Category Archives: Cook

by | June 8, 2011 · 8:18 am

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

I love this time of year when the first fruits and vegetables start popping up at local farmers markets.  I am always on the lookout for good zucchini because I absolutely love zucchini bread.  I have tried so many recipes and none of them created the perfect bread that I was looking for, that is until I came across this Paula Dean recipe.  It creates the perfect bread that is moist and flavorful without being overpowering.  I added mini chocolate chips to the bread because, well, I add chocolate chips to everything!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice

optional: 1/2 cup walnuts or 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips mixed with 1 tablespoon flour (prevents the chips from sinking to the bottom of the bread)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients and set aside.  In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients until just combined.  Finally, mix the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until moist.  Add the chocolate chips or nuts if you are using them.

Spray 2 average sized loaf pans with cooking spray.  I recommend using cooking spray instead of butter for greasing with this recipe.  The loaves seem to come out of the pan much better with the spray.  Divide the batter evenly among the 2 pans.  Bake for about one hour or until firm in the middle.

I often freeze the second loaf when I made this recipe, it tastes great even thawed out of the freezer.

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by | June 6, 2011 · 8:22 am

Rhubarb Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

This year I made my first foray into the world of CSAs. With just my husband and I to eat the goods, I had always been leery about spending money only to end up with seven gazillion pounds of tomatoes or a mountain of squash that we couldn’t eat fast enough. So instead I tested out a six week spring share with Milwaukee’s Braise RSA – minimal commitment plus nothing going on in my garden yet to compete.

Braise is run by local chef, Dave Swanson, who makes his boxes a little more special by including a recipe each week. Last week when I got a large bundle of rhubarb, this tasty muffin recipe came along with it. As a big fan of rhubarb and of streusel, this was right up my alley.

Rhubarb Muffins
Rhubarb Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
recipe from Braise RSA
2 C flour
3/4 C sugar
3 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C sour cream
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 C rhubarb, diced

Streusel Topping:
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C flour

Preheat oven to 400. Line muffin tins with baking cups.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and whisk well. In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, melted butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gently combine the sour cream mixture with the dry mixture with a spatula until just combined. Gently fold in the diced rhubarb. The batter will be thick. Spoon batter into the muffin cups, filling to near the top.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for topping. Use a fork or a pastry cutter to mix together until crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the batter for each muffin. Bake until golden, 15-18 minutes, or 3-4 minutes longer for Texas size cups.

Cinnamon Streusel Rhubarb Muffins

CSA Thoughts:
Overall the quality of produce has been amazing and it’s been fun to try odd new items like ramps and nettles among the lettuce and asparagus. I’ve been cooking, blending and freezing away but it’s still been a little hard for me to keep up since spring veggies are fragile and go bad quickly. A summer share on top of my own overflowing garden would definitely be too much for me but would be great if you have a larger family or maybe split it with a friend. The jury is still out on if I’ll do it again…although with an extra mouth to feed arriving soon maybe the volume would be a better match!

Do you do a CSA?  Do you have tricks on how to manage the volume of produce?  Please share!

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by | June 3, 2011 · 8:06 am

Dorito Taco Salad

Finally! It’s arrived! Warm summer weather always makes me want a crispy salad. This easy Dorito Taco Salad has been a staple in my family since I can remember. It is very easy and very affordable. You may even have most of these things on hand. Any salad topped with Doritos is a winner in my book.

Dorito Taco Salad
Serves 4

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 small tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 bag of Baked Nacho Cheese Doritos
1 small can sliced black olives, optional
1/2 C light italian dressing

On stovetop, brown ground beef and remove grease. Set aside. In large salad bowl, add lettuce, tomato, green pepper, cheese and olives. Toss. Add ground beef and dressing and toss again. Using about a quarter of a bag of Doritos, crunch into small pieces. Shake over salad and lightly toss.

I always love eating the leftovers of this salad. The Doritos don’t stay very crunchy, but it is still delicious. You can choose to have each individual dress their own salad, but I prefer to do it ahead of time. Serve this up with some lemonade and you have summertime perfection.

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by | May 31, 2011 · 8:23 am

{Haute Pie} Dreamsicle Ice Cream Pie

Finally a little heat up in here! With warm weather finally arriving (and hopefully here to stay!) I tested out an ice cream pie for the holiday weekend. I’d been wanting to experiment with an ice cream pie for awhile and thought the classic combo of vanilla and orange would be a good way to start. As it turns out, ice cream pies are super easy so I think I’ll be playing with flavor combos all summer, however this Dreamsicle-style pie is a refreshing, cool dessert for any hot day.
Orange Dreamsicle Pie
Dreamsicle Ice Cream Pie
Ice Cream Pie Filling
1/2 pint french vanilla ice cream, softened
1/2 pint orange sherbet, softened
8 oz organic heavy cream
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 bar dark chocolate, shaved or curled

Sugar Cookie Pie Crust
(crust from Baking Bites)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400. Beat together sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in flour and salt. Beat in milk and vanilla until mixture is crumbly. Butter or spray a glass pie pan with PAM. Press cookie dough into pan, using your fingers to work dough evenly up the sides and evenly across the bottom. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely. Meanwhile, let vanilla ice cream soften. Once semi-soft, use a spatula to spoon a layer of ice cream in about half way up the pie shell. Return to freezer until ice cream hardens, meanwhile softening sherbet. Repeat step with sherbet, smoothing directly on top of vanilla ice cream, and return to freezer until fully frozen.

Dreamsicle Pie

In a small bowl, beat together heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Spread whipped cream on top of ice cream pie and top with chocolate shavings. Use a knife warmed under hot water to slice and serve.

ice cream pie

NOTE: If you don’t grease the pie pan first, like me, it will be difficult to get the slices out cleanly. I think butter or a light dose of cooking spray would probably do the trick but can’t say for sure since I didn’t realize I needed it. If you know a good tip, please share!

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by | May 27, 2011 · 7:57 am

Chocolate Chip Brownies with White Icing

I am not a chocolate person. I’ve mentioned this once before and offended a great many of you with that statement. My husband, on the other hand, is a chocoholic. So when special occasions come around, I always like to bake up a little chocolate treat to say I love you. This week we celebrated our third wedding anniversary. So on top of his traditional third anniversary leather gift, he was able to indulge in his favorite chocolate treat – chocolate brownies (or cake) with white icing.

I’ve never baked brownies from scratch before, so I decided to give it a whirl. With a little help from America’s Test Kitchen, I adapted this recipe to suit my hubby’s palate and the baking items I had on hand.

Chocolate Chip Brownies with White Icing

1/3
 C cocoa powder
1/2
 C plus 2 TBSP boiling water
2
 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 stick unsalted butter , melted
1/2
 C plus 2 TBSP vegetable oil
2
 large eggs
2
 large egg yolks
2
 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2
 C sugar
1 3/4
 C all-purpose flour
1/2
 tsp table salt
6
 ozs. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. In a large sauce pan, boil water. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder. Add unsweetened chocolate and stir until melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. Add eggs, yolks and vanilla and continue to whisk. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. And flour and salt and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool.

Buttercream Icing

1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
4 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 C milk

Cream butter in a stand mixer on medium high. Slowly add powdered sugar, 1/2 C at a time. Add vanilla. Drizzle milk and continue to beat until icing is at desired consistency.

Spread icing on cooled brownies with small spatula. Cut and serve.

These brownies don’t need the icing, but they add a little extra love. I asked my husband if he had any comments and he replied with, “Well….they are delicious.” So there you have it folks! Delicious homemade brownies.

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by | May 25, 2011 · 8:25 am

Oatmeal Caramelitas

Last weekend, the girls and I were so excited to participated in the Milwaukee Cookies for Kids’ Cancer bake sale.  We were honored to donate and so excited to learn that the entire event raised $2100 for pediatric cancer!

I decided to make my most favorite baked good – Oatmeal Caramelitas.  They are a buttery oatmeal bar filled with ooey gooey caramel and sometimes, depending on my mood, chocolate chips.  This is my sister’s mother-in-law’s recipe which I requested after having just one bite of these delicious treats.

Oatmeal Caramelitas

1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup oats
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, slightly melted

Caramel
3/4 cup caramel or butterscotch caramel topping (the kind that comes in a jar by all of the ice cream sundae goodies)
3 Tbsp flour

Mix the flour, oats, baking soda, salt and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.    In a separate bowl, soften the butter in the microwave until it is slightly melted.  Mix the butter into the dry mixture and set aside.

Butter and flour a 9 x 13 pan.  Take half the dough and evenly crumble it into the bottom of the pan.  Press the dough into the bottom of the pan to create a bottom crust.  As you are doing this, it might seem like you don’t have enough dough, however the crust will be very thin.  Just keep pressing until the entire bottom of the pan is covered.  If you need to use a little more than half of the dough, that is ok too!

Bake the bottom crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  While that is cooking, mix the caramel topping with the flour in a small bowl.  When the crust is done cooking, remove it from the oven and carefully drizzle the caramel over the crust.  Keep in mind that the crust is only partially cooked, so it will be slightly fragile.  (If you would like, sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips or nuts over the caramel for some extra flavor or crunch!)

Crumble the remaining crust over the top and bake for an additional 15-17 minutes.  Remove the bars from the oven, they will look undercooked when you take them out.  Be sure not to over bake or they will become hard as a rock.  Allow them to cool before cutting.

These are much easier to cut and remove from the pan when they are completely cool, but they taste so good warm…so I usually sneak a few corners so I can get a few warm bites.  These are delicious on their own or heated up and served with ice cream.


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by | May 23, 2011 · 8:05 am

Croque Monsieurs with Bistro Salad

Warm weather has me wanting to stroll around the cobblestone streets and farmers markets of Paris, stop at a sidewalk cafe for lunch and a latte and people watch. However, since Paris is not in the cards this spring, this meal brings a little of the French je ne sais quoi vibe to lunch or a light dinner in any city.
croque monsieur recipe

Easy Croque Monsieur Style Sandwiches
1/2 lb ham
4 slices baby swiss
1 C+ shredded baby swiss
rustic french bread
4 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
1 C milk
salt & pepper

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour, taking care not to burn it. Slowly whisk in half of the milk until clumps are worked out and mixture is smooth. Add shredded cheese and continue whisking until cheese begins to melt. Continue whisking in the remaining milk until cheese is fully melted and forms a smooth sauce. It should be semi thick and not too runny. Add more cheese or milk to reach a pudding-like consistency. Season with a pinch of salt and keep warm on very low heat.

Heat a skillet on medium heat. Butter bread and place butter side down in skillet. Top with sliced ham. Spoon cheese sauce over the center of the ham, spreading almost to edges and top with 1-2 slices of baby swiss. Place second slice of bread on top. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until first side is golden brown. Then use a large spatula to carefully flip sandwich. Cook second side until bread is golden brown and cheese is melting.

Bistro Salad
mixed greens
3-4 slices bacon
2 hard-boiled eggs
fresh parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 C olive oil
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard
pepper

Fill a saucepan half-way with water. Place eggs in, ensuring they are covered by the water. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat to medium and continue cooking eggs for 8 minutes. Remove eggs from water with a spoon. Place in a bowl and run cool water over them for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet or in the microwave until crispy. Let bacon cool slightly and break into small pieces. Remove shells from eggs and roughly chop.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard and pepper until emulsified. Place mixed greens in a bowl. Top with chopped egg, bacon pieces and shredded parmesan. Lightly toss with dressing.

bistro salad

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by | May 18, 2011 · 8:26 am

Nutella Brownies

I love nutella.  I mean, I LOVE it.  And awhile back I had heard a rumor of a 3 ingredient nutella brownie recipe.  It sounded too good to be true, but a quick search on google showed me that this recipe did in fact exist and looked amazing!  I had to give it a try.

Nutella Brownie Bites

1/2 cup Nutella
1 egg
5 tbsp flour

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 12 cup mini muffin tin.

Mix all the ingredients together until smooth.  Evenly distribute batter among the muffin tin, filling each one about 3/4 full.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.

Pop out of the tin and enjoy.

They truly taste like little bites of nutella heaven.

I cannot be sure where this recipe originated, however it looks like it was created by Abby Dodge and featured in her cookbook titled Desserts 4 Today, all desserts with just 4 ingredients (she sprinkled hazelnuts on her brownies!).  Pretty sure I will be picking up a copy of this book.

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by | May 13, 2011 · 7:53 am

Chicken Teriyaki Pita

Back in high school, I spent a considerable amount of time at Baker’s Square. If not scarfing down a piece of banana cream pie, I always ordered a chicken teriyaki pita. I’m not sure what it was about the dish, but that taste has always stuck in my mind. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, so I decided to create my own version of the throw back meal.

Chicken Teriyaki Pita
serves 2

1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 C shredded carrots
4 slices Provolone cheese
1/2 C teriyaki sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 pitas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a skillet pan or wok, heat olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook chicken 3-4 minutes on each side. Add peppers, onion, carrots and garlic powder. Stir until vegetables soften, about 5-6 minutes.

Meanwhile, lay pitas on a baking sheet. Place two pieces of provolone cheese on each pita. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melty and bubbly.

Add teriyaki sauce to pan, thoroughly coating all ingredients. Heat through, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon chicken and vegetable mixture on top of pita and serve.

This meal is best eaten with a knife and fork, though I am sure you could make it work with hands only.

An easy, weeknight meal you can whip up in 30 minutes or less! And it really did take me back to my high school days at Baker’s Square. Now for some banana cream pie…

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by | May 11, 2011 · 8:35 am

Melon and Mozzarella Salad

A few weeks ago, the girls and I attended a cooking class at Oilerie, a local olive oil and vinegar store.  We made a couple wonderful summer salads and I just had to share the recipe for the Melon and Mozzarella Salad.  I usually am not a big fan of melon, but this salad has had me craving it since the first bite.  The prosciutto is a surprising, salty addition that adds an extra special kick.

Melon and Mozzarella Salad

2 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cantaloupe, cubed
1/2 honeydew melon, cubed
6 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil
2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint
4 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp minced shallot
2 Tbsp. honey
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the prosciutto in 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet until crisp.  Place on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Next, combine the melon, mozzarella, basil and mint in a large bowl.

Whisk together lime juice, 4 Tbsp oil, shallot, honey, salt and pepper.  Drizzle over fruit and toss to coat.  Garnish with prosciutto.

This is the perfect salad for a hot summer day.

(Now, all I need is a hot summer day…I would even settle for a kind of warm spring day…come back sun, I miss you!!)

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