to spend time with family and friends. We are expecting about foot or so of snow Tuesday into Wednesday...so stay tuned to another post. 

I went to Wegmans just as the storm began so I was able to get some good things so I could bake this weekend. 


Blizzard Breakfast Bake: serves ~8 hungry people


* 10 eggs
* skim milk (about 1 cup)
* Bob Evans Low Fat Pork Sausage 
* 1/2 loaf of challah bread
* 1 1/2 cups (usually 1 package) of 2% lowfat cheddar cheese (I prefer Sharp)
* Butter or  nonstick spray
* Salt & pepper to taste


Butter or spray a casserole dish (10 x 13 if you have one). If you are serving to a lot of people, I suggest the butter because it tastes soo good. If you are making this to eat over a few days and want to save on calories, I'd use Pam. Brown the sausage. As the sausage is cooking, pull the challah bread apart and put it into the casserole dish. I would pull 1" cubes, no larger. Challah bread is a Jewish sweetbread. It is delicious! Also makes great french toast. I suggest Challah if you can find it, or another sweet bread. If I were home, I'd get Portuguese Sweet bread from Cornerstone Bakery.


Once the sausage is brown, pour it evenly into the casserole dish, over the bread. Evenly put the cheese over the bread and sausage. Scramble the eggs and add the milk. Season with salt and pepper. (Put more than you think you'll need) You could always use all egg whites, but I suggest you use some yolks. 


Pour the egg mixture over the bread & sausage & cheese. The mixture should cover the bread & sausage. If not, it does not hurt to add more eggs & milk. 


In a perfect world, cover & refrigerate over night. If not, let it sit for as long as possible. We didn't because we were too tired from shoveling & walking to and from the bar and I'm sure that's why it added to our cooking time. (The bread needs to soak up some of the mixture...less liquid = less baking time)


Bake in over for 30 minutes for 350 degrees or until the egg mixture is set. There should be no liquid. Just stick a spoon in there and try to scoop it up. I know Justin increased the temp to 400-450 for a few minutes towards the end because it was taking too long. It was wonderful. 


You can make many variations to this bake.... make it more mexican, make it spicy, put ground turkey meat in instead. The world is your breakfast bake. 

Mini Spiced Pound Cakes with Orange Rum Glaze

Tonight Justin and I were looking for recipes that had oranges in it.  When we found this recipe on www.foodnetwork.com, we thought it was perfect. It was only time that Justin and I start cooking with our favorite liquor of choice- Captain Morgan. 

However, we did not follow the recipe 100%, of course....due to the fact that we didn't have cake flour, buttermilk, or a bundt pan. (Need to register for that!) Here's the actual recipe. We always taste the batter before we put it into the pan for baking. And let me tell you- I could have eaten all the batter. This recipe is AMAZING...and I swear that part of it was substituting the yogurt for the buttermilk. (Saved some calories & fat while we were at it!) This recipe will yield about 22 mini cakes...depending on how much batter you eat. 


Here is our Recipe: 

• non-stick spray
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened
• 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup non-fat french vanilla yogurt 

Orange Rum Sauce:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Pinch salt
• ~ 2 medium oranges, juiced and strained, yield 1 cup
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/4 cup rum
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Make the Spiced Pound Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Prepare 2 muffin pans with non-stick spray. (Don't be afraid to use it!) Place chopped pecans evenly in each of individual muffin cups.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugars together, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; add flour mixture to egg mixture alternating the buttermilk, and beginning and ending with the flour. Pour about 1/2 way into prepared pans and bake for ~ 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, than take each individual cake out and put onto wire rack or plate.

Make the Orange Rum Glaze: Stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in small saucepan. Add juice and water mixture, zest, and rum. Cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla; stir. Pour approximately half of the glaze over the warm cake. Reserve remaining glaze for serving with the cake.

The Final Product:

Amazing. They are on my stove right now....and I just want to eat them all.