Quick No-Rise Monkey Bread

So I went to a friends house a while ago and her and her children had made monkey bread and I thought it would be something my kids would love doing.  Normally I don't by canned biscuits, in fact I haven't eaten a canned biscuit in probably 5 years now, but I wanted my daughter to be able to make breakfast all by herself for everyone.  The kids had a great time making it and they loved it.  Personally I could taste that it wasn't a homemade from scratch dough but the look on my kids faces making this and being able to say they cooked breakfast all by themselves beat out any negative thought I had about the canned biscuits.  I found this recipe at the Pillsbury site.   

Monkey Bread

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

1/2 cup raisins, if desired

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan with shortening or cooking spray. In large -storage plastic food bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon. Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan, adding walnuts and raisins among the biscuit pieces. n small bowl, mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Asian Turkey Burger

I sit here day after day watching recipes, pictures and my posts pile up and can't seem to find the time to get around to posting them these days.  We're still going the healthy route in our house and my husband seems to even complain a bit less about it.  I made these turkey burgers recently and they were awesome.  I don't think my husband would ever admit that he enjoyed a turkey burger as much as a full fat red meat burger but he really enjoyed these and so did the kids.  My daughter actually asked me if I'd make them again for her a few days later.   I think these might be my new go to burger recipe for a while. 

 Asian Turkey Burgers

1 pk. ground turkey
1/4 c. tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. sweet chili sauce (or a chili garlic paste)
Salt & Pepper
4 whole wheat buns

A few hours before you are going to make the burgers add the ground turkey, hoisin, soy, and chili sauce to a bowl and combine thoroughly but try not to over mix the meat.  Allow to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour prior to cooking.  I usually allow mine to sit about 4 hours.  Form into patties roughly 4 oz. each and season generously with salt and pepper.  Place into a hot pre-heated pan or onto the grill. The patties may need to be babied a bit to keep them from falling apart initially but once you allow the first side to cook they'll come together nicely.  Mine took roughly 5 minutes a side.  Allow to rest about 10 minutes before serving to keep them juicy.  Serve on whole wheat buns and garnish with your favorite burger toppings. 

Boston Cream Pie Cupcake

This cupcake was awesome. I found this recipe on That Skinny Chick Can Bake and that recipe was adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe.  I used the cupcake and ganache recipe from that site but I used my own pastry cream recipe because I've had such great success with it and didn't want to try anything else when I already love my pastry cream.  My husband felt there wasn't enough pastry cream in the middle so I had to drizzle it on top too.  

Cupcakes:

6 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the cupcake tins

1 1/2 cups flour, plus more to dust the cupcake tins

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease cupcake tins (makes about 20 cupcakes), then dust with flour.  Set aside.

Cut butter into tablespoon sized pieces.  Heat butter and milk in microwave till butter is melted. Set aside.

In electric mixer, whip sugar and eggs on high till fluffy and pale yellow, and thick enough to form a ribbon when mixture drips off whisk attachment...about 5 minutes.  Reduce speed to medium and add baking powder, salt, then slowly add flour.  Mix only till just incorporated.

With mixer on low speed, slowly add milk and butter mixture.  Mix just till smooth.  Add vanilla and mix just till incorporated.

Divide batter into the 20 cupcake slots...about halfway full.  Bake, rotating halfway through if needed (check to see if baking evenly), for about 15 minutes.  Check by gently pressing center of cupcakes with finger...if done, the cake will spring back immediately.

To serve, either cut out a part of the center to fill with pastry cream and replace top on hole or cut cupcakes carefully in half with serrated knife, top bottom half with about one tablespoon of pastry cream, add top half and drizzle with ganache.

Pastry Cream:

2 c. half-and-half
1/2 c. sugar
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat half-and-half, 6 tbsp. sugar and salt in saucepan over medium heat until simmering and sugar is dissolved.  Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until combined.  Whisk in the remaining 2 tbsp. sugar until thick and creamy about 30 seconds.  Whisk in the cornstarch until pale yellow, about 30 seconds. Gradually whisk the half-and-half mixture into the yolk mixture to temper.  Be VERY slow so you don't scramble your eggs.  Return the entire mixture to the saucepan scraping bowl with spatula and return to a simmer over medium heat whisking constantly until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, like a pudding.  Off the heat whisk in the butter and vanilla.  Strain through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl.  Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until set and cold which is at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.    

Chocolate Ganache:

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup (or honey)

Heat cream and corn syrup in microwave till hot.  Add chopped chocolate, and let stand till chocolate starts to melt.  Stir until smooth.

Grilled Honey-Lime Pork Tenderloin

So not the most flattering picture but that is what happens when my husband carves meat and takes a picture of it.  He was less than impressed when I told him I needed pictures before we ate dinner.   This is an Alton Brown recipe and it was really tasty.  I love the honey in this it really shines through.  I'm a huge fan of adding honey into marinades for meats and this really was a winner.  I got the recipe from Food Network.

Grilled Honey-Lime Pork Tenderloin

1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound
1 lime, zest finely grated
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce  (*optional)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin.  Place the lime zest, lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic powder in a small, lidded jar and shake to combine. Pour half of the marinade mixture into a 1-gallon resealable bag, add the chipotle pepper, and move around to combine. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing as much air as possible and place in a container to catch any leaks. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through the time. Place the remaining marinade in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.  Remove the tenderloin from the bag and allow to sit at room temperature while preparing the grill. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator.  Fill a large chimney starter with natural lump charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is ashy and white, approximately 30 minutes, dump the hot charcoal onto the lowest grate of the grill and spread into an even layer using extra-long tongs. Place the cooking grate back on the grill and cover with the lid; heat the grate to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.  Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Remove the tenderloin from the bag and place in the center of grate. Discard bag with marinade. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.  Remove the tenderloin from the grill and place on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded at the edges to create a basket, and pour on the reserved marinade. Wrap tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Honey Cornbread

I like my cornbread sweet and this recipe always hits the spot.  I like making cornbread because it reminds me of home (South Carolina).  Of course, my kids love it because in their eyes it is like bread and they think we should eat bread every single meal.  I made this with a big bowl of chicken and dumplings and it made my night.   So good!


Honey Corn Bread

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk (or alternative such as Almond Milk)
2 large eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted (or dairy-free)
1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Into a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the whole milk, eggs, butter, and honey. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Pour into buttered 8X10 pan and bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown.  To make corn muffins, place muffin paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Evenly divide the cornbread mixture into the papers. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

Oven French Fries

I made these this week just to give my sister the recipe.  I love oven fries and if done right they are really tasty.  I prefer not to fry things these days as it really isn't good for my kids and they are what I care most about in this world.  But what kid doesn't love french fries?  So, I make these usually about once a week and we do a burger night or something similar with them.  They are quick and easy and can be prepped ahead too.  The key to good oven fries is a hot, hot oven, an already hot baking sheet and make sure your fries are completely dry before adding oil to them. If they are even a little bit wet you'll have soggy fries.  

Oven French Fries

3-4 Russet Potatoes

1/8 c. canola oil

Salt & Pepper

Seasoning of choice

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees with the baking sheet IN the oven.  I peel the skins off my potatoes first then slice them into whatever shape I want, shoestring fries, steak fries, your choice.  If you are doing this ahead of time place all your french fries in water to prevent them from turning color just be sure to dry them thoroughly before using.  Place in a bowl, simply pour over the oil and seasoning.  I love to use garlic powder and paprika or a Ms. Dash blend.  Toss to coat all potatoes.  After your oven has preheated along with your pan, take the hot pan out and dump all your potatoes with oil and seasoning onto the baking sheet.  Bake approximately 15 minutes, flip all fries and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown.   

Blueberry Banana Streusel Muffin

I found this recipe on Chef Heidi Fink's blog and adapted it just a bit to make it what I was in the mood for.  These muffins were so good!  I don't know why all my muffins don't have an amazing streusel topping!  

Blueberry Banana Streusel Muffin


1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
6 Tb melted butter (I use non-dairy)

3 medium bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1-1/2 cups small fresh blueberries  
 
Streusel Topping
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 Tb all-purpose flour
2 Tb melted butter (or non-dairy buter)



Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, including the top of the muffin tin, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and the baking powder and the salt. In a large bowl, mash the bananas well. Add the egg, beat well, then add the sugar and vanilla and beat again. Finally, add the melted butter and stir until completely mixed. Before you mix the wet and dry ingredients, make the streusel. Place the pecans, brown sugar and flour in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and stir well to mix. It should not be too wet. Add a bit more flour if the streusel seems too wet. Set aside.  Now, mix the muffin batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients along with the blueberries. Use a wooden spoon to stir the ingredients together until just mixed. There should still be dry streaks of flour visible.  Scoop batter into muffin tin and top with some of the streusel topping.  Bake 16-20 minutes or until golden brown.