Samoa Blondies

SAMOA M&M BLONDIES

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 ¼ cups mini M&M’s
a few extra M&M’s

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8×8-inch pan with nonstick spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it browns and begins to smell nutty (watch it closely so it doesn’t burn). Let the butter cool for a few minutes, until just barely warm.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars. With a wooden spoon, stir in egg, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour, coconut and M&M’s until batter is blended.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a few additional M&M’s on top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let the blondies cool before turning them out onto a cutting board and slicing into squares (chilling them will make that process even easier).

Yield: 16 squares

Tips:
*Use chocolate chips in place of M&M’s if you’d like.
*For slightly gooey, underbaked blondies, bake for 25 minutes. For fully baked blondies, bake the entire 30 minutes.

Read more: http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/05/31/samoa-mm-blondies/#ixzz0y3MwkKzQ

Apple Muffins

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups and set aside.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

These muffins were so moist and full of flavor. You would never know they used whole wheat flour. I got this recipe from smittenkitchen.com, and she adapted it from King Arthur Flour.

Brown Sugar and Banana Muffins with Pecans

• 1/2 cup of butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 large)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups of flour
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped*

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a muffin tray with cooking spray.

Beat the butter at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Slowly add the brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each one.

In a separate bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, cinnamon, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in another bowl; add to the butter mixture alternately with the banana mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition. Do not over-beat. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling two thirds full. Sprinkle the pecans over each muffin evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on wire racks. Serve slathered in butter if desired. Enjoy.

*Note: To toast the pecans, simply put in a dry skillet and cook on low for a few minutes until the nuts are toasted.

I got this recipe from this great site: fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

*Makes 6 wraps*

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Anthony and I loved these wraps. They were quick, easy, healthy, and even tasted great! I got this from My Kitchen Cafe at melskitchencafe.com.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (I used Taco Chicken)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.Then roll it up as tight as you can.Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

This makes about 16 taquitos (if using corn tortillas).

These were delicious! I also got this recipe form ourbestbites.com.

Taco Chicken

1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs
A couple of juicy limes
A splash of red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or coarsely chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Juice the limes and combine with a couple splashes of red wine vinegar. Add garlic. Pour over chicken. This will not completely cover the chicken; just turn it occasionally as needed. Marinate for at least 4 hours, no longer than 8.

Heat an outdoor grill (you can also use a grill pan inside. Or your broiler in your oven.) Combine salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper in a small bowl. Remove chicken from marinade and rub the spices all over the chicken. Grill about 7 minutes per side.
Remove from heat and allow to stand a few minutes so it doesn't lose its juiciness. You can either eat the chicken as it is, maybe with Mexican rice and beans, or use slice it up and use it as you would taco meat.

I got this recipe from ourbestbites.com. They have a lot of fun recipes!

Complete Cafe Rio Pork Salad

We love Cafe Rio pork salad, I have tried a couple copycat recipes and this one by far is the best. I got the recipe from this awesome recipe blog that has tons of good recipes so check it out HERE.

CAFE RIO SWEET PORK


2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork rib meat)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")


FRESH GUACAMOLE

3 avocados
Red onion, chopped (about 1/4 c.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (or to taste)
1 large ripe garden tomato (or 2 smaller tomatoes), diced
juice of 1 lime
4-5 shakes green Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Pit avocados and mash in a bowl. If you like your guac kind of chunky (that's how we like it), coarsely chop with the side of a fork instead of using the fork to mash it straight down. Carefully stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed. That's it!

CILANTRO RANCH:
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!



TORTILLA STRIPS

10-12 corn tortillas
oil for frying
Kosher salt

Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter. You can cut 2-3 at a time pretty easily. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy. When nice and crispy, remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt after each batch.


Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). Add guacamole (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and sour cream. Add crushed tortilla chips, a shake of Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch or vinaigrette dressing and there you have it! (makes about 6 salads)

Biscuits

2 C flour
1 Tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ C liquid shortening
1 egg beaten
2/3 C milk

Mix dry ingredients. Work in shortening, add eggs and milk, add to flour mixture all at once. Stir and work together. Turn and knead gently. Roll ¾ inch thick, cut out biscuits. Place on un-greased pan. Bake at 450 for 10-14 minutes until brown. Makes about 1 dozen. (I usually double this recipe)

Aeblskiver

2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt 2 Tbsp sugar
2 C buttermilk
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1 Aeblskiver pan (cast iron muffin pan w/ handle)

Beat egg whites till stiff. Mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar. Mix buttermilk and egg yolks. Add to dry ingredients. Fold in egg whites. Place Aeblskiver pan over medium-low heat; add butter to each cup. Fill each cup about ¾ full. Turn with a toothpick. Turn them several times to make sure they are done in center.

Syurp:
½ C buttermilk
1 C butter
1 C sugar
½ tsp soda
½ tsp vanilla

Mix together and boil 5 minutes. Add vanilla after is has boiled 5 minutes.

This is one of our family's favorite breakfasts.

Everyday Waffles

1 ¾ C flour
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 beaten egg yolks
1 ¾ C milk
½ c cooking oil
2 stiffly beaten egg whites

Beat egg whites and set aside. Combine dry ingredients. Combine yolks, mil and oil; stir into dry ingredients. Fold in whites. Bake in waffle iron.

Buttermilk waffles: Substitute 2 C buttermilk for sweet milk. Add ½ tsp soda and reduce baking powder to 2 tsp. Continue as above.

Ice Cream Cake

I got this recipe from this really cute blog check it out HERE they have some really fun things on there. This is so easy and really good, as soon as I saw it I couldn't wait to try it.

you'll need:
25ish oreo cookies
1 stick of butter
1 jar of hot fudge
1 tub of ice cream (flavor of your choice) set out to soften
1 small or large tub of cool whip
chocolate syrup
mini m&ms, sprinkles or whatever you choose to decorate with
melt your stick of butter completely.
while melting, put your oreos in a baggie and beat them like crazy with a rolling pin.
when crushed, pour them into your baking pan and mix with the melted butter.
Spread mixture evenly.
Top the crushed oreos with some warm hot fudge (just warm enough so it's easy to spread).
Pop it into the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs
24 miniature peanut butter cups

Frosting
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup heavy wipping cream
1/3 cup peanut butter
Additional miniature peanut butter cups, chopped

1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes or until smooth.
2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Place a peanut butter cup in the center of each cupcake. Cover each with 1 tablespoonful batter.
3. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Place chocolate in a smal bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Stir in peanut butter. Cool, stirring occasionally, to room temperature or until ganache reaches a spreading consistency, about 10 minutes.
5. Spread over cupcakes; immediately sprinkle with additional peanut butter cups. Let stand until set.