My book club met for a brunch potluck today, so I thought this cereal mix would be a great dish to share. Everyone enjoyed the crunchy, vanilla-scented mix! It was incredibly easy to throw together; I loved that I only needed to use my microwave for cooking.
Ingredients
6cups Rice Chex cereal (I used Wheat Waffles from Whole Foods)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 T pure maple syrup
2 t pure vanilla
Directions
1. Measure cereal and pecans in large microwaveable bowl.
2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave butter uncovered on high for 30 seconds or until melted.
3. Add brown sugar and maple syrup; microwave uncovered on high for 30 seconds, until mixture is boiling.
4. Stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal and pecans, stirring until evenly coated.
5. Microwave uncovered on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute. Spread on waxed paper or foil (I didn’t have time so I skipped this step). Store tightly covered.
From Chex
I’m not much of a mixologist, but this was easy enough for me! I bought a dry wine so it would not be too sweet and everyone loved it. This is a great drink for a hot day!
Ingredients
1 (750 milliliter) bottle white wine
3/4 cup rum
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 green apple, cored and sliced
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle lemon-lime soda
Directions
1. Slice lemon, lime and apple. Place in a large pitcher and mix with white wine, rum and sugar. Refrigerate for up to a day (I made mine the night before).
2. Before serving, stir in the lemon-lime soda (I used 7-up).
From AllRecipes
I made this earlier in the month when I had some friends over, including a few vegetarians. This dish got a good reaction from veggies and meat-lovers alike. The cheesiness will win everyone over, and this tastes especially good in the summer with local, fresh zucchini.
Ingredients
6 medium zucchini (thinly sliced)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 large fresh tomato (chopped)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 t Italian spices
1 T olive oil
1 t garlic salt
Shredded Parmesan (if desired)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and chop all veggies.
2. Heat oil in large skillet.
3. Add zucchini, onion, tomato & garlic.
4. Cover & cook until desired tenderness, about 10 minutes. Drain if needed.
5. Stir in tomato sauce & seasonings.
6. In a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, place a layer of the zucchini mixture, then top with shredded cheese.
7. Continue layers until pan is full, ending with the remaining cheese (just one more layer in my case).
8. Bake uncovered, in a 350°F oven, for 25 minutes.
9. Top with shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired.
From food.com.
I love one-pot recipes, especially in the summer when I don’t want to stand near a hot stove all day! This easy brownie recipe is rich, chewy and sooo chocolatey. It came from the May 2014 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray, which included ideas on how to spruce them up – such as adding pecans or kettle corn. I think they would go well with the add-ins, but they are great on their own too!
Ingredients
1.5 sticks butter
1 ¾ cups sugar
1.5 t vanilla extract
¼ t salt
3 eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup flour
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an 8-inch (I used 9-inch) square baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, remove from heat.
4. While the pan is off heat, whisk in the sugar, vanilla and salt. Whisk until creamy, about 1 minute.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking between additions.
6. Add the cocoa powder and flour; stir until just blended.
7. Pour into baking pan and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes.
8. Cool in pan set on wire rack.
From Rachael Ray.
I’ve been on the look-out for light summer recipes, so when I saw these tuna-salad stuffed tomatoes I could not resist giving them a try. This recipe is easy to make and tasty, but I bet they will be even better in the summer when I can get local, fresh tomatoes!
Ingredients
2 (5oz) cans tuna, drained
1 T drained capers
1 chopped green onion
2 T chopped parsley
½ cup light mayo
¼ t ground pepper
4 large tomatoes
Directions
1. Chop green onion and parsley, add to medium bowl. Stir in mayo, tuna, ground pepper and capers.
2. Slice off the top of the tomatoes. Finely chop them and add to the tuna mixture.
3. Hollow out the tomatoes, throw away seeds and such.
4. Fill each tomato with tuna mixture.
I made the pineapple upside-down cake in the iron skillet last weekend and it was a huge hit, all of my friends wanted the recipe and two slices! Since only about 2/3 of the batter fit in my 10” skillet, I used the remaining 1/3 to make 6 upside-down cupcakes. This way, I would not be tempted to break into the cake before the party, which is tough because I like to let it set for a day before serving. The cupcakes were a very cute treat!
Ingredients
3 slices of canned pineapple, drained and cut in half
1/3 prepared white cake mix, using pineapple juice in place of water and apple sauce in place of oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
6 maraschino cherries
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 6 muffin cups.
2. In small bowl, stir together melted butter and brown sugar. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons butter mixture into each muffin cup.
3. In each cup, top the butter mixture with half a pineapple slice and a cherry. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each cup.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.
Adapted from Betty Crocker
This rich, beefy pasta dish was a big hit with my boyfriend. He said it reminded him of Hamburger Helper without all the salt, and I agree! This dinner comes together quickly and doesn’t require too many dishes.
Ingredients
8 oz fettuccine noodles
12 oz white mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced (I use the kind from a jar)
2 T butter
1/2 pound ground beef (I used a full pound)
1/3 cup red wine (use good wine…not cooking wine!)
2 T tomato paste
2 T grated Parmesan
Directions
1. Boil water for the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook mushrooms and garlic in butter over medium-high until browned, 5 minutes.
3. Add beef to skillet; cook until browned, 5 minutes.
4. Add wine and tomato paste to skillet; simmer 5 minutes.
5. Add pasta and reserved cooking liquid to skillet; toss to coat. Top with Parmesan.
From Rachael Ray
The warm weather means it is time for fruity, light desserts! I love berry picking and making pies in the summer, but it is not berry season in Michigan yet. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t whip up something with frozen berries! I made this over the weekend and served it warm with vanilla ice cream, yum!
Ingredients
3 cups of frozen berries (I bought a pack with a mix of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)
2 T white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
3/4 cup butter
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, gently toss together berries and white sugar; set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Cover with berries. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over the berries.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown.
Altered from AllRecipes
Your house will smell amazing as this easy pudding cooks in your crock pot. It was the perfect way to welcome some friends over on Saturday. This pudding is very fluffy and dense; I found that a small serving goes a long way. The combination of vanilla and cinnamon make this dessert warm and comforting.
Ingredients
3/4 cup long grain rice
3 cups milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Directions
1. Grease your slow cooker stoneware with a little butter.
2. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker.
3. Cook on high for 3 hours (I did) or low 4-5 hours.
4. Serve warm.
From About.com
With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, many websites are offering fun ways to include everyone’s favorite St. Patty’s drink (beer!) in your favorite dishes. I saw a few recipes for Blue Moon cupcakes and thought I would give them a try since I enjoy citrus desserts and these are made with oranges. They are incredible! The cakes are moist and the frosting has a sweet orange flavor. I started gobbling them up, but I hope to save a few to share at work!
Cake Ingredients
1 Boxed Cake Mix (Yellow or White)
1 Bottle Blue Moon
1 tsp Orange Zest
Cupcake Liners
Tip: You’re going to prepare the boxed cake mix exactly like the directions on the box, the difference being you are going to substitute the water with beer.
Directions
1. Open a bottle of beer and it sit. It’s best to work with when it’s a little less foamy.
2. Pre-heat the oven per the cake box instructions.
3. Mix the cake batter, replacing the water with beer and add in 1 tsp of orange zest. I also recommend substituting apple sauce for the oil. It makes the cakes moist and fruity! Fill the cupcake liners just under 3/4 full. These cupcakes will rise.
5. Bake to the low end up the box baking instructions.
6. When the cupcakes are done, let them cool before frosting.
Frosting Ingredients
12 oz cream cheese, cold
6 T butter, at room temperature
1 T freshly squeezed orange juice
1 t orange zest
4 cups powdered sugar
Directions
1. Set out the butter for about an hour so it reaches room temperature.
2. Cream together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the citrus juice and zest and gradually add the powdered sugar until well-combined. Beat until smooth for about 2 minutes.
4. Load frosting in a piping bag fit with a large star tip and pipe cupcake tops once cooled.
Note: To speed things up, you can skip making homemade frosting and just mix 16 oz of canned vanilla frosting with a tablespoon of orange juice.
Cake from Brittany, Herself
Frosting from Erica’s Sweet Tooth
I don’t like to “wing” anything, even for a simple stir fry dish, I start with a solid recipe. I can always adjust it, but this one didn’t need any adjusting – it has some of my favorite veggies and it uses flank steak, which my boyfriend loves. This quick dish is great for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
2 T soy sauce
2 t cornstarch
12 oz flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1/2 T peanut or vegetable oil
8 scallions, greens and whites separated, chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 cups sugar snap peas
2 T hoisin sauce
Directions
1. Chop scallions and set aside.
2. Stir together the soy sauce and cornstarch with a fork in a large, shallow dish.
3. Slice the steak and add to the dish. Toss the steak to coat and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. When the wok is screaming hot, add the scallion whites and the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned. Add the mushrooms and sugar snap peas and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, using a spatula to keep the vegetables in near-constant motion.
3. Add the beef, along with the soy sauce, and continue to stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the beef is fully browned on the outside. Stir in the hoisin and chili sauce and cook until the sauce lightly clings to the surface of the meat and vegetables. Garnish with the scallion greens.
Adapted from Men's Health
I enjoy juicy citrus fruits in the winter and thanks to this recipe, I’ve now tried blood oranges – they are delicious! Think of them as extra-sweet oranges. This simple tart is great for a quick dessert, or even breakfast.
Ingredients
1 blood orange
1 navel orange
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/3 cup orange marmalade
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Directions
1. Thaw puff pastry overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Peel oranges, remove seeds and slice into about 8 rounds.
4. Place pastry on parchment-lined backing sheet, spread with marmalade.
5. Top pastry with oranges and bake until crisp, about 25 minutes. Let cool.
6. Beat cream and sugar until thick, serve with tart.
From Rachael Ray
My boyfriend loves swordfish and has been asking me to make it for years, but I did not think it would be worth it to buy such expensive fish since I was sure when I cooked the fish it would not live up to restaurant dishes. But, when I got my iron skillet and made the best salmon ever, I decided that it was time to give swordfish a try using the same method I used for the salmon. Voila! This recipe has a very buttery sauce for the fish that makes it taste as rich as a restaurant entrée. My boyfriend raved about it!
Ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 1-inch-thick swordfish fillets (about 6 ounces each)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mash butter, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, and lemon peel in small bowl. Season to taste with salt.
3. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle swordfish with salt and ground mixed peppercorns. Add swordfish to skillet. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn swordfish over and transfer to oven.
4. Roast until just cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer swordfish to plates. Add seasoned butter to same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits, until melted and bubbling. Pour butter sauce over swordfish and serve.
From Epicurious
The pineapple upside down cake in my new iron skillet was so successful that I wanted to try another cake in it. I love the brown sugar glaze in this bananas foster cake. I would never have thought of serving a cake made with Bisquik, but it was golden and delicious!
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, softened and divided
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons rum
2 ripe bananas
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose baking mix (I used Bisquik pancake and baking mix)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer for 7 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring once.
2. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a lightly greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar and rum.
3. Cut bananas diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices; arrange in concentric circles over brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle pecans over bananas.
4. Beat granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
6. Add milk, sour cream and vanilla extract; beat just until blended.
7. Beat in baking mix and cinnamon until blended. (Batter will be slightly lumpy.) Pour batter over mixture in skillet. Place skillet on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan.
8. Bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in skillet on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen. Invert onto a serving plate, spooning any topping in skillet over cake.
Adapted from Southern Living
This is hands-down the best salmon I’ve ever made! My boyfriend and I agreed that it tasted like a restaurant dish. I’ve always wondered what restaurants put in their sauce to make the salmon so good, I never would have guessed soy sauce but it is perfect. Cooking on the skillet at first also gives it a nice golden brown top.
Ingredients
1 T butter
1 T brown sugar
2 T Dijon mustard
1 T soy sauce
1 T honey
1/2 T olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 lb salmon fillets
Asparagus (on the side)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Remove the woody ends of the asparagus and place on a foil-lined baking sheet drizzled with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes.
3. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, until the butter and sugar have melted together. Stir in the mustard, honey, and soy sauce.
4. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and add to the pan flesh-side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until fully browned and flip.
5. Brush with half of the mustard glaze and place the pan in the oven until the salmon is firm and flaky (but before the white fat begins to form on the surface), about 5 minutes. Remove, brush the salmon with more of the honey mustard, and serve with the asparagus.
From Men’s Health
This meaty casserole combines all the things we love about pizza – cheese, sauce, pepperoni, green peppers – and mixes them with spiral noodles for an easy dish that makes plenty of leftovers. I made this in my new Temp-Tations casserole dish, which my boyfriend’s aunt gave to me for Christmas. I froze it without the cheese (shown in the photo) and then thawed it overnight in the fridge before baking. When I was ready to cook it, I placed the dish in the oven when the oven was cold and set the oven to preheat, so the dish could gradually warm up. It worked out really well!
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked spiral noodles
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sliced pepperoni sausage
16 ounces pizza sauce
4 tablespoons milk
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
1. Begin boiling water for noodles.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Chop onion and green bell pepper and place in a medium skillet for now.
4. Cook spiral noodles according to package directions.
5. In the skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion, garlic and green bell pepper. Drain excess fat.
6. Combine the noodles, pepperoni, pizza sauce and milk with the beef mixture in a greased casserole dish and mix well.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, top with the cheese, then bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.
From AllRecipes
My mom gave me a cast iron skillet for Christmas and I was so excited to look up new recipes. I was surprised to find that there are a lot of dessert recipes that can be made in a skillet. I think the skillet helps cakes get a nice crust, which works especially well for this pineapple upside-down cake. This cake is not only simple to make and tasty, it’s very pretty!
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 (20 ounce) can sliced pineapple
10 maraschino cherries
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
Directions
1. Melt the butter over medium high heat in the iron skillet. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the brown sugar evenly to cover the butter.
2. Arrange pineapple rings around the bottom of the pan in a single layer. Place a maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple ring.
3. Prepare the cake mix as directed (you’ll need eggs and oil. I recommend substituting apple sauce for the oil). Substitute the pineapple juice for some of the liquid (water) in the directions.
4. Pour the batter over the pineapple layer. You will probably have some leftover batter.
2. Bake as directed by the cake mix directions. You may need extra time; mine took about an hour instead of 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a plate. Do not let the cake cool too much or it will be stuck to the pan.
From AllRecipes
After the rich, indulgent foods of the holidays it feels refreshing to make a simple vegetarian meal for dinner. The balsamic vinegar and mayo sauce on these wraps makes them delicious and the mushroom caps make them filling. Try adding in some of your favorite veggies!
Ingredients
12 asparagus spears, woody ends removed
2 portobello mushroom caps
1 red bell pepper, halved, seeds and stem removed
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil mayonnaise
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large spinach or whole-wheat tortillas or wraps
2 baby spinach or mixed baby greens
3/4 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Chop the asparagus, mushrooms and bell pepper and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Cover with olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. While baking, combine mayo with vinegar and garlic and stir thoroughly.
5. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds.
6. Spread the mayo mix down the middle of each tortilla, then top with greens and cheese.
7. Divide the grilled veggies among the tortillas, then roll up tightly and slice into a wrap.
From Men's Health.
