Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Let’s establish some expectations here – I’m not a baker. I don’t bake. In fact, nothing will get me out of the kitchen faster than baking. I love baked goods though. No meal is ever complete without dessert and most of the time that includes baking something. My solution? Find others to bake for me! While that has worked for me for as long as I’ve been alive, I realize that no food blog would be complete without a baked good recipe. Below is my first attempt…a compromise…pre-packaged cake mix with my own twist.  Sandra Lee would be proud.

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the crisp air, fall colors, pumpkin patches, apple cider, hot cocoa and all things that come with autumn. Spiced desserts are no exception. I LOVE anything pumpkin or spiced!! For this recipe I took major help from the store and decided to spice up some pre-made items. To do this, I took a box of cake mix and added/substituted some ingredients here and there to make them spicy, pumpkinny and a little bit all my own.

So while I know these are nowhere near Barefoot Contessa caliber, I am really proud of my pumpkin spice cupcakes. I think you’ll find that my baking method amplifies the standard vanilla cupcake box mix and makes them something you can call your own – and it was easier than making it from scratch! I’ll start working on real baking…

Time from Prep to Eating: 40 minutes

What You Need:
Cupcake baking pan
Mixer (stand or hand)

The Stuff for the Cupcakes:
1 box of vanilla cake mix
1 15oz can of pumpkin (you’re only going to use ½ of the can, so if your store carries 7.5oz cans, get that instead)
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger

Here’s What You Do:

Follow the instructions on the cake box, replacing the oil with the applesauce and pumpkin. For example, my cake box called for 1/3 cup canola oil. I substituted the oil with 3 Tbsp applesauce and 3 Tbsp pumpkin (this should equal 1/3 cup total). As the batter is mixing add in the cinnamon and ginger. Bake as directed, checking to see if they’re cooked through at the lowest end of the cooking time frame.

The Stuff for the Frosting:

1 tub of pre-made butter cream frosting

The remaining portion of the pumpkin (remember we’re only using half of the 15oz can for both the cupcake batter and frosting!)

¼ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Here’s What You Do:

Transfer the frosting to a mixing bowl and add the remaining pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg, and fold in with a spatula until the frosting is light a fluffy.

Top the cooled cupcakes with the frosting and enjoy!

Chicken and Bean Enchiladas

This recipe is a twist on a yummy Mexican classic – enchiladas! I’m not real sure how or why I came up with this one, but I’ve been making it for about 4 years now and still think they’re amazing. Now, I probably wouldn’t bring someone’s Hispanic grandmother over to try these out, but anyone who enjoys Mexican food and a little bit of culinary adventure are prime targets as guinea pigs.

My secret ingredient that makes people go “Hmmm….what is that….I like it!” is crushed pineapple. Crushed pineapple in chicken and bean enchiladas??? Yup! And it’s amazingly delicious too! I’ve made these for several friends and family members over the years and have yet to find someone who did not like the pineapple addition. Try it out and you’ll be pleasantly surprised, I promise.

For this recipe I use your basic rotisserie chicken from the store, but if you prefer to bake and shred your own chicken breasts feel free – I find my version to be less labor intensive. I also use chopped cilantro, which I know a lot of people strongly dislike. Cilantro is a bonus for those of us who like it, but it’s not a deal-breaker if you leave it out. Bon appetite!

Time from Prep to Eating: 50 minutes

What You Need:
Glass 9”x13” baking dish
Small or Medium skillet

The Stuff:
1 rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded
2 cans black beans, drain only 1 can
½ medium white onion, chopped
28 oz and 15.5 oz can of your favorite enchilada sauce
15.5 oz can of crushed pineapple
8 oz bag of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8, 10” burrito tortillas
Small handful of cilantro, chopped
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cumin

Here’s What You Do:
Grease the baking dish with any non-stick cooking spray and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In the skillet heat the onions over medium heat (using a little olive oil) for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beans, salt, pepper and cumin and heat through for an additional 5 minutes.

Once the beans are cooked take your tortillas and layer the ingredients in the center of each tortilla. In the picture below I layered as follows 1) chicken, 2) beans, 3) spoon-full of pineapple, 4) pinch of cilantro, 5) large pinch of cheese, and 6) large spoon-full of enchilada sauce. Roll each tortilla with the filling and place side-by-side in the baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Serve with a side of pineapple, sour cream and avocado.

Humus

I love humus. I think it’s one of the most delicious dips on the planet. Fortunately, it’s also one of the easiest to make, cheapest to buy, and healthiest to eat as well! We should all do our part to eat more humus. Our hearts and tummies would thank us.

Now I know that I’m biased – this is after all my food blog – but I swear this is the best humus EVER. It’s got a garlicky kick so if you’re sensitive to garlic I recommend using only half of a small clove, and increase the lemon juice by ½ Tbsp to add more flavor.

If you need some ideas for how to serve humus, here are a few that I use:
-as a dip to any chip, cracker, or vegetable
-instead of mayonnaise on a sandwich, try humus instead
-bake some bread crostini’s, top with humus and roasted red pepper
-bake some bread crostini’s with melted mozzarella cheese, then dip in humus
-need a little dip or extra spice to your chicken at dinner? Dip it in some humus!

Time from Prep to Eating: 10 minutes

What You Need:
Food processor

The Stuff:
1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans, reserve ¼ cup liquid but drain the rest
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons Tahini
1 medium to large clove garlic, crushed
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pepper to taste
Drizzle with olive oil, paprika, parsley

Here’s What You Do:
Drain the chickpeas and set aside ¼ cup garbanzo liquid from can. Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until desired texture…usually about 1-2 minutes on medium to high (I prefer my humus creamy without grit).

Before you serve, sprinkle with parsley, paprika, and finish with olive oil.

Shrimp and Grits

This is one of those southern dishes that are unforgettable and absolutely delicious. My love of shrimp and grits started during my stint in the Gulf Coast region in the years just prior to, and after, Hurricane Katrina. For those that don’t know my story, I spent over 2 years in the region doing hurricane relief from 2004-2006, and during this time I was fortunate enough to meet some of the most fabulous people and eat the most satisfying All-American cuisine. New Orleans, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Mobile, and Pensacola – were all my stomping grounds at some point and these incredible cities offered me the food I seem to relate to the most. Shrimp and grits, fried chicken, black eyed peas, fried green tomatoes, collard greens and banana pudding are just a few of the dishes that still call to me.

In my years of being adventurous in the kitchen, I never attempted to make my own version of shrimp and grits. I was nervous that I could never do it justice and it would ruin my memories of a fabulous dish. For a foodie, this is our worst nightmare. I know that in order to make grits “the right way,” it requires spending 40-50 minutes in front of the stove stirring occasionally – a task that is hard for me to do after a long day’s work. So I never gave this dish a shot until now. I cheat by using quick cooking grits, but they are fabulous because of the butter and cheese that we add in at the last minute. I didn’t follow a recipe so that made this adventure extra fun; and I managed to get my husband in the kitchen to take part in my dinner fun. Southern cooking should never be a labor of one…

I hope that you enjoy my take on this down-home comfort food.

Time from Prep to Eating: 40 minutes

What You Need:
1 large sauté pan
1 medium sauce pan
1 cookie sheet

The Stuff:
½ lb. peeled and deveined raw shrimp
4 slices of hickory smoked bacon, cut into ½ inch strips
2 scallions, chopped
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
¾ cup quick cooking grits
2 garlic cloves, 1 thinly sliced and the other finely diced
2 tomatoes sliced into ¼ inch pieces
Bread – slice the loaf into ½ inch pieces
1 Tbsp butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Here’s What You Do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On the cookie sheet place the tomato slices in one single layer and top with the garlic slices, drizzle the olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes.

In the meantime, sauté the bacon in the pan until crispy (about 4-5 minutes) over medium heat. Take the cooked bacon out of the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve for later use. Reduce the heat to med-low and add the diced garlic, cooking for about 1 minute and constantly stirring. Add the shrimp and cook for about 4 minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time, add in the scallions, bacon pieces and salt and pepper to taste.

At the same time you’re cooking the bacon and shrimp, cook the grits in the sauce pan following the instructions on the box. At the end of the cooking process add the cheese and butter until melted through, then salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, spoon the grits in a bowl then top with the shrimp, scallions and bacon. For your side dish, top the slices of bread with the roasted tomato and garlic.

Fennel and Apple Salad

One of my favorite restaurants is Jaleo – a Spanish tapas joint with a couple locations in and around Washington, DC. Unlike a lot of other trendy tapas places this one serves more traditional Spanish dishes. This dish is what I look forward to the most; a delicious salad made of apples, fennel, walnuts, manchego cheese, and a wonderfully tart dressing. This salad will get anyone hooked. It’s an interesting combination of ingredients and yet so light and flavorful at the same time.

In another attempt to mimic my favorite restaurant dishes, I created this knock-off version to satisfy my cravings. My version has quite a few ingredient change outs, but tastes absolutely delicious. For all you home chefs out there, this method of mimicking your favorite dishes can be a great way to start cooking -- take something you love and try to recreate it by adding a personal touch here and there. You’d be surprised how good you feel when you’ve created something just as tasty, and even more fulfilled when others compliment your creation.

Time from Prep to Eating: 15 minutes

What You Need:
Salad bowls

The Stuff:
1 fennel, cut into strips
1 granny smith apple
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
½ Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
Pine nuts for garnish
Fennel fronds for garnish
Blue cheese crumbles for garnish
Pepper

Here’s What You Do:
I think one reason folks don’t cook with fennel is because they’re not sure 1) what it tastes like (a mild licorice flavor) or 2) how to prepare it. When eating it raw here’s how to cut it: first with your knife, cut the bottom bulb from the stalks. With the bulb, cut it into quarters lengthwise, trimming off the bottom edge (it’s a little tough) then removing the very inner part of the core (again, it’s a little tough). Then just slice the quarters into thin confetti shapes.

In a separate bowl, juice the lemon and add the vinegar and oil and whisk until well combined. To layer your salad, add the fennel, apple, and green onions. Sprinkle the pine nuts, blue cheese, and pepper to flavor and drizzle the dressing over the salad to the desired taste. I recommend adding a little of the dressing first, taste test to make sure you haven’t overpowered the salad ingredients, then add more dressing if needed.

Potato Soup

This recipe brings me back to when I was a kid, I love this soup. It’s one of my comfort foods. My mom used to make this for us on occasion growing up and I remember being so excited when she would say to us kids “potato soup for dinner.” We all loved it. When I asked my Mom for the recipe for my blog, she told me it originally came from my Aunt Patti. So, I guess you could call this a true family recipe.

I think my favorite part of the soup is the creamy broth. It’s like clam chowder but without the clammy flavor. It’s so creamy and flavorful it will knock your socks off. I was explaining it to some friends the other day and they suggested frying bacon pieces and topping the soup like you would a baked potato; bacon, cheddar cheese, onions, tomatoes, etc. I imagine transforming this into a baked potato soup would be absolutely delicious.

This was the first time I made this dish in my own home. My husband tends to not like soups so I’ve been sparing him the torture of trying this one and watching him fake the, “It’s okay I guess.” I know I say this a lot – but he really LOVED this soup. When he took the first bite his eyes lit up and he proclaimed that it’s the only soup he actually likes…he then went back for a big heaping bowl of seconds! I hope you like it too.

Time from Prep to Eating: 1.5 hours


What You Need:
Stock Pot

The Stuff:
6 russet potatoes cut into ½ inch cubes (about 2 1/2 lbs)
2 medium onions, diced
2 carrots, thinly diced
2 celery ribs, thinly diced
2 small cans of corn, drained
2 (14 oz) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
Dash of cumin
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups fat-free half and half
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Here’s What You Do:
Combine the first 11 ingredients (potatoes to cumin) in a stock pot. Boil on med-high for 20 minutes, then reserve 1 cup of the potato, celery, onion and carrots (drained) in a separate bowl to add at the end of the cooking process. Reduce the heat to low.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and half-n-half and pour into the soup. Cover and cook another 40 minutes on low. Stir in the grated cheese until melted and add the reserved vegetables to heat through. Garnish with chives or onions.

Caprese Sandwiches with Roasted Red Pepper

I had a severe pregnancy craving the other day. I just HAD TO HAVE a caprese sandwich and I wouldn’t rest until I had one. It was pretty intense. What I craved was the fresh, crisp, cool, light, and flavorful combination of the veggies, bread and basil. I’m convinced it’s all about the bread and basil when it comes to making a good caprese sandwich. Both have to be good quality in order for these to really rock.

To spice it up a bit I roasted a red pepper and put a couple slices in each sandwich – awesome idea! What’s great about roasted peppers is that they’re not overpowering with flavor, but tend to complement foods such as cheeses and herbs. It was the perfect addition to this pregnancy-craving dinner.

My husband added hard Genoa salami to his sandwich and raved about it. If you’re the type that needs to have protein in each meal, try a little salami or even some prosciutto.

Time from Prep to Eating: 15 minutes


Makes 4 sandwiches.

What You Need:
Grill

The Stuff:
Fresh mozzarella, sliced into 8 - ¼ inch rounds
2 tomatoes, sliced into 8 - ¼ inch rounds
8 basil leaves
1 red pepper, roasted and skinned
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
French baked bread, baked that day, cut into 8 - ½ inch slices

Here’s What You Do:
Drizzle oil on the red pepper and place on a grill over medium heat for 8 minutes, flipping once at 4 minutes. Place the grilled pepper in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for five minutes. Once cooled, slice the pepper in half and take out the seed and tops. Turn the halves skin side out and peel off the charred skins and discard. Slice the pepper halves into four, creating a total of 8 pepper slices.

Slice the mozzarella, tomatoes and bread. Layer the following onto the bread: tomato, roasted pepper, basil, mozzarella. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Blue Cheese Wedge Salad

There are people in this world who like blue cheese dressing and those that don’t. Then there are people like me: people that LOVE blue cheese dressing. Besides salads, I dip chicken wings and veggies in it, and have also been known to dab my pizza in blue cheese dressing as I take a bite. I know…I should probably seek counseling. While any blue cheese dressing will make me happy, I find that homemade dressings really do the trick. I’ve tried several recipes over the years - ones made with expensive imported cheeses from specialty stores and others made with the blue cheese crumbles found in every grocery store. To be honest, I find the dressings made with your run-of-the-mill blue cheese crumbles to taste the best, actually.

My favorite recipe of all was created by Ellie Krieger from the Food Network. This dressing is amazing and it’s sure to please any crowd – even you blue cheese lovers out there! It uses ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen and Ellie promises that it has fewer calories and fat than other blue cheese dressings. Something tells me that by eating half of the recipe below (it makes ¾ cups and 2 Tbsp is a serving!) completely destroys this theory, but somehow I feel better knowing I’m eating a dressing that’s a little better for me.

Aside from the dressing, this salad also has unique garlic breadcrumbs and spiced pecans. My family came to visit a couple months ago and I wanted to come up with a twist to the usual blue cheese wedge salad – these breadcrumbs and pecans are just that. They are the perfect complement to the dressing and are incredibly easy to make. While the dressing is Ellie’s, the breadcrumbs and pecans are my own.

For all you blue cheese lovers out there – Enjoy!

Time from prep to Eating: 20 minutes

 
Homemade Bread Crumbs
 

What You Need:
Cookie sheet

The Stuff:
Cubed day-old bread (estimate about 2 slices of bread per person)
About 1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt

Pepper
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder

Here’s What You Do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place your bread cubes in one even layer on the cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the bread with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder until desired flavoring (if you’re unsure about how much to sprinkle, use a 2-fingered pinch for each spice and sprinkle evenly over the bread). Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, flipping the cubes over after 7 minutes to brown both sides.

As your bread is baking, start on the spiced pecans.

Spiced Pecans

What You Need:

Small skillet

The Stuff:

1 small package (2.25 oz) of chopped pecans

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/8 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Here’s What You Do:
In the skillet melt the butter over medium heat then stir in the brown sugar until melted and slightly bubbly. Turn the heat to low then add the spices (chili powder to pepper), mixing until well combined with the butter and sugar. Add the pecans and cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring every minute or so to ensure the nuts don’t stick to the pan. Store in a cool bowl until you’re ready to top your salad.

Ellie’s Blue Cheese Dressing

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Fold a full sheet of paper towel into quarters and put it into a small bowl. Spoon the yogurt onto the paper towel and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to drain and thicken. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and thickened yogurt into the mayonnaise until smooth. Add the vinegar and sugar and continue to whisk until all the ingredients are well combined. Stir in the blue cheese and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

The Salad

The Stuff:
1 tomato, sliced
3 green onions, chopped (or you can use a couple rounds of red onion too)
1 head of iceberg lettuce, cut into quarters
Spiced pecans
Breadcrumbs
Blue Cheese Dressing

Here’s What You Do:
Place a quarter of the iceberg in a bowl and drizzle the dressing. Top with the tomato, green onion, pecans, breadcrumbs and a few blue cheese crumbles.

Enjoy!

Extra Cheesy Mac and Cheese

It seems like everyone has a macaroni and cheese family recipe. While my family has unique recipes for a ton of different dishes, macaroni and cheese was left to Kraft (I love Kraft M&C so it's not a bad thing!). So in an effort to start my own tradition I came up with this version. To start, I thought of what makes me happiest when I eat macaroni and cheese – the cheese of course!  And this recipe sure does deliver when it comes to cheesy goodness - it's so yummy!  A little advice though, make sure the cheese is melted with the milk mixture before you put it in the oven.


Time from prep to Eating: 1 hour

What You Need:
Stock pot
Colander
9”x13” glass baking dish

The Stuff:
1 lb short noodle (i.e. bowtie, penne, etc.)
3 Tbsp butter
2.5 cups milk
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 package or 8 oz. of Sargento reduced fat shredded Italian four cheese mix
1 lb shredded medium cheddar cheese
Bread crumbs
Italian seasoning

Here’s What You Do:
In your stock pot boil the noodles just shy of al dente (usually 7 minutes will do). In a separate bowl whisk the milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parmesan cheese and egg until well combined. Slowly add the milk mixture to the drained noodles, adding ½ of the cheese and all the butter until melted. Add the second half of the cheese, thoroughly mix until melted. Place the noodle mixture into the greased baking dish and lightly sprinkle the bread crumbs and Italian seasoning over the top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.

Carrie’s Homemade Tomato Sauce

Happy Sunday my fellow home chefs!! I hope you’ve been cooking up a storm since last I posted.

To give you a little background on how I came up with this dish, I’ll take you back three months in the Sperz household. This is the first year my husband and I planted a garden in our backyard and I was so excited thinking of all the vegetables and herbs I would be able to cook with! Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, lettuce, peppers, basil, cilantro, chives, parsley, mint…we were definitely ambitious with our little plot of land.

As any first-time gardener would do we thought we would kill at least ½ of the plants we purchased. So naturally we ended up planting way more than what we should have. For example, since I love tomatoes I thought we should get all kinds of varieties in the hopes that a few would actually survive.  Not only did we plant red ones, but we also included yellow, green and heirlooms as well – 7 plants in all. It sounded like a viable plan at the time…

Lucky for our investment, all of the plants survived. Well, except for the eggplant and cilantro, and three months later the seven tomato plants are producing WAY more tomatoes than any human being should ever eat in a growing season. So in an effort to pawn a few off we shared with friends, neighbors and coworkers and still had more than enough for our own use (mind you, Erik doesn’t eat tomatoes). I had to come up with a creative idea to use a lot of tomatoes - a fine chef challenge - and this tomato sauce does just that. It uses 15 medium to large tomatoes!!! Problem solved.

Now, I made a cook’s big no-no by serving this to guests the first time I made it. Shame on me! Luckily, it went over fantastically. Everyone loved it and could hardly believe I didn’t follow a recipe. Erik even went back for seconds and piled on the red sauce…WHAT?????? Success! I hope you love this as much as we did.

Time from prep to Eating: 2 hours 15 minutes

What You Need:
Cookie sheet
Large sauté pan

The Stuff:
13 to 15 medium to large tomatoes, halved
1 small onion, diced
1 large shallot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken broth, low sodium (or you can use red wine if you prefer)
1 handful of spinach leaves
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Italian seasoning

Here’s What You Do:
Slice 13 to 15 medium to large tomatoes in half and place cut side up on a cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil, onion, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning on top. Roast in the oven for 2 hours at 325 degrees.

Allow the tomatoes to cool then remove the peels. In a sauté pan heat the tomato mixture over medium-high heat, using a wooden spoon to break them apart into smaller pieces. Add ½ cup chicken broth (or the red wine), spinach, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.

The sauce pictured above was made from red, yellow, green and heirloom tomatoes.  Your sauce may be more "red" than mine if you use all red tomatoes.

Serve this sauce with any pasta.