Thursday, July 29, 2010

Major Yum!


So this past weekend I made Muffins That Taste Like Donuts! They. Were. Awesome! :) Plus I have been craving a donut for about two solid weeks so I thought this was the slightly (but not by much I'm sure) healthier version. At any rate, Baby Girl Knox and I both loved them so much we ate roughly 4500. Ok, slight exaggeration, but still...Pat really only got about 2. You snooze, you lose man!

At any rate, they were super easy to throw together and make for a great breakfast. Or snack. Or dinner. You get my point!

Muffins that Taste Like Donuts
from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cups white sugar
1 whole egg
3/4 cups milk

For Topping
1/4 cups butter
1/3 cups white sugar
1 Tbs cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a medium bowl
3. Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients and stir only to combine.
4. Spray muffin tin with vegetable spray and fill 1/2 way full with batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, melt butter in a bowl. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in another bowl.
6. Once muffins are baked, shake onto counter while still hot. Dip muffins in butter, then into sugar/cinnamon mix. Let cool

Last Bite: Seriously, these were really good. You could taste the nutmeg in the muffin and then the sweet crunchy topping of sugar and butter...mmmm....so good! And hey, if you don't like them (because something is wrong with you, not the muffins) then bring them to me...the baby and I could use a few hundred more!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Super Summer Meal

Looks like I have been on quite a Giada kick lately...and it doesn't look like it's gong to stop anytime soon! Today's recipe is also from her collection. I just always love everything she comes up with. So last night for dinner Pat and I had her Spicy Chicken Tenders with Honey-Mustard Sauce, sweet corn on the cob and a lovely summer salad. It was a cinch to throw together and the perfect summer meal.

I was a bit worried that the spicy tenders would be too spicy so I cut back pretty drastically on the cayenne and hot sauce. Do NOT make the same mistake. While they were still really good...they had no spice at all. I will follow the recipe exactly the next time I make these.

Also...I am including a picture of the cute baby girl! We had our 18 week ultrasound yesterday and she looks great! She is measuring right on track and weighing in at a whopping 9 ounces. We got a 3D ultrasound and it is amazing how well you can see your baby! I just love looking at that little face and can't wait to meet her and love on her in December!






Ok...recipe time!

Spicy Chicken Tenders with Honey-Mustard Sauce
Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
Vegetable cooking spray

Honey-Mustard-
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup whole grain mustard

Breading-
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbs salt, plus extra for seasoning
3 large eggs at room temp
3 Tbs hot sauce
1 cup cornmeal
2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
Olive oil for drizzling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a heavy baking sheet liberally with cooking spray. Set aside
2. Honey-Mustard: In a small serving bowl, mix together honey and mustard until smooth. Set aside
3. Breading: IN a medium bowl, mix together flower and salt. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and hot sauce. In a third medium bowl, mix together cornmeal, chili powder and cayenne pepper.
4. Dredge the chicken in the flour and then into the egg mixture. Allow any excess egg mixture to drip off and coat the chicken in the cornmeal mixture.
5. Arrange the breaded chicken in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 to 17 minutes.

Last Bite: I will ALWAYS make my own honey-mustard sauce from now on. It was so easy and tasted WONDERFUL!!! Also...I will kick up the spice next time...but still a great meal!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Good News...and a recipe too!

Ok, first with the good news....Pat and I are expecting a BABY GIRL due this December 17th!! We are so excited!! This might possibly explain my lack of blogging recently. Hopefully though, now that I am in my second trimester, I will be getting that burst of energy everyone keeps talking about!

Anyways I thought I would post a few baby bump pictures, including a few taken at the Zac Brown Band concert last night. It was a great time, even though it was 95 degrees out...talk about HOT!!!






Ok...on to the recipe. This is a great little sandwich that is easy to put together and great for a quick summer dinner. I did have to adapt the recipe a bit since it called for Brie cheese. Turns out when you are preggo, there is a huge list of foods not to eat, and Brie cheese is one of them. I substituted with Provolone. But, if you are not currently pregnant...I would think the Brie would be delightful!




Parisian Steak and Cheese Croissant Sandwich
adapted by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

4 (4-ounce) beef fillet steaks
Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
4 croissants
4 slices of Provolone cheese (or 6 ounces Brie, cut into 1/2 inch slices)
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup (about 4 ounces) farred roasted red bell peppers
Stone ground mustard

Directions

1. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. In a medium skillt, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Cook the steaks for about 5 minutes each side for medium-rare. Set aside for 5 minutes before slicing. Slices the steak, across the grain, into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Using a serrated knife, slice the croissants in half, lengthwise. In 2 batches, place the croissant halves, cut side down in the skillet and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until lightly toasted. Lay the cheese slices over the toasted croissant halves.
3. Remove the croissants from the skillet. Place about 1/4 cup of spinach on the bottom halves of the croissants. Add the sliced steak. Arrange the red bell pepper on top of the steak. Top with the remaining spinach. Slather on stone ground mustard to the other half of the croissant and then add it to the top of the sandwich. Serve immediatly.

Last Bite: This is a great sandwich that is full of flavor. Feel free to replace the mustard with a different condiment...I just happen to really like the punch of flavor it adds!