Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

I made this for Tim's birthday and the leftovers didn't last long!  It was very moist and quite rich, but the peanut butter glaze was a more balanced addition than super sugary frosting.

(from Whipped)
1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
16 oz. sour cream
3 large eggs
20 mini Reese's peanut butter cups, cut into quarters

Glaze:
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. 
Mix cake mix, sour cream and eggs in a bowl until fully combined. 
Grease and flour a bundt pan. 
Pour half batter in pan, top with cut up Reese's cups, then add the remaining batter.
Cook at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  (This was sort of hard to gauge as the peanut butter cups melted, so you just have to gauge whether it's uncooked batter or melted peanut butter and chocolate!)
Let stand in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool.
For the glaze:
Heat milk in a sauce pan. 
Whisk in peanut butter and powdered sugar. 
Drizzle over cake (put rack on a pan or plate to catch the excess.)

Linguine in Lemon Cream Sauce

This one was a hit with the wee one!  With only 5 ingredients, I think it's going to become a staple for us.  I think it would be good with a chopped up clove of garlic, too!

(from Vegetarian Times)
Ingredients:

• 8 oz. dry linguine
• 1/2 cup light cream cheese
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced and 1 Tbs. zest grated
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

 1. Cook linguine according to package directions in pot of boiling salted water.

2. Warm cream cheese, oil, and 2 Tbs. lemon juice in saucepan over low heat.

3. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Stir reserved cooking water into cream cheese mixture.  (Don't skimp on this part - I cut back the water by half because it seemed like too much and the pasta was a little to thick/dry.)  Add pasta, lemon zest, and parsley; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Blondies

I tried making Smitten Kitchen's blondies for Conor's playdate Saturday. They turned out disappointingly thin, not the thick little squares pictured on SK's blog. It was basically a big chocolate chip cookie - tasty, but not a blondie. It wasn't until AFTER I made them that I actually read the blog post and realized that she doubles the recipe and cooks them in a 9x13 pan (not 8x8 as the recipes states.)

I made them again last night, keeping the recipes proportions the same (not doubling.) I cooked them in a loaf pan thinking it would make them nice and thick, and they should cook evenly. Well they turned out badly again - the top was almost overdone but the middle was goopy. Not good.

Until today! They looked better so I tried one - AWESOME! Apparently they need to cool completely, if not overnight, to reach their full potential. The first batch was better the next day, too.

Here's the recipe: (italics mine)

Blondies
Adapted from How to Cook Everything

8 tablespoons butter, melted (I used Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks)
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I used the vanilla)
Pinch salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Butter an 8×8 pan (or a 9x5 loaf pan if you want them thicker)
   
2. Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
3. Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (below).
4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. I always err on the side of caution with baking times — nobody ever complained about a gooey-middled cookie. Cool on rack before cutting them.

Further additions, use one or a combination of:

• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts, toasting them first for even better flavor
• 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla
• 1/2 cup mashed bananas
• 1/4 cup bourbon, scotch or other whiskey; increase the flour by one tablespoon
• 2 tablespoons of espresso powder with the vanilla
• Stir 1/2 cup dried fruit, especially dried cherries, into the prepared batter
• Top with a vanilla butter cream or chocolate peanut butter cream frosting

I made mine with 1/2 cup Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, which are dairy free.

Crash Hot Potatoes

Tried these last night and they are yummy! A little time consuming to boil them and then roast them, but they come out very crispy and tasty.

Crash Hot Potatoes
from The Pioneer Woman

Seared Tofu with Gingered Vegetables

This recipe is from Cooking Light (thanks for the link Kelly!) It was very easy and unlike past attempts with tofu, this one turned out well. I used cubed extra firm because that's all I could find at the grocery store. You could easliy substitute chicken.

I wish the ginger flavor had been a little stronger - I might double it next time or maybe marinate the tofu in a ginger sauce. I also used chili sesame oil, which was HOT. Next time I'll use regular sesame oil and it might not mask the other flavors. There also wasn't a lot of sauce to it, which left the the rice a little dry, so I added extra sesame oil and soy sauce to the finished dish.

Here's the recipe with a few minor modifications:

Ingredients
1 pound extrafirm tofu, cubed
1 cup brown rice (uncooked)

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced green onions, divided
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Place tofu on several layers of paper towels; let stand 15 minutes.

Prepare rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to rice; fluff with a fork.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and bell pepper to pan; sauté for 5-8 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup onions, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce; cook for 3 minutes. Remove from pan.

Wipe skillet with paper towels; recoat pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Place pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle tofu with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add tofu to pan; cook 10-15 minutes or until golden, turning to brown on all sides.

Return bell pepper mixture to pan, and cook 3-5 minute or until thoroughly heated. Drizzle tofu mixture with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon soy sauce; top with sesame seeds. Serve tofu mixture with rice; top with remaining 1/4 cup onions.

Macadamia Butter Cookies with Cranberries

I made these today and they turned out really good! Lisa, I think you could have these because they don't use butter, but instead you grind up the macadamia nuts into a butter.

Macadamia Butter Cookies with Cranberries

Vegan Best Banana Bread

This is really good, Very Moist, and SO EASY!! Great too for those days you want to bake but find that you are out of eggs :o)

1 1/2 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/3 c oil (I used Canola)
1/2 c brown sugar, packed (I used dark brown)
1 c mashed banana (I used 3 med bananas, very ripe)
1/3 c milk (I used rice milk)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl combine oil and brown sugar. Add bananas and milk and stir to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Spread batter in the loaf pan and bake for 43 to 48 minutes, until bread is golden and a toothpick comes out clean (I did find that it needed to bake a bit longer than the 48 minutes to be done all the way through).

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

I was looking for a yummy cookie recipe today and found this - they turned out very yummy! They are really soft.

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?id=32364

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls

These are the first recipe that I'm going to make from the Pioneer Woman Cooks that Lisa gave me for my birthday day - Cinnamon Rolls. She has the recipe on her blog:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/

Flax ~ a handy substitute for eggs, butter & oil

I thought this was a somewhat handy tip. Perhaps you already are aware of it, but it was news to me today so I thought I would share.

Milled Flax can be used in many recipes by substituting for eggs, butter & oil.

Flax Seed Substituting for Fat:
3 Tablespoons ground Flax Seed = 1 Tablespoon Margarine, butter or cooking oil. Substitute for all or some of the fat depending on the recipe.To substitute for all of the fat with flax seed, increase liquid by 75% as ground flax absorbs liquid. Baked goods brown more quickly.

Substituting for Eggs:
1 Tablespoon of ground Flax Seed plus 3 tablespoons water for each egg. Substitute a 1:3 ratio of ground flax seed and water mixture for each egg in recipes for pancakes, muffins and cookies. Allow to sit for several minutes together before adding to your recipe.

I haven't tried it yet, but will let you know when I do. More info at: www.flaxusa.com

Hummus Recipes??

Mom's looking for an easy Hummus recipe ~~~

Five Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 (14.5 ounce) can green beans, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can wax beans, drained
1 (15.25 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 1/2 teaspoons dried cilantro

Directions

In a large bowl, layer the beans, onion and green pepper. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, mix the vinegar, sugar, oil, mustard, tarragon and cilantro. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and pour over bean mixture. Stir until all ingredients are coated. This is best if it is left to marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator, and stirred occasionally.

Black Bean and Cornbread Cobbler

2 cans black beans, drained
1 10 oz. can Rotel tomatoes and chilies
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried cilantro (I use fresh if I have it)
1 1/2 cup Mexican shredded cheese (omit if going dairy free)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
6 Tbsp. sour cream
1/4 cup cold water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9 x 9 baking dish.

In a bowl combine the black beans, Rotel, cumin, cilantro and one cup of the cheese (if using).
Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over mixture. Set aside.

In a "spacious" bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar. Cut the butter in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream and water. Add this liquid to the dough and fold gently only until combined, do not overmix. Drop spoonfuls of dough over the top of the casserole to form a biscuit-style topping.

Bake for 45 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Serve with a "dollop" of sour cream if desired.

(Note: I think any cornbread mix or recipe would work ~ use a dairy free cornbread mix or your own favorite. Lisa, I don't think leaving the cheese out of the bean mixture will matter, maybe add some corn or something else instead. The cheese adds some nutrition but I didn't really notice any flavor added by it. The rotel tomatoes are what make this dish really yummy!)

Italian Pasta Salad

16 oz package pasta (farfalle or penne work well)
1 medium cucumber
1 small package grape tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 bottle Italian style salad dressing (I like Newman's Light Italian)
2 Tbsp McCormack's Salad Supreme (omit if making dairy free)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp dried oregano
salt and black pepper

Cook pasta al dente; rinse with cool water and drain well
Peel cucumber and cut into 1/2 inch dice
Cut grape tomatoes in 1/4s
Cut basil chiffonade style
Mix cucumber, tomato, and basil; set aside
Allow Italian dressing to settle completely and pour off as much of the oil as possible (save to use as a flavorful oil for cooking later, if desired)
Mix half of remaining dressing, Salad Supreme, balsamic vinegar, and oregano in a large bowl
Add pasta to dressing mix and toss to coat
Fold in vegetables
Salt and pepper to taste
Refrigerate and serve cold

This is a nice light pasta salad with the cucumber; great for summer picnics although I'm making it for a Halloween potluck! You could add some cubed mozzerella or even diced chicken if you wanted to beef it up a bit as a supper dish.

Tater Tot Casserole

One bag tater tots (I like OreIda Extra Crispy)
1/2 small white onion, diced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1 lb ground hamburger (or 1 package Boca soy crumbles)
1 package frozen green beans, defrosted
1 can cream of mushroom soup
16 oz. sour cream
1 cup grated chedar cheese
1 cup french fried onions (optional)

Cook tater tots by package instructions. I do this so they're extra crispy and not soggy.
Optional - cook onions and garlic in a little olive oil until soft.
Brown hamburger or soy crumbles (until....done? I have no idea how to cook hamburger).
Mix "meat" with onions/garlic if using.
Spray casserole dish with Pam and layer "meat".
Layer green beans on top of "meat".
Mix cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and cheese, and pour over green beans.
Layer tater tots on top, and sprinkle french fried onions on top if desired.
Cook at 350 degrees for 45-60 min. I cover with foil to keep the onions from burning, then remove the foil for the last 5 min to brown nicely.

This was a staple in our house while I was pregnant. It's easy to remember the ingredients at the grocery store so it made it into heavy rotation. I recently figured out how to replace the soup/sour cream/cheese with a homemade vegan cream of mushroom soup, so we're enjoying it once again. There are variations where the tater tots are on the bottom but I find that putting them on top keeps them crispy. It might not be the most healthy meal but it sure is good, and the leftovers are yummy.

Kid-Pleasing Mac & Cheese

Feel good about serving Mac & Cheese :o)

Ingredients:
8 oz. elbow macaroni, fusilli or other small pasta
8 oz. Horizon Organic shredded cheddar cheese
12 oz. Horizon Organic cottage cheese
8 oz. Horizon Organic sour cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta, drain. In a 9 x 13 baking dish stir together pasta, cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream parmesan cheese. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

For a crunch topping, mix 1 cup dry bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Horizon Organic butter, melted. Sprinkle over pasta before baking. And you can add peas to sneak in more vegetables.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

I made this several times this summer and served with fresh fruit or ice cream. It's fast and easy and really rich and yummy.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. almond extract

Mix the flour and baking soda together. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and sour cream alternately one-third at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the almond extract. The batter will be very thick. Spoon into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/4 hours. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serving suggestion: top with fresh fruit and powdered sugar. Serves 12

Here's where we can share recipes

I'll start. This is a yummy soup I found for the crockpot, but you could also make it on the stovetop. You could make it vegetarian by using vegetable stock instead of chicken. I used 3 cups of chicken broth instead of 3 cups of water and the bouillon.

Southwestern Bean Soup (Better Homes & Gardens)