Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Going to try to keep this simple because I have a million and one things to do… but as I mentioned on my facebook page, I have been trying to find some healthier recipes to get me back on track after the holidays.  You know how it goes… beginning of the year, time to diet and make all sorts of promises to eat healthier and yadda, yadda, yadda…  Well, for now I really am trying to eat better and we’re counting calories so that means a lot of my usual recipes just don’t make the cut… boo!  So you may find that it takes me longer to get up new recipes as I wade through the world of “healthy recipes”, because after trying many of them I just don’t feel they are blog worthy, or even worth finishing my plate at times.  Anyway, that’s where I am at and why it’s taking me so dang long!

I have made stuffed bell peppers in the past, usually with some sort of rice, and beef.  Jeff claims to have hated them, so I don’t make them often, though I always enjoyed them.  I figured it was time to try again however, and have been wanting to try them with quinoa for quite some time.  So glad we did!  They are definitely filling/satisfying with the quinoa, and the flavors were great.  The recipe I was following didn’t call for any meat… afterall quinoa has a good deal of protein itself, but Jeff is usually more willing to try things if it has some meat in it lol.  I think the addition of the ground turkey I used, seasoned with a bit of chili powder and smoked paprika worked really well in this.  Jeff even gave them rave reviews and said I could make them often… quite the turn around I’d say. 

My only issue with stuffed peppers is that I can never get them tender enough… at least not following the cooking instructions.  I feel like they maybe need a headstart in the oven before stuffing them to really soften them up.  Of course this just depends on your preference for texture.  I don’t mind them firmer, but I think I would like them even more if they were soft.  So my plan next time is to try cooking them a bit first and then finishing with the filling.  As it stood, with these, I ended up cooking them probably closer to 40 minutes and there was still a good deal of crunch to the peppers, but we really didn’t want to wait any longer as it was getting late.

Quinoa & Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Makes : 6 peppers

Ingredients :

• 6 bell peppers of your choice (make sure to pick well rounded ones that can stand up)
• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/2 lb ground turkey (cooked and seasoned to taste)
• 1 roma tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup corn kernels (I used frozen and thawed them in a bit of water)
• 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small can green chiles
• 3 T. chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder (or more to taste)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl combine your stuffing ingredients. 
3. Cut tops off peppers, and remove seeds.  Spoon stuffing in peppers.
4. Bake until peppers are tender and filling is heated through, about 25-30 minutes (see note above).

Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious

Skillet Baked Ziti with Sausage

Let me start off by saying that though this is REALLY good, I mean seriously so, a friend that has made real baked ziti many times (something I can’t say that I have ever tried) says this does not resemble it very closely.  She did agree that it was fantastic however.  So whether you want to call it baked ziti or not, you should try this for sure!

The sauce is amazing, and everything together screams comfort food.  I did make a few changes/substitutions in my version as did the friend I mentioned.  So I am going to list the recipe out with those ingredients.  One big change I made was to use fresh roma tomatoes rather than canned peeled tomatoes because I am trying to avoid canned foods as much as possible.  This is a personal choice, but I have been hearing so much about BPA in the lining and I am just really trying to make better food choices for my family where and when I can.  Having never substituted fresh tomatoes for canned in something like this I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect.  I read about how to blanch and peel tomatoes but I didn’t want to go through the hassle.  I knew that might mean I would have pieces of the skin left in my dish but honestly I didn’t notice it if there were.  They blended up nicely in the processor.  The other notable change I made was to use chicken sausages (the kind that are more like hotdogs).  I don’t love sausage, so again this is preference.  I didn’t have any casings to remove, and I ended up chopping it into bite sized pieces.  Since it comes fully cooked I just had to heat it up really and let it get some browning before moving on with the next step.  Of courses I added more cheese… but I will list that as it stated and let you be the judge there.

I made mine in my cast iron skillet, just make sure you are using an oven proof one.  I love dishes like this where you make everything in one skillet.  Saves on dishes… even though admittedly that’s my husband’s job… and it’s just easier.  I really love the rustic look of serving a full dish in a cast iron skillet too.

 

Ingredients :

• 28oz fresh roma tomatoes (about 5-6)
• 1 4-pk Italian Chicken Sausages, cut into bite size pieces
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 cups water
• 12 oz. ziti (I used penne)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 oz. parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (or more!)

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 475 F.
2. Add the tomatoes to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until there aren’t any large pieces left, about 12 pulses.
3. Set a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook until the sausage is slightly browned.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook just until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and the salt (if you’re not using a nonstick pan, now is a good time to scrape the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits). Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer gently for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes don’t taste raw anymore.
4. Add the water and pasta to the pan (the pan will probably be quite full, just stir gently to prevent overflow). Cover the pan and turn the heat up to medium to medium-high (adjust as necessary to maintain a vigorous simmer). Cook, stirring frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan, for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. The pasta will not have absorbed all the liquid in the pan.
5. Add the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and parsley to the pan. Stir to incorporate, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Top the pasta with the mozzarella cheese then transfer the pan to the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and browned.

Recipe from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

Paprika Chicken Stroganoff

This dish has almost all the elements that to me make a perfect meal…. pasta, mushrooms, garlic, meat, bold flavor, creamy sauce, and some fresh parsley!  The only thing it IS missing to be a perfect combo of my favorite things is some cheese, but this isn’t really a recipe that needs it, so I guess I will give it a pass on that lol.  This is not only a tasty dish, but is also very visually appealing.  The red/orange color of the sauce, the white of the pasta, and the bright green of the parsley make it look like a piece of art!

As if those elements alone weren’t enough to make me or anyone else want to try this, I was also intrigued by the use of Greek yogurt in the dish.  When I think of stroganoff I think of cream of mushroom soup, or some other variety.  If the recipe is more health conscious or just more involved it at least calls for cream or butter or something to make it so good and creamy, but not quite so healthy.  With this dish there really was no need.  The sauce was thick and creamy from the yogurt and the flour alone.  This for me at least cuts back on the guilt of either using cream and butter or “cream of soup” (which I am trying to phase out in our house).

I didn’t make any changes to the recipe, which for me is rare lol.  So with that, I will just get on with it and share the recipe.

Ingredients :

• 1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 T. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 1 T. olive oil, divided
• 1 medium  yellow onion, diced
• 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 T. all-purpose flour whisked with 1 T. water
• 1o oz. dry egg noodles
• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Directions :

1. In a medium bowl, toss the cubed chicken with the paprika, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour on top of the chicken and toss to coat.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until rippling and hot. Add the chicken and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink (no need to cook through); remove the chicken onto a plate and set aside.
3. Add the last teaspoon of oil to the pan and allow to get hot, about 1 minute; stir in the onions and mushrooms. Saute the mixture, stirring occasionally and scraping up the browned bits from the chicken, until the onion is translucent and the onions and mushrooms are browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, saute 30 seconds or until fragrant.
4. Meanwhile, heat 2 quarts of water in a large pot. Bring water to a boil and add noodles. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
5. Pour in about 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping up any bits from the bottom. Stir in the tomato paste, whisking to combine. Add the rest of the chicken broth and the bay leaf, whisking well. Add the chicken back into the skillet and simmer the mixture over medium-low to medium heat, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and cook for about 2-3 minutes longer.
6. Add the flour and water slurry to the simmering mixture in the skillet, whisking quickly to combine. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Serve over hot noodles and garnish with fresh parsley.

Recipe from Prevention RD

Pumpkin Thai Chicken Pizza

Sounds odd right?  Well I thought so at least, but I am only just starting to come around to using pumpkin in anything other than dessert.  Still, I was intrigued, and put it on my menu as soon as I saw it.  I love Thai pizzas, so I figured why not?  If it turned out I would have an interesting post for my blog, and if not, at least it would be simple to make and I won’t have wasted too much of my time.

Turns out it not only doesn’t taste like pumpkin… something I was rather concerned about given the amount of pumpkin vs the amount of other ingredients… but it tastes great too!  My husband said that he felt it wasn’t too different from a more traditional peanut sauce which is a good thing because that’s definitely his favorite part of Thai pizza, but also the highest portion of fat/calories!  My only critic on this would be that I felt it had room for more flavor.  Perhaps some red peppers!

In regards to the ingredients… I had way more sauce than I needed for one pizza.  I could have probably gotten two out of the amount I had.  The only problem was I didn’t have enough chicken for two pizzas.  I also don’t feel like the amount of cheese listed is enough for a pizza…. I probably used 3 times that to be honest, and I encourage you to use however much you like.  With such a simple pizza I like there to be a nice layer of cheese.  I used a store-bought crust, it was a large square one, that bakes in 8 minutes according to the package, so I ended up basing my time off that, and then at the end I broiled it for just a minute to get some color on the top too.  My last change was to use chicken breast I seasoned with some salt and pepper and cooked in a skillet.

I would definitely make this again, and perhaps try it with the addition of the peppers I mentioned.  It came together easily, and was a nice change from the more traditional pizzas.

 

Ingredients :

• pizza dough, prepared (I used a prepared crust)
• 1 (15oz) can pure pumpkin
• 1 T. chili garlic sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. Thai red curry paste
• 1 chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken, shredded (see note above)
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (see note above, I used a lot more)
• 2 thin slices of onion, chopped
• handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions :

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large bowl mix together the pumpkin, chili garlic sauce, salt and pepper.
2. In another smaller bowl mix together the cut chicken, curry paste and lime juice.  Mix together until the chicken is evenly coated with the red curry paste.
3. Flour your surface and roll out the prepared pizza dough.  Sprinkle the pizza stone or cookie sheet with corn meal and place the dough on the sheet/stone.  Evenly spread the pumpkin mixture on the dough leaving about an inch bare for the crust.  Sprinkle the chicken on top of the pumpkin mixture and evenly place the onion slices on the chicken.
4.  Finally sprinkle with cheese and bake for 16-18 minutes until cheese has melted and crust is a light golden brown.
5. While it’s baking chop or tear the cilantro.  After you take the pizza out and it’s cooled sprinkle the cilantro over it and serve.  Enjoy!

Recipe from Seaweed & Sassafras

Broccoli-Chicken Mac & Cheese

Continuing on with my comfort food theme of late I decided to give this Broccoli-Chicken Mac & Cheese a try.  I am not really a fan of basic mac and cheese, but I do like the jazzed up versions.  Nothing screams comfort like pasta, cheesy sauce, and other flavorful bits all mixed in with it!

We both thought this was really good.  It has a rich creamy/cheesy feel to it, but the best part is that you are saving so many calories by using laughing cow cheese in this dish.  I used garlic and herb as suggested in the recipe, but I bet it would be good with the french onion variety or perhaps some of the others as well.  I used oricchiette, but the person who posted it used shell noodles.  The last change I made was to use half and half in place of the milk.  I know it undid some of the benefit of using the laughing cow cheese, but I had some left over from another recipe and I didn’t want to waste it.  I used probably about 1/2 cup of that, and 1/2 cup of fat free milk.

Anyway, this dish is a complete meal, comes together easily, and would please even the pickier eaters (as long as you can actually get yours’ to try things that is lol).  It also looks very nice on the plate with all the colors, I would just suggest tossing it a bit more gently than I did since I broke up a lot of my broccoli in my haste to get dinner on the table.  What can I say, I was hungry! lol

 

Ingredients :

• 8 oz. large macaroni noodles (or whatever noodle you prefer)
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 2 large chicken breasts (about 1 lb), cut into bite-sized pieces
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp. oil (I used oil from the sun-dried tomatoes)
• 6 oz. laughing cow lite cheese wedges (I used Garlic & Herb)
• 3/4 – 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Directions :

1. Cook macaroni noodles in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Add broccoli to the pot 3 minutes before noodles are done cooking, then drain well and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove to a plate and set aside. In the same skillet, add cheese, milk, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper, then stir until cheese is melted, and sauce is thick. Add cooked chicken, noodles, and broccoli to the skillet then stir well to combine. Add more milk if sauce isn’t creamy enough, then serve.

Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats

Broiled Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce

Rather than drag the kids to the store with me, which let’s face it is a nightmare, I like to wait until my husband is home before I go grocery shopping.  This is fine, except that by the time I am done it’s getting a bit late, and I often don’t feel like cooking anymore.  This is where super quick and easy meals come in!  Fish is a great option because if you buy fresh you need to use it right away anyway, and most preparations of it are fast.  I had planned to make some roasted potatoes with this, which admittedly would have added a good deal of time to the process, but luckily for me I forgot the potatoes.  I did get some asparagus though, and I knew between the two of us we had more than enough salmon so I just decided that would be dinner.  It ended up being plenty for me, but I am sure my husband would have liked to have the potatoes too.  Anyway, I sauteed the asparagus up while the salmon broiled and this meal came together lightning quick, and with very little work!

I actually can’t recall whether I have broiled fish before.  I have baked it plenty of times, but I guess I worried that the high heat of the broil on the top only would leave the middle uncooked before the top started to burn.  I am happy to report, at least this time, that is the not the case.  It was perfectly cooked through without being dry and had a nice bit of crust on top.   The recipe was originally for a much larger fillet of salmon, but for the two of us I halved the recipe.  That’s still 1.25lbs of fish!  Mine were cut into 4 individual fillets, so they cooked faster than the suggested time, so watch it closely when you put it in.  The sauce is easy to throw together, but if you want to save even more time, or allow for more time for the flavors to marry you could make it that morning and throw it in the fridge or even the night before.  Just make sure to give it a good whisk before serving it.

The flavors, though simple, were fantastic.  I was a little surprised by the step to rub soy sauce on the salmon, but whatever purpose it serves must be worth it because the salmon alone was great.  Combine that with the creamy sauce with that bit of grain and spice of mustard and the tang of the dill and you have a perfect pairing.  I used some of the sauce to drizzle on my asparagus as well.

Salmon isn’t the cheapest protein out there…. I think for 1.25lbs I paid close to 20.00!  To me that’s a lot, but we don’t eat salmon that often so I don’t mind splurging every once in a while.  Because it doesn’t fit into most people’s daily budget, however, I think it often becomes a “company dish”.  This not only has great flavor, but looks beautiful on the plate and would be great to serve to your guests.  I would just suggest rounding out the meal with something like… oh I don’t know… roasted potatoes and asparagus! lol.  Just don’t forget the potatoes like me and you’re golden.

 

Ingredients :

• 2.5 – 3 lb salmon fillet
• soy sauce for rubbing the salmon
• fresh bay leaves and thyme sprigs for garnish (I didn’t bother)
• 1/2 cup coarse-grained mustard
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, or to taste

Directions :

1. To make sauce, in a bowl combine the mustard, water, cream, oil, sugar, and dill.  Whisk together until well combined and set aside.  If making ahead be sure to chill in fridge, and re-whisk before serving.
2. Preheat broiler.
3. Rinse salmon and pat dry.  Arrange skin side down (mine were skinless) on a foil-lined pan and rub thoroughly with soy sauce.  Season with salt and pepper and broil about 4 inches from the heat for 12-15 minutes or until just cooked through.  Transfer salmon to a platter and garnish with herbs.
4. Serve salmon warm or at room temperature with mustard dill sauce.

Recipe from A Chow

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Green Apple & Bacon

For many years now I have heard people talk of putting cheese and apples together….. I couldn’t wrap my head around it, but I was definitely curious.  When I came across this sandwich I finally got up the courage to give this age-old combo a try.  Honestly I was nervous lol.  I had put it on the menu, bought the stuff, but because it was a busy week I kept pushing it out further and further and I was both anxious to try it, and worried that it wouldn’t be to my liking and we’d have to have a back-up plan.  Another thing that kept me from trying it earlier was my husband’s distaste for cooked apple anything.  Seeing the simplicity of the recipe, and figuring that bacon makes EVERYTHING better I went for it.

I was pleasantly surprised!  I actually found myself really enjoying the combination of flavors and textures in this simple sandwich.  The crisp and salty bacon, the gooey sharp cheese, and the slightly sweet/tart and juicy apple work really well with each other and you can’t go wrong with buttery toast.  Who knew!?  Oh yeah, most of the population lol.  Even my cooked apple hating husband enjoyed these.

I used the very large slices of sourdough from the middle of the loaf, so I just eyeballed the ingredients to cover the surface.  I think for two sandwiches I used about half the apple, and 3-4 slices of bacon per sandwich with 4 slices of cheese per sandwich.  I am just going to copy the recipe as listed below and you can make adjustments as needed like I did based on your bread size or preference.  I would definitely make these again, and maybe I will find other ways to try this flavor combo as well now that I am not afraid anymore lol.

Grilled Sandwich with Green Apple & Bacon

Makes : 1 sandwich

Ingredients :

• 2 slices sourdough bread
• 1 T. butter, softened
• 2 tsp. grainy mustard
• 2 big slices medium or sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 thin slices tart green apples
• 2 bacon slices, crisp cooked and drained

Directions :

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Butter one side of each slice of the sourdough bread. If using mustard, spread mustard on the interior side of one of the buttered slices of bread.
3. Place a cheese slice on the mustard, followed by apple slices and bacon. Add another cheese slice on top of that, and close the sandwich with the other piece of buttered bread.
4. Grill the sandwich until crisp and browned on each side and until the cheese is melted (if your cheese is not melting, covering the sandwich with a lid can help, but turn down the heat so that the bread doesn’t over-brown). Remove the sandwich from the pan, slice on the bias, and serve promptly.

Recipe from Alaska From Scratch

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes

Or as I decided to call them for my son’s Halloween Birthday Party… Witching Hour Cupcakes!  I think these can pretty much be summed up in one word, and that’s MMMMMMMMMM!  At least that is the sound you’ll be making as you bite into one of these indulgent little treats!  I will be the first to admit that I often use boxed cake mix for cupcakes when I am throwing a party.  Why not?  They are quick, and IMO they taste pretty good.  But this year I just wanted to do something different.  Even though I usually make my own frostings, I wanted to make the entire thing from scratch, and I wanted it to be Cupcake Wars worthy!  I’d say I accomplished that this year.

The cake is dark and delicious itself, but then you get to that ganache center and OMG.  The ganache is so melt in your mouth good, I could seriously eat it by the spoonful, and a great contrasting chocolate flavor.  Then as if that weren’t enough to send  you into a chocolate coma they are topped with the best chocolate frosting I have ever had.  I typically don’t like frosting because it is SO sweet.  Afterall you are adding a lot of powdered sugar most of the time, but I promise you this is not one of those overly sweet frostings.  It’s more like someone took a rich and decadent chocolate, whipped it into a frosting, and put it on top of the cupcake.  If you are looking for THE chocolate cupcake recipe stop now, because you have found it!

Now a couple of notes…  I actually couldn’t find dutch processed cocoa powder even though I went to three stores.  I ended up using the Hershey’s special dark which is a combo of regular and dutch cocoas.  I don’t know how different these would have been had I found the right stuff, but they were still nice and dark like the photo from the original blog.  I used Ghirardelli bittersweet 60% cocoa chocolate bars, and Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips.  For the hot coffee, I heated up some of my cold brew espresso, and as a side note to that I wanted to brag that my husband honestly couldn’t taste the coffee in this even though there was a lot.  I have mentioned in the past that he absolutely hates it and usually catches me when I try to slip it into anything.  I doubled the recipe, and even with 1 1/2 cups of coffee, he could only guess that it was in there.  Doubled this made exactly 24 cupcakes as stated, but I did have a good deal of frosting left over.  I suppose this depends on how high you like to pile your frosting, but I figured since making these for kids I better keep it under control…. at least for the parents’ sake.  That and I find it hard to store cupcakes with a mountain of frosting on top anyway.

Anyway, I doubt the pictures will do these justice because I was tired from throwing the party and my light was fading, but you will NOT regret making these!

Makes : 12 cupcakes (doubles nicely)

Ingredients :

Ganache Filling :

• 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 T. powdered sugar

Cupcakes :

• 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup hot coffee
• 3/4 cup bread flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 6 . vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting :

• 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 8 oz. chocolate (milk, semisweet, or dark) melted and cooled

Directions :

1. Make the Ganache Filling: Place the chopped chocolate, heavy cream and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave on high power until the mixture is warm to the touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth, then refrigerate until just barely chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.
2. Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin pan with liners. Place the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour the hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.
4. Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon of ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until the cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
6. Make the Frosting: In a food processor, process the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla extract and process until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 one-second pulses. Frost the cupcakes as desired. The frosted cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes :

• The frosting can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 hours before using, or refrigerated for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.
• Regarding timing, what I did to make sure the ganache and chocolate for the cake portion were both in the fridge for the proper amount of time and not longer is I got all my chocolate chopped first, and got both bowls ready to go.  Then I put the ganache into the microwave, and heated my coffee at the same time and got them both into the fridge at about the same time that way.  That way when I took the first out after 20 minutes and finished adding the ingredients to the batter it was the perfect time to take the ganache out to finish up.

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

Buffalo Chicken Chili

I know I just posted a chili recipe, but that’s one of the things I like about chili.  There are SO many recipes out there, often using the same basic ingredients and spices, yet they all taste so different.  Obviously this particular recipe doesn’t stick to the traditional ingredients, but you all know that as soon as I saw the word Buffalo I had to try it!

This may seriously be my favorite chili recipe, ever!  The buffalo flavor is there, but not overwhelmingly so.  I actually tasted it while it was simmering and felt I wanted a little more so I used about a cup total of the wing sauce.  The recipe also just called for Frank’s hot sauce, which I believe is different than the Frank’s Wing Sauce version…. but whenever I am making something “buffalo” I always go for the wing sauce version.  It just makes sense.

It had a nice bit of heat, but again not overpowering for those that don’t like their mouth to be on fire.  I wasn’t sure about the spice amounts, and felt like too much of the traditional chili spices would mask the buffalo, so I ended up using 1 T. chili powder, 1 T. cumin, and about 1/2 T.  of the paprika.  That was perfect for us.  I used turkey instead of chicken, mainly because I was scared to buy Foster Farms chicken after hearing something on the news recently about maybe listeria or salmonella or something even though they didn’t recall it and said to simply make sure it was fully cooked.  I honestly don’t notice much difference between the two when they are ground up anyway since you are adding so much flavor to the dishes.  I also added a can of white beans to my chili and cut back on the amount of meat to make sure it wouldn’t get too thick.  I know a lot of people don’t like beans, but to me it isn’t chili if there aren’t beans!  The biggest addition I made to this, however, was to top it with some crumbled goat cheese (I gave my husband blue cheese, but I am not a fan) and OMG, that was SO perfect for this.  It melted in beautifully and made it so creamy and added that bit of tanginess that cuts through the heat of the buffalo sauce you would often get from either using blue cheese or ranch dressing.

I seriously couldn’t get enough, and it was just as good the next day for lunch!  If you are looking for a great comfort dish to warm you up as the weather turns cold and dark this is one you won’t want to miss!

Ingredients :

• 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 lbs. ground chicken (see note above, I used 1.25lb turkey)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T. chili powder (see note above, I used 1 T.)
• 1 T. ground cumin
• 1 T. smoked paprika (see note above, I used about 1/2 T.)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2-3/4 cup Frank’s hot sauce (see note above, I used 1 cup Frank’s Wing Sauce)
• 1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15oz.) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
• Optional toppings : sliced green onions, shredded cheddar (I used the onions and some crumbled goat cheese for me and crumbled blue cheese for my husband)

Directions :

1. Set a large pot over medium to medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the ground chicken and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
2. Stir in the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the veggies have softened.
3. Add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits. Stir in the hot sauce, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the veggies are tender and the chili has thickened to your desired consistency. (Best to give it at least an hour)
4. After simmering, try the chili and add additional seasonings and/or hot sauce to taste, if necessary. Garnish with sliced green onion, shredded cheddar cheese, or any other toppings you’d like before serving!

Recipe from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

 

Cheesy Chicken Stroganoff Bake

If you are looking for a dish low in calories, while still allowing you to eat your fill, this is a great one for you.  It definitely resembles that stroganoff taste, but tastes lighter.  My husband liked it, but when asked to elaborate he said it tasted like health food lol.  Well he’s right, it is health food, but that’s not a bad thing.

It came together easily, and I didn’t change a thing.  I would say it is somewhat thinner than I might have liked, but not terribly so.  I didn’t get a chance to eat the leftovers (my husband took them to lunch) but I imagine by then it soaked things up a bit better.  I almost broke from the directions and put more pasta in, but I really wanted to give the dish a chance because of the low calorie count.    For a whopping 2 cups it boasts only 390 calories.  And while I know my husband would have appreciated more pasta, I was fine with the smaller amount.

Overall, if you are watching what you eat, and don’t mind compromising just a bit on those comfort food dishes this is one to try!

Makes : 4 servings

Ingredients :

• 5 oz. whole-wheat or multi-grain rotini pasta, uncooked
• 6 cups small broccoli florets
• 12oz. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• optional : salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste (I just did salt and pepper)
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 11/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 cup (about 1 can) 98% fat-free condensed cream of mushroom soup (I used the whole can)
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 T. reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, season chicken if you like (I definitely recommend this!). Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic and cook and stir for about 2 – 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook and stir until chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add soup and sour cream and cook and stir until hot and well mixed. Remove from heat. Add drained pasta and broccoli to skillet and mix well.
4. Spoon mixture into baking pan, cover with foil, and bake 15 minutes. Uncover, top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, and bake uncovered until cheese is melted, about 3 – 5 minutes.

Recipe from Callie Cooks

 

Crock Pot Kid-Friendly Turkey Chili

I have to admit, I did not choose this recipe based on the self-proclaimed title of being kid-friendly, knowing all to well my kids would in fact NOT eat it.  Rather I chose it because it boasted of a mere 226 calories a serving.  Whether or not that is fully accurate I can’t say, and I am too lazy to plug it all in to a nutrition calculator myself, but I figured it can’t be much more and that’s definitely low enough to have some wiggle room and fit into anybody’s diet!

So as I said I had no intentions of my kids eating this, but I did urge my oldest to at least try it.  He actually gave it the thumbs up, which is no small feat, but then after a few bites decided maybe it wasn’t for him.  But trust me, that the fact that he liked it at all speaks volumes.  My husband and I, however, thought it was very good.  We topped ours with a bit of sour cream, cheese and chips as suggested, which I am sure brings the total up, but as I said the calories are so low that’s no problem, and you can certainly choose healthy versions of your toppings such as low fat, or multigrain chips like we did.  I actually made this with plans to use the leftovers for the blogger’s Turkey Chili Loaded Baked Potatoes, but then my entire family ended up really sick and my meal plans went out the window.  It was just as good heated up though the next few days.

I did alter things a little to suit our tastes…. I added black beans and some more tomato sauce.  I actually doubled the recipe, and used two cans of the beans, and 2 (15oz) cans of tomato sauce.  I also cut the meat back to an even 2 lbs, rather than 2.6 as it should have been.  Other than those changes I made it as stated and thought the seasoning in particular was just right.  I have made many chili recipes with a lot more chili powder, and wondered if this would be too bland, but it really wasn’t.

 

Serves : 5

Ingredients :

• 1.3 lbs ground turkey
• 1 tsp. oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced fine
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 10 oz. can Rotel Mild Tomatoes
• 8 oz. small can plain tomato sauce (see notes above)
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• Optional : black beans (see note above)

Optional Toppings :

• diced avocado
• reduced fat sour cream
• reduced fat shredded cheese
• baked tortilla chips

Directions :

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the turkey, season with salt and cook, breaking up with a spoon until turkey browns and is no longer pink; place into the slow cooker.
2. Add the oil to the skillet and sauté the onion, garlic and bell pepper over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes. Spoon over turkey into the slow cooker and stir in corn and tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, paprika and salt, mix until well blended.
3. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours or LOW 6 hours. Serve with desired toppings.

Note : the original recipe said to add a bay leaf after adding the spices in step two, but I wasn’t sure if it was a mistake since there was no bay leaf listed in the ingredients list and I didn’t really think it was necessary so I skipped it, you are welcome to put it in though if you prefer.

Recipe from Skinny Taste

Skinny Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Walnut Streusel

Continuing on with my Fall cravings I had to try these when I came across them.  I have been trying to be really good and not bake every day even though that’s exactly the kind of food I want this time of year, but after reading that these (without the glaze on top I think) were only 150 calories a piece I all but ran to the kitchen to whip them up.  Luckily I already had everything on hand.

These muffins are fantastic!  They aren’t really sweet, but the addition of the glaze and streusel on top lends just the right amount of sweetness to make these healthier little gems taste as indulgent as the not so healthy ones.  The pumpkin flavor comes through nicely and the spice is just the right amount to not seem overwhelming.  And while these are not large muffins, you could eat two and still be under calorie compared to some of the muffins you COULD be eating.

True to their usual selves neither of my kids would even try these, but I did give some to a friend and she reported that their family loved them, kids included.  My husband and I had no trouble devouring the rest of them.  I would absolutely make these again, and again, and again.  The only slight change I made was to add a little bit of vanilla to the glaze because I just don’t like the flavor of straight powdered sugar.

 

Makes : 24 muffins

Ingredients :

• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg + 3 egg whites
• 1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Streusel :

• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 T. butter, diced
• 2 T. oats
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 T. flour

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a mixer or separate bowl, beat the egg, egg whites, and pumpkin puree together until combines.
4. Mix in the olive oil, both sugars, and vanilla extract.
5. Slowly combine the flour mixture and wet mixture, stirring to just combine.
6. Grease a muffin pan and fill each section a little more than half way.
7. To make the streusel, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, using a fork or your hands to make rough crumbs. Top each unbaked muffin equally with the crumbs.
8. Bake for 20 minutes. Makes 24 muffins.
9. Optional: drizzle with powdered sugar mixed with milk!

Recipe from Apple of my Eye

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

First a confession…. I have mentioned a few times now that I am not a lover of soups.  I have shared a select few with you on here that I do like, but generally I thought of myself as someone who just didn’t enjoy most soups.  Looking through the soups I have come to enjoy I feel like I can no longer accurately call my self a soup hater.  I still don’t really like brothy soups, and certain others, but I think at this point it’s safe to say I DO like soup, but am just choosey.

Creamy soups are among those that appeal to me.  So when I saw this one I knew I wanted to give it a try.  It looked quite creamy in the picture….. mine however was not so creamy.  Before I explain I want to say though that it did not take away from my enjoyment.  It was just creamy enough to still seem like a creamy soup, but I guess I had just imagined it thicker.  The reason it wasn’t I can only guess at… but I think it may have something to do with the fact that I eyeballed my chicken stock as well as the amount I pureed at the end.  I actually think that I may have pureed more than 1/3 of the chunks because I did want to make it creamier, which left me with fewer chunks than I would have liked.  Jeff said he thinks the soup could have used a couple more potatoes so I guess he agrees with me.  This just depends on how creamy, chunky you like your soup.

We did both agree that it was a great soup though when it came to flavor.  Jeff said it was way better than Campbell’s.  It really did taste like loaded baked potatoes.  I loved the salty pieces of bacon in contrast to the creamy cheesy soup, and the bite of the onion, with the tang of the sour cream.  Another confession… I made the entire package of bacon and we still could have used more for the leftovers.  What can I say…. we like our bacon!

Another change I made was to use half and half instead of the whole milk and cream.  I just replaced it as the 1 1/2 cups, but I divided it as suggested in the recipe.  The recipe just says to salt and pepper the soup to taste, and I used about 1 tsp. salt along with a good handful of turns on my pepper mill as suggested by the original poster.  As she pointed out, potatoes do require a good bit of salt to bring out the flavor.  Just remember that there will be a saltiness from the bacon as well… and some more than others.  So start with a little, taste it, and go from there.

This is a great comforting soup to warm you up on those chilly fall nights for sure!

Yield : 10-12 servings

Ingredients :

• 8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or the entire thing if you are like me)
• 3/4 cup diced celery
• 1 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• 2 T. flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
• sour cream, for garnish
• sliced scallions, for garnish

Directions :

1. In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until all the fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and drain off all but 1/4 cup of the drippings.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and then add the celery and onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Increase the heat to medium and then add the cubed potatoes, stirring to combine. Cook the potatoes for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the chicken stock. (The chicken stock should just cover the potatoes, so depending on your pot, you may have to add more stock.) Bring the soup to a simmer then cover the pot and cook the soup for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
4. In a separate medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour to make a roux. Stir the roux constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until it’s pale golden then whisk in the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook it, stirring constantly, until it’s thickened slightly. (It should be the consistency of gravy.) Whisk the milk mixture into the potato mixture and cook the soup for 5 minutes over medium-low heat.
5. Remove the soup from the heat. Transfer 1/3 of the soup to a medium bowl. Using a hand blender, purée the soup that’s remaining in the pot until it’s smooth. (or a blender if you don’t have one.) Return the reserved 1/3 of the soup to the pot, stirring to combine.
6. Stir in the heavy cream and season the soup with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, top each bowl of soup with the cooked bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and scallions.

Recipe from Just A Taste

Italian Chicken Bake

Don’t let the simplicity of this fool you, it’s full of flavor.  The fact that it’s super simple to throw together any night of the week is just an added bonus.  While it is great as is, you could take it a step further even and maybe add a little lemon juice or zest, or a few more herbs, or perhaps use a different type of cheese.  This is one of those great basic recipes that is perfect for making little alterations to best suit you and your family.

I served ours with rice, which was a nice combo.  The rice was perfect for the bit of sauce in this dish.  Instead of basil, because the store was out, I used parsley.  One issue I had though, was regarding liquid.  The recipe states to drain the artichokes and tomatoes very well, even going so far as to lay them on paper towels to ensure the flour would thicken up the liquids.  However I didn’t have any liquid left in my dish after draining them so well.  The recipe poster used thighs in her dish and I can only assume they let off more liquid than the breasts I used.  I didn’t want to end up with floury artichokes and tomatoes so I added a bit of chicken stock (maybe 1/4-1/3 cup) to the dish and that worked perfectly.  It was still a little thin after the first cooking, but I opted to use a combination of both the grated Parmesan and the Mozzarella, and the Parmesan helped to thicken it up that last bit.

One thing I would suggest if you are using breasts, is to pound them out somewhat thin or butterfly them.  Not only do they cook better/more evenly, but I just think it is a better balance per bite than a thick bite of chicken would be.  It’s all preference though.  Also the recipe called for 6 chicken thighs, but since I was using breasts I was left to guess at how much that might be.  I went with about 2 lbs, or just under.  You can use canned artichokes or the marinated kind, and the recipe poster suggests the marinated for more flavor.  That is what I used and I agree.  I also used a roasted tomato that had basil and some other Italian seasonings in it.

Ingredients :

• 6 chicken thighs
• 1 8oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained well
• 1 14.5 oz can roasted tomatoes, drained well
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 T. flour
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup grated mozzarella or parmesan
• basil – optional

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat a 9 x 9 baking dish with non stick spray.
3. Place chicken in baking dish.
4. In mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients.
5. Pour over chicken.
6. Bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through.
7. Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.
8. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

** Be sure to read notes above regarding liquid.

Recipe from Laughing Spatula

 

Dark Chocolate Espresso Pumpkin Bread

Sounds amazing right?  Well it is!!  I almost couldn’t bring myself to bake it because the batter was so good.  Yes, I know I shouldn’t eat raw eggs, but I just can’t help myself lol.  I have always loved pumpkin bread, and then last year I made pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins which I also loved.  So when I saw the addition of espresso in this bread I knew I had to try it.  Problem is I knew my husband wouldn’t want any because of the coffee.  As I have mentioned before he absolutely detests it, and claims even the slightest bit ruins it for him lol.  So I just didn’t tell him.  He did taste it though, and said though he didn’t hate it, the coffee was gross and he didn’t want anymore.  No problem…. more for me!!!!

The bread was nice and moist, and you could taste all the elements from the pumpkin, to the spice, and the chocolate and espresso.  I didn’t have a 70% chocolate on hand so instead I used half a 60% bar and half a 100% bar.  It worked well for an overall flavor, but once in a while I ran into a chunk of the 100% that I didn’t chop small enough and it was a bit weird.  If I didn’t have the 70% on hand I would use the two again, but just make sure to chop it smaller I think.  This took a while to fully bake for me and I didn’t want the top to get too dark so I ended up putting some foil loosely over it during the last half of the baking time (which for me was a bit longer than the longest suggested time).  Unfortunately for me it stuck in my pan in one spot on the bottom even though I buttered and floured it well, but it wasn’t a big deal other than for pictures.  I also didn’t have actual espresso powder on hand, but I had just finished making a batch of cold brew espresso the day before so I just subbed the water in the recipe out for that and it worked perfectly.

Despite my husband’s protests to the coffee in this bread I am definitely going to be making it a lot this Fall.  I may or may not share with friends…. lol

 

Makes : 1 loaf

Ingredients :

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 T. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 3/4 cup plus 2 T. pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. espresso powder (see note above)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup room-temperature water (see note above)
• 6 oz. good quality dark chocolate, chopped (60-72%) (see note above)

Directions :

1. Position rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and oil until well combined. Add in the espresso powder and both sugars and whisk until combined. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, then the vanilla. Add in the water and mix until combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just until combined. Be careful not to over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 65 to 85 minutes. (mine took 80 minutes) (see note above)
5. Transfer the loaf pan to a wire rack, and allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Turn out the loaf onto the wire rack and cool completely.
6. The bread can be stored tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen for 1 month.

Recipe from Portuguese Girl Cooks