Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake (2010.18)

Semi-homemade dessert/brunch/breakfast. This is good - but to me it tastes just like a normal cake - in a different shape. It should be good with the amount of eggs in it. The chocolate isn't overwhelming (I didn't put the glaze on it - it probably would be too sweet). Even though it didn't come out the best, I'm still taking it to the office tomorrow because I can't see throwing money completely down the drain. I hope some of it gets eaten at least.

It does annoy me when magazines don't put their name on the top or bottom of pages. I don't know where this came from, but here you go:

1 butter cake mix

1 8oz container (light) sour cream

3/4 c canola oil

2/3 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Mix all but the last two. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan - half the batter. Combine brown sugar and chips - sprinkle in (see picture). Top with remaining batter. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until done. Let cool, remove, cut.

The sugar and the chocolate helps the chocolate chips from sinking. I would maybe even put a little more - but I doubt this will make it into a rotation. Although good for a quick yummy eating because most of the stuff will be handy or cheap.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars (2010.17)

Best thing I've cooked (new) all month. Great way to end April! We are having Joy Prom at Church tonight and these are for the hundreds of volunteers we will have:

Makes 16 - not healthy at all (but very yummy)

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cup creamy pb (I used skippy, not all natural) - the whole regular jar - then used the jar for Oats in a Jar this morning for breakfast

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 roll (16.5 oz) chocolate chip cookie dough

350. square ungreased pan.

Press about 3/5 of the dough on bottom of pan. Mix sugar, pb, and vanilla. Spread on top. Crumble rest of cookie dough on top and bake for about 30 minutes.

Let chill for about an hour. Cut into bars.

Serve chilled or room temp. Get them out of the house!

Couscous Chicken Salad with Vegetables (2010.16)

I really like couscous and I like chicken and I like vegetables. Thought this would be good. That's about it - it was good.

Here you go:

This is from Easy Summer Meals (Cooking Light)

1 1/2 cup water

1 T evoo

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup couscous (uncooked)

1 yellow pepper, diced

1/2 finely chopped zuk

1/2 cup chopped mushroom

1 1/2 cup chopped chicken (I cooked mine and saved the broth for some soup I am going to make this wknd)

1/2 cup diced carrots

3 green onions, chopped

3 T dried currants

1 T dried chopped mint (or fresh)

pepper

Dressing:

1 cup plain ff yogurt

3 T lemon juice

1 T honey (less because it was really sweet, or Agave nectar)

1 T apple cider vinegar (or what you have)

Chop all veggies. Chop chicken. Cook couscous according to directions. Mix up dressing. Combine all. Best served over mixed greens for a light lunch.

1 1/2 cups: 368 cal, 8 fat, 4 fiber

Strawberry Oat Bars - 2010.15

I thought this recipe was going to be better than what it turned out to be: oh, well. I liked the jam - although it made it sticky. And I liked the dough before it was baked. But, it turned out dry. Oh, well. Here you go (because I even put fails up here). Ok - my roommate said they weren't a fail - she ate it. I told her I threw the rest of them out.

This is called learning:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup oats

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup chopped pecans

zest of one lemon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup canola oil

1 1/4 cup strawberry preserves

Mix dry, add wet. Take one cup out and set aside.

Press the rest of the dough into the bottom of foil-lined 9x9 pan. Bake the dough for 20 minutes at 350. Remove from oven, spoon the jam over the hot crust. Top with remaining dough.

Bake an additional 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

This recipe is from my GoodNeighbor magazine from my insurance agency.

Two Bean Italian Soup (2010.14)

Does a recipe ever surprise you? This was my question when I tasted this soup this afternoon - shortly after it perfumed my apartment with wonderful smelling-ness!

BHG's February 2008 magazine gave me this Tuscan Bean Soup. I only made 2 alterations to it. And, it is very yummy. I could drink the broth by the gallon!

So easy too. Don't be afraid of soups in the spring/summer...

1/2 bag baby carrots, chopped

1 smallish onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 T olive oil

2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth (or make your own)

1 can great northern beans

1 can garbanzo beans (both beans, drained and rinsed)

3 tsp italian seasoning

1 pkg spinach

black pepper

Saute first two in olive oil till softened, add garlic. Then add the broth and the beans. Let simmer. Add the spinach and cook for about 30 seconds - then it is done. How easy and surprisingly healthy and good.

Baked Grits - 2010.13

My Dad is from the South and he loves grits. So, when I knew he was staying for a few days to help me get settled here in Raleigh, I knew I wanted to make this recipe. I halved the recipe and glad I did because their serving sizes are huge! This was rich, creamy, nutty (due to Parm cheese). So good. Cooking Light has a winner here.

2 cups milk (I used skim, in a glass, from a local farm: delish)

2 cups water

pinch of salt

3/4 cup quick cooking grits (scant, I just like them thicker)

2 oz grated parm cheese (about 2/3 cup)

2 1/2 egg whites

pinch of black pepper

2 T chopped fresh chives

pinch of salt

Bring milk, water, and salt to boil. Stir in grits, turn down to simmer, cover and let cook, stirring occassionally, for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, grate cheese, seperate egg whites, chop chives.

Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks (don't over beat) with pinch of salt. Add chives, pepper, and salt to grits when they are done. Fold in the egg whites (don't deflate them). Pour in greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. Lightly browned, little wobbly in middle.

Enjoy. I cooked some eggs and decorate the plate with remaining chives.

About 200 calories - and worth it!

Chocolate Orange Pecan Brownies (2010.12)

Bon Appetit redeems itself with this week's recipe. And aren't I glad?!
There is a bakery/coffee shop/cafe in Montana that this recipe comes from (definitely would warrant a trip to Bozeman, MT), and these are delicious cake like on the top, fudgy in the middle, brownies with a hint of orange (I would like more).
These made 16 and the only thing I could say that I would like better is if they cut easier - they were kinda crumbly - but I did not wait till they were cool, so that may have been my problem.
Sorry - no pictures. It was this morning and I was in a hurry to get them done before work, and didn't have time to pick up the camera...

1/2 cup boiling water
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans (I didn't toast mine)
2 eggs
10 T unsalted butter, melted, cooled
zest of one orange (I might do two next time)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine water and cocoa powder, set aside. Melt butter, set aside to cool.
Mix sugar through pecans, set aside.
Whisk eggs, add butter, orange zest, and vanilla. Add in chocolate mixture. Add in dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
Pour into greased 9x9 pan, bake at 350 for about 27-30 minutes. I left mine in there for 28 and they were a little too done on the sides, but perfect in the middle.
Enjoy!

Wizenberg's Blueberry Oat Scones - (FAIL) 2010.11

I hate having failures. These weren't even worth their weight of flour I used!
I changed my mind from the lemon blueberry cheesecake bars to Molly Wizenberg's Blueberry Oat Scones in Bon Appetit..
These turned out more like blue pancakes. I used blackberries instead of blueberries but everything else I followed the recipe to a tea. They just had no flavor (and I used freshly picked then frozen blackberries, so it wasn't the fruit). Texture wasn't right for scones.
Oh, well. Everything can not be a success!
Next week is another chance for Bon Appetit to redeem themselves: chocolate orange brownies. We shall see.

Lumberjack Hash - 2010.10

I had everything I needed for this in my fridge/freezer - which is good because I'm trying to clean it out (it is slowly working, I promise)
This was good, I changed it a little bit - but it still needed more salt I think (I didn't put in extra in b/c of the saltiness of the ham). This is a Cooking Light recipe (best of 2004) and is 6 WW points as directed (mine probably evened out)

2 T evoo
1 medium onion, chopped
1 orange pepper, seeded and chopped
24 oz shredded hash brown potatoes, frozen
pepper to taste (salt if you want more)
2 2 oz ham steaks, chopped
1 cup 2% sharp cheddar

Saute onion for about 4 minutes, add pepper. Add in rest (not cheese). Cook until slightly browned and potatoes are done.
Smooth out in large frying pan - top with cheese. Let cheese melt. Divide by 4 and plate up. Becca brought some Plant City strawberries and a banana. And I have 2 servings leftover for Sunday and Tuesday!

Double Chocolate Ghirardelli Cookies (2010.9)

These are a wonderful bite of chocolate-y goodness! :) I made them before my 5k on Saturday, baked some afterwards and baked the rest this morning for the office. YUM!

This recipe of the week was definitely a winner and I think you can find the recipe virtually in every cooking magazine at some point - just as an advertisement for the BEST chocolate!

1 bag dark chocolate chips - Ghirardelli 60%

6 T unsalted butter

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 bag semi sweet - ghirardelli

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Melt dark chocolate and butter - let cool a bit.

Mix eggs and sugar till thick and creamy. Add in chocolate. Mix well. Add in dry ingredients. Fold in chips and nuts.

Put in seran wrap in 2 separate piles and chill for at least an hour.

Cut, roll, and bake for 11 minutes at 375.

Cool.

Best way to enjoy: warm with a tall glass of milk!

Chocolate Chip and Peanut Blondies (2010.8)

Bon Appetit comes through again! These were defininitely a winner - at least among the office staff. So, you may want to make these!

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp soda
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/4 packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Melt butter on stove over medium. Remove from heat. Stir in brown sugar, than vanilla.
Let cool for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in eggs. Whisk in dry ingredients. Stir in half of peanuts and half of chips. Pour in greased and foiled 8x8 pan. Top with remaining peanuts and chips. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until done.

Maple Glazed Roasted Winter Vegetables with Ginger (2010.7)

I liked this recipe. It was from a health magazine and put a twist on my normal roasted vegetables. Maple syrup instead of olive oil was the main topping and the bits of real ginger in there made this better than it would have been without it.

I changed the quantities based on what I could find in the store:

1 lb brussel sprouts, halved

2 medium carrots, coined

3 medium parsnips, coined

other winter veggies that you like

3 tsp real dark amber maple syrup

1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped

salt to taste

Put all on baking sheet. Drizzle with syrup. Bake at 450 for about 25-35 minutes tossing to keep it from burning.

Enjoy!

I'm finishing up mine today.

Tuna Spaghetti (2010.6)

Bon Appetit in its editor section usually has little basic recipes. This was one of them. Not great, but not throw away worthy either. I may just toss some on top of some greens.

Not amounts, almost

Spaghetti (I used whole grain spaghetti)
1 can tuna (oil packed preferred, but I used water packed)
1 fat garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
evoo
pepper
lemon juice
(I added the garlic and red pepper and didn't have any parsley)

Cook noodles. In pan, saute everything else. Drain pasta, reserving a bit of the water. Mix all together.
This just didn't have much of a flavor to me.

Chewy Peanut Butter Bars (2010.5)

If you like peanut butter fudge, you will definitely like these. Quick and Easy Recipes comes through. These make tons of bars and are really easy because they are no bake - they just take chill time.

4 cups salted roasted peanuts
1 bag mini marshmallows
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 bag reece's peanut butter chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk


9x13 pan. foil. pam.
Spread 2 cups of the peanuts on the bottom. Melt the rest in a pan over medium low heat. Pour on top of peanuts. Pour the other 2 cups on top and gently press into the goo.
Let chill over night.
These taste surprisingly like peanut butter fudge. So easy...

Orange Molasses Cookies (2010.4)

I love healthy cooking magazines that don't always use the light version of everything. I want healthy stuff - not fat free or "light stuff". Eating Well is that magazine for me. A lot of their ingredients are either less of stuff or natural stuff. I like it. I love these cookies. I halved the recipe and changed it a little bit, but these are so good. I am glad these are going to the office tomorrow.

3/4 cup oats - put in a blender and ground semi-fine
2.5 T unsalted butter, softened
1/6 cup sugar
1/6 cup brown sugar
zest of one naval orange
1/4 cup molasses
3.5 T all natural applesauce
1/2 large egg yolk (scramble egg yolk, then just pour in half of it)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg (I didn't have any ginger)
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice (I added more of this and left out the pepper)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/8 cup whole wheat flour
Turbinado sugar to roll cookies in

Cream wet ingredients. Add in dry. Roll cookies in turbinado sugar. Bake at 375 on greased sheets for 9 minutes.
I love the orange flavor that comes out in the first bite - wow - orange! :)
About 76 calories a cookie, 2 fat, 1 fiber.

Chocolate Cherry Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies (2010.3)

Bon Appetit comes through again for this week's recipe. I really love their cooking magazine. I halved the recipes and made it my own by adding some chopped pistachios - and the review I got "These are great, just what I needed, something a little sweet". The only thing that puzzled me about these were the timing. I couldn't get it just right - but they were still good. This version of the recipe makes about 2 dozen.

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla (I upped it some from original amount)
1 egg
1 cup oats
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup dried cherries (next time I would chop these before putting them in)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Cream the first three. Add in egg and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients. Fold in the additions.
Bake on greased cookie sheets at 375 for anywhere from 10-13 minutes, just watch them so they don't burn.
These were good. I would make them again.

118 cal, 6 fat, 1 fiber

Blueberry Orange Scones (2010.2)

My friend Sarah and I went to a bummer of a cooking show last year. Neither one of us were impressed. The two best parts of the evening were the free magazine subscription and eating out at Old Spaghetti Factory that night in dtown Ville.

One of the recipes I got from Healthy Cooking over the summer was this one. Here are my thoughts: healthier than most scones, easy, doesn't look at all like the picture, not too muc orange flavor, love the picture that I took. Pretty with blueberry layers! I overcooked them a bit, but SBTS PhD students didn't seem to mind and they are all gone.

2 cups flour

3 T sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp grated orange peel

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp soda

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, chopped up

1/2 cup skim milk (I didn't feel like making buttermilk, so this worked fine)

1/4 cup fresh squeezed naval orange juice

1/2 cup frozen blueberries (I picked these this summer)

Mix all dry. Cut in butter. Combine juice and milk. Fold in berries. Knead a little. Cut into 8 triangles and cook on greased cookie sheet for 12 minutes at 425. Take out and enjoy warm.

200 c, 6 fat, 1 fiber (use whole wheat flour if you want more).

Apple Barley Breakfast Cereal (2010.1)

2010 has arrived in full fashion. This year is the year of using all those recipes that I clip out of magazines - I have a TON! So, this week was something for breakfast (or I made it for breakfast).

1/2 cup barley - quick cooking
1 cup water (just follow directions on box)
1 apple (I used braeburn)
1 tsp unsalted butter
sprinkle of cinnamon
1 T lemon juice
1/8 tsp sugar

Cook barley. Saute apple in butter (chopped, I left peel on), sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and stir in lemon juice. Mix all together.
I eat mine cold with 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt on top and some cool whip. Good.
Unfortunately, not very filling which I'm surprised. But, good none the less and relatively healthy.
This recipe came from Cuisine At Home magazine. This definitely wasn't a keeper - but one to try nonetheless. And gets me trying new grains. And I had everything on hand as well.

2010 Food Blog Goals

Here it comes. My State of Food's 2010 Blog Goals. Last year, I wanted to go through each of my cookbooks and make at least one recipe from each. I did well until the middle of December when life got busy, holiday parties, wanted to make tried and true recipes. And I got more cookbooks during the year. This year I have similar goals: here they are...
1. I have many subscriptions to cooking magazines. I need to use them. I tear out recipes every where I go and out of every magazine that comes in my mail box. This year, I will indeed make one recipe from a magazine each week. It will be fun and it will keep challenging me with new foods.
Someone asked me this past year if I ever make the same thing twice. Yes, I do. But, I also like to challenge myself and keep improving recipes, trying new ones. I have a fave blueberry muffin recipe, but that doesn't mean I'll never try another one because who knows, that one might be better. You can always grow as a cook and a baker. I will never arrive. I must keep striving to be better!
2. Sort through my cookbooks. I have about 80 cookbooks, not including the collection in FL at my parents' house of all the Southern Living ones. I need to cut those down. I don't need to have that many - they are just collecting dust. I need to stick with 25-30 on my shelf. If I get new ones during the year, than I need to purge again the next year. Now...there is a difference between art cookbooks (more pictures), old cookbooks (for saving). I am meaning pure cookbooks. I also have great cookbooks that will make wonderful coffee table books. Maybe I'll do some giveaways of the ones that are still in GREAT condition.
3. This one is probably the hardest. I read TONS of blogs. I love them. I've eaten a lot of new foods throughout 2009 because of them. But, as i was thinking how I wanted to change my eating this year, I had to think of what I wanted to do, not be confused with what everyone else was doing. I want to eat more vegetables and fruit, go to a mostly vegetarian lifestyle. Now, you may think I tried that last summer. I did. But, I've also learned more since then and want to try it again. Now, I think I mean just eat more whole meals with mostly fruits and veggies. I don't mean I have to give up meat (because I am having chicken chili this wknd and a hamburger at Red Robin for my bday on Monday). I will never give up meat (as long as it is up to me), but I know my health is better when I eat greens and plants and veggies and seed based foods and local ones at that (I was reading Gen 1-2 today and that was a wonderful reminder of all that God has given us). So, I will keep trying to improve my variety and my vegetarian cooking. Any vegetarian sites out there that I might now know about?
4. I want to improve my food photography. There are some sites like this one that I love to look at her photography because it is just gorgous! There are two books that I would like to get (I do have a bday coming up if anyone needs ideas for a bday gift): this one and then this one. That means I will need to learn my camera more. I like my Canon Powershot but i would love a step up from that or a Rebel - that's something i'm saving for and will be glad to take gifts... :)

So, there they are. I would love to hear your thoughts. What are your food/cooking goals? Head on over to the other two blogs: Thoughts and Interval for the other goals - they will be there by 830pm on Jan 1.
Thanks for reading. I appreciate all your thoughts!