Bruschetta Chicken

I wanted to use up some of my fresh basil-so I created this recipe!

Bruschetta Chicken

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depending on size)

1-2T. Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Garlic powder

1/2 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

6-8 fresh basil leaves

sliced (or shredded)mozzarella cheese

grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Sprinkle each side of chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook chicken in oil until both sides are browned (turn only once) About 3-4 minutes each side. Remove to baking dish. Set aside. Add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook until onion is almost translucent and add tomatoes. Stir until combined and spoon over chicken. Cover each breast with 2-3 basil leaves. Then layer mozzarella slices on top of basil and grate fresh Parmesan over top. Bake for 10-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Greta's rating: Eh. She wasn't crazy about this one. She ate all of the cheese and some of the chicken, but the tomatoes were a no go.

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Another fabulous recipe from the fabulous Peabody! I did not have Tahitian vanilla beans, as the original recipe called for- but had some leftover domestic vanilla beans. This is the perfect sugar cookie- a little crispy around the edges and soft in the middle.

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
3 Tahitian vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped out (I used domestic vanilla beans)
1 egg
½ tsp cream of tartar
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
coarse sugar for decoration

In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add in the vanilla bean seeds and beat for another 30 seconds.
Add in egg and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another 30 seconds.
Sift together flour, cream of tartar and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass(you may want to grease it to avoid sticking) press down to make cookie flat. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake at 350F for 8-9 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes and them move to wire rack to completely cool.

Adapted from Caprial’s Desserts by Caprial Pence

Bananas Foster Crumb Cake

What a warm and fuzzy kind of recipe! I will be making this again once it is a fall. The recipe is from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.



Bananas Foster Crumb Cake

For the Crumbs:
5 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ cup chopped walnuts

For the Bananas:

2 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP banana liqueur (I used 2 T. vanilla extract)
2 TBSP dark rum (I used 1 T. rum flavoring)
2 large bananas, sliced in rounds

For the Cake:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
6 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Butter an 8 inch square pan and put it on a baking sheet.

For the Crumb: Put all the ingredients except the nuts in a food processor and pulse just until the mixture forms clumps and curd and holds together when pressed. Scrape the topping into a bowl, stir r the nits and press a piece of plastic against the surface. Refrigerate until needed.

For the Bananas:

Combine the butter and sugar in a flambé pan or skillet.
Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
Stir in the banana liqueur(I used 2T. vanilla), then place the bananas in the pan.(if not using liqueur, just add bananas)
When the banana slices soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum (I used 1 T. rum flavoring, and then removed from heat). (again, if not using rum, simply take bananas out at this time)
Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum.
When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place aside to cool until needed.

To make the cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Add the butter and, with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the sugar with the butter at medium speed until light, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beat for about 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla extract. Don’t be concerned if the batter looks curdled-it will soon smooth out. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately, the flour in 3 parts and the buttermilk in 2(begin with the dry ingredients). You will have a thick, cream batter. Add the banana fosters mixture and mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. You don’t really want chunks of bananas, you want them integrated like you would in banana bread.
Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and smooth the top gently with the spatula. Pull the crumb mix from the refrigerator and, with your fingertips, break it into pieces. There’s no need to try to get even pieces-these are crumbs, they’re supposed to be lumpy and bumpy and every shape and size. Scatter the crumbs over the batter,. Pressing them down ever so slightly.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden and thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool just until it is warm or until it reaches room temperature.

Before serving drizzle with caramel sauce. I used premade sauce, but have a great caramel sauce under the dessert "Dorene's Cake".

Blue Cheese Rolls

If you like blue cheese....even just a little- these are heavenly! I will definitely use this easy, fast delicious recipe many, many times in the future. These would be great as an appetizer or with a meal. The recipe is from The Pioneer Woman Cooks! If you have not visited her website- please do. It is a lot of fun and her recipes have step by step photos and instructions that are great for beginner cooks! I split this recipe in half and it was MORE than enough for my husband, daughter and I.


Blue Cheese Rolls

2 sticks butter
4 to 6 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2 cans flaky biscuits

Combine butter and cheese on baking pan. Place into 350 oven for a couple of minutes, or until butter is melted. Remove from oven and stir. Cut biscuits into fourths, then toss in butter mixture. Bake on same pan (or different, if you prefer) for 8 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Eat warm.

Greta's rating: She could not get enough of these!

Quick Curry Chicken

Oh, how we love curry! This recipe was inspired by one at Good Things Catered. It was easy, but not particularly quick with all of my additions :)
Nonetheless, it was a delicious meal and I would most definitely make this again!


Quick Curry Chicken

Ingredients:
3 large (4 modest) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1 1/2 in cubes
1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, cut into 1 in. chunks
1 summer squash, sliced about 1/4 in thick
1 large carrot, chopped into chunks
1 c. cranberry potatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8-10 oz. red curry saute sauce

Directions:
-In wide braiser pan over medium heat, heat 1 tsp olive oil until almost smoking
-Meanwhile, pat chicken breast dry and season with salt and pepper.
-Add cubed chicken to pan and cook until side has lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
-Flip cubes and cook until other side has lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
-Remove chicken from pan, place in covered dish, and set aside.
-Add 1 tsp of oil to pan, repeat browning with remaining chicken and set aside.
-Heat remaining oil in pan and add onion pieces.
-Cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to cook down, about 3 minutes.
-Add potatoes and carrots, cook until just beginning to soften, about 10 minutes.
-Add summer squash and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables have begun to brown, about 5 more minutes.
-Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-Deglaze pan with scant 1/8 c. of water, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan.
-Stir in chicken and curry sauce
-Turn heat down to a low simmer, cover pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until chicken has cooked through.
-Can be served immediately over fragrant rice.
Greta's rating: She loved this, but she loves anything with rice. She especially liked the cooked carrots, the squash- not so much.

Frosted Marshmallow Brownies

You want to make these.
You want to make these.
You want to make these.
Seriously, I don't even like marshmallows and these were heavenly! Another awesome recipe from the Baking Blonde.
The only change I made to the original recipe was to add just a dash of salt to the frosting. Fab-u-lous!

Frosted Marshmallow Brownies

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBS baking cocoa
3-4 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly grease a 9×13 pan with PAM
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla beat until fluffy.
In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture to creamed mixture. spread in greased 9×13 pan.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows, return to oven 2-3 minutes, or just until marshmallows are soft.
Remove from oven. Using a knife dipped in water spread the melted marshmallows evenly over bars.

Frosting
3/4 stick butter
6 TBS Milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup mini marshmallows or 4-6 large marshmallows
1/2 cup Chocolate chips (maybe up to 3/4 cup depending how chocolaty you want it)

Combine ingredients (except marshmallows and chocolate chips) in medium saucepan and melt over medium low heat. Stir constantly until combined. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
Add marshmallows and chocolate chips
Stir until marshmallows and chips are melted.
Remove from heat. Allow to cool and thicken slightly (can set in sink of cold water to speed up process). Pour and spread over marshmallows on bars.
Allow to cool before cutting and serving.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

This is a great dinner! I found this recipe at Liz's Cooking Blog. I will definitely be making this again. I really appreciate it when I'm reading a food blog and recipe ratings are included in the post. I have decided to include my 2 year old's rating of each recipe from now on. I realize that finding meals for children can be tricky- so hopefully this will be helpful to some. I will start including Greta's rating at the end of each post :)


Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

Ingredients:

• 4 (10-inch) whole wheat tortillas
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno chile, minced (I used about 1/4 c. canned chilies)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish (I used fresh chives instead)
  
• 2 1/2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream and salsa, for serving
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add beans and beer to skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Unmold pie; sprinkle with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa.
   

Greta's rating: She loved this! She did pick out a few of the onions, but ate a ton of it!