Test Recipes week 3!
I got this recipe in the Kraft Food and Family magazine. Once again, I didn't think to take pictures of the results :( Next time.
CREAMY CHICKEN AND PASTA BAKE (Kraft Food and Family)
1 ½ c. multi-grain rotini pasta
3 c. broccoli florets
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
½ c. fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 oz. Neufchatel cheese, cubed
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
Cook pasta, adding broccoli for the last 3 min. Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 min. or until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Add Neufchatel cheese; cook and stir on low heat 1 min. or until melted. Stir in ½ c. mozzarella. Drain pasta and broccoli. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon into 8-inch square baking dish; cover. Bake in 375* oven for 15 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 3 min. or until melted. Let stand 5 min.
4 servings (1 ½ c.)
I thought this recipe was good, but could have been better. I bet if I used real cream cheese instead of the healthier Neufchatel it would have a little more flavor, or if I used full-flavor, full-sodium, full-bad-for-you chicken broth. And I'm still getting used to the flavor and texture of whole-grain pasta as opposed to regular. Overall, this recipe is going in the keeper pile. I rated it GOOD.
March 7, 2010
March 5, 2010
{recipe} Red Velvet Cupcakes
Test Recipes: Week 2!
I have come across a gazillion recipes for Red Velvet cakes, cupcakes, cookies, etc. And it seems all of them have amazing ratings. So I decided to try it out. Basically, it's chocolate cake with red food coloring. Since there are SO MANY recipes for Red Velvet whatever out there, I decided to go with Miss Know-It-All Marth Stewart for my first attempt. While these cupcakes were definitely yummy, I didn't think they were anything spectacular. I rated this recipe GOOD. Actually, the cream cheese frosting was my favorite part (I think I would eat compost if it were covered in cream cheese frosting...num num).
RED VELVET CUPCAKES (Martha Stewart)
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color**
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
**(Gel paste is more concentrated color than liquid. Use 1 to 1.5 oz. liquid food color if substituting. I didn't see Martha's helpful hint until after the first pan of cupcakes was already in the oven. So half my cupcakes turned out brown, and the other half looked red like they should be...live and learn.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.
I couldn't believe how RED the batter actually was. It looks like lava...
Don't forget the Cream Cheese Frosting! This is now my go-to recipe for CCF :) Except I made half a recipe and it was more than enough.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (Martha Stewart)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth. Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat until smooth.
My coworkers get to reap some of the benefits to my test recipes. Especially the sweets. I just don't need 24 cupcakes tempting me at my apartment. Especially if they have cream cheese frosting.... :P
I have come across a gazillion recipes for Red Velvet cakes, cupcakes, cookies, etc. And it seems all of them have amazing ratings. So I decided to try it out. Basically, it's chocolate cake with red food coloring. Since there are SO MANY recipes for Red Velvet whatever out there, I decided to go with Miss Know-It-All Marth Stewart for my first attempt. While these cupcakes were definitely yummy, I didn't think they were anything spectacular. I rated this recipe GOOD. Actually, the cream cheese frosting was my favorite part (I think I would eat compost if it were covered in cream cheese frosting...num num).
RED VELVET CUPCAKES (Martha Stewart)
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color**
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
**(Gel paste is more concentrated color than liquid. Use 1 to 1.5 oz. liquid food color if substituting. I didn't see Martha's helpful hint until after the first pan of cupcakes was already in the oven. So half my cupcakes turned out brown, and the other half looked red like they should be...live and learn.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.
I couldn't believe how RED the batter actually was. It looks like lava...
Don't forget the Cream Cheese Frosting! This is now my go-to recipe for CCF :) Except I made half a recipe and it was more than enough.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (Martha Stewart)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth. Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat until smooth.
My coworkers get to reap some of the benefits to my test recipes. Especially the sweets. I just don't need 24 cupcakes tempting me at my apartment. Especially if they have cream cheese frosting.... :P
February 18, 2010
Test Recipes: Week 1
One of my new year's resolutions for 2010 is to try at least one new recipe each week. I didn't think to start blogging the recipes right away, or to take pictures, so now I am playing catch up.
SHREDDED TURKEY SANDWICHES (Recipe courtesy of my sister Karen. Not sure where she got it.)
1/2 C. finely chopped onion
1 T butter
1/3 C. ketchup
3 T brown sugar
4 tsp white vinegar
2 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp prepared mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 C. shredded cooked turkey (or chicken, or pork, or whatever you want)
2 Kaiser rolls, split
In a small saucepan, saute the onion in butter. Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and fold in turkey. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm on rolls.
So simple, so easy, and so good! I rated this recipe EXCELLENT.
STUFFED PIZZA ROLLS (Our Best Bites)
1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (or make your own)
marinara/pizza sauce
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried Italian seasoning
mozzerella cheese
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.
Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Unroll pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares. Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. Carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese. Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top, checking after 10 minutes. Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.
I'm not sure what it was about this recipe, but it just was disappointing to me. Maybe it was the refrigerated pizza dough I used (I'm spoiled - raised on homemade pizza dough). Maybe it was the marinara sauce I used (canned....). I'm not sure. I thought they were a little dry. Maybe I should have cut only 18 to make them a little bigger, so as to put more filling in each one. Who knows, but I rated this recipe BLUE (might not make again).
SHREDDED TURKEY SANDWICHES (Recipe courtesy of my sister Karen. Not sure where she got it.)
1/2 C. finely chopped onion
1 T butter
1/3 C. ketchup
3 T brown sugar
4 tsp white vinegar
2 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp prepared mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 C. shredded cooked turkey (or chicken, or pork, or whatever you want)
2 Kaiser rolls, split
In a small saucepan, saute the onion in butter. Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and fold in turkey. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm on rolls.
So simple, so easy, and so good! I rated this recipe EXCELLENT.
STUFFED PIZZA ROLLS (Our Best Bites)
1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (or make your own)
marinara/pizza sauce
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried Italian seasoning
mozzerella cheese
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.
Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Unroll pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares. Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. Carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese. Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top, checking after 10 minutes. Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.
I'm not sure what it was about this recipe, but it just was disappointing to me. Maybe it was the refrigerated pizza dough I used (I'm spoiled - raised on homemade pizza dough). Maybe it was the marinara sauce I used (canned....). I'm not sure. I thought they were a little dry. Maybe I should have cut only 18 to make them a little bigger, so as to put more filling in each one. Who knows, but I rated this recipe BLUE (might not make again).
February 13, 2010
{recipe} Raspberry Crumb Bars
This is the recipe I decided to bring in to work for Valentine's Day: Raspberry Crumb Bars (Taste of Home).
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup shortening
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in eggs and extract. Press two-thirds of the mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine cornstarch and remaining sugar; add berries and gently toss (If using frozen raspberries, do not thaw before tossing with cornstarch mixture). Spoon over crust. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.
Bake at 375° for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 dozen.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 131 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 12 mg cholesterol, 31 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.
They were a hit at work today! For Valentine's Day, I cut them into heart shapes with a cookie cutter :) This recipe is a keeper!
RASPBERRY CRUMB BARS (Taste of Home)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup shortening
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in eggs and extract. Press two-thirds of the mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine cornstarch and remaining sugar; add berries and gently toss (If using frozen raspberries, do not thaw before tossing with cornstarch mixture). Spoon over crust. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.
Bake at 375° for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3 dozen.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 131 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 12 mg cholesterol, 31 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.
They were a hit at work today! For Valentine's Day, I cut them into heart shapes with a cookie cutter :) This recipe is a keeper!
When I got back to work after lunch, I had a surprise waiting for me: flowers from my sweetie! Thanks Tony, love ya!
February 9, 2010
{recipe} Cherry Dream Cake
Here is another recipe I tested as the designated Baker Extraordinaire at work. For each birthday/holiday/office party I have brought in something special. This cake was for our secretary's birthday. She's not a fan of chocolate or heavily sweet things, so following an extensive food blog recipe search, I came up with this beauty from allrecipes: Cherry Dream Cake.
(I have also seen the cake part of this recipe referred to as Jello Poke Cake, and I bet it can be made with any flavor Jello you want.) I made a few 'lite' changes to the recipe: a) sugar-free cherry jello, b) 'lite' cherry pie filling. I also used a different frosting recipe than what was originally listed. For the frosting I used 'lite' cool-whip, and substituted almond extract for the vanilla in order to enhance the cherry flavor. I hope you followed all that. I'll rewrite the entire recipe below with all my changes. It was soooooooo yummy, and received lots of compliments from everyone in the office. I decided after I made it, that I should have poked twice as many holes in it to get lots of red showing in the cake. It was good nonetheless, and was gone by the 2nd day in the office. Here's the recipe as I made it, with my changes in parentheses:
CHERRY DREAM CAKE (adapted from allrecipes.com)
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 (3 ounce) package (SUGAR-FREE) cherry gelatin
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 (8 ounce) container (LITE) whipped topping
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla (ALMOND) extract
1 (21 ounce) can (LITE) cherry pie filling
Prepare cake mix according to package directions, using a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Cool cake on a wire rack for 3-5 minutes. Poke holes in cake with a meat fork; gradually pour gelatin over cake. cool for 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix with milk and vanilla (ALMOND EXTRACT) Mix until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping until no streaks remain. Carefully spread over cake. Top with the pie filling. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
I'm testing a new recipe and an old favorite for Valentine's day, so stay tuned next week!
(Sorry for the poor picture. I forgot to take a picture before we pigged out, and all I had on me was my phone...)
(I have also seen the cake part of this recipe referred to as Jello Poke Cake, and I bet it can be made with any flavor Jello you want.) I made a few 'lite' changes to the recipe: a) sugar-free cherry jello, b) 'lite' cherry pie filling. I also used a different frosting recipe than what was originally listed. For the frosting I used 'lite' cool-whip, and substituted almond extract for the vanilla in order to enhance the cherry flavor. I hope you followed all that. I'll rewrite the entire recipe below with all my changes. It was soooooooo yummy, and received lots of compliments from everyone in the office. I decided after I made it, that I should have poked twice as many holes in it to get lots of red showing in the cake. It was good nonetheless, and was gone by the 2nd day in the office. Here's the recipe as I made it, with my changes in parentheses:
CHERRY DREAM CAKE (adapted from allrecipes.com)
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 (3 ounce) package (SUGAR-FREE) cherry gelatin
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 (8 ounce) container (LITE) whipped topping
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla (ALMOND) extract
1 (21 ounce) can (LITE) cherry pie filling
Prepare cake mix according to package directions, using a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Cool cake on a wire rack for 3-5 minutes. Poke holes in cake with a meat fork; gradually pour gelatin over cake. cool for 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix with milk and vanilla (ALMOND EXTRACT) Mix until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping until no streaks remain. Carefully spread over cake. Top with the pie filling. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
I'm testing a new recipe and an old favorite for Valentine's day, so stay tuned next week!
February 7, 2010
Happy Heart Craft
Supplies:
*various shades of felt. Don't you just LOVE the sparkly felt? I think it's what I love the most about this project.
*fabric scissors/pinking shears
*heart pattern in two sizes. I traced cookie cutters onto a cereal box and cut them out. This worked really well. They held their shape great while i traced them almost 60 times onto the felt.
*pencil/pen (for tracing)
*spray adhesive
*festive ribbon
*glue gun
First I cut all my hearts out, then randomly paired them up. Using the spray adhesive, I sprayed only the backs of the small hearts. On the first heart, I sprayed both the small and large hearts, but soon found that all the exposed parts of the large heart remained sticky (I thought it would dry non-tacky, but no such luck). I let them dry overnight, then assembled the next day.
A dot of glue on the top and bottom 'points' of the heart was just enough to secure it to the ribbon. I cut a 1" square spacer out of scrap felt to make sure the hearts were spaced equally apart. Finally, a little ribbon loop for hanging glued to the top heart, and it was done! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
And totally cute :)
January 25, 2010
Better late than never....
I made these in December, but just took the time to post them now! I should have posted sooner, because now I realize I don't have a picture of them hanging on the wall.
Supplies:
* wooden letters (I got mine at Hobby Lobby for 99 cents each)
* paint for edges
* scrapbook paper (I suppose you could also use wrapping paper, stamps, glitter, etc.)
* Mod Podge
* sponge brush
* acrylic sealer
When the paint was dry, I cut the letters out of the paper. I put two coats of paint on the letters to make sure there was no wood showing. No need to paint the back, because they would be against the wall anyway.
Once dry, I placed a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the letters, placed the paper on top, then put another thin layer of Mod Podge to seal everything together. Twenty minutes later, I put another layer of Mod Podge over it all, just to make sure. I let it dry completely for a day, then sprayed a coat of acrylic sealer on top. Bam! I wanted to hang them by ribbon vertically on the wall, but couldn't figure out how to make all the letters centered (that darn 'J' was the problem!). So I ended up just using 3M strips on the backs of the letters. If you have any better ideas of how to hang them on the wall, please leave me a comment!
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