Peanut Butter Gooey Cake

This peanut butter filling is absolutely AMAZING. I swear if I ended up stranded on a desert island and had only one thing to eat the rest of my life it would be this filling.  Ok, so that isn't realistic I'd probably eat coconuts or something on a desert island but still a girl can dream right!  This filling is so rich and creamy that I honestly have trouble pouring it into the prepared pan to bake it because I could just spoon it into my mouth instead.  Which is why I rarely make this recipe because it is just too good to have one piece!  I've been making this recipe for a year or so now and have tried a few other gooey cake flavors but this is by far my favorite one.  It is a Paula Deen recipe and can't really remember if I got it from Food Network or one of my many Paula Deen cookbooks but it is a must try! 

Peanut Butter Gooey Cake

Crust:

1 (18 1/4-ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temp.
1 c. creamy peanut butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer or whisk attachment of your mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.  To make the filling: In a large bowl or your mixer with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread peanut butter mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.   Allow to cool completely before cutting.  I like to put parchment paper or aluminum foil in the bottom of my pan so once it is cooled I can remove it completely to slice.

Post shared with:
Lamb Around
Sweet as Sugar Cookies
At Home with Haley
The charm of home
Foodie Friday
Well Seasoned Life
Delightfully Dowling
Debbie debbie doos
Eating in Winnipeg
This Chick Cooks
Sugar and Dots

Cake Batter Pancakes

Last week on Whisking Wednesdays Sweet Luvin in the Kitchen linked up a cake batter pancake recipe.  The second I saw it I was drooling!  So I went out today to pick up the boxed cake mix to make this since I don't normally have that kind of thing on hand.  I don't think I've actually bought or used a box cake mix in years.  This was so totally worth it and made me so happy I went out and bought that cake mix.  I bought funfetti cake mix since it already has sprinkles in it and then just bought some extra sprinkles to sprinkle over the top.  It was amazing!  I definitely will be making this again and again!  I made just a few minor modifications to the recipe went I threw it together today.  I seem to just start throwing things into a bowl and write it down later what I did.  I'm not overly big on measuring at times!  So this recipe is definitely worth trying, it won't disappoint.  

Cake Batter Pancakes

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. yellow cake mix
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine flour, cake mix, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk until just barely combined, allowing lumps to remain, don't overmix.  You want the batter to be just like regular pancake batter, add more milk if it is too thick.  Allow the batter to rest 10 minutes.  Pour onto hot griddle by 1/4 c. measuring cup.  You can add sprinkle to your batter if you wish.  Cook each pancake until you see bubbles starting to form on top and then flip and cook on the other side for a few minutes.  Top with syrup and more sprinkles.

Post shared with:
A Creative Princess
Lamb Around
Sweet as Sugar Cookies
Paisley Passions
The Girl Creative
Larks Country Heart
Something Swanky
Well Seasoned Life
The Sweet Detail

Nana's Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

Fudge, fudge, fudge oh how I love thee! I realized when I woke up today that I have about a week left in my house before the movers pack us up and we move to Japan and live in a hotel for a few months before we get all of our stuff from the states.  That means no kitchen for me!  The horror!  So I decided I needed to make a couple of my favorite desserts.  So, today I made fudge.  It is the same fudge my mother made for me as a child and her mother made for her.  Well, I tweaked it a bit despite my mother's protests.  I usually add pecans to half of the batch as a I love pecans and leave the other half plain. This fudge is super rich and just divine!

Nana's Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

2 3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. cocoa powder

6 tbsp. butter (3 + 3 tbsp.)

1 c. half-and-half

1 tbsp. corn syrup

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

¼ c. peanut butter

Grease an 8 by 8-inch pan with butter. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, chocolate, 3 tablespoons of the butter, half-and-half, and corn syrup. Over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is melted. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot. Cook until the thermometer reads 234 degrees F. Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter, vanilla and peanut butter. Do not stir. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or until it drops to roughly 130 degrees. Mix until well-blended and the shiny texture becomes matte, about 3 minutes. Pour into the prepared pan quickly as it will start to set. Let sit in cool dry area until firm. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.  If adding nuts you can add in when you start to stir or add to the top once you pour it into your pan to cool. 

Post shared with: 

Sweet as Sugar Cookies
Larks Country Heart 

At Home with Haley

Homemade Pizza Dough

We make pizza in our house about once a week.  I love pizza but the delivery around here is just terrible plus I think I've spoiled everyone with making homemade dough all the time.  This recipe makes 2 large pizzas and you can do it thin crust or thick crust, whichever you prefer.  It also keeps well for a few days in the fridge or you can freeze half of it for later use too.  Just defrost to room temperature before using.

Basic Pizza Dough:

1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp.)

1 tsp. sugar

1 c. warm water

2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

3 c. flour, plus more for dusting

Add yeast and sugar to warm water and let stand 5 minutes.  Add flour and salt to food processor. Add oil to yeast mixture, stir and then slowly pour into flour mixture in food processor.  Use plastic blade on food processor.  Once dough ball forms, knead a few times onto lightly floured surface.  Place in well oiled bowl and let rise 1 hour.   Divide in half and cover the half you aren't working with.  Place flour on your work surface and roll out the dough into a large circle.  I like to tuck my edges under to form the crust.  I then poke holes with a fork to prevent bubbles and I always bake on a preheated baking stone at 500 degrees.  (Makes 2 large pizzas)

Peanut Butter & Jelly Pancakes

I love doing pancakes on the weekends and am always trying new things with them so we don't have the same buttermilk pancake every weekend, though there certainly isn't anything wrong with a regular buttermilk pancake!  These are a peanut butter pancake with a blueberry syrup.  Instead of actually making the syrup you could always throw some of your favorite jelly into a saucepan with maple syrup and use that instead and it would still be awesome.   


Peanut Butter & Jelly Pancakes

1 1/2 c.  all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. sugar
2 egg
1 2/3 c. buttermilk
3/4 c. melted creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp. oil
4 tbsp. butter

Preheat a griddle. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Slowly mix in egg, milk, peanut butter and oil until combined. Add a little extra milk if batter feels too thick. Let mixture sit 5 minutes.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter on griddle and move around to coat entire griddle. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake on griddle. Flip when air pockets start to pop on the top and a quick peak on the underside reveals a golden pancake. Repeat with remaining butter and batter.

Blueberry Syrup:

2 pints fresh blueberries
1 c. sugar
1 c.  water
1 lemon, zested

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break up blueberries as they cook.   Serve warm

Pumpkin Donut Holes

Every time we go to the store my daughter eyeballs the donuts case.  But instead of always asking for one now she sees them and always says, "Oh, mom when we get home can you make donuts".  This is a quick easy cake donuts recipe that we make frequently.  I really like using the pumpkin, the flavor is just amazing!  Because this is a cake donut recipe there is no rising required, you can whip up an entire batch in about 30 minutes. 

Pumpkin Donut Holes

Vegetable oil, for frying

3 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/4 c. sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp.salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 egg yolk

1/3 c. buttermilk

3/4 c. canned pumpkin puree

3 tbsp. melted salted butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oil in a large Dutch oven to 375 degrees. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl.Whisk eggs, yolk, buttermilk, pumpkin puree, melted butter and vanilla extract together in another large bowl until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and thoroughly mix together using a wooden spoon. The dough will be very very sticky. Dust your countertop and hands with flour. Using your hands pat out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Use a (roughly) 3/4-inch cutter and cut the holes and roll into balls. Gather scraps and re-roll. Continue cutting out donut holes. Fry donuts, in hot oil, until golden brown and crisp, approximately 3 minutes per side. Drain on wire rack over sheet tray to cool. Once cool, dust with cinnamon sugar, if desired, or dip into the Glaze.

Glaze:

3 c.  powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. milk

In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, maple extract and milk; stir well. Add additional milk, if needed, to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over donuts.

Whisking Wednesdays #4

<center><a href="http://www.pinchofthisthatandtheother.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m41/nnorwood/image1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>

Welcome to Whisking Wednesdays!

I'm a bit late today getting this started as we had ourselves a little mini vacation at an indoor waterpark here and are just getting home.  Too much fun!  Both my little ones had an amazing time and my 3 year old claimed she wanted to live there forever!

So the top three from last week's Whisking Wednesday are the following.  Thank you all for visiting and sharing your recipes!    

#1

Sweet Luvin in the Kitchen 

Cake Batter Pancakes

YUM!  I mean pancakes that also taste like birthday cake.  This sounds unbelievable and I can't wait to try it!

#2
Eating in Winnipeg
Rocky Road Fudge Bar

I love chocolate and these look amazing.  

#3
Well Seasoned Life
Red Rice

I'm from South Carolina so once I saw this recipe, and the fact that this was inspired from a vacation from South Carolina, I was in love!  

The Rules:

1. Please link up to the URL of your post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your dish or treat.
2. Please leave a link back to this post in your post or Grab My Button.
3. Share your delicious dishes or treats from this week. If you've made more than one during the week, feel free to link them all up.
4. Leave me a comment and let me know that you've linked up.
5. Please visit at least two others and comment on their dishes or treats they've added to this party.
6. Also, would love for you to follow me but it isn't a requirement.  

This weeks theme is going to be just your favorite recipe you've made from the week.  Whether it is a dessert, breakfast, dinner or snack of sorts.  

<center><a href="http://www.pinchofthisthatandtheother.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m41/nnorwood/Buttonpic001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>

Cookie Dough Brownies

About a week or so ago I came across this recipe for Cookie Dough Brownies.  The second I saw it I knew I had to make it, I mean brownies and cookie dough how could I not have tried this before!  I found this recipe on Hoot-n-Nanny. I changed mine a bit though.  Everyone in my house absolutely loved these.  They are really rich so definitely not an all the time treat but I'll be making these again!


Cookie Dough Brownies

Brownie Batter:

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 c. sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 c. cocoa powder

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tbsp. decaf coffee

Cookie Topping: 

3/4 c. shortening
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbls. milk
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. chocolate chips

For the Brownies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.  Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the sugar, coffee, eggs and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.  Add the cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing.  (I prefer cooling mine in the fridge then slicing.) 

Cookie Topping: Cream together the shortening, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Beat in milk.  Add in the flour and mix until combined.  Stir in Chocolate chips. Once brownies have completely cooled spread or press down the cookie dough on top.  Place in refrigerator for several hours to set.

Post shared with:

Sweet as Sugar Cookies
Sugar and Dots  
At Home with Haley 
The Girl Creative 
Lolly Jane Boutique 
Well Seasoned Life 
Eating in Winnipeg 
Debbie Debbie Doos 
A Creative Princess 
Paisley Passions 
Larks Country Heart 
Something Swanky 
This Chick Cooks 

Whisking Wednesdays #3

<center><a href="http://www.pinchofthisthatandtheother.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m41/nnorwood/image1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>

Welcome to Whisking Wednesdays!

I've had a little time this week to try to mess with this linky thing and hopefully got it working since last week it got the best of me.  So instead of postponing this I'm giving it another shot!   I plan on keeping the link up and available up until the following Tuesday then will close it.  On each Wednesday I'll pick the Top 3 from the following link and post them for everyone to see.  Thank you all for visiting!   

The Rules:

1. Please link up to the URL of your post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your dish or treat.
2. Please leave a link back to this post in your post or Grab My Button.
3. Share your delicious dishes or treats from this week. If you've made more than one during the week, feel free to link them all up.
4. Leave me a comment and let me know that you've linked up.
5. Please visit at least two others and comment on their dishes or treats they've added to this party.

This weeks theme is going to be just your favorite recipe you've made from the week.  Whether it is a dessert, breakfast, dinner or snack of sorts.  

<center><a href="http://www.pinchofthisthatandtheother.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m41/nnorwood/Buttonpic001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a></center>

Chocolate Cupcake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

Who doesn't love cupcakes!?  My daughter decided that we couldn't have just regular cream cheese frosting that we needed colors so we had to do greens, blues, and pinks for her with sprinkles of course.  This is a great chocolate cake recipe too.  Super moist and delicious and I love the combination of chocolate and cream cheese.  This is a recipe that I've used quite a few times and this particular time my husband and daughter made these together for me for Mother's Day it has just taken me a while to upload the pictures and post it.  These turned out really good.  He doesn't bake and usually doesn't follow directions very well so the fact that they turned out with him reading and following my directions was awesome!  

Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting  

2 ½ c. flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 ½ sticks room temperature butter

2 c. sugar

3 ½ oz. dark chocolate

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 ½ c. cold water

Melt chocolate over double broiler then set aside to cool.  Beat butter and sugar together until creamy.  Add in eggs one at a time, then vanilla and cooled melted chocolate.  Slowly add dry ingredients and water rotating between the two starting and ending with dry ingredients.  Place wax paper on the bottom of your round cake pans and cut in a circle to fit bottom, spray sides with a non-stick spray such as Pam.  Pour cake evenly into pans.  Bang on counter a couple times to allow air to escape and to settle cake.  Bake 350° 35-45 minutes or until knife is inserted and pulls out clean.  If doing cupcakes bake for about 18-23 minutes or until knife comes out clean.  Let cool completely before frosting. 

Cream Cheese Frosting:


2 sticks melted butter
6 c. powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese (room temp.)
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Melt butter and add to a mixer with paddle attachment with room temperature cream cheese and mix to combine.  Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar.  If too thick add a splash of milk, if too thin add more powdered sugar.  Mix until well combined and lump free.  

Almond Banana Nut Bread

I made this the other day and was suprised it came out as well as it did.  I have another banana bread recipe on here that is much better that uses regular flour but this is a nice substitution if you can't have or don't want to use regular flour.  It tasted very nice, great banana and honey flavor but because of the almond flour I found the texture to be a bit grainy.  It is also a bit more crumbly than regular banana bread.    I do prefer my regular banana bread but it was nice to try something new and different.  Plus my kids loved it and I didn't feel bad about letting them eat it since there is no white flour in it.  

Almond Banana Bread

3 c. Almond Flour
1/3 c. honey
3 eggs
3 very ripe bananas
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp.
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Smash the bananas or put in a food processor. Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Pour in a loaf pan and bake 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.

Chocolate Pot de Creme

First, I want to mention I saw a similar recipe like this on That skinny chick can bake recently and just new I had to try this.  Then I turn on my TV today and on Food Network Anne Thornton of Dessert First is making a Chocolate Pot de Creme Brulee.  I couldn't take it.  So though I'm not really suppose to be making desserts until we get to Japan and settle in I figured there was no rule saying I couldn't make it and just not eat it all.  Once I realized that in 3 weeks all of my kitchen stuff is going to be packed up completely and I won't see it again for almost 60 days I totally freaked and had to make something yummy.  I mean 60 days without my kitchen, without my whisks, without my mixer and food processor and all my favorite pots and pans and my cast iron skillet, it just made me quite sad.  But this fixed it.  Can't be sad with this in front of you!  I did half of these just with chocolate the other half I added about 1 tbsp. of peanut butter to and swirled it in. The peanut butter was really good in it but then again, peanut butter and chocolate is always awesome together.  So it is up to you if you wanna throw some peanut butter in yours or not.    


Chocolate Pot de Creme

6 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 c. heavy cream
Pinch of instant espresso powder
6 egg yolks
1/3 c. sugar

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Arrange 6 (6-ounce) ramekins in a roasting pan.  In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, chopped chocolate and instant espresso powder and bring almost to a simmer over medium heat. Using a whisk, combine the ingredients until the chocolate melts completely and the mixture is smooth.  Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in large bowl to blend for a few minutes, until almost a pale yellow color. Gradually whisk in the hot chocolate mixture and stir until the ingredients are incorporated.  Do this very slowly so you don't scramble your eggs.  Divide the custard equally among the cups using either a 4-ounce ladle or a 6-ounce ladle.  I put a strainer over the top of my ramekins to make sure no extra bits of egg or anything ended up in my custards. Using a wet paper towel, clean up the sides of the ramekins, if needed. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake the custards until just set around the edges but still soft in the center, 35 to 40 minutes. Carefully remove the ramekins from the water. Refrigerate, uncovered, until cold.  I served mine with homemade whipped cream.

Post shared with:

Sweet as sugar cookies
At Home with Haley
Well Seasoned Life
Debbie Debbie Doos 

Swiss Chard w/ Bacon

This is the organic swiss chard we picked up at the Farmer's Market this weekend.  I love swiss chard, not just the bright vibrant colors but the taste as well.  If you've never tried it I definitely suggest giving it a shot.  I find it is quite similar to spinach.  This is a really simple, quick side dish that goes great with any meal.   Not to mention adding bacon always makes everything better! Of course, this is a really good healthy dish if you simply omit the bacon and use a bit of olive oil to saute your garlic and start wilting your greens in. 

Swiss Chard w/ Bacon

2 bundles of swiss chard

4 slices of bacon, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c. chicken stock

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. paprika 

Remove the stems from the swiss chard.  Roll all the leaves together and starting at one end cut longs strips.  Put in a strainer and make sure it is washed thoroughly.  Render bacon in a saute pan on medium until crispy.  Remove the bacon but leave the bacon fat in the pan.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and allow to start to cook just a minute before adding in the swiss chard.  Give it a toss and once it starts to wilt pour over the chicken stock. Add in the nutmeg and parika.  Toss to combine all and cover.  Once completely wilted turn off heat and allow to simmer for just a few more minutes.  Top with the bacon before serving.     

Farmer's Market Steak Marinade

It is that time of year when the Farmer's Market has finally come to my town!  This is my favorite time of year.  I love the Farmer's Market, I love all the fresh fruits, veggies, grass-fed meats and baked goods.  The weather here has been awful in Washington so far this year.  We haven't had much of a Spring.  Most days it is still raining and barely above 50 degrees.  Today was beautiful and sunny so my husband and I took the kids and headed to the Farmer's Market this morning.  We ended up getting local eggs, organic swiss chard and grass-fed T-bone steaks.  So guess what we are having for dinner!  Steak, eggs and greens.  Yummy!  We have a huge charcoal grill that we are gonna put these bad boys on.  We also find that marinating steaks for a few hours before grilling them really makes a huge difference in flavor and tenderness and juiciness.  So along with my ramblings at how awesome the Farmer's Market is I'll also include a post below of our steak marinade.  You won't be disappointed. 

Steak Marinade

1/2 c. olive oil

2 crushed garlic cloves

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Add all in a bag and combine and allow meat to marinate a few hours before grilling.  

Coconut Creamed Spinach w/ Almonds

So since I'm eating better I couldn't make my normal delicious creamed spinach recipe so I modified it to fit my new diet better.  Now you ask, is this just like or as good as regular creamed spinach.  No, of course not.  Regular creamed spinach has a bunch of heavy cream and lots of Parmesan cheese and this has neither.  This is just something a bit different from regular sauteed spinach not to mention this is much better for you/me.  I thought it was good and I'd have it again.  I, of course, miss my cream and cheese but I'll have it again soon enough I'm sure.  Don't worry all these weird off the wall recipes will only be happening for about 30 days then "normal" foods will start popping back up on here! I feel like my blog is sad without dessert but we'll get our sugar back and get to make desserts again.  By the time I get to do that again I'll be living in an entirely new country as the beginning of June we are being stationed/moved to Japan.  Exciting!

Coconut Creamed Spinach

1 large bag of baby spinach

2 minced garlic cloves

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

3 tsp. coconut oil

2 tbsp. almond flour

1 tbsp. chopped almonds

1/4 c. coconut milk (or cream)

Add coconut oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to oil on a medium heat.  Add the almond flour and whisk so it isn't lumpy. Add in the spinach and pour the coconut milk or coconut cream over the top and let wilt down.  You may need a bit less of the milk depending on the size of your spinach bag, mine was huge.  The sauce isn't going to be thick because it has no flour and it isn't heavy cream so except it to be a bit runny but just use a slotted spoon to serve it and top it with almonds for an extra crunch and some texture. 

Chicken Piccata

So I'm on a new diet.  It is called the Paleo diet.  Pretty simple, I eat lots of fresh vegetables, meats and fruits and some nuts.  I stay away from grains, legumes, dairy and processed stuff, and of course sugar.  I've committed myself to 30 days of this, so we'll see how it goes.  I know by the end I'm going to be begging for chocolate!

So tonight I had to take a recipe I make often and made it fit into my diet.  I can't use flour, not white flour or wheat flour.  So my new flour is almond flour.  This recipe turned out awesome with the substitutions I used to make it fit my diet.  I actually think I liked the almond flour on this chicken better than regular flour.  Since I'm new to using almond flour though I was worried I'd burn it and make it taste bitter so I allowed the chicken to get brown on both sides and threw it in the oven to finish cooking.  Technically with chicken piccata you want very thin chicken breasts but I didn't have the time to do that.  Also, probably not suppose to have wine but figured I wasn't drinking it, just cooking with it.  If you aren't dieting, finishing the sauce of with about 2 tbsp. of butter right before serving.  I had to leave that part out because I can't have dairy for 30 days.

5 thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1/4 c. dry white wine
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. chicken stock
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. capers, drained
3/4 c. almond flour
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place the almond flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper.  Dredge the chicken breasts into the almond flour.  Turn the pan onto a medium heat and add 1 tbsp. of the oil.  Cook chicken on both sides until golden brown. If they aren't very thin pieces place on a baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven for about another 6 minutes. Add the remaining oil and garlic to the pan.  Allow to cook just a minute or two.  Add the wine and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add in chicken stock, lemon juice and capers and simmer another few minutes.  Add the chicken back into the pan and cover with sauce and allow to finish cooking in sauce.  Garnish with lemon slices and/or parsley.

Almond Flour Pancakes

I've never used almond flour before but bought some yesterday.  I'm trying to change the diet of everyone in our house to a bit more healthy and trying to eliminate some sugars and grains like regular flour and replace them with fruits and veggies.  So I'm trying some new recipes these days like this one here.  I love trying new things and when I saw this recipe I thought hmm, worth a shot.  It was unbelievably difficult to flip these pancakes without them falling apart everywhere but they were extremely tasty.  I think I need one of those super thin spatulas.  Of course, they aren't exactly like a regular pancake with taste and fluffiness as they are made neither with white flour and they don't have leavening agents in them.  I feel like this recipe, with a bit of tweaking can become a new Saturday morning breakfast in our house.  I chopped a bunch of strawberries up on top and the combination of the nutty almond flour and strawberries was absolutely delicious.

Almond Flour Pancakes

1 c. almond flour (also called almond meal)
2 eggs
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt
coconut oil (for greasing the pan)

Combine the eggs, honey, and vanilla and whisk together.  Add in the almond flour, cinnamon and salt and whisk until just combined.  Heat a pan over medium heat and add a splash of the coconut oil so it doesn't stick.  Add about 1/8 cup of the batter quickly turning the pan a bit to make sure it spreads out.  Cook until golden brown and flip and cook another minute or two. Serve with berries and a bit of pure maple syrup.

Post shared with:
At Home with Haley
Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Alli-n-Son
Moms Crazy Cooking

Chocolate Cake w/ Chocolate Frosting

This week was mine and my husband's 8th wedding anniversary.  So of course I wanted to make a dessert we didn't have every day but nothing overly fancy.  I did a simple chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  They were both absolutely delicious, but when is chocolate cake not!  The chocolate frosting is a really good frosting but I'm looking for something better.  I don't know what but figure when I find it I'll know.  This is my standard go-to frosting recipe.  I've asked a friend for a few of her go-to chocolate frosting recipes and hope to start playing with them and trying them out in the near future so I can find one that is truly magnificent.  Granted making a bunch of frosting sounds like I'll be eating way too much frosting and I'm pretty sure that isn't what I need so I think I'm going to have to spread this out over time to make sure I don't end up turning into a cake myself! 

Chocolate Cake

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar

3/4 c. cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. fresh brewed coffee

Frosting:

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
2/3 c. cocoa
3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans.  Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

For the frosting melt the butter. Stir in cocoa, powdered sugar and vanilla. Ad in the milk beating to spreading consistency.Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Makes about 2 cups of frosting.

Whisking Wednesdays #2

 My first Whisking Wednesdays went better than I thought it would so thank you all for your participation!  Here are the Top 3 from last week.

#1 from Mountain Breaths

#2 from Steak N Potatoes Kinda Gurl

#3 from The Kitchen Cookie 

Unfortunately, Whisking Wednesdays is going to have to be postponed for about 2 months until I have the time to properly promote and devote to it.  Thank you all for the participation in the first one.  My family and I are in the process of moving from the US to Japan in the next month as my husband is military.  So needless to say with two small children, this site, me being a full-time college student and moving I've got a bit much on my plate so just don't have the time to do this portion right now.  But, it will return once I'm settled into my new home in Japan in a few months. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

We went to the farmers market on Saturday and they had rhubarb there.  Well I've never had rhubarb and certainly never cooked with it before but decided I wanted to give it a shot.  I already had some strawberries on hand so decided to do a crumble as that is always a hit in my house.  I took a taste of the raw rhubarb and thought it tasted awful since it is so bitter.  I just hoped that by tossing it with the strawberries and sugar it'd make it edible.  I know there are people everywhere that use rhubarb so I knew there had to be a reason.  Well it worked, quite honestly I don't think you could really taste the rhubarb just the strawberries but still, at least it wasn't a throw away dish or anything.  It turned out really tasty and my husband even asked for seconds which is always a sign that he enjoyed whatever it is I put in front of him.  Maybe next time I'll use more rhubarb to see if I can make it more of the star of the show instead of just a back note.   

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

For Fruit:

1 lb. (2 cups) rhubarb, leaves trimmed, stalks only, diced
1 pint (roughly 3 cups) fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
3/4 c. sugar
1 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. of lemon zest, freshly grated


For Topping:
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. oats 1/3 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 c. chopped pecans (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and lemon zest. Transfer to a buttered 8-inch baking dish. For topping, combine flour, oats sugar, cinnamon and walnuts, pour in melted butter and toss to combine, crumble over fruit mixture. Bake until fruit is bubbling and topping is browned which should be about 30 minutes.
Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

This post shared with: 

At Home With Haley

Swedish Pancakes

 This morning not only did I get to sleep in but I woke up and my husband was making swedish pancakes for breakfast for everyone.  Not just swedish pancakes but with a strawberry filing too.  It was absolutely delicious.  Granted anytime someone other than me cooks I am always grateful and happy to have someone feed me for a change but when it is actually really good too, well that's just an added bonus!  My husband is a grill man.  There is nothing he can't grill.  Him and the kitchen, well aren't always friends. Sometimes it is scary what he tries to give to us and call "dinner", other times like today it turns out awesome and makes me think I should convince him to get in the kitchen a little more often.  This batter is quite watery, it is suppose to be.  Once you pour it on the griddle and it spreads out you need to wait until it cooks for just a few seconds then use a spatula a spread it out further, so thin it out as much as you can without tearing it.  It is suppose to be almost translucent 

Lee's Swedish Pancakes

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 3/4 c. whole milk

3 tbsp. melted butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 eggs

3 tbsp. sugar

Strawberry Syrup

1 c.  frozen strawberries

1/4 c. sugar

Combine all pancake ingredients and whisk together to combine.  Pour onto hot griddle and spread out until almost translucent into a large rectangular shape.  Depending on how big your pancake is, it may be necessary to cut it in half to flip it.  Flip once the first side is light golden brown. Combine the strawberries and sugar in in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Once the strawberries start to cook, mash them up with a fork.  The sauce will thicken as it cooks down (if you are using fresh strawberries, you may need to add a splash of water to get the proper consistency).  Once the pancakes are done, fill with strawberry syrup and roll up.  Top with more strawberry syrup, maple syrup, and powdered sugar.

Post shared with: 

At Home with Haley
Sweet as sugar cookies