Meatless Monday: Spicy Bean and Rice Tacos

Published June 17, 2013 by jenmatteson

Once again, it’s Meatless Monday! For this edition, I decided to go with Jaida’s spicy bean and rice tacos from Sweet Beginnings. I’ve made her avocado and lime black bean tacos in the past for a recipe swap and saved this one as well. We love tacos, so I anticipate we’ll be back to try several more of her taco Tuesday creations. What a fantastic idea!

This really seems like a burrito-taco to me, seeing as though it has rice and beans, but honestly, I’m not sure what constitutes a taco or a burrito. I am going with tacos though, because they are in a taco shell, and not wrapped up like a burrito. That makes perfect sense, right? These tacos came together so quickly and incorporated ingredients that are always in my pantry or fridge. I added a little extra cayenne pepper, as we like it spicy, but other than that, these were perfect. Add some choice toppings and you’re good to go! We used the leftovers as salad toppers, as we do for most of our leftovers when applicable.

Spicy Bean and Rice Tacos

Source: Slightly adapted from Sweet Beginnings
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup water or vegetable broth
1-15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked whole grain rice
flour tortillas
toppings as desired (lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, Greek yogurt, etc.)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, chipotle pepper in adobo, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add the beans and water to the pan and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Partially mash the beans with the back of a wooden spoon.

3. Remove from heat and add rice. Stir until well combined. Scoop mixture into tortilla shells and top as desired.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Chocolate Chip Frosting

Published June 12, 2013 by jenmatteson

I just made chocolate cupcakes, I know. But they went over so well, I thought I’d make them again. Plus, I had this recipe waiting on my list, calling my name. Also, we spent another evening with my parents, a fire, cocktails and puppies. Yep. You heard right. Puppies! Their dog, Molly, had puppies on Memorial Day, so they were almost two weeks old when we saw them on Friday. They’re tri-color pure bread English springer spaniels; gorgeous dogs!

I saw this recipe on Eva Bakes and saved it right away. I’m not a mint lover, but I do like it. And you know I love me some chocolate, so I was ready to get down on these cupcakes. Eva said the cupcake part was a little drier than she had hoped, so I decided to go with a base I’d used before and absolutely loved. But the frosting is definitely from her site.

The frosting was perfect! My only gripe is that I couldn’t pipe it on because the chocolate chips clogged up the tip. Oh well, they’re not beautiful, but they are certainly delicious!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Chocolate Chip Frosting

Source: Adapted from Eva Bakes
Servings: Makes about 20 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
2-3 drops green food coloring
2/3 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine buttermilk and water in a measuring cup. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. With the mixer on low-speed, beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, altering with the buttermilk.

3. Spoon batter into paper liners, filling them 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

3. To make frosting, beat butter on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer for 30-60 seconds, until smooth and creamy. Reduce mixer speed to low and add 3 cups powdered sugar, heavy cream, peppermint extract and food coloring. Once the sugar is combined, turn the mixer to high and beat for 3 minutes. Adjust to desired taste and consistency. If its runny, add powdered sugar. If its thick, add more cream. If it’s too sweet, add a pinch of salt. Mix in chocolate chips by hand and frost cooled cupcakes.

Roasted Parsnips with Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing

Published June 11, 2013 by jenmatteson

I like parsnips, but I don’t recall ever eating them plain (they always seem to be in something) and I know for sure I’ve never cooked with them. I saw this recipe on Food and Wine and thought I’d expand my horizons and my veggie arsenal. In case you’re wondering, parsnips are those huge white carrot looking vegetables with the waxy exterior.

My bestie was in town from Duluth, so we had planned to get together on Saturday night. Nate offered to smoke us a chicken, so I was simply in charge of everything else. It was quite nice! We ended up having a little party as my friend’s mom, PJ, and our neighbor and her son came for dinner. It was honestly a weird grouping of people, but we had the best time chatting and eating and ended up staying up until almost 3:00 AM! That’s surely a sign of a good time! Kristin brought the most delicious LIGHT raspberry lemonade cake. It was fluffy, sweet and tart, and the best part is that there was only 130 calories in one serving. Don’t mind the fact that I ate two pieces…

Seeing as though the group had grown from 3 to 6, I was little concerned about the parsnips as they aren’t necessarily a “main steam” vegetable, and entertaining a larger group of people gives you a higher chance of picky eaters. Thankfully for me, everyone was willing to give them a try, and actually seemed to like them. PJ said she liked them more than sweet potato fries, and she said sweet potato fries were her favorite. What a great compliment! I served a mustard vinaigrette as a dipping sauce, and that really gave the parsnips a tangy bright flavor, but it wasn’t even necessary. The vinaigrette was tastey though, and adapted quite a bit from the original recipe based on what ingredients I had on hand. I still have some leftover and it’ll make a great salad dressing as well. Overall, these were a delicious and fun way to get out of our everyday vegetable rut!

Roasted Parsnips with Mustard Vinaigrette

Source: Adapted from Food and Wine
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 lbs parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/3 cup olive oil and parsnips. Toss to coat evenly and season with salt and pepper. Spread the parsnips on a foil lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 30 minutes, until caramelized.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together vinegars, Dijon, and sugar. Drizzle in remaining 1/3 cup olive oil until vinaigrette reached desired consistency (you might not need it all). Stir in chopped parsley. Serve alongside roasted parsnips.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Oats and Flaxseed

Published June 10, 2013 by jenmatteson

I was picking up ingredients for my no-bake energy bites, and thought I’d take a peek to see if my store had ground flaxseed. In the past, I’ve purchased the whole flaxseed from the bulk section at the store. Unfortunately, it was too fine already for me to process in a food processor, so I just used it as is. In the baking section, there is a large section of Bob’s Red Mill brand items, different types of specialty flours, mixes, grains and more. Of course they did have it, and I never even looked. Oh well. Now I have a whole bag. As I grabbed the bag, I noticed the bran muffin recipe on the back. I already had all the other ingredients besides bran, so I thought I’d try them out and use rolled oats instead of bran. I know it’s not the same thing, but no sense in buying something I can easily sub with something I already have, right?

I now have the opportunity to work until 8 PM every Wednesday and every third Thursday. Did you watch the last season of The Office? You know when Jim and Pam start marriage counseling and they are supposed to use the word “opportunity” for things they’d rather not do. Please note the use of the word “opportunity” in that first sentence of this paragraph. However, working until 8 means I don’t have to be in the office until 11 AM. Seeing as though I was up and at the gym by 5:30 Thursday morning, I decided to use the rest of my time to get some grocery shopping done and make us a healthy snack. The snack was going to be the energy bites I mentioned earlier, but I was excited to try something new and went with the recipe I just discovered from Bob’s Red Mill.

My decision was a pretty good choice. I really enjoyed the muffins. I altered the recipe on the bag slightly by using some whole wheat flour, of course adding oats in place of bran, and omitting the nuts. The only reason for this is because I forgot. Next time. The batter was pretty thick and I was afraid they’d be dry, but they were super moist and quite filling. Even better, they are only 155 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per muffin. Not bad!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Oats and Flaxseed

Source: Bob’s Red Mill
Servings: Makes 18 muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots (3-5 carrots, depending on size)
3 small apples or 2 large, peeled, seeded and shredded
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, flaxseed, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in shredded carrots, apples and raisins.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, eggs and vanilla. Add to other mixture and stir until well combined. Mixture will appear dry, but just keep folding it until the entire mixture is moistened.

3. Spoon mixture into muffin pan, filling cups about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes in muffin pan, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Recipe Swap: Jalapeno Cilantro Pesto Crusted Tuna

Published June 7, 2013 by jenmatteson

This week’s edition of recipe swap, hosted by Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking, was Mexican. I was assigned creamy citrus jalapeno cilantro pesto from Jey at The Jey of Cooking. I love pesto and I love cilantro and jalapenos, so I was looking forward to making this. The ingredients were somewhat similar to the cilantro pesto I recently made from Thug Kitchen, but with the addition of citrus, which was appealing.

I had to change a few things from Jey’s original recipe, but not much. Her recipe calls for pistachios, which I love, but Nate is allergic. So instead, I used almonds. I also had to add additional cilantro because my pesto was very watery. I used the juice of one orange and 1/2 grapefruit, but maybe my fruit was really big or extra juicy, because I couldn’t get the pesto to thicken up as pictured on Jey’s post. I added almost no oil because it was already so runny. I should have added the juice a little at a time, but now I know for next time.

Jey recommended serving this over chicken or tossing with pasta. Seeing as though I’m really getting down to the wire for my 30 Before 30 list, I thought I’d take a risk and try it with tuna and check another item off. All the flavors go really well together, so while it was a risk, it wasn’t by any means epic. I marinated the tuna steaks in the pesto for about 30 minutes – I didn’t want to do it too long so as to start to cook the tuna with the acid in the pesto. After quickly searing the tuna, I sliced and served it over a wasabi vinaigrette slaw and drizzled additional pesto over the tuna. Not only was the tuna cooked to perfection (we like it rare, but feel free to cook it further if you like), but the pesto added the perfect amount of flavor, without over taking the clean taste of the tuna. The crusted pesto added the perfect amount of crisp to the outside of the tuna, while the drizzled pesto added it a little more freshness. Nate and I both quickly cleaned our plates and adored this recipe!

Jalapeno Cilantro Pesto Crusted Tuna

Source: Cilantro Pesto slightly adapted from Jey of Cooking, Tuna is Pigzilla original
Servings: Pesto makes about 1 1/2 cups, 2 servings of tuna

Ingredients:

For the cilantro:
1 orange, juiced
1/2 grapefruit, juiced
1 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cup almonds
1 bunch cilantro
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded
6 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
2 tbsp honey
1-3 tbsp olive oil

For the tuna:
2-8 oz sushi/sashimi grade tuna steaks
salt and pepper
olive oil

Directions:

1. To prepare the cilantro pesto, combine walnuts, almonds, cilantro, onion, jalapeno and garlic in a food processor. Pulse a few times, until ingredients are well combined. Add juices a little at a time – you might not need all of it – until pesto comes together and has thick consistency. With processor on, drizzle in olive oil until pesto has reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Season tuna steaks with salt and pepper then coat with pesto. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes.

3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and add tuna steaks. For rare tuna, cook for about 3 minutes on one side. Turn steak up on one end and cook for one minute more. Turn once more, so first seared side is facing up. Cook for 2 minutes. Finally, turn once more, cooking the edge that has not yet been seared. Remove from heat and let rest for at least to minutes. Slice thinly and dress with additional jalapeno cilantro pesto. (I served mine over a wasabi vinaigrette slaw and a little basmati rice).

Check out what the other ladies did for the Mexican Recipe Swap:

Simple Ingredients Make the Perfect Burger: Palapa Burgers

Published June 6, 2013 by jenmatteson

With our parents, Nate and I went to Belize last year…like last year February 2012, sadly, not this past winter I did quite a bit of research before we went to get in the know about the best places to go. The Palapa Bar was highly recommended on Trip Advisor, not only for its excellent, friendly service, beautiful location, the fact that you can float in inner tubes in the ocean while drinks are lowered down to you in a bucket, and that you can leave your mark (if you can find a place to do so), but because of their burgers. For all reasons listed, we hit this place one of the first days we were there.

Well, we ended up spending the majority of the day here. A quick recap of notable events: my mom got nice and toasted (and I don’t mean sunburned).

I found a swimsuit twin,

we left several marks on the bar,

we floated in inner tubes and had drinks lowered to us,

soaked up the sun,

and last but certainly not least, we had a burger. Usually I’d be skeptical and say it was just the atmosphere that made these burgers so delicious, but I must reject that theory. Why? Because we got the secret recipe from the owner and have made them at home.

That’s right, it’s a very secret recipe that I am about to share with you. The ingredients are so simple, and there are so few, you might actually think it couldn’t be true. Well guess what? It is.

Now, I’m certainly guilty of loading my ground beef with seasoning and onions and whatever else comes to mind before making my patties, but sometimes, you must adhere to KISS (keep it simple sweetheart). Sometimes adding ingredients is necessary if you’re making a turkey or chicken burger, mostly because they don’t have a lot of flavor alone, nor is there enough fat to keep them juicy. But sometimes, a plain and simple beef burger is where it’s at!

So, here it goes – I’m giving up the secret ingredients now. Ground beef (and not that lean crap that’s got no flavor; get the fatty stuff, like 80/20), salt and pepper. Yep, that’s it. Aren’t you sad you didn’t think of this? Don’t you feel stupid for looking up a burger recipe that is so simple? Well, don’t. I like people like you who keep me blogging about the stuff I’m blogging about. And you trust me to give you good info, and well, this is GREAT info. Best burger, hands down.

Palapa Burgers

Source: Not at all adapted from The Palapa Bar
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
Kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Divide beef into four equal parts and shape into patties. Transfer to plate and season top side generously with salt and pepper.

Here’s a hint: Do you ever suffer from a bloated burger? You know, when it shrinks in diameter but plumps up in the middle, almost like a slightly flattened meatball? Well, if you gently press your thumbs into the center of the patty before grilling it, this will prevent the bloated burger, thus making it pretty and fit on your bun (and in your mouth) much easier.

2. Once grill is heated, place patties on hottest part of the grill, seasoned side down. Season the top side of the burgers. Grill over medium-high heat until you begin to see “burger sweat”. These are juices that accumulate on the top of the burger. It’s hard to say how long based on how you like your burger cooked and the temp you are grilling at. About 5-6 minutes should be efficient for a 1/4 pound burger cooked to medium. It’s time to flip**. Grill for 1-2 minutes less than you did the other side. If you want cheese, add it in the last 1 minute of cooking. Close the top and cook until cheese is melted.

3. Remove from the grill and do yourself a favor. Let the burger rest for at least 5 minutes before shoving it down your pie hole. This will allow the juices to redistribute, making it a flavor explosion in your mouth. Serve with desired garnishments.

**Two important things about flipping burgers, and more broadly, meat in general.

1. If you cannot easily get your spatula under it because the meat is sticking to the grates, than guess what? It’s not time to flip. Do not, I repeat, do not try flipping it anyway, otherwise your poor burger is going to fall apart.

2. Please note that meat needs, and should be, flipped only once. Just once. Two is too many. None is not enough. Once. And stop playing with it on the grill for God’s sake. It’s already dead and will not play with you back. Just let it do its thing and enjoy the weather. The more you move, play with, and flip your meat, the more dry and sucky it will be. For real.

Kimmy JJ’s Sun-Dried Tomato Guacamole

Published June 5, 2013 by jenmatteson

Serendipity. Did anyone ever really know what that meant until Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack starred in the movie? Well, I didn’t, but I was also in high school. So maybe I should have known what it meant…? This guacamole recipe comes to you courtesy of my good friend, Kimmy JJ. Just before I tried her guacamole, she informed me that she made it with sun-dried tomatoes. I love sun-dried tomatoes, but in guacamole?? No, thank you. Or so I thought. As I scarfed down this lovely concoction, she told me the story of how this recipe came to be. It was short and sweet. She was making guacamole and went to add tomatoes, and realized she didn’t have any. But she did have sun-dried tomatoes, so she thought, what the heck, and threw them in there. At least, that’s how I remember the story.

I know it sounds unusual, but it is so good! The sweetness from the sun-dried tomatoes paired with the spiciness from the jalapenos is out of this world. Using the sun-dried tomatoes that are oil packed really allows the sweetness of the tomatoes to seep into the rest of the dip making it taste even more rich and creamy. I’m not sure about the rest of the ingredients Kim uses - I just made guac how I usually do, but with the exception of the tomatoes. Take a risk and try this out next time you’re making guacamole!

Sun-Dried Tomato Guacamole

Source: Kimmy JJ
Servings: Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

3 avocados, halved, pitted and chopped
1/2 onion (I used white, but red is suggested)
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
Kosher salt

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine avocado, onion, cilantro, jalapenos, garlic and cumin. Add lime juice and mash with the back of a fork to desired consistency. Add sun-dried tomatoes and salt to taste.

Recipe Swap: Slow Cooker Beergarita Chicken Tacos

Published May 24, 2013 by jenmatteson

I got pretty busy over the weekend and didn’t get around to Meatless Monday, but hopefully next week I’ll get there! We had a lovely weekend of family, friends, and even a little gardening. Last summer, we put a vegetable garden in the back, which I absolutely love! We also put in the foundation for a front garden, but didn’t actually get to putting plants in it. My parents have a gorgeous garden, several actually in their gigantic yard, and were kind enough to split almost anything they could and send it home with Nate and me. We ended up staying all night, sitting by the fire, playing some cards when it decided to downpour for a short time and enjoying some cocktails, so we didn’t get to planting them that day, but we got everything in the next. We are both so excited!

We’ve just been so busy with work, softball, gardening/yard work and other activities, that I had really let this recipe swap slip away from me. This week’s swap is Blogger Choice, hosted by Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking. I got another blog that I hadn’t visited in the past. I love when that happens! I was assigned Ashley’s blog, Cheese Curd in Paradise. Thankfully, it’s not a blog all about cheese curds or I would have been in trouble ;P When we do bloggers choice, I try not to go directly to the chicken category and sift through the other categories that interest me, but nothing really grabbed me, so I visited my old standby, chicken. As soon as I saw the beergarita tacos, I thought it’d be a perfect fit. It’s made in the slow cooker, perfect for our suddenly overwhelmingly busy schedules, we love chicken tacos, beer, and margaritas. I make a margarita chicken (have yet to blog it) on the grill that is so flavorful and juicy, I figured this would be somewhat similar, and probably just as delicious. Even better, there is basically two steps. Dump ingredients in the slow cooker. Shred. Done and done.

The chicken turned out really flavorful. I combined the ingredients, minus the chicken the night previous, so all I had to do was put the chicken in the slow cooker, pour the mixture over it in the morning and turn it on. Bam! But, the mixture didn’t smell so good in the morning, so I was slightly concerned. However, they did turn out really juicy and lovely. Nate and I both had two, and we made a salad from the leftovers for lunch today.

Slow Cooker Beergarita Chicken Tacos

Source: Cheese Curd in Paradise
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup margarita mix
6 oz lager beer
1/2 tsp lime zest
3 jalapeno peppers, diced (seeded for less heat)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 /2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
tortillas
cilantro, shredded cheese, non-fat plain Greek yogurt (all optional for garnish)

Directions:

1. Place chicken into slow cooker (using frozen breasts is fine, and actually recommended for long cooking times). Mix all remaining ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over chicken. Cook on low for approximately 8 hours, or until chicken is easily shredded with a fork. Shred chicken breasts between two forks (I just leave it in the slow cooker and do this, but if it’s easier or you’d rather, go ahead and remove the chicken, shred it, and return to slow cooker). Continue to cook until heated through. Serve on tortillas and garnish as desired.

See what the others ladies cooked up for the Bloggers Choice Swap!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Ganache and Coconut (or not)

Published May 23, 2013 by jenmatteson

Last Friday, my family celebrated Mother’s Day (late) and my dad’s birthday. They are always so close, and it’s hard to get my family together with work and the little ones, that it’s easiest for us to celebrate these two events together. We certainly cannot celebrate birthdays without a cake, and Mother’s Day without dessert? Well that just doesn’t seem right! Lucky for me, I had just seen this recipe in the latest Food and Wine, which I was dying to make. Perfect! Well, sort of. My mom doesn’t like coconut (unless it’s in the rum in her Panty Ripper). So I garnished half the cupcakes with the toasted coconut and the other half with shaved bittersweet chocolate. Both were a hit!

My honey is so precious when it comes to his food. I think I’ve mentioned before he can be quite protective of his leftovers. When we were heading to my parents house this weekend to pick up some plants, I grabbed some of the leftover cupcakes to give to them. We still had 8 leftover from Friday, and while we certainly could eat that many cupcakes, we really don’t need to. While I was putting the container in the backseat of the car, Nate asks adorably, “What are you doing with those?” I tell him, “ I’m bringing them for my parents,” and he said like a stubborn child, “Well, how many?” At this point, he was just too cute to take seriously. I told him we didn’t need a dozen cupcakes (exaggerating slightly). When he later went to get a cupcake, he asked where the rest were because I had told him we had a dozen. So precious.

He was certainly in his right mind questioning giving away these suckers. They were so delicious. The cake was moist and fluffy, and the ganache (basically a chocolate frosting – but look it up for a more distinct description) was so creamy and rich, with just a hint of the caramel. I loved the coconut topping, but if you aren’t fan, skip it, or add shaved chocolate like I did. I’m assuming my mom really enjoyed them, seeing as how when I brought them over, she got herself a plate and ate one right then and there. Love love love sharing my food, especially when people really like it!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Ganache and Coconut

Source: Adapted from Food and Wine
Servings: Makes 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the frosting:
12 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Make the Frosting. In a large mixing bowl, combine both chocolates. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water and cook over moderate heat until sugar is dissolved. Boil without stirring, scraping down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush occasionally, until a deep-amber color forms, about 8 to 10 minutes (mine only took 6 minutes before it started to get too dark, so keep a very close eye on it). Reduce heat to low and carefully add the cream; it will bubble vigorously. Whisk until smooth, then pour caramel over chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes, then whisk until frosting is smooth. Refrigerate until cool but spreadable, about 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, make the cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine buttermilk and water in a measuring cup. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. With the mixer on low-speed, beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, altering with the buttermilk.

Toasted Flaked Coconut

4. Meanwhile, spread coconut out on rimmed baking sheet and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool.

5. Frost the cupcakes and top with toasted coconut. Or don’t. I don’t care.

Herb Chicken Mediterranean Pizza – Papa Murphy’s Copycat

Published May 16, 2013 by jenmatteson

Have you ever been so exhausted and in no mood to make dinner? If not, I want your life!

A little over a month ago, I didn’t make it to the gym in the morning, so I had gone after work. This means I usually don’t get home until close to 7:30, and that’s leaving work early. Not that 7:30 is late, but for us oldies, we are usually in bed by about 9:00 on weeknights, so dinner is usually on the table by about 6:30. Lame, I know. So on that particular evening, I stopped by Papa Murphy’s to get us a take and bake pizza. The deLITE herb chicken mediterranean pizza sounded interesting, so I went with that. We both really liked it. So much so, that not only did we devour the entire thing, but it made its way to our kitchen two more times in the next two weeks.

I figured before we spend all of our wedding savings at Papa Murphy’s, I better try to make this at home. This is also why I pre-made two batches of pizza dough, separated it, and froze it. This way I could make pizza at the drop of a hat, instead of waiting a few hours for the dough to rise. I’m pretty sure this was just as good as the take and bake from Papa Murphy’s! I rolled the dough out really thin so it was similar to their deLITE crust, and it came out perfectly cracker thin and crispy. The toppings make this pizza ultra light and doesn’t make you feel bad when you grab yourself a second slice…or forth Because who wants to deal with that guilt, especially when swimsuit season is just around the corner! Do yourself (and your body) a favor, skip delivery and make this at home. You can thank me later!

Herb Chicken Mediterranean Pizza

Source: Adapted from Papa Murphy’s
Servings: 1 small pizza, 2 servings

Ingredients:

thin crust pizza dough (use your favorite, I used 1/4 of my whole wheat pizza dough)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp dried Mediterranean oregano
1/8 tsp marjoram
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
handful of spinach leaves (10-12), washed and dry
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup cooked chicken breast, diced
1/4 cup feta

Directions:

1. Prepare pizza dough to specifications.

2. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, marjoram, salt and pepper. Brush evenly over pizza crust. Cover oiled crust with mozzarella. Evenly distribute spinach, tomatoes, chicken and feta over pizza. Return to oven and cook until mozzarella has melted and crust is desired crispness.

becoming pigzilla

Meatless Monday: Spicy Bean and Rice Tacos

Spicy Bean and Rice Tacos

Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Chocolate Chip Frosting

Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Chocolate Chip Frosting

Roasted Parsnips with Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing

Roasted Parsnips with Mustard Vinaigrette

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Oats and Flaxseed

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Oats and Flaxseed

Recipe Swap: Jalapeno Cilantro Pesto Crusted Tuna

Jalapeno Cilantro Pesto Crusted Tuna

Check out what the other ladies did for the Mexican Recipe Swap:

Simple Ingredients Make the Perfect Burger: Palapa Burgers

Palapa Burgers

Kimmy JJ’s Sun-Dried Tomato Guacamole

Sun-Dried Tomato Guacamole

Recipe Swap: Slow Cooker Beergarita Chicken Tacos

Slow Cooker Beergarita Chicken Tacos

See what the others ladies cooked up for the Bloggers Choice Swap!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Ganache and Coconut (or not)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Ganache and Coconut

Herb Chicken Mediterranean Pizza – Papa Murphy’s Copycat

Herb Chicken Mediterranean Pizza

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