Recipe Box: Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta

This is probably one of the best pasta I've had in awhile. If you are looking for a simple to make, yet fancy sounding dish to impress, this is it. Perhaps a good Valentine's Day meal.


Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta

• spaghetti
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 2 tsp butter, divided
• 1/2 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 oz sliced bella mushrooms
• salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup chicken stalk
• 1/4 cup white wine
• parsley
• green onion, sliced thinly
• parmesan cheese

1. Cook spaghetti.
2. Heat 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp butter in pan. Saute shrimp until cooked through, it only takes a few minutes. Set aside.
3. Add other tsp olive oil and tsp of butter to plan. Cook garlic for a minute and then add in mushrooms. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. I ended up adding a bit extra butter to keep mushrooms from being too dry.
4. Stir in chicken broth and wine to deglaze pan. Add shrimp and spaghetti into veggies and sauce. Toss everything together.
5. Place over heat again until bubbly.
6. Top with parmesan cheese and green onion.
7. Serve and enjoy!

I used a Chardonnay for my wine choice. I'm not a big wine drinker so thank goodness for the labels on the back telling you what it is best served with.

Recipe Box: Fantastic Stuffed Peppers

This months issue of Real Simple is filled with delicious looking recipes. One of them was for a stuffed pepper that I just had to try. And if you are looking for a Tex-Mex like meal, give this one a try.

Fantastic Stuffed Peppers
Makes 4-6

1 cup rice
olive oil
3 green onions, white and greens, sliced
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 can chopped green chilies
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp parsley
pinch of red pepper flake
1 cup cheese of your choice
2 or 3 bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
plain greek yogurt
salsa

1. Heat oven to 375. Place peppers in baking pan, cut side up.
2. Prepare rice according to directions and set aside.
3. In frying pan, cook turkey and scallions in a bit of oil (just enough to prevent meat from sticking.) Stir and break up meat.
4. Once meat is browned, stir in corn, chilies, seasonings, rice, and 1/2 of cheese. Stir until cheese is melty and everything is mixed together.
5. Divide mixture between the peppers. Optional - add half cup water to pan.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes or until peppers are tender. Uncovered and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake until cheese is melted.
7. Remove from oven. Top with a spoonful of yogurt and salsa.
8. Enjoy!

These can be made as spicy as you want, just add more or less red pepper flakes and chili powder. I used pepperjack cheese for a little extra kick. I didn't noticed until after I made mine that you were supposed to add water before they baked, but mine turned out fine without it.

This could easily be made vegetarian by using black beans instead of meat. If you have extra filling, slap that in a tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and a bit of salsa. Yum.

Recipe Box: 5 Minute Chocolate Cake

Have you ever wanted a piece of chocolate cake but didn't want to make a whole cake? Well...Here's a quick and easy chocolate cake recipe!

In a mug mix together:

• 2 1/2 tbs flour
• 2 1/2 tbs sugar
• 1 tbs cocoa
• 1 1/2 tbs milk
• 1 1/2 tbs oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsb vanilla 

Once mixed sprinkle with 1 tbs choco chips. Microwave for 3 minutes. Enjoy! 

Original recipe found here.

Recipe Box: An Amazing Cuban Sandwich

Have you ever had a Cuban Sandwich before? I kept seeing different variations of them on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. I love a good sandwich. So after digging around and finding the traditional ingredients, I put my own little spin on it.

Cuban Sandwich

• Crusty bread that has a soft interior like a baguette or telera roll (which is what I used)
• Light mayo
• Spicy mustard
• Swiss cheese
• Deli sliced ham
• Deli sliced roast beef
• Capocollo
• Sweet pickles

1. Slice bread down the center
2. Spread one side with a bit of mayo and the other with mustard
3. Layer sandwich: swiss cheese, 3-4 pickles, 3 slices capocollo, one slice each roast beef and ham, and another slice of swiss cheese.
4. Heat up skillet to medium heat. Lightly butter both sides of sandwich and grill. Slightly press down while cooking.
5. Once toasty, remove from heat. Slice in half and enjoy with your favorite side!

This was the perfect lunch after finishing my Christmas shopping (which I hadn't started until...uhhh, yesterday.) It has been a decently productive day. I vacuumed and cleaned the interior of my car, finished shopping, wrapped everything up, and working on finished up some of the gifts I'm making. And I can't believe tomorrow is already Monday...

It was also like 50 degrees or so out today. It's December...Come on....

Recipe Box: Spice Rubbed Chicken

I made this quite awhile ago. And to be honest, it's another one of those things where I don't exactly have a recipe for it. I just started throwing spices in a bowl.

Spices such as: 

• Chili Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Cayenne Pepper
• Celery Salt
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Brown Sugar
• Parsley
• Thyme
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Paparika
• Salt
• Pepper

I think I used chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, parsley, brown sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper.

1. Rub the chicken with your spice rub. Place in baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Store in fridge for 4-5 hours to marinate.
2. When you're ready to bake them, preheat oven to 400.
3. Remove plastic wrap from baking dish. Add just enough water to keep chicken moist while baking. (About 1/4 way up chicken.)
4. Bake for about 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
5. Let rest for 5 minutes.

*I added a bit of rice vinegar to my pan drippings for a sauce. The rice vinegar is a sweeter vinegar so it was a good pairing for all the spices.

Serve with sauteed veggies. My favorites are red and green peppers, mushrooms, red onion, and potatoes. I sauteed them in olive oil and a few of the spices from my rub.

Sounds delish right? The leftover made great fajitas the next day.

Need ideas for spice combinations? Try here, here, and here.

Recipe Box: Almond Joy Scones

Do you like Almond Joys? Yum. When I came across this recipe I just had to give them a try. Super easy to make.

Almond Joy Scones

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup wheat flour
1 cup almond flour

2 tbs. sugar

3 tps baking powder

1/2 tps baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 egg

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

1/3 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup mini choco chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line two baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

2. In bowl, whisk together flour sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Toss the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture. Cut together butter and flour either with fingers or pastry cutter. Work until there are crumbles of butter the size of peas and oats. Put in fridge for a few minutes.

4. Whisk together buttermilk and egg.

5. Take the flour/butter mixture out of fridge and add coconut, almonds, and chocolate chips. Mix together and create a well in the center of the mixture.  

6. Add the buttermilk and egg all at once to the well.  Use a fork to bring ingredients together. Mixture will be shaggy.  

7. Flour a work surface and dump the shaggy dough mixture out onto the counter.  Bring together the dough with your hands into a 1 1/2-inch thick round disk. 

8. Use round biscuit cutter or water glass to cut out biscuits.

9. Place biscuits on the baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with course or regular sugar.

10. Bake biscuits for 14-18 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from the oven.

11. Enjoy!

Original recipe can be found here.

I was extremely lazy and didn't want to toast my almonds or coconut. I'm sure it would have given the scones a bit more flavor. I think next time I may add a bit of almond extract.

I also didn't have any buttermilk on hand. Sure was prepared to make these, huh? So I used 1/2 cup regular milk, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and 2 tbs. of almond milk. (My fridge had every type of milk except buttermilk...) I'm sure you could all regular milk. But I like to experiment.

 

By the way...Have you entered my giveaway yet? Check out this post to find out more! Giveaway is open until Sunday, December 4th.

Recipe Box: Apple Pie Cookies

A few weeks ago I picked some apples off of a tree behind my office. My plan was to make mini apple pie turnover things. And then I came across a recipe for Apple Pie Cookies! Perfect little bite sized pie.

Apple Pie Cookies

For the crust: 
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup wheat flour
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold, cut into cubes
1/2 cup ice water

1.Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the pieces of butter are the size of small peas.
2. Gently stir in the ice water with a rubber spatula, mixing it until a shaggy mass of dough forms.
3. Knead it just two or three times to form a ball.
4. Divide dough in half.
5. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten into a disc. Chill in fridge for at least an hour.
6. Roll out dough pretty thin, around an 1/8-inch.
7. Use a 3 inch cookie cutter or drinking glass to cut as many rounds as you can from the dough.
8. Stack cut rounds onto a plate, separated with wax paper.
9. Repeat with second half of dough.

For the filling: 
3 medium apples, cut into slices and tossed in lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash nutmeg and cloves

Assembly line of 5 dishes:
Dish 1: Water
Dish 2: Apples
Dish 3: Sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Dish 4: Beaten egg
Dish 5: Course or regular sugar

To assemble: 
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grab one disc and lightly dab with water. Place on a parchment or grease lined baking sheet.
3. Take apple disc and toss it with the sugar mixture. Put into center of dough round.
4. Put a second disc on top of apple. With fork press edges together to seal. Continue to assemble until you're baking sheet is filled.
5. Cut slits in top to allow steam to escape. Brush beaten egg over each pie and sprinkle with sugar.
6. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
7. Transfer to cooling rack with wax paper lined underneath.
8. Optional: Take caramel sauce and drizzle over the top.

Wow. Now that I read that over, it sounds like A LOT of work...but they are soooo good. Maybe you should devote a whole afternoon to making them. And then a whole night so you can eat them.

Original recipe found here.

Recipe Box: Caprese Salad

I'm quite sad our local Farmer's Market is over with now for the year. It had kind of become a Saturday tradition when I'm in town for the weekend to hit it up and get some fresh veggies. Then I would visit a local antique shop downtown that is HUGE! It's full of great things.

One thing that always seemed plentiful at the Farmer's Market was tomatoes. Now, I like a good tomato every now and then, but I usually don't eat them. But I kept seeing recipes for a simple Italian salad. So I picked some up and decided to give it a try.

Easy Caprese Salad with Toasted Bread

Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
Mozzarella Cheese (I got the little pearls)
Basil
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Toss together an even amount of tomatoes and mozzarella in a bowl. Slice basil into little ribbons and toss in. I'm leaving the amount up to you, kind of depends on your taste and how much you like basil. Then drizzle enough olive oil and balsamic vinegar to lightly coat tomatoes and cheese. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Slice a loaf of bread into thick pieces. Brush with olive oil and place in a 425 degree oven. Let toast for 5-ish minutes and flip, do the same for this side. Remove and enjoy with your salad!

Looking for another way to enjoy this salad? Boil up some pasta and toss in with everything else.

Recipe Box: Channeling TeaBerry Smoothies

I was introduced to TeaBerry last summer. It is a little shop in downtown Fargo that serves bubble tea and crepes. Since moving down to the greater MPLS area I don't get to have TeaBerry that often anymore. I tried a place in the Cities and it just wasn't the same, it tasted like pure sugar. Sad.

My favorite is a honeydew/watermelon fruit smoothie. And the best part? They use real fruit. Delish. So upon my adventure home last weekend I went and got my favorite. On the drive back to Hutch I was trying to think of how I could make a recreation of it. And then I stumbled upon a smoothie recipe at Food Network. I made it and it was ALMOST like I was walking down Broadway with my camera and smoothie in hand. 

Honeydew Almond Smoothie


1 cup chopped honeydew, chilled
1 cup ice
1/2 cup almond milk
squeeze of honey


Blend together until smooth. Drink up!
Makes one serving

Strawberry Banana Smoothie


1/2 cup chopped banana
1/2 cup chopped strawberries
1 cup ice
1/2 cup almond milk


Blend together until smooth. Enjoy!
Makes one serving

Yeah...I know, it's fall and I should be enjoying a cup of hot apple cider or something. I find smoothies to be a very filling and satisfying treat. And hey, I need to get in my fruit somehow right?

Recipe Box: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

I've been meaning to post this recipe for awhile now. Better late than never, huh? I made these a few weeks back and brought them into work. Great mid-morning snack with a cup of your favorite coffee. Just make sure you mix your frosting better than I did, so there's not lumps of powdered sugar.

Anything pumpkin just screams fall to me. Quintessential Halloween and Thanksgiving desserts. And anything made with pumpkin NOT from a can is even better. Last week I made pumpkin pie with from scratch pumpkin puree. Never going back to the canned pumpkin again.


PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 (1/4 ounce) pkg dry yeast
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter

1. In small saucepan, heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter just until butter is almost melted. In large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
2. Add milk and butter. Mix well. Beat in egg and yeast.
3. Add half of the flour to pumpkin mixture. Beat mixture on low speed 5 minutes. Add remaining flour and mix. The dough will be very soft.
3. Spray bowl with cooking spray and turn dough into bowl. Spray top of dough lightly with spray.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and dish towel. Let rise in warm place 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn onto floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough. Sprinkle dough with flour when needed to keep from sticking. Roll dough into 12×10 inch rectangle.
5. In small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush surface of dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture.
6. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jellyroll style. Pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut roll into 12 1- inch slices. Place rolls in greased baking pan. Cover with towel and let rise about 30 minutes.
7. Bake rolls at 350 degrees about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to waxed paper-lined wire rack. Cool 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Drizzle with Caramel Frosting and enjoy!


CARAMEL FROSTING
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

1. In small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk.
2. Cook over medium low heat 1 minute.
3. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
4. Stir in vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and powdered sugar. Mix until well blended.
5. If necessary, add more confectioners’ sugar.

Your house/apartment/dorm/whatever will be smelling delicious in no time! 

Original recipe found here.

My Past Life with Pumpkin Seeds in Hand

I think in my past life I was like a 50's/60's housewife to an Ad Man. It's only makes sense right? A love for design, baking, and cooking. Definitely makes sense.

At the Farmer's Market on Saturday I bought three cute little pumpkins. There is currently a homemade pumpkin pie baking in my oven. And then I discovered I still had leftover apples that I picked from the apple tree outside my work. So I made applesauce. And with the leftover cream from the pie, I added some honey and made whipped honey butter.

Oh, I also roasted the pumpkin seeds. Mmmmmmm. My apartment smells strongly of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin. The great scents of fall.

Sweet & Salty Pumpkin Seeds

• 1 c. pumpkin seeds, washed and dried
• 1 tbs. melted butter
• 1 tbs. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 300. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. 
2. Spread pumpkin seeds out on sheet and back for 50-60 minutes until dry.
3. Toss seeds with butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. 
4. Spread out on pan again and put back in oven for 5-10 minutes until crisp and crunch. 
5. Let cool and store in an air tight container. 

If you have a pumpkin laying around. Definitely make these. Sweet and salty, delicious snack. And while they're baking, have a dance party to this classic.

Delish Homemade Croutons

A couple weeks ago I went to Panera for the first time. I had this great Caesar salad that had homemade croutons on it. How can you go wrong with homemade croutons? So when I went grocery shopping I came across the Panera Caesar salad dressing. It inspired me to make some of my own croutons.

Delish Homemade Croutons

• French bread
• Garlic salt
• Paprika 
• Italian seasoning
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425. 
2. Slice bread into cubes and place in plastic bag
3. Sprinkle with seasonings
4. Shake bag to coat bread
5. Drizzle olive oil over bread, enough to coat them very lightly
6. Shake bag again
7. Spread onto cookie sheet and put in oven
8. Bake 5-10 minutes
9. Flip croutons and bake for another 5-10 minutes until crispy
10. Toss with romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, red onion, and salad dressing.
11. Enjoy a great lunch!

Pancakes! Pancakes!

Mmmmm, pancakes. They are my quick fix when I'm too lazy to make anything complicated and time consuming. But plain pancakes and maple syrup? Boring. Instead I have a tendency to just start tossing things in. Like leftover pumpkin or oatmeal and honey. So next time you're making pancakes, just start tossing stuff in. Maybe something tropical like pineapple and coconut? Or jazz up those chocolate chip pancakes with some some strawberries or raspberries. Go crazy!

I've got some great desserts to share soon.

Fancy Mac 'n Cheese

This past weekend I was watching Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. Once of the restaurants made this decadent mac 'n cheese. I just had to try and make it. Delicious, but rich. Definitely "stick-to-your-ribs" comfort food. And bring an army because this makes a ton!

For those that are gluten free, substitute brown rice or corn noodles, cornstarch for the thickening agent, and a slice of gluten free bread crumbled (perhaps throw it in the toaster/oven and toast it up a bit).

Williams-Sonoma

Last week while I was putting together my Bakery Dreams post I came across a great package design from a product sold at Williams-Sonoma.

source

How fun is that? So I got curious to see what else Williams-Sonoma had to offer. And boy did I find a lot of great stuff. Expensive, but great. So next time I hit up the Cities (this weekend), I may have to go on a hunt for some new baking mixes. As much as I would rather make stuff homemade, sometimes you just need to let the pretty box do the work.

I have been wanting to buy cupcake mix by Sprinkles for so long but have never been able to find it...Until now!

source

I wish my cupboards could be filled with this wonderfully designed packaging. 

Foods: Breakfast Quinoa

A couple weekends ago I made this breakfast quinoa. I'm not a fan of oatmeal for breakfast. But I was craving that great cinnamon-y apple deliciousness. So I made it with quinoa instead. What a perfect breakfast.

Foods: Cran Choco Walnut Loaf

This was a last minute, Thursday night, I want to bake something concoction. The original recipe can be found right here. However, since I don't really follow recipes too much my recipe card is a bit different. I added some cranberries and walnuts because I had them and they were just wasting away in the cupboard. I think I will go out and buy some buttermilk next time though. Mine got a little too crusty on top and the sides, maybe the buttermilk will help.

I will be back with a post of a bunch of lovely finds.

Cucumber Citrus Infused Water

I saw a post on A Beautiful Mess that had recipes for infused water. One that definitely intrigued me was the cucumber and lemon one. When I worked at DK all I drank was water because of the handy water/ice machine. Now I'm trying to get back into drinking more water again. But sometimes plain water gets boring. I had some lemons and lime sitting around so when I went to pick up a few groceries I grabbed a cucumber too.

So I'm sure you're thinking, cucumber flavored water? Ummm...gross, right? Don't knock it 'til you try it. It's delish.

This week look forward to photos from my adventure into the Cities from this weekend, another new recipe (or two), and some tunes.