Easy Peasy Desserts

Butterscotch Blondies (or Chocolate Chip Blondies)

from Cooking Light "Butterscotch Bars", January 2000, as told on Me, Myself and Pie


1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
2 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
cooking spray
1/2 cup butterscotch morsels (or chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat sugars and butter at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes).

Add egg whites and vanilla; beat well. Lightly spoon the flour into measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and stir well with a whisk.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at a low speed until just blended.

Spread evenly into a 8x8 square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with morsels.

Bake for 28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

YUMMMM. I drizzled mine with caramel because I'm a sugar junkie. I still think butterscotch would have been better and plan on trying them again when I get some butterscotch morsels. And maybe some ice cream :)

Cinnamon Mocha-Fudge Bars
from BettyCrocker.com

Bars
1 tsp instant coffee granules*
2 Tb. hot water
1 pouch Betty Crocker double chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg

Frosting
1 tsp instant coffee granules*
2 Tb. hot water
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tb. baking cocoa
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp vanilla
(This reflects half of the frosting used on BC, I ran out of powdered sugar and could only do half but I'm glad. I wouldn't have wanted more frosting.)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, dissolve 1 tsp instant coffee granules in 2 Tb. hot water. *I didn't have instant coffee granules. I just used our regular mocha flavored ground coffee and loved it!

Add remaining bar ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms. Spread in pan.

Bake 15 minutes. Cool completely, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, dissolve 1 tsp instant coffee in 2 Tb. hot water. Add remaining frosting ingredients, stir until smooth. (Such an EASY icing!!)

Spread over bars. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or until set.

Cut into bars and enjoy!

Yummm! These were soo addictive! And not just because of the coffee ;) I loove the speckled look that my dissoluble coffee gave these bars. Betty Crocker does denote that these can be made without coffee; just be sure to use the hot water still.

While all of these desserts were more than delicious, I saved the best for last.

Chocolate Mint Bars
adapted from Me, Myself and Pie 

Bars
used Ghiradelli brownie mix (I fully intend on following the original recipe when I make these again soon because they look to die for as well!)

Mint Layer
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 Tb. fat-free milk (we use 1%)
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring

Glaze
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tb. butter

Prepare brownies according to box directions or follow bottom layer directions on the original recipe. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare mint layer, combine powdered sugar, melted butter and next 3 ingredients (through food coloring) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth.

Spread mint mixture over cooled brownies.

To prepare the glaze, combine the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir and return to the microwave for an additional 30 seconds. On a side note, can you tell that I'm obsessed with Ghiradelli? :) They are fabulous. I think quality chocolate is important in making good desserts. Plus, when I was at the store last, Ghiradelli chocolate chips were $0.04 more than Nestle. Seriously? I'll hand over a nickel for the best chocolate chips ever.

Stir and let stand 2 minutes.

Spread chocolate mixture evenly over top. I swirled the layers a bit because I already got some mint and chocolate mixed up so it looked better, as if it was on purpose ;) Cover and refrigerate until set. This was the cruel part. I had to go to bed without even trying one. LAME. But the next morning....

In my chocolate-mint obsessed brain, these had the perfect proportions. Cut into bars and enjoy!

F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S. I'm not even exaggerating. I can't wait to make these again!

Strawberry Sherbet

This is the making of a beautiful friendship. 

Strawberry Sherbet

from EatingWell.com

• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (not thawed) strawberries , (about 10 ounces), divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups nonfat or low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

I would chop the berries smaller than that next time. 

 

Combine 1 cup berries and sugar in a small bowl and let sit, stirring occasionally until the sugar has begun to dissolve, about 10 minutes.

 

Transfer the berry mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Meanwhile, combine buttermilk, half-and-half, lemon juice, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl.

Press the strawberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl. Stir, cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

Whisk the sherbet mixture and pour into the canister of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

During the last 5 minutes of freezing, add the remaining 1 cup chopped berries. Like I said before, I would have chopped them MUCH smaller than that in hindset.

If necessary, place the sherbet in the freezer to firm up before serving. (If the sherbet becomes very hard in the freezer, soften it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before scooping.)

YUMMMMM. This sherbet was the best. I was very surprised by how amazing the flavor was. Super good.

NUTRITIONAL INFO Per serving (1/2 cup): 112 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 7 mg cholesterol; 21 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 1 g fiber; 94 mg sodium; 86 mg potassium

Well, I'll be back soon. I have many more recipes to share. But for now, school work and Glee are calling my name. It's my new obsession :)

Meatless Wonders and a Grown-up love for Vegetables

Ground Beef or Soy? Poll closes halfway through this post. :)

I tried baked tofu and made two mistakes, according to my vegetarian friend. #1 I used firm, not extra firm so it was kinda soggy. #2 I made the flavor simple so that the tofu could shine. Fyi, tofu has no flavor. It absorbs other flavors fabulously and is a great supporting actor but really doesn't like being in the lead. So I took the rest that I didn't eat that night, cut it into cubes and browned it...

...and threw it in with my favorite stir fry sauce and veggies.

deliciousness.

My stir fry sauce is simple. It has soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, rice vinegar, water, red pepper flakes and cornstarch. It's written on a post it somewhere in my recipe box because I've fooled with it so much. haha

Hummus - serves 8
from Weight Watcher's New Complete Cookbook

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (15 oz)*
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt*
2 Tb. fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, crushed*
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tb. water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

I had to show off my ADORABLE new tsp/Tb. measure. I love my big one and freaked when AB pulled out this tiny little thing. Perfect for honey, peanut butter and measuring small amounts of liquids.

In a food processor or blender, puree all the ingredients until blended but still a little chunky.

Serve with bell pepper strips, cherry tomatoes, lightly steamed broccoli and baby carrots. Or...as shown here, with Stacey's pita chips! :)

NUTRITIONAL INFO Per serving (1/4 cup): 91 cal; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g trans); 0 mg chol; 151 mg sod; 13 g carb; 1 g fib; 5 g prot; 54 mg calc

*I had a 19 oz can of chickpeas and used a 6 oz (3/4 cup) container of Greek non-fat plain yogurt (because I'm OBSESSED with Greek yogurt lol) for the increase. I would definitely scale back on the garlic. Good at first taste, but after sitting, WAY too garlicky!

Hearty Meatless Chili - serves 6*
from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

*I halved it and had three, very generous servings.

1 Tb. olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
1 package of frozen soy crumbles (12 oz) *couldn't find frozen, used refrigerated...
1/2 cup water
1/2 medium eggplant, unpeeled and diced *used zucchini instead
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (15 oz)

Heat the oil in a nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalepeno; cook, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes.

I always have tons of cans of diced tomatoes around and didn't feel like buying crushed...so I "crushed" them myself. :)

Soy crumbles! If hubby wasn't completely open to the idea of soy (he is more so than I am!), I could easily slip this in for meat and I don't think he'd be able to tell...it looks almost identical and like I said before, tofu/soy products soak up the flavor of the ingredients around them.

Add the tomatoes, soy crumbles, water, eggplant (zucchini) and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Add the beans and simmer, partially covered, until all the vegetables are well softened, about 20 minutes longer.

Top with scallions and cheddar cheese. Serve with corn bread.

NUTRITIONAL INFO Per serving (a little less than 1 cup): 197 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat); 0 mg chol; 807 mg sodium; 28 g carbs; 10 g fiber; 16 g Protein; 105 mg Calc

I looooved this. It was super good!

 

The funniest thing about this recipe is that a vegetarian friend gave it to me a while back and I forgot about it. Then I was browsing one of my favorite sites, Eatingwell.com, and found a chilaquiles casserole. This made me think about the other recipe my friend sent me. So I went back and found it in my inbox...and they were the same recipe. How funny is that?! lol Needless to say, regardless of where I found this recipe...it was FABULOUS.

Chilaquiles Casserole - makes 10 servings (once again, halved it and had 5 servings. We both ate two that night and I had the extra for lunch the next day)
from Leah! and Eatingwell.com

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 19-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups corn, frozen (thawed) or fresh
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 corn tortillas, quartered
1 19-ounce can mild red or green enchilada sauce (before you consider making your own, like I did...it's MUCH higher in calories...just grab a low sodium can)
1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1.Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are heated through, about 3 minutes.

3.Scatter half the tortilla pieces in the pan. Top with half the vegetable mixture, half the enchilada sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with one more layer of tortillas, vegetables, sauce and cheese. Cover with foil.

4.Bake the casserole for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more.
 
NUTRITIONAL INFO Per serving: 243 calories; 10 g fat (5 g sat, 4 g mono); 23 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 5 g fiber; 338 mg sodium; 267 mg potassium
 
Next time, we'll prepare it a day ahead and let it sit in the fridge like AB does with his. It lets the flavors meld together or something. Either way, DELICIOUS.

Tomato, Chicken and Parmesan Risotto!

This was my first Daring Kitchen Cook's challenge! It wasn't as new or laborious as the tiramisu but still challenging. I have made risotto before but never my own chicken stock.

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

Chicken Stock
1 large chicken 2-3 pounds about 1 kg*
chicken bones 2-3 pounds 1 kg
2 onions, roughly diced
1 medium leek - white part only, roughly diced
2 sticks celery, roughly diced
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. white peppercorns (any type of whole peppercorn will do)
2 bay leaves (fresh or dried, it doesn't matter)
peel of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. allspice

*Mine was more like a stock/broth since I used a 4-5 lb chicken and no bones until the last hour when I removed the chiken, shredded the meat and returned the bones to the pot.

Wash the chicken and bones and places in a 5 Litre pot, cover completely with water and bring to a boil. Skim away any scum as it comes to the surface

Add the vegetables and bring back to a boil. Add the rest remaining ingredients and simmer very gently, uncovered for 1.5 hours

Carefully lift out the chicken, set aside. The chicken meat can be removed from the chicken, shredded off and used for other things like soup!

Simmer the stock gently for another hour. At , at the end you should have around 2 Liters.

Carefully ladle the liquid into a fine sieve, the less the bones and vegetables are disturbed in this process the clearer the stock will be. The stock is now ready for use. Freeze what you don't need for later use.

Risotto Base
Olive oil - 2 fluid oz/60 ml
1 small onion, quatered
Rice -14 oz/400g (Any type of risotto rice will do. I use Arborio but the recipe itself says Vialone Nano. Another to look for is Carnaroli)
White Wine - 2 fl oz/60 ml (I used Pinot Grigio)
Chicken stock, simmering - 2 pints/1 L

Heat oil in a pan and add onion. Fry for a few minutes to flavour the oil then discard.

Add the rice and stir for a few minutes to coat each grain of rice with oil and toast slightly.

Add the wine and let it bubble away until evaporated. Add enough stock to cover the rice by a finger’s width (about an inch or two). Don't actually stick your finger in, it will be hot. Just eye it off. (haha! this made me laugh so I left it in...)

Cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time, until most of the stock has been absorbed. Repeat little by little until the rice is fully cooked. Once you are at this point, the base is made. You now get to add your own variation.

I decided to make a roasted tomato, parmesan and chicken risotto. So I sliced the tomatoes, keeping only the skins, into thin strips. In a 375° F oven, I put the strips on a baking sheet and roasted them for 35 minutes.

I reheated the chicken (6 oz shredded) in a pan and added the tomatoes.

I then folded in the tomatoes, chicken and 1/2 cup shredded parmesan. Serve and enjoy!! YUMM.