Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Moroccan Spiced Chicken

August 1, 2011

I’ve gotten in a little summer routine in the kitchen lately. We can’t get enough zucchini and yellow squash and every Sunday I end up sautéing a bunch of the veggies (7 yesterday!) in my huge wok to enjoy alongside some chicken and carby side dish of some kind. I’m dreaming of the day we have a garden and more summer squash than we know what to do with, but for the time being I’ll settle on what I can scoop up at the farmers’ market. The way I cook the chicken varies a bit, so at least I’m not completely in a rut! One of my favorite ways to keep chicken juicy is to marinate it in Greek yogurt and then give it a quick sear on my grill pan before finishing it in the oven. Of course, I can’t wait until we have a backyard for a grill too!

The other weekend I mixed the yogurt along with some tart lime juice, sweet honey, and a plethora Moroccan spices, which I picked based on this recommendation. I love the way spices can transform a dish from average to exotic.

Moroccan Spiced Chicken
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Place Greek yogurt, lime juice, honey, turmeric, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Spread marinade evenly over chicken breasts in a shallow dish and refrigerate for an hour.

Heat oven to 350˚F. Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium high heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and sear chicken for 2 minutes per side or until browned. Place chicken in a large rectangular dish and bake at 350˚F for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 337 calories, 2.9g fat, 0.1g fiber, 59.6g protein per serving
Cost: $1.63 per serving

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Shrimp Tacos with Corn Salsa

July 28, 2011

There are some things I never pass up and one of them is corn on the cob. I will eat it anytime, anywhere, even if I don’t have any floss with me. The deliciousness is definitely worth having a few annoying pieces stuck in my teeth! Of course, fresh summer corn is just as tasty off the cob and I recently decided to take advantage of the season’s bounty by making a lovely corn salsa that also featured poblano peppers, red onion, lime juice, and cilantro.

I ended up piling the salsa atop a mound of cumin and paprika spiced shrimp nestled on corn tortillas covered with a creamy avocado spread. Just one bite convinced me that I need to put shrimp in my tacos more often! Oh, and I actually doubled the recipe for the corn salsa and stuffed the leftovers into some cheese quesadillas the next day for lunch – yum!

Shrimp Tacos with Corn Salsa
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Corn Salsa:
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
Kernels from 2 ears of corn
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Juice of half a lime
1/4 teaspoon salt

Shrimp:
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp with tails removed
1 tablespoon canola oil

Avocado Spread:
1 large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and mashed
Juice of half a lime
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Assembly:
6 corn tortillas, warmed

Directions:
To make the corn salsa, heat canola oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add onion and pepper and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes; add corn and sauté 2 additional minutes or until all veggies are tender. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, lime juice, and salt.

To make the shrimp, mix cumin, paprika, and salt in a small bowl and evenly rub into shrimp. Heat canola oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet and sauté shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes or until pink and cooked through.

To make the avocado spread, mix the mashed avocados, lime juice, cilantro and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

To assemble the tacos, evenly cover the corn tortillas with the avocado spread. Top evenly with shrimp and corn salsa. Makes 3 servings.

Nutrition: 547 calories, 21.4g fat, 11.5g fiber, 38.9g protein per serving
Cost: $3.98 per serving

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Adobo Ranch Beef Wraps

July 23, 2011

This East coast heat wave has led me to eat cereal or ice cream for dinner a few more times than I’d like to admit! I’ve also been craving cool crisp salads more often than usual and thought this was the perfect time to share this tasty wrap that I made a few weeks ago. It’s just as refreshing as a salad but a bit more hearty because I packed the spinach wraps with flank steak, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, and an adobo ranch dressing. I broiled the steak quickly (of course you could also grill it!) and microwaved the sweet potatoes so the oven wouldn’t be on too long and assembled the wraps one night. Then we enjoyed them for lunch the next day straight out of the fridge. I’m putting these on the menu again for next week!

Adobo Ranch Beef Wraps
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
3/4 cup ranch salad dressing, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers, divided
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 pounds beef flank steak
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small bite sized chunks (22 ounces peeled and chopped)
6 cups fresh baby spinach (6 ounces)
1 large tomato, chopped
6 10-inch diameter spinach wraps (or flour tortillas)

Directions:
To make the marinade, place 1/2 cup ranch dressing, 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, 1/4 cup olive oil, and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Place beef steak and marinade in large food-safe plastic bag and make sure marinade evenly coats steak. Close bag and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning once.

Heat oven broiler. Remove steak from marinade and place steak on rack of broiler pan so surface of beef is 2 to 3 inches from heat. Broil 13 to 18 minutes for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning once. Remove; let stand 5 minutes. Carve steak across the grain into small bite sized chunks.

Meanwhile, while steak is cooking, place sweet potatoes in a large microwave safe bowl and toss with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil; microwave on high for 10 minutes, stirring once half way through. Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add sweet potatoes and sauté until cooked through and lightly browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To assemble the wraps, mix remaining 1/4 cup ranch dressing and 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce in a small bowl. Place spinach, tomato, sliced beef, and cooked sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with chipotle ranch dressing and mix well with tongs. Place equal amounts of beef mixture down center of each wrap. Fold in sides of tortilla and roll up tightly. Makes 6 wraps.

Nutrition: 719 calories, 38.5g fat, 3.0g fiber, 32.4g protein per wrap
Cost: $2.88 per wrap

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Blueberry Watermelon Martinis

July 18, 2011

Speaking of college, I went back to Iowa a few months ago for my 10 year reunion. Some people gave me a puzzled look when I told them where I was going, but I just smiled to myself and thought, well they don’t get it because they didn’t go to Grinnell!

I think it’s a little hard for others to truly understand the Grinnell experience, but imagine spending four years among just 1200 very smart students from all over the world in a quaint town of 8000 in the middle of nowhere (when we got a McDonald’s the summer after our sophomore year, it was a big deal). Our classes were small, in fact several of mine only had 4-5 people and my biggest had 30, so getting fairly close to your professors was pretty common. Most people studied hard and were committed to making a difference in the world, but also took every opportunity to live life to the fullest. There were no rules, and instead we had self governance, which meant you could do whatever you wanted but were expected to take responsibility for your actions (you know, like real adults). It was a tight community where people looked out for each other and you knew almost everyone. We often had to get creative and invent ways to entertain ourselves since we were fairly isolated. Grinnell inspired my love of costume parties, contests, and practical jokes. Let’s just say it was a bonding experience, and I am so thankful for all the great friends I made during my time there.

So, I was very excited to go back and see the 150 or so of my 400 classmates who came back for the reunion and especially couldn’t wait to be reunited with my good friends, Emily, Emily, and Susie! A lot was the same – the dorms had their distinctive smell and many people seemed like they hadn’t changed a bit, but there were many new buildings, including a beautiful new athletic complex. Some of the highlights included going to Dairy Barn, which beats Dairy Queen any day, and of course wandering around the campus. I got to spend some time catching up with my swimming coach and we ran into our physical chemistry professor in the science center, who remembered all our names – where else would that happen? We spent the majority of our time drinking on Mac Field, which is surrounded by many of the dorms, and is one of the quintessential Grinnell places to hang out.

Here we all are in a lounge of one of the dorms – I think this is my favorite picture, even though I’m blinking, because I somehow felt the need to be the same height as everyone else….yep, I was having a good time! I also loved dancing the night away at Harris, which is where a bunch of parties were held. I made my favorite dancing partner, Susie, do the same dance “move” we perfected in college about 500 times. It was so fun being able to spend time with some of my best friends without having a care in world, and I am really glad I was able to go back!

Anyway, in college we used to mix Absolut vodka with Crystal Light all the time. Yeah, just thinking about that combo makes my stomach turn, what a waste of decent vodka. I decided to whip up some much tastier summer adult beverages this weekend – blueberry watermelon martinis! Like my experience at Grinnell, these can’t be beat!

Blueberry Watermelon Martinis
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 cups cubed watermelon (24 ounces)
2 cups blueberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups vodka or gin (or lime seltzer if you’re in the mood for a nonalcoholic drink)
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:
Place watermelon and blueberries in a food processor and pulse until smooth, about 1 minute. Place fruit puree in a stockpot over high heat and mix in sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer 2 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, puree once more in the food processor, strain, and allow to cool to room temperature, about an hour (I stuck mine in the fridge). Mix in vodka and lime juice, shake with ice in a martini shaker, and serve. Makes 6 martinis.

Nutrition: 275 calories, 0.5g fat, 1.9g fiber, 1.0g protein per martini
Cost: $1.55 per martini

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Chocolate Dulce De Leche Bars

July 14, 2011

Every month when the dining hall menu was released during college, my roommates and I circled one day on the calendar. This was a day that was not to be forgotten. This was a day that we quickly scurried to lunch giddy with anticipation. This was a day that was simply all about “the bars” – cookie perfection in the form of layers of a buttery oatmeal crust, chocolate, and caramel.

We loved the bars so much, that no matter the weather, I threw on a huge sweatshirt and stuffed my baggy sleeves with stacks of cookies carefully wrapped up in paper napkins. Yes, I stole as many as of the bars as possible out of the dining hall, and yes, I would definitely do it again given the chance. We hoarded those bars of golden caramel goodness for days and savored each and every bite.

A couple years after I graduated, I stumbled upon the recipe for the bars, which apparently are officially known as Oatmeal Carmelitas. I was beyond incredibly excited that I could have the bars whenever I wanted! For years and years afterwards, I whipped them up anytime I needed to make a dessert to impress. And now, I finally want to honor one of the recipes that inspired my love of baking – this is a decadent chocolate and dulce de leche version of one of my very favorite treats in the whole world. Britt – my favorite partner in crime, this one is for you!

Chocolate Dulce De Leche Bars
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 13.4-ounce can dulce de leche
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Place flour, oats, brown sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Place butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute or until butter and chocolate are melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Mix melted butter mixture into dry ingredients until crumb forms. Reserve 1/2 cup of crumb mixture. Place remaining crumb mixture in a greased 8×8-inch pan and press down evenly. Bake crust at 350˚F for 10 minutes.

Place dulce de leche and milk in a small bowl and mix well until smooth. Evenly spread dulce de leche over partially baked crust. Top evenly with chocolate chips and remaining 1/2 cup chocolate crumb mixture. Bake an additional 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Cool 1 hour at room temperature and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set. Cut into 16 bars and store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition: 309 calories, 13.0g fat, 2.5g fiber, 4.7g protein per bar
Cost: $0.40 per bar

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BBQ Sloppy Joes

July 11, 2011

My mom used to make sloppy joes for us pretty regularly growing up. I have very fond memories of watching her add the ketchup and mustard to the ground beef simmering in a pot on the stove, and then of course of all of us attempting to eat the sandwiches without making a huge mess. I think poor sloppy joes tend to be underappreciated, so I decided to revive this retro favorite with a few delicious twists!

First, instead of flavoring the meat with a traditional tomato base, I simply mixed ground turkey with our favorite BBQ sauce. Then I nestled the juicy meat between caramelized onions and melted sharp cheddar cheese on toasted whole wheat buns. These sloppy joes definitely hit the spot and we may or may not have gobbled up all 4 sandwiches in one sitting…

p.s. The winner of my Shabby Apple apron giveaway was #36 – Jessi from Chef Fresco, congrats!

BBQ Sloppy Joes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, cut into thin strips
1 pound ground turkey
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split in half and toasted
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat oil and butter over a medium low heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add onions, cover pan, and cook for 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until onions are caramelized.

Meanwhile, place ground turkey in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat and break up with a spoon. Cook for 7 minutes or until meat is browned and no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain off any liquid. Stir in BBQ sauce and salt and heat until warmed through, about 2 minutes.

Heat oven broiler. Place bottom half of toasted buns on a large cookie sheet and place one slice of cheese on each and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. To assemble Sloppy Joes, evenly spread meat over each cheese topped bottom bun. Top evenly with caramelized onions and top with top half of toasted buns. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 570 calories, 26.9g fat, 2.4g fiber, 36.2g protein per serving
Cost: $2.05 per serving

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Yuzu Miso Mahi Mahi

July 7, 2011

I recently swooned over a delicious yuzu miso sauce served with one of the tuna rolls at our local sushi joint and decided something similar must be incorporated into my next fish dish – never mind the fact that I didn’t even know what yuzu was or where to find it! Well, it turns out that yuzu is a citrus fruit commonly found in East Asia. I actually managed to find a bottle of the juice during a recent trip to HMart but couldn’t quite bring myself to put it in my cart for $20….so you can imagine my delight when I found the following treasure at Trader Joe’s.

The orange box contains packets of a Yuzu Citrus Tisane Beverage concentrate, which you’re supposed to mix into some water to enjoy – score! I whisked several of the packets together with the other ingredients in the picture – garlic, ginger, dark soy sauce, and miso – and used half the mixture to marinate some mahi mahi fillets and the other half to make a sauce to top them. I served the fish over a lovely bed of oyster mushrooms and baby bok choy, which I learned how to cook properly here. This was a lovely light summer meal, and I’m so glad I spotted that yuzu drink concentrate on the shelf!

Yuzu Miso Mahi Mahi
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Mahi Mahi with Yuzu Miso Sauce:
6 1.1-ounce packets Yuzu Citrus Tisane Beverage from a 11.2-ounce box from Trader Joe’s
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons miso paste
1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 9-ounce mahi mahi fillets

Baby Bok Choy:
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
8 ounces oyster mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds baby bok choy, ends trimmed
1/4 cup chicken broth

Directions:
To make the mahi mahi fillets, place yuzu beverage, soy sauce, miso, ginger, and garlic in a large bowl and whisk until miso is dissolved. Pour half the mixture (1/2 cup) into a shallow pan with the mahi mahi fillets, coat the fillets well with the marinade on both side, and marinate for 20 minutes to an hour in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the mahi mahi fillets on both sides, about 1 minute on each side. Bake fish for 10 minutes at 350˚F or until cooked through. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the remaining unused yuzu miso mixture in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or until thickened and reduced.

To make the baby bok choy, heat 1/2 tablespoon canola oil over medium heat in a large wok. Add mushrooms and sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Remove mushrooms from pan and add remaining 1 tablespoons canola oil. Place ginger and garlic in the wok and sauté 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add baby bok choy to the wok and mix well. Add chicken broth, cover wok, and steam for 3 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and stir in cooked mushrooms.

To serve, evenly distribute baby bok choy on 4 plates. Top with mahi mahi fillets and sauce. Make 4 servings.

Nutrition: 493 calories, 8.5g fat, 0.7g fiber, 65.5g protein per serving
Cost: $6.55 per serving

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Blueberry Lemon Trifles

July 4, 2011

I’m so happy berries are finally in season! For the past couple of weeks we have just been annihilating as many as possible straight from the container – 2 pounds of blueberries only last a couple days around here. But, I’ve been yearning to use the new mini trifle dishes I scored from the Crate and Barrel outlet store during our trip to Portland, so I finally managed to set some fruit aside to use in these blueberry lemon trifles.

Lemons and blueberries are just made for each other. The trifles contain layers of a creamy lemon custard (well, it’s technically not a custard but it tastes just as indulgent as one – I simply mixed thick Greek yogurt with a bit of lemon curd from Trader Joe’s), a homemade blueberry sauce, fresh blueberries, and chunks of soft sugar cookies full of lemon zest, almond extract, and dried blueberries – SO good! I split an 8×8-inch pan of cookies into just 6 trifles, but if you want a lighter dessert you can certainly use less. These cute little desserts are perfect to enjoy at a summer dinner party because you can make all the components in advance and just assemble them right before serving.

p.s. Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for an adorable apron from Shabby Apple!

Blueberry Lemon Trifles
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Cookies:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried blueberries

Blueberry Sauce:
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

For Trifle Assembly:
3 cups vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt
6 tablespoons lemon curd
3 cups blueberries

Directions:
To make the cookies, heat oven to 350˚F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Mix in egg and almond extract; stir in flour, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt until soft dough forms. Stir in dried blueberries. Spread dough in bottom of a greased 8×8-inch square pan. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown on the edges and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour, and cut into 64 squares (you’ll have 4 leftover for nibbling!).

To make the blueberry sauce, place blueberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and berries have broken down. Let cool about 10 minutes and then pulse in a food processor until smooth, about 10 seconds.

To assemble the trifles, whisk yogurt and lemon curd in a large bowl until smooth. Spread a thin layer of yogurt over the bottom of six mini trifle dishes. Top with five squares of cookie, a bit of blueberry sauce and some fresh blueberries. Layer once more the yogurt, five squares of cookie, a bit of blueberry sauce, and some fresh blueberries. Top with remaining yogurt, blueberry sauce, and garnish with fresh blueberries. Makes 6 trifles.

Nutrition: 564 calories, 22.5g fat, 3.8g fiber, 16.0g protein per trifle
Cost: $2.10 per trifle

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