Taco Spaghetti

On By sarafillmerIn 30 minute meal, EntreeLeave a comment

The best thing about this dish is that it can all be made in a single pot. It combines two of my favorite foods, tacos and spaghetti. My family is pretty sensitive to spice so next time I’ll use mild Rotel but other than that I loved how easy and delicious this dish is. Recipe and photo courtesy of damndelicious.net.

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning
  • 1 (10-ounce can) Rotel
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 8 ounces spaghetti
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 Roma tomato, diced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add ground beef and cook until beef has browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; stir in taco seasoning. Drain excess fat. Stir in Rotel, tomato paste, spaghetti and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13-16 minutes. Remove from heat and top with cheeses. Cover until melted, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with tomato and cilantro, if desired.

 

Crispy Garlic Parmesan Crusted Salmon

On By sarafillmerIn 30 minute meal, EntreeLeave a comment

I’m making an effort to incorporate more fish into our dinners and this recipe was a huge success. My six year old even asked for seconds. It is my favorite kind of recipe, quick, delicious and a crowd pleaser. Recipe and photo courtesy of cafedelites.com

  • 2 pounds (1 kg) side wild salmon fillet
  • 2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 4 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • Salt and pepper

Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the salmon fillet, skin side down, on the baking sheet. Set aside. Mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic in a small bowl. Pour in the melted butter; season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/3 teaspoon pepper (or to taste).  Mix the ingredients together until the breadcrumbs absorb the butter (about 40 seconds). Pour the mixture over the salmon, pressing it into the top until the fillet is completely covered. Lightly spray salmon with cooking oil spray for a golden crumb. Bake uncovered for 12-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fillet), until the crust is golden and the salmon is cooked and flakes easily with fork. Serve with your choice of vegetables.

Cinnamon Cream Puffs

On By sarafillmerIn DessertLeave a comment

I just love watching baking shows, in particular, baking competitions. One item that inevitably comes up in every competition is cream puffs. Cream puffs are made with a special dough called pate a choux. I have always been intrigued by the preparation method of this dough and finally decided to give it a try.  Although the name and directions look intimidating, it came together really easily!  I will definitely be making these again. Recipe and photo courtesy of barbarabakes.com

Pate a Choux

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

Egg Wash (optional)

  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon water

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Measure flour and set aside. Bring butter, sugar, salt, and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Immediately remove from heat, and quickly stir in flour mixture all at once. Return to heat and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 to 2 minutes, or until dough is smooth and forms a ball. Transfer dough to the bowl of an electric mixer, and let cool 5 minutes. Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, beating until mixture is smooth and glossy. Spoon dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip. Pipe dough onto prepared pans into 1 1/2-inch rounds (1 1/2 inches high). Smooth out peaks and round tops with a moistened finger. Whisk together remaining 1 egg and 1 tsp. water. Brush tops of dough with egg mixture. Bake at 425° for 5 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 375°, and bake 30 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Turn oven off; let shells stand in closed oven 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheets to wire racks, and cool completely.

For the Filling:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream and salt at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon, and beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Pierce the side of each cream puff with a small knife to create a hole. Insert the pastry tip into the hole and fill with cinnamon whipped cream.

Lemon Bundt Cake

On By sarafillmerIn DessertLeave a comment

Maybe it’s the cold getting to me, or maybe I’m just ready for spring, but I’ve been craving lemon desserts. After much searching of the Pinterest, I came across this bundt cake recipe. It came together so nicely and has a wonderful lemon flavor, while not being too overpowering. Make it today! Recipe courtesy of sprinklesomesugar.com

For the Cake

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbs lemon zest
  • 2 tbs + 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 cups whole milk
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

For the Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-5 tbs lemon juice

For the Lemon Sugar

  • 1 tbs lemon zest
  • 1 tbs granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Grease a bundt pan very well making sure to really get into all crevices then lightly flour pan. Set aside.

Lightly whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer (if you’re using one) fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs on low until they are thickened and very pale yellow in color. Turn mixer on low and slowly add sugar to running mixer and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest. Slowly pour in dry ingredients on low speed until combined.

In a small saucepan, heat milk until very hot and butter is just melted. Do not boil and whisk the mixture to help the butter along. Pour into batter and mix until smooth. Batter will be very thin. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for 27-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Once done, remove cake from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in pan. Release the sides of the cake with a butter knife to ensure it isn’t going to stick. Turn cake onto a large round platter or cake stand. (If using a 9×13 pan, do not remove cake, just place entire pan onto wire rack so underneath the pan can cool also.) Allow cake to finish cooling until warm to the touch.

While cake is cooling, prepare lemon sugar and glaze. For the lemon sugar, thoroughly mix the lemon zest and sugar together and let it sit for 5 minutes. If you don’t want the lemon zest on top of the cake, push the sugar through a fine mesh strainer, separating the two and discard the zest. If you don’t mind the zest on top of your cake (it will give it a nice pop of color!), then just set the mixture aside.

For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice, using more or less lemon juice as needed to get desired consistency. (I like to keep mine slightly thick so it won’t thin out too much when I serve it over warm cake.)Once cake is cooled down slightly, drizzle glaze over warm cake. Alternately, you can drizzle the glaze over each individual piece being served. Sprinkle lemon sugar on top.

Cake will stay soft and moist for 3 days stored in an airtight container.

 

How To: Flaky Pie Crust

On By sarafillmerIn Dessert, How ToLeave a comment

This was the second homemade pie crust I have made at Thanksgiving and I was so pleased with how it turned out. I used to be terrified of making my own crusts, but with practice and step by step directions it has gotten much better. Not to mention I truly believe the pies taste better with a homemade crust. This one differs from the other on my site in that it uses shortening and butter, instead of all butter. Next year I’ll have to make a batch of each and see which one I like better. Recipe and photo courtesy of sallysbakingaddiction.com

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, scooped and levelled
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • 3/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
  • 1/2 cup ice water

Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). Measure 1/2 cup  of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure 1/2 cup of water– since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon added. Do not add any more water than you need to. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about 1/2 cup of water and a little more in dry winter months. Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs using your hands. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (and up to 5 days).

When rolling out the chilled pie dough discs to use in your pie, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center of the disc and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Proceed with the pie per your recipe’s instructions.

 

 

 

Secret Ingredient Pumpkin Pie

On By sarafillmerIn Dessert, PieLeave a comment

This pie was a huge hit this Thanksgiving, partly because of the surprise ingredient this recipe has.  I was very interested to see what it would taste like and it delivered on all counts. My good friend said it was the best pumpkin pie she’s ever had, and she has tried A LOT of pumpkin pies over the years. Recipe and photo courtesy of sallysbakingaddiction.com

  • Homemade pie crust
  • one 15oz can (about 2 cups) pumpkin puree
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon  cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup milk

Make the pie crust through step 5 or use store-bought. When you are ready to bake the pie, remove 1 disc of pie dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Make sure to turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. With a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang of crust and discard. Crimp the edges with your fingers, if desired. Brush edges lightly with egg wash mixture. Using pie weights, pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes.

For the pumpkin pie filling, whisk the pumpkin, 3 eggs, and brown sugar together until combined. Add the cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, cream, and milk. Vigorously whisk until everything is combined. Filling will be a little thick. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Pour pumpkin pie filling into the warm pre-baked crust. Only fill the crust about 3/4 of the way up. (Use extra to make mini pies with leftover pie dough scraps if you’d like.) Bake the pie until the center is almost set, about 55-60 minutes give or take. A small part of the center will be wobbly – that’s ok. After 25 minutes of baking, be sure to cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or use a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown. Check for doneness at minute 50, and then 55, and then 60, etc. Once done, transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool completely for at least 3 hours.  Serve pie with whipped cream if desired. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

One-Pan Cilantro-Lime Chicken and Rice

On By sarafillmerIn 30 minute meal, Entree, Gluten-Free

This meal was so quick and easy and reminded me of what I always get at Chipotle. A great meal for busy weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time to prep but still want a healthy, home-cooked meal. Recipe and photo courtesy of cookingclassy.com

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespon canola oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 green onions, chopped (keep lighter and darker portions separate)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
  • 2 teaspoon lime zest
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and well drained
  • 2 cups minute white rice (don’t use regular rice!)
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and saute until cooked through, about 6 minutes, adding in lighter portions of the green onions and garlic at last 1 minute of cooking. Stir in broth, green onion greens, green chilies, lime zest, lime juice, black beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, add rice, fully immerse rice in broth, and allow to boil 20 seconds, then remove from heat and immediately cover with a lid. Let rest 5 – 6 minutes. If needed, return pan to medium heat and cook and toss 1 minute to allow rice to absorb excess moisture. Remove from heat, toss in cilantro and let rest uncovered 3 minutes.

Depression Cake

On By sarafillmerIn Dessert

I had seen this cake a couple of times over the years and was intrigued by the fact that it didn’t contain eggs, butter or milk. It was developed during the Great Depression when those dairy items were in short supply. The cool thing about this cake is that you don’t even necessarily need a mixing bowl, just the pan you bake it in. I paired it with a One Minute Frosting and I thought it was a completely satisfying chocolaty cake. Recipe and photo courtesy of chocolatechocolateandmore.com

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa (unsweetened)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water

One Minute Frosting

  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine the dry ingredients in your baking pan (8×8) or a mixing bowl. Make 2 small wells and 1 big well in the dry ingredients. Add the vinegar, vanilla and vegetable oil to the wells, then add the water. Mix until combined. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or til a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Add milk, butter and sugar to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let boil for 45 seconds. Take off the heat and add in the chocolate chips and vanilla. Mix until until the chocolate chips are completely melted and the frosting looks shiny. Immediately spread onto cake. Let cool completely before serving. Makes enough for a 9×13 cake.

* A couple of notes: make sure your baking pan is well greased. Also, if you don’t have cocoa powder you can substitute 1 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate, just make sure the reduce the vegetable oil by 1 tablespoon. I also happened to be out of vinegar so I was able to substitute 2 tablespoons of white wine and it came out great.

Bon-Bons

On By sarafillmerIn Dessert

Bon-bons are my father’s absolute favorite Christmas candy. I have many fond memories of dipping them with my brother and sister at Christmas every year, but as an adult, I had only made them once for him. This year he specifically requested them so I had to oblige. The original recipe my grandmother used called for 2 pounds of powdered sugar, but when I was making them I realized I only had 1.5 pounds. As it turned out, I liked them much better this way! The mixture wasn’t as crumbly, but still had plenty of sweetness.

  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1.5 lbs powdered sugar (or 6 cups)
  • 7 oz shredded coconut
  • 4 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 stick of margarine/butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. (Seriously, the biggest bowl you have) Chill for maybe 10 minutes, then form into small balls. Chill the balls again so they will hold up to the dipping. In a double broiler, melt 8 oz German Sweet Chocolate with some parafin wax (or you can use chocolate candy coating). Dip your bon bons into the chocolate and cool on a sheet of wax paper, then store in the fridge. Makes about 75 1-inch balls.

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup

On By sarafillmerIn 30 minute meal, Entree, Soup

The winter I decided to make Sundays soup night. There is nothing better on a cold night than soup, and it makes great leftovers for the week ahead. This soup comes together so quickly and tastes awesome. Recipe and photo courtesy of lilluna.com.

  • 4 medium potatoes (peeled and diced)
  • 12 oz. ham, cooked and cubed
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic pepper
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 5 tablespoons flour
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • scallions

Combine potatoes, ham and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes (or when potatoes are tender). Add chicken bouillon cubes, salt and pepper. Mix. In another pan, melt butter on medium heat. Whisk in flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue whisking until sauce thickens (about 3-4 minutes). Add the milk mixture to your pot and cook soup until heated through. Add cheese right before serving. Top with scallions. Serve immediately.