Healthy eating...HELP

I have decided to eat a little bit more healthy and in the long run lose a few pounds. I've been doing pretty good with healthy eating choice and its been A LOT of salads! If you have even been the The (Miller) Ale House near you, aside from their yummy signature Zingers, they have an awesome Summer Salad with a delicious raspberry vinaigrette. (That I am absolutely in love with!!). Since I am eating my current weight in salads I have been driving myself crazy looking for a recipe that bears any resemblance to the one at the Ale House. I found one and made it last night, its OK. Not Ale House quality- it was a little to vinegary for me. I have found a few more through allrecipes.com and foodnetwork.com and have yet to try them, but will be making them soon. If anyone out in the blog-o-sphere has tasted this dressing and knows of somewhere to buy it in bulk or has an amazingly close recipe, please share! I will be very much thankful!

Margarita Cupcakes

So in honor of Cinco de Mayo I decided to make margarita cupcakes adapted from Brown Eyed Baker recipe. They were a huge hit with my friends, and friends' parents. I cheated from the original recipe and modified a box cake mix. I think they still turned out pretty great! These are not kid friendly cupcakes. Adults only! :-)

Margarita Cupcakes:
yields: 24 cupcakes

Cake:
1 box yellow or white cake mix
Juice of 2 1/2 limes (save one Tbsp for frosting); zest of 1 lime
1/2 cup tequila

1. Follow box cake instructions, except with the water portion (depending on what make you get: Duncan Hines usually ask for 1 1/3 cup of water. Pillsbury ask for 1 cup.) Substitute the water with 1/2 cup of tequila and the lime juice. (because the juice of the limes will vary) fill the rest of the water portion with water. Blend the cake mix, oil and eggs together first. Once slightly blended add the tequila and lime mix. Blend together on medium high speed for 2 minutes.

2. Spoon into cupcake pans and bake according to box instructions.

3. Set out to cool for a few minutes. Take 2 tooth picks and poke a bunch of small holes into the tops of the cupcakes. Brush the tops with a small (or large) amount of tequila. (This part is optional).

4. Let cupcakes cool the rest of the way and make frosting.

Frosting:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups powder sugar
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp tequila
pinch of salt (optional)

If you have a stand mixer with a whisk attachment this will come in handy

1. Whip the butter on medium high speed using the whisk attachment for 3-5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium low and gradually add the powder sugar in stages. Be sure to shift the powder sugar. Scrap the side of the bowl down and give it a good mix on medium high for about 30 seconds. Add the lime, tequila and salt and mix until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears too soft or runny add a little more powder sugar one spoonful at a time.

2. Spread or pipe the frosting on the cupcakes and garnish with a slice of lime or shot of tequila.

~Enjoy!!

Spiced Pork w/ Sauteed Apples

So I have been MIA lately. I apologize. If you follow my All that Jazz blog about life and my puppers, you may know that I got a new job. I absolutely LOVE this job, but I stare at a computer (soon to be a double screen) all day and the last thing I want to do when I get home is stare at another one. On the flip side of my getting a job, my mom got laid off. She knew it was coming and it was just a ticking time bomb. With that being said she has been flipping trough my magazines and books trying to come up with ideas for dinner. This is the first one she made, and it was amazing! I walked in the door and the delicious smell engulfed me. So without further ado:

Spiced Pork w/ Sauteed Apples

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3-4 boneless pork chops
2 tbsp butter
2 cups Braeburn or Gala apples, thinly sliced
1/3 cup shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple cider
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Combine salt, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon & nutmeg in a bowl and evenly coat the pork chops. Coat pan with cooking spray or vegetable oil, add pork to pan; cook 3-5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan and keep warm.

2. Melt butter in pan. Add apple slices, shallots, and 1/8 tsp salt; saute for 4 minutes or until the apples start to brown. Add apple cider to pan, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in thyme leaves. Replace pork in the pan to heat through.

We served this with plain couscous, cooked in chicken broth and brussel sprouts.

I'm thinking of showing mommy how to add to the blog so she can type up what she cooks. We'll see how that goes. But for now hopefully I will take a little initiative and add some recipes.

French Onion Soup

This is delicious soup! If I must say so myself. It was an extremely easy soup as well. I have been on a soup kick lately. In South Fla you don't get many cool days to enjoy a steaming bowl of soup, so when the moment arises I snatch it up.

French Onion Soup

3 Tbsp butter
2 lbs onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup flour
8 cups beef or chicken stock (I used beef)
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
Stale baguette rounds, sliced
Gruyere cheese, sliced

1. Melt the butter in a large pot and add onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 25-30 minutes or until onions are a deep golden brown or slightly caramelized.

2. Add garlic and flour add stir continuously for 2 minutes. Gradually add the stock and the wine, stirring all the time. Bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf and thyme sprig. Cover pan and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Preheat the broiler to high. Toast the baguette rounds on both sides. Place your desired baguette slices into oven safe bowls.

4. Spoon soup over the baguette slices, then top with your desired amount of cheese. Place under broiler until cheese it bubbly and slightly brown.

ENJOY!

We used yellow onions, which were delicious, but while slicing very potent and chased me out the kitchen a few times. If you use yellow onions place them in the freezer for about 30-60 minutes- that will lessen the potency. Sweet onions will work just as well.

I had every intention of taking pictures for the process, but got so excited and concentrated I forgot. If you are anything like me you pick the cook book by the pictures. Next time! :-)

Back to the schedule

Sorry for being MIA, but I have still been cooking. I'll post those recipes up soon. (I've been in a bit of a funk).

For this weeks' menu:
Wednesday night:
Pasta primavera
Garlic bread

Thursdays night:
Thai pork wraps
Cous cous
Green beans

Friday night:
Chicken and dumpling soup
Grilled cheese

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Tuesday night dinner
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Garlic Bread
Sauteed zucchini
5- Minute bread pudding

This was an amazingly simple and DELICIOUS dinner. My best friend came over for dinner and she is not a big "Alfredo" fan, but this was great. Its not your typical Alfredo overly creamy sauce. Its the perfect amount. Defiantly a make again dinner and must try.

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast-cut in 1 inch cubes
1 lg onions
4 c. broccoli florets
1 can (14.5 ounce) petite diced tomatoes-drained
1/4 c. onion & chive cream cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp flour

1. Heat large nonstick skillet to medium-high heat with olive oil. Add the chicken chucks and cook until brown. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

2. Reduce heat to medium, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add onions and salt and pepper, cook until softened. Add flour to skillet and coo about 1 minute stirring. Add broccoli and 1/2 cup of water to skillet; cover and cook for 5 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.

3. Remove cover add chicken back to pan. Add the canned tomatoes and cream cheese; stir until well blended.

~Enjoy
Happy cooking!

Philly Cheesesteaks

Monday night dinner:
Philly cheese steak
French fries
Cake Ball

Philly Cheese steaks
2 medium onions-thinly sliced
2 large bell peppers-thinly sliced
1 lb top round steak (they sell per cut meat in packages "stir fry" style-works great!)
1 pkg provolone cheese slices
1 pkg hot dog rolls
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and green pepper to pan cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

2. Pull onions and green pepper out of pan and into a bowl, set aside. Salt and pepper the meat and add to pan. Cook until medium add the onions and peppers back the the pan. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce cook about 1 minute.

3. Heat broiler to low. Tuck 1 slice of provolone into each roll (makes about 6). Put under broiler until melted and bubbly. Put meat mixture into the rolls.

~Enjoy!
Happy Eating