Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Lemon-Raspberry Cupcakes
yields 24 cupcakes

I LOVE lemon desserts, so when I came across this recipe on My Happy Meals, I had to try it. I also love recipes that also allow me to use my handy, dandy Kitchen-Aid mixer......yay!! These cupcakes turn out super tasty, and look like a professional baker made these. Just make sure you make enough frosting as I barely had enough to cover 22 cupcakes (2 got eaten before I could finish making them). Great idea for a large get together, the compliments will come pouring in....I promise you!

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar-I may use slightly less sugar, or Splenda next time
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
zest and juice of 2 Meyer lemons

Filling:Raspberry preserves

Frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. raspberry preserves
24 raspberries

Directions:
Wash and drain raspberries. Allow to dry on a paper towel. (This will prevent excess liquid dripping onto the frosting.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Continue beating and gradually add sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Gradually drizzle in the eggs, and beat in between additions, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat until batter is no longer slick.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk on low speed, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat in the lemon juice and lemon zest.

Divide batter between 24 cupcake liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a small cone out of each cupcake using a small paring knife. Fill with 1 tsp. raspberry preserves and replace each cone. (You may need to cut a small part of the cone off so it sits evenly.)

To prepare the frosting, in a large mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar until frosting consistency. Add preserves and continue to beat until a pinkish hue and raspberry flavor is achieved. Pipe onto cupcakes as desired. (Smoothing with a knife will not work as well with the cone.) Put a raspberry in the center of each cupcake.

Anytime Vegetable Salad

This is really a 3 bean salad-green beans, wax beans (yellow green beans), and edamame beans. The colors looks look so pretty when mixed in with the cherry tomatoes. The vinagrette for this salad came out sooooo yummy, I would even put it on a standard house salad. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
2 cups shelled edamame soy beans
8 ounces thin green beans, trimmed
8 ounces yellow wax beans, trimmed
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or tarragon leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Cook the edamame in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water, then drain well and pat dry. Repeat with the green beans and yellow beans. Combine the vegetables in a bowl.
Add the vinegar, oil, herbs, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to a glass screw-top jar. Seal the jar and shake vigorously to mix the vinaigrette.
When you're ready to serve, shake the jar again to re-mix the vinaigrette and pour it over the vegetables. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Alternate Method: Whisk the vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper in a large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Add all of the beans, tomatoes, basil, and thyme, and toss to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with more salt and pepper, and serve.

Recipe: Giada De Laurentiis

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops

Photo: Food Network (photos shows the "Anytime Vegetable Salad" as well)

I came across this recipe while watching Giada's show on Food Network. I could not wait to make this recipe! This is perfect for a date night in, so delicious and you get to look like a pro while making it.

Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions
Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Apple & Pear Crisp

I threw a birthday party for a close friend, and decided to make this for dessert since someone else was already bringing a cake. The balance of the apples and pears came out so delicious!!! As always, this was a very easy dessert to make. It's even better the next day as all of the flavors really come together overnight.


Ingredients

2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

For the topping:
Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.
Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.

Recipe: Ina Garten, "Back to Basics" cookbook

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Oranges and Rosemary

I was looking for a yummy way to cook up some dark chicken meat, and came across this recipe on foodnetwork.com. I love recipes that have ingredients I already have in my kitchen. Todd was skeptical since he is not a fan of citrus w/ chicken, but he LOVED this (I mean eating 5 pieces of chicken loved!). The meat came out so juicy and flavorful. I highly recommend adding the OJ & chili oil to give it extra flavor (did not come out too spicy). I paired this with couscous, and veggies.

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons rosemary leaves (I used about 5 stems)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (I used 3 teaspoons)
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks (6 thighs and 6 drumsticks)
1/2 medium orange, cut into 6 very thin slices and slices cut into half moons (don't peel, cut into circles, and then cut circles in 1/2)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

I added:

-1/4 cup of orange juice

-1/2 tablespoon of chili oil

-I sprinkled more salt and pepper on the chicken right before baking in the oven

Directions
Heat oven to 450 degrees F and arrange rack in middle.
In a large bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of the oil, rosemary, salt, red pepper flakes, and freshly ground black pepper (I also added the orange juice and chili oil to the mixture). Add chicken pieces and turn to coat well. Slip 1 piece of orange under skin of each piece.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a cast iron skillet or large frying pan over medium-high heat until butter foams. Working in batches, add 3 or 4 chicken pieces (don't overcrowd the pan) and brown on both sides until skin is crisp and golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per batch. As chicken is finished, place in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. I then sprinkled salt and pepper before placing in the oven.

Once all chicken has browned, place in oven to roast until juices run clear when pricked with a knife and meat registers 160 to 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. (I cooked for about 30-35 minutes)

Recipe: Aida Mollenkamp

Monterrey Cantina-Restaurant Review

This past weekend we ventured out to Royal Oak to meet up with a couple of friends, we decided on a mexican restaurant named Monterrey Cantina. Since they don't take reservations, we were put on a wait and decided to grab a drink at the bar. While at the bar I enjoyed a huge Mango Margarita...I think it came to about $8, our wait only lasted about 20-25 mins. Once seated we dove into the chips and salsa, and ordered our entrees. I ordered 3 beef tacos w/ rice, Todd ordered a burrito, and our friends ordered the fajitas (they smelled amazing!). I would say our food was pretty standard mexican fare (no big flavors, a tad dissapointed), the service was very prompt (extra kudos). I would rate the overall experience 3.75/5 stars. I would be willing to come here again during happy hour.

Our bill
1 taco entree
1 beef burrito
Total: approx. $25 w/out drinks

http://www.monterreycantina.com/index.htm

Buffalo Chicken Crescent Pockets & Onion Roasted Potatoes

I saw this recipe on Lindsay's "Love Deliciousness" blog a few months back (her interpretation of Shelly's chicken crescent pockets), and always wanted to try these out since the recipe uses two of my favorite things....buffalo chicken & crescent rolls. These turned out great, and will definitely make again.....thanks Lindsay & Shelly! I paired them with roasted potatoes.

Ingredients
* 1 medium size chicken breast
* Buffalo sauce (used Frank's Hot Sauce)
* Blue cheese crumbs (omitted)
* Shredded cheddar cheese (I used mild.....turned out perfect!)
* 1 container refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions
1. Marinate chicken breast in buffalo sauce.
2. Bake chicken in oven until fully cooked. Cut up into small pieces.
3. Roll out crescent rolls onto baking sheet so that they lay flat.
4. Add your blue cheese crumbles and your shredded cheddar cheese onto the centers of the crescent pockets.
5. Add pieces of chicken to each crescent.
6. Fold up crescents into little pockets. The easiest way is to fold up the 2 short ends and then fold the long end all the way over the top.
7. Bake according to directions on crescents.
8. Enjoy!!


Onion Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients
1 envelope Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Onion Soup Mix
4 all-purpose potatoes, cut into large chunks (about 2 lbs.)
1/3 cup Olive Oil

Directions
1. In large bowl, toss all ingredients until evenly coated.
2. In 13 x 9-inch baking or roasting pan, arrange potatoes.
3. Bake at 425°, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time:
10 Minute(s)
Cook Time:
35 Minute(s)

Garlic Fried Chicken

I was in the mood for Chicken Parmesan, and came across this recipe on allrecipes.com. I decided to give it a shot, and it came out delicious! Next time I may use less flour and more breadcrumbs. If you are against frying, you could try baking the chicken instead. The chicken came out VERY dark when fried, but still did not taste burnt. I paired it with some angel hair pasta tossed w/ EVOO and sprinkled some parsley flakes.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons garlic powder, I added a bit more
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin (wrapping the chicken loosely in plastic wrap, and then pounding them with a pan works perfectly)
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed


DIRECTIONS
In a shallow dish, mix together the garlic powder, pepper, salt, paprika, bread crumbs and flour. In a separate dish, whisk together the milk and egg.
Heat the oil in an electric skillet set to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Dip the chicken into the egg and milk, then dredge in the dry ingredients until evenly coated.
Fry chicken in the hot oil for about 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from the oil with a slotted spatula, and serve.

*I just used a regular frying pan and waited for the oil to start rippling.

Simple Asian Salmon

When we want a flavorful and quick healthy meal (they say to eat fish a few time a week), we make this salmon recipe. Neither of us are huge seafood fans, but this is tasty!

Ingredients:
3-4 salmon fillets
1/4 -1/3 cup Teriyaki sauce (enough to coat fillets)
2 tbsp. of Sesame Oil
Lemon Pepper Seasoning (I use Grill Mates Lemon Pepper with Herb Seasoning)
Garlic Powder
1 lemon (to garnish salmon)

*I also make a batch of white rice in the rice cooker to go with this.

Directions:
Marinate salmon fillets in the Teriyaki and Sesame Oil mixture for 10-15 minutes, you can add more or less of the mixture to your liking.

Sprinkle the lemon pepper seasoning and garlic powder on fillets, your preference on the amount.

Place fillets in a heated pan on medium heat with a little oil, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook another 5 minutes or until fillets are cooked through.

Served on a bed of rice. Enjoy!

Chunky Chili Recipe

I use this chili recipe for Superbowl Sunday. It's very delicious, and exactly what I think chili should taste like. It's great if you like mild chili, you can add extra chili powder to taste.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium sweet onion, very finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 cans red kidney beans, drained (optional, Todd hates beans so we skip)
1 jar marinara meat sauce (use a high quality sauce)
1 package chili seasoning
Shredded cheese, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Minced chives, for garnish

*I add a can of drained corn the last 5 minutes of cooking-it adds a nice texture and hint of sweetness

Directions
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and saute until softened. Crumble in the ground beef and cook until browned. Add beans and marinara sauce and combine thoroughly. Stir in chili seasoning, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Spoon into individual bowls and garnish with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and chives.

*We think this tastes better the next day, great for leftovers!

Sandra Lee recipe

Super Easy Pot Roast

I am a no fuss kind of cooker, if it takes too long or has too many steps I don't cook it. We love pot roast, and this is soooo easy. Throw it in a bag, cook/forget about it.

1 package McCormick® Bag 'n Season® Pot Roast
3 to 4 pounds eye round, chuck or rump roast, trimmed
4 cups cut-up fresh vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, celery and onions
1/4 cup water-I substitute for beef broth

I have also added the following to this recipe:
1 can/bottle of beer (I use Budweiser, don't use light beer)
1 packet of Liption Onion Soup Mix-so flavorful & I hate chopping up onions


DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange opened Roasting Bag in 13x9-inch baking pan. Place roast and vegetables in bag. Mix Seasoning Mix with water. Pour over meat.

2. Close bag loosely with nylon tie. Cut 4 small holes in top of bag to allow steam to escape.

3. Bake in lower half of oven 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve roast and vegetables with pan juices. Pan juices may be thickened for gravy.

IMPORTANT: Allow 8 inches for bag to expand while cooking. Roasting bag should not touch oven walls or racks.

The following gravy tips come from Ina Garten:
Skim out fat from the pan drippings, mix flour with room temperature butter until flour disappears. Put butter/flour mix in a sauce pan with drippings, and simmer. (mixing the butter and flour ensures that you don't have flour clumps)

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

This is Todd's favorite, I make this for him on special occasions.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (add more to coat the top of the loaf)
1/2 cup ketchup (add more to coat the top of the loaf)
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped (I have also used 1 packet of the Lipton Onion Soup Mix instead, awesome!)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs (I use plain bread crumbs instead)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.
In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup. (I then add a mixture of ketchup and brown sugar to coat the top as well)
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

Allrecipes.com

Noodle Kugel

I wanted to find a traditional but tasty kugel recipe for our Passover dinner, I found this awesome one on allrecipes.com. I have made this recipe twice and have received raves.... huge favorite during Hanukkah, my family loves this recipe!

15 Servings (we have huge family dinners):

INGREDIENTS
1 pound egg noodles
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
8 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups sour cream
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
TOPPING:
9 cinnamon graham crackers, crushed
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Toss with butter; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, sour cream and cottage cheese until well blended. Stir in the noodles.
Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Combine the cracker crumbs and butter; sprinkle over top.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or cold. (Best when served warm we think)

Fried/Toasted Ravioli

Ingredients

Olive Oil (or use Vegetable Oil....less bitter when frying) for frying
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs
1 box store-bought cheese ravioli (about 24 ravioli)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 jar store bought marinara sauce, heated, for dipping

Directions
Pour enough oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F.
While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working in batches, dip ravioli in buttermilk to coat completely. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, and continue with the remaining ravioli.
When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.

Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

*After frying, we placed on a cooling rack with paper towel underneath.

Recipe: Giada de laurentiis

Evey's Easy Enchiladas

1 lb. of ground beef (I use lean...easier to drain the fat)

2 10 oz. cans of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce (hot or mild, your preference...we use Mild, tasty!)

6 oz. of shredded cheese (I use the Mexican blend)

1 (12 count) pkg. of flour tortillas or soft taco shells (corn tortilla shells fall apart too easily)

1 Green Scallion/Green Onion

Heat oven to 400°F. Brown ground beef over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in 3/4 cup enchilada sauce and 1 cup cheese.

Spoon enchilada filling onto tortillas; roll up and place seam-side down in lightly greased 13X9X2" baking dish.

Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Then I add sliced green scallions for taste and appearance.

Bake at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Todd likes to add Jalapenos to give it a little kick!

Sooo easy and soo delicious, great alternative to taco night.

*Original recipe from Old El Paso 1998 The Pillsbury Company, I just made a few adjustments