Zucchini Onion Pie

I always seem to get in a rut every time I try to think of side dishes for dinner. The usual potato or rice is always an option, but trying to come up with a vegetable side that's different and not just a frozen or sauteed version of some vegetable is nearly impossible for me. I knew when I saw this recipe in a recent Taste of Home magazine that I had to cut it out and try it. And to be honest, it actually exceeded my expectations! It bakes up similar to a frittata due to the eggs and baking mix, but has a wonderful savory, cheesy and herbacious flavor that complements the zucchini and onions perfectly. After I made it, I had tons of little variations run through my head of different vegetables you could add to make a new variety of savory pie! Squash, carrots, corn, or a mixture of two or three to get all of those veggies in for the day. And an added bonus, this dish literally takes about 5 minutes to throw together, aside from the baking time. That's a HUGE plus in my book when I'm trying to prepare the main dish and don't want to waste time preparing the sides. :) (Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home).

 

Ingredients:

•  3 eggs
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 Tbsp. minced parsley
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 3 cups sliced zucchini
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup biscuit/baking mix

In a large bowl, whisk together the first 7 ingredients. Stir in the zucchini, onion and baking mix. Pour into a greased 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until lightly browned. (Serves 6-8)

Salmon Burgers with Basil Mayonnaise

So for once I actually have a decent excuse for not posting any recipes... I'm 16 weeks pregnant!! :) Overall I've been feeling amazing and Neal and I are thrilled about the new addition that will be coming to our family in July! I'm tempted to make a paper chain to count down the days until our munchkin arrives.. But I'll resist.. for now... :) The only real "sickness" (if you can even call it that..) that I've had so far is an aversion to certain foods, especially cooking. So needless to say, new recipes and a lot of food in general has not sounded so good the past couple of months.. I'm finally over the stage of  "cereal, fruit and smoothies are the only things in this house I can stomach" so I'm finally back to my sad, neglected blog to post a few new recipes that I've collected over the past few weeks. It feels great to have the appetite to actually try new things again.

These burgers were great, healthy and super quick to throw together. Perfect for a weeknight meal when you're hungry and don't want to spend more than 30 minutes throwing a meal together. The basil mayo had a great flavor and added enough flavor and sauce to the burgers that no other sauces were even needed. And I felt kind of fancy for eating salmon burgers since it sounds like something you'd have in a gourmet steakhouse with truffle fries.. Mm... This recipe makes enough for 2 good-size salmon burgers, so double or triple it to feed more mouths. (Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients:

Basil Mayonnaise:

• 4 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1-2 pinches dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. dried dill

Salmon Burgers:

• 4-5 oz. canned salmon, drained and gently mashed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 Tbsp. parsley (dried or fresh)
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1 pinch oregano
• 1 pinch thyme
• 1 pinch basil
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 sesame hamburger buns
• lettuce leaves
• sliced tomatoes

Combine all of the ingredients for the mayonnaise and set aside. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat until hot. To make sure the oil is at the right temperature, flick a little water into it. If it sizzles lightly then it's right. If it sparks and splashes and goes everywhere, it's too hot so turn it down and wait a couple of minutes. If nothing happens, or if it's a very delayed reaction, increase the heat and try again. 

While the oil is heating, mix all ingredients for the salmon burgers together through the basil. Form into two patties (the patties will be very moist and will fall apart easily) and gently place into the hot oil. Cook on each side for about 4 minutes until light brown.

To assemble burgers, spread basil mayo on the hamburger buns and top with a patty, lettuce and tomato. Serve immediately while still warm.

BYU's Mint Brownies

While I was going to school at Brigham Young University (BYU), it was always a challenge to stay away from their made-from-scratch orange rolls, chocolate covered cinnamon bears, cinnamon rolls and especially their mint brownies. Soft, chewy and fudgy with a thin layer of mint frosting topped with a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth layer of chocolate frosting. Sinful and decadent.

Now that I live across the country in Tennessee, these brownies are kind of out of my reach, which is why I was so excited when I stumbled across the recipe that was posted in the BYU magazine back in 2003.

Let's start with the brownie part first. This was a super easy brownie recipe since it just calls for cocoa powder instead of melted and cooled chocolate. The resulting brownie was so soft, chewy and fudgy - just like the ones I remember! That's a big plus for homemade brownies since half of the time mine turn into hard bricks. :)

The frosting was also really simple and had a fantastic flavor. I love the light mint flavor combined with the chocolate frosting. And since the mint layer is tinted a light green, it makes me feel all fancy and professional, even though I'm FAR from that... Serve these with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to take them over the edge. Oh, and if you make this large 9x13 size, make sure you take it to a party where there are a LOT of people to eat them. Otherwise you'll end up with a half of a pan full of these bad boys sitting at home. Not a good start to the Holiday season..

Ingredients:

Brownies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks)  margarine
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I leave these out)

Mint Icing:

• 5 Tbsp. margarine, softened
• dash of salt
• 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
• 2 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. mint extract
• 1 - 2 drops green food coloring
• 3 Tbsp. milk

Chocolate Icing:

• 5 Tbsp. margarine, softened
• dash of salt
• 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp. milk

Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts if desired. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.

Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting. Note: You still want the mint frosting to be thick enough to spread and have it stay in place. Don't add more than 3 Tbsp. of milk or the consistency will be too thin.

Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time (15-20 minutes) to stiffen the icing. Mix up the chocolate icing the same way as the mint. Remove the brownies from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing. Keep brownies stored in fridge until ready to serve.

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

There's nothing quite like leftover turkey on a homemade dinner roll slathered with cranberry sauce. Especially this amazing, homemade cranberry-orange sauce with a hint of cinnamon. Mm.. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. This sauce is really easy to make and tastes ten times better than the canned Oceanspray cranberry sauce you can buy year-round. Thanksgiving only comes once a year, so why not take the extra ten minutes to make your own instead of using that awful looking canned sauce that has jellied ridges from the aluminum? 

Honestly though, this sauce really only takes about 10 minutes to throw together! Put in a fancy silver dish on the table and you'll take your turkey to whole new level! (Picture courtesy of This Week for Dinner)

Ingredients:

• 1 12-oz. bag of fresh cranberries
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 orange, roughly chopped

Put all ingredients into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let it softly simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries begin to burst and release their juices. Sauce will thicken slightly and all of the flavors will meld together to create an amazing tart-sweet flavor! Let cool and serve cold.

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

Recently Neal and I have really enjoyed Thai-style dishes, especially this CPK's Thai Chicken Salad. I recently I ran across this recipe that is pretty similar, except it's made with noodles instead of lettuce! The sauce definitely makes this dish with the fresh ginger, sesame oil, cilantro and peanut butter. Seriously, wait until you have all of the ingredients before you make this. It makes a big difference to have those fresh, flavorful ingredients on-hand. This can definitely be added to one of those quick "weeknight" meals that we all desperately need from time to time (or at least I do...). This could also be made into a great side dish instead of your usual rice or potatoes. This recipe serves 6 people easily so cut it in half if you only need to feed 2 or 3 like I usually do. (Recipe courtesy of The Sisters Cafe)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti noodles
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped finely
• 1 large red or orange bell pepper, sliced thinly
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
• 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• handful of cilantro

Sauce:

• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 cup hot water

Cook noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside. While they are cooking, place garlic and ginger in a food processor until well chopped. Add peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar and rice vinegar. Pulse until well combined. Slowly add hot water and pulse a few more times. Set aside. 

Saute onion and bell pepper in some olive oil for 2-3 minutes or until soft-crisp. Add onion, peppers and chicken to the cooked noodles. Add sauce and stir to coat. Top with peanuts, sesame seeds and cilantro, if desired. Serve warm.

Note: Sauce tends to pool at the bottom of the warm dish of noodles so make sure to give it a good stir before serving. 

Brown Sugar Cranberry Oat Muffins

Sometimes I get really tired of cereal and oatmeal for breakfast in the mornings. Every now and then I'll get up early enough to make myself something different like scrambled eggs and toast or a fruit smoothie, but most of the time sleep wins over breakfast and I end up grabbing a packet of oatmeal as I run out the door. Why didn't I think of making muffins more often for my grab-and-go breakfast? No idea. But now that the idea finally came to me I'll definitely be making some more often!

I start my work day early and usually leave my house no later than 6:30 every morning. This means I usually eat breakfast around 6:15 and I wait until around 12:30 to eat lunch. 6 hours is a long time to go without a meal! So it's pretty important for me to eat something that will fill me up with maybe a small snack around 10:30 or 11:00. These muffins definitely did the trick! I substituted whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose and with the oatmeal and cranberries, I only needed one or two to satisfy my hunger. These muffins bake up nice and moist and the tart cranberries pair perfectly with the sweet brown sugar muffin. If you're not a big fan of cranberries, try adding in blueberries instead. I think a blueberry-banana combination would be great!

This recipe makes about 16 muffins - perfect for Neal and I to eat throughout the week. By the way - I found this recipe at the Williams Sonoma website. I had no idea they had such a huge collection of recipes! They might be my new go-to source for new ideas, especially their breakfast collection. Check it out when you get a free minute! (Picture and recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  Line 16 standard muffing cups with paper liners, or butter/oil the cups.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another larger bowl, stir together 2 cups of the oats, the sour cream, milk and butter until combined.  Add the eggs, then the brown sugar and stir until combined.  Gently stir the flour mixture into the oat mixture. Fold in the cranberries.

Fill the prepared muffin cups to the rims.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup oats evenly over the muffins.  Pour a little water into any empty muffin cups to prevent scorching.  Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.  Let the muffins cool about five minutes, then unmold the muffins onto a wire rack and let cool slightly.  Serve warm.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

I'm a huge fan of butternut squash soup in the Fall. I love the sweet/salty flavor and especially the creaminess it adds. A few weeks ago I bought a huge butternut squash from the Farmer's Market and wanted to try to make something different with it. Almost every blog I hop on to look at recipes has so many unique and different ways to use the gourd! Already having a deep love for homemade mac and cheese (I love basically anything that has cheese in it..), I couldn't resist trying out this recipe with the addition of squash. I was very surprised at the ending flavor and how it all turned out! Neal tested it before the final result of the added spices and thought it was just okay, but once I added a bit of salt and herbs, he loved it. Result of the story: Don't forget your spices!

Please don't be skeptical about adding in squash to mac and cheese! It makes the dish so creamy and slightly sweet and I absolutely loved. I roasted the butternut squash before pureeing it which brought out all of the best flavors. For the cheese I used a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and added in some garlic powder, rosemary, chili powder, nutmeg and pepper to add some extra flavor. If you have the extra time, I also think adding breadcrumbs to the top and baking it for a few minutes would add an amazing texture and crunch. This is definitely going to be a fall favorite from now on! (Recipe and picture courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 lb. elbow macaroni
• 2 1/2 cups milk, divided
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 5 strips cooked bacon (optional)
• 1/2 cup green onions, diced (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butternut squash chunks on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender, turning once.

While the squash is roasting, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.

Add butternut squash to food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add in 1/2 cup milk to thin out the squash, then puree again.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and add in the spices. Cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly, until the flour mixture begins to smell nutty. Add in the remaining cups of milk gradually (1/2 cup at a time), whisking constantly until smooth and flour is dissolved. Turn heat to high and to a boil while continuing to whisk. After sauce has thickened turn heat to low and whisk in half of the butternut squash mixture. Taste and continue to add in the other half until it tastes creamy enough to you (all up to your personal preference). Add the sauce and the shredded cheese to the cooked macaroni noodles and stir until cheese is melted. Crumble the cooked bacon and green onions over the top (optional). Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Optional: pour After cheese is melted, pour macaroni into a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup bread crumbs and bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.

Zesty Lemon Icebox Pie

Neal's grandma's birthday was this weekend and for her requested cake/dessert, she asked for a lemon icebox pie. A what? Icebox? Yeah.. I had no clue. Ha! So I went to my trusty Southern Living website and searched for icebox pies. After sifting through a few recipes, I came across this one. Looked easy and sounded delicious, so I crossed my fingers and hoped this would be similar to what she asked for.

The original recipe called for a graham cracker crust, which I'm not a huge fan of. Especially with a fruit pie - it just didn't seem right! So I substituted a classic dough pie crust instead with fantastic results. I had to bake the crust by itself first before adding in the filling since the filling only cooks for 15 minutes. The pie itself was heavenly. The zesty lemon flavor paired perfectly with the sweetened condensed milk making a tart and sweet creamy filling that tasted uh-mazing. I topped it all with a layer of lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream and twisted lemon slices. It was a very simple dessert but the ending flavor turned out amazing. I didn't have the patience time to wait for it to completely cool, but I think waiting the full time would make it even better. (For the pie crust recipe, click here. This recipe makes enough for two crusts, so cut in half for just a single pie.)

Ingredients:

• 1 pre-baked pie crust
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• Garnish: fresh lemon slices, mint leaves (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice until smooth. Pour into baked pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill for 4 hours.

Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar on high speed until soft peaks form. Dollop and smooth over cooled pie. Top with fresh lemon slices and mint leaves and serve immediately.

Outback Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I love to have hearty salads for dinner every now and then, but I always have to make sure they are "manly" enough for my husband to eat too. Otherwise I get a few rabbit/chick food comments as we're eating, followed by a bowl of cereal or sandwich for a second meal. This one definitely did the trick! Every time we go to Outback to eat, I always get the exact same dish: 8 oz. sirloin, wedge salad with blue cheese vinaigrette, and a baked sweet potato. I love every single thing about each part of the meal, especially the wedge salad that Neal introduced me to a couple of years ago. The dressing is definitely the best part so I decided to try and recreate it. I used a skirt steak, sliced thinly but I think any type of tender, non-fatty steak would work great. You definitely don't want fat on a steak salad.. I was very impressed at how close this dressing compared to Outback's and I may have licked the remaining drops out of the bowl..

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. steak, grilled with your favorite seasonings/marinade
• I used A1 Peppercorn sauce - my absolute favorite steak sauce!
• 1 bag mixed greens/spring mix
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pecans
• Onion Strings
• 1 large yellow or white onion, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup - 1 cup flour
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• Blue Cheese Vinaigrette:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

For the Onion Strings:

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix the milk and egg together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge onion slices in the milk mixture, then in the flour. Drop onions into the hot oil and let them saute, turning every 30 second to 1 minute. Remove to a paper towel when they become light brown.

For the Blue Cheese Vinaigrette:

Put all ingredients except blue cheese in a food processor/blender and blend until smooth. Add in the blue cheese crumbles and mix again.

To Assemble the Salad:

Layer the mixed greens, tomatoes and pecans on plates. Slice the steak thinly and lay on top of the greens. Top with a handful of onion strings and drizzle the vinaigrette over top. Serve immediately.

Upside-Down Caramelized Peach Cake

I was at the local Farmer's Market (again!) last weekend, excited to see all of the beautiful pumpkins, squash, apples and Fall flavors everywhere! I have to be honest that I was pretty surprised to still see peaches there since here in the South their peak season has passed. Turns out the peaches were freestone from Idaho, which I found out was about the last place that they are in season right now! Of course I couldn't resist my favorite fruit so I bought a small basket and after devouring a couple, I decided to find a yummy peach dessert to use the rest in. I pulled out an old Southern Living Magazine that I had kept from the summer and turned to this recipe. Perfect! I had all of the ingredients and knew I had to make it! One last shout-out to peaches for the year.

This cake turned out heavenly! My dad always made an incredible peach cobbler in a dutch oven when I was growing up, and this cake tasted very similar. The only major difference was the caramel that coated each beautiful slice. Oh, caramel.. I have a love-hate relationship with him. So delicious, smooth and creamy, but let it cook for just 10 seconds too long and you end up with a thick, black, stinky, smoky mess all over your pan. Gross. Thank goodness I had plenty of sugar to try again!

So as a suggestion: CAREFULLY watch the sugar as it's melting and turning that beautiful amber color. The first time I let the sugar cook until it was the perfect color, then took it off only to watch in horror as it quickly burned and tasted like those nasty popcorn kernels that cook too long. The second time I took my pan off the burner as soon as the sugar began to turn from clumps to liquid and stirred it for a couple more minutes until it was mostly melted. I left some clumps in the pan and they melted perfectly while the cake was baking. So aside from the tricky caramel, the rest was really easy. The cake was so moist and mixed great with the sweet/tart flavor of the peaches and hot caramel sauce. And of course a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream doesn't hurt either!

Ingredients:

• 4 medium peaches, unpeeled and cut into 1/3-inch thick wedges
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 1 cup cake flour*
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature and divided
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss peaches with lemon juice, set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Cook 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a 10-inc cast-iron skillet over  medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 5-6 minutes or until sugar melts and turns a light amber color (watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!!). Remove from heat. Immediately add 1/4 cup butter, stirring vigorously. Spread caramelized sugar to coat bottom of skillet evenly, and sprinkle with brown sugar. Arrange peach wedges in concentric circles over sugar mixture, overlapping as needed.

Beat vanilla, remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed in an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.  Add sour cream, beating until blended. Gradually add in sifted flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended and stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Spoon batter over peaches in skillet and spread to cover.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in skillet for 10 minutes, run a knife around edge to loosen.

Carefully invert cake onto a serving plate and drizzle with any reserved liquid.  Cut cake into wedges and top with ice cream, if desired.