my recipe box

Brownie n’ Berries Dessert Pizza Ingredients: 1 box Betty...

apharine — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:01:00 -0500

Brownie n’ Berries Dessert Pizza

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker® Gluten Free brownie mix
Butter and eggs called for on brownie mix box
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup apple jelly

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray or shortening.
In large bowl, stir brownie mix, butter and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean or almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base. Arrange berries over cream cheese mixture. Stir jelly until smooth; brush over berries. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled. Cut into wedges. Store covered in refrigerator.

Recipe from bettycrocker.com, via intergalacticdreams

Grilled Chicken Rigatoni Florentine This dish is...

apharine — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:56:00 -0500

Grilled Chicken Rigatoni Florentine

This dish is Italian-inspired comfort food at its finest. It’s a long recipe, but the results are well worth the effort. Although the concept is simple, it’s largely made from scratch. You could certainly substitute more pre-packaged ingredients, but the result won’t be the same.

Ingredients

8 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 1/2 lb Dry rigatoni
16 oz Frozen spinach, thawed
16 oz Heavy whipping cream
4 cups Milk, 2%
8 oz Sour cream
1 cup Italian three-cheese blend (Parmesan, Asiago & Romano)
2 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
2 Tbsp Canola or vegetable oil
2 Tbsp All-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
2 tsp Garlic salt
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Black pepper, ground fresh
1/2 tsp White pepper
Dash Cayenne
Dash Nutmeg

Directions:

Season both sides of the chicken evenly with the garlic salt and the black pepper.
Set aside and let sit 30 minutes at room temperature.
Start your grill and prepare for direct cooking at medium-high heat (400-450º).
Cook the pasta per the package directions until it is just shy of al dente, then drain it well.
Note: You want the pasta a little underdone because it will finish cooking when it’s baked.
While the pasta is cooking, brush the chicken with one tablespoon of the canola/vegetable oil and grill it over direct heat for three minutes per side.
Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Pour the thawed spinach on top of the draining pasta and stir to allow it to drain simultaneously.
Preheat your oven to 350º.
Heat a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.
Add the butter and the other tablespoon of canola/vegetable oil and let heat 30 seconds.
Add the flour and whisk constantly to make a roux. You want a blonde roux, so cook it until it just starts to give off a nutty aroma.
Add the cream to the pan and bring just to a slight boil, whisking constantly.
Add the milk, salt, garlic, white pepper, cayenne and nutmeg to the pan and bring back to a slight boil, whisking constantly.
Add the cheese and sour cream to the pan and bring it back to a simmer, whisking constantly.
Remove the sauce from the heat.
Note: The sauce will be a little thin, but that’s intentional, as it will thicken when baked with the pasta.
Slice the chicken to 1/4” and add put it in a large mixing bowl.
Add the pasta and spinach to the bowl.
Add the sauce to the bowl and fold to combine all of the ingredients.
Pour the pasta mixture into a very large baking dish.
Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake 40 minutes.
Plate the pasta with shaved Parmesan.

Recipe from patioaddiobbq, via prettygirlfood

Chicken Corn Chowder Sounds like a nice variant on chicken...

apharine — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:49:00 -0500

Chicken Corn Chowder

Sounds like a nice variant on chicken noodle soup; perfect for a winter’s night of snuggling under blankets and eating warm things.

Adapted from Bon Appétit, October 2003

Ingredients

5 bacon slices, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped red or orange bell peppers (about 1 large)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
6 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled seeded butternut squash
1 extra large or 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 16-ounce bag frozen corn kernels
1 cup whole milk
1 cup diced skinned roast chicken (1/2 the rotisserie chicken)
1/2 plus 1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt & pepper

Directions:

Cook bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from pot.
Add butter to pot; melt over medium-high heat.
Add onions and 1/2 cup of bell peppers. Sauté until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add flour; stir 2 minutes.
Mix in broth, then squash, potatoes, and thyme; bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until squash and potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
Add corn, milk, and 1/2 cup bell peppers. Simmer until corn is tender, about 10 minutes.
Add chicken, 1/2 cup green onions, and 1/2 cup cilantro; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle chowder into bowls; sprinkle with remaining green onions and cilantro.

Recipe from whippedtheblog, via qualityrecipes

Sweet Berry Bruschetta As I’m not a huge fan of tomatoes,...

apharine — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:44:00 -0500

Sweet Berry Bruschetta

As I’m not a huge fan of tomatoes, most bruschettas don’t appeal very much to me. This one, however, looks quite tasty and flavorful; at the very least, it’s worth a try just to mix things up and avoid another tomato bruschetta recipe.

Ingredients:

1 12- to 14-inch long crusty baguette, sliced 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick
Butter
Cinnamon and sugar
8 ounces light cream cheese, softened to room temperature
Zest of 1/2 lemon (about 1/2 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
Berries for topping (pomegranate seeds, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries)
Fresh mint for garnish, if desired

Directions:

Lightly butter one side of each baguette slice and place butter side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Toast the bread slices under the oven broiler until golden brown (but not burned – watch closely!). It should only take 1-2 minutes to toast perfectly. Remove from oven and let the bread slices cool completely.
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, lemon zest, powdered sugar and yogurt and whisk to combine well.
Spread a tablespoon or so of the sweet cream cheese mixture on each toasted bread slice.
Top with berries of your choice and fresh mint, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 2 hours – after that the bread slices may get a little soft).

Recipe from melskitchencafe, via fattiesdelight

Oreo Cupcakes At Meghan’s last benefit concert, the Chus...

apharine — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:35:00 -0500

Oreo Cupcakes

At Meghan’s last benefit concert, the Chus made these absolutely fantastic Oreo cupcakes. I never thought I’d find the recipe for them, so me and mom enjoyed a couple of the magnificent creations and raved over them. And then here I am, on Tumblr, and what do I see but the very cupcakes I’d eaten a few months ago! Needless to say, this is an instant reblog.

Ingredients

1 package Oreo Cookies, regular size
1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional)
1 package dark chocolate fudge cake mix (mix according to directions on box)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cupcake liners

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (176 degrees in Celsius). Mix packaged cake mix according to directions (do not bake).
Line cupcake tins with liner, place a regular size Oreo cookie in the bottom of each liner. Take 1/2 of remaining cookies and chop coarsely and add to cake mix. Fill the cupcake tins. Bake for 15 minutes (or according to box directions). While cupcakes are baking make the frosting.
Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla, then add powdered sugar slowly until blended well.
Chop remaining regular-sized Oreos very fine (I put the cookies in the food processor instead of trying to chop them up super fine and it worked out really well). Add to frosting.
After cupcakes have cooled frost and decorate with Mini Oreos.

Recipe from instructables.com, via momzynoor

Berry Yogurt Popsicles I’d love to try making these for...

apharine — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:30:00 -0500

Berry Yogurt Popsicles

I’d love to try making these for mom sometime, like in the summer! I’m sure she’d love these for dessert!

Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 16 • Size: 1 popsicle, about 1/2 cup • Old Points: 1 pts • Points+: 1 pts
Calories: 51 • Fat: 0.1 g • Protein: 4.0 g • Carb: 8.7 g • Fiber: 1.1 g • Sugar: 7.0 g
Sodium: 14.1 mg

Ingredients:
For the purple:

1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries
6 oz fat free blueberry yogurt
1 cup crushed ice

For the white:

14 oz fat free vanilla yogurt
2 tbsp agave or sugar
1 cup crushed ice

For the pink:

3/4 cup raspberries
3/4 cup strawberries
6 oz fat free strawberry yogurt
1 cup crushed ice

Directions:

Blend each color smoothie separately in a blender and set aside.
Pour the first color into the popsicle mold one-third of the way and freeze for 30 minutes.
Remove from the freezer and insert the sticks, then freeze one hour.
Add the white yogurt into each popsicle mold one-third of the way and freeze an additional hour.
Add the purple smoothie and fill it to the top of the mold and freeze until ready to eat.

Recipe from skinnytaste.com, via shes-so-tiny

Flower Power Eggs Who needs fancy molds when you can use a...

apharine — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:20:00 -0500

Flower Power Eggs

Who needs fancy molds when you can use a healthy bell pepper to create cute flower-shaped eggs? Definitely good for spicing up any breakfast and adding some color to your plate.

Ingredients:

Egg
Bell pepper

Directions:

Cut bell peppers into 1/2 inch rings
Place in a lightly oiled non-stick skillet
Crack an egg in the middle of each ring. Cover and cook over low heat until done. If you like your yolks runny, just cook over low heat until whites are done. If you like your yolks firm, break the yolks and then cook over low heat until both whites and yolks are firm.

Recipe from apronstringsblog (via foodnetworkdreams)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies Yield: 32 brownies Prep...

apharine — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 15:40:00 -0500

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Yield: 32 brownies

Prep Time: 30 min + cooling time

Cook Time: 25 min

Ingredients

Brownie:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (finely chopped)
1 cup butter (room temperature)
2 cups light brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

Cookie Dough (egg free!)

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chips + 1 teaspoon shortening for drizzle (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare the brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. In a medium glass bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds; stir after each burst and remove from microwave when melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in melted chocolate. Blend in flour and mix just until combined (don’t over-mix). Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Watch closely and remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

2. Prepare the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in flour just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Spread cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is quite firm. It’s okay to speed up the process and place it in the freezer too. The firmer the dough, the easier it will be to cut into neat squares. Use a sharp knife to cut the brownies. You may need to wipe the knife off with a paper towel in between cuts since the fudgy brownies and cookie dough will tend to stick to the knife a bit. These brownies are best to serve placed inside cupcake papers and served with a fork.

4. If you’d like to add chocolate drizzle on top, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of shortening in the microwave; stir until smooth. Scoop the melted chocolate into a zip baggie and snip off the corner. Squeeze the bag to drizzle the chocolate on top of each brownie. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top, if desired.

Recipe from RecipeGirl, via nobodyskitten

Breakfast Tacos Any alternative to an omelette for breakfast...

apharine — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 15:24:00 -0500

Breakfast Tacos

Any alternative to an omelette for breakfast that still involves cheese, veggies, and eggs sounds like it’s worth a try, right?

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
3-4 large eggs
Splash of milk
Salt and pepper
2 8-inch tortillas
6 tablespoons crumbled Mexican cheese such as cotija
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salsa, for serving
Sliced avocado, for serving

Directions:

In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork and stir in a splash of milk.
Add the eggs to the pan with the onion and scramble, stirring occasionally, until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Warm the tortillas for about 20 seconds in the microwave. Top each tortilla with half of the cheese.
Divide the eggs between the tortillas and layer over the cheese. Top with the cilantro, salsa, and avocado as desired. Fold up the tortillas and serve immediately.

Recipe inspired by Spoon With Me, via qualityrecipes

Goat Cheese and Tomato Salsa Bruschetta: I can’t say that...

apharine — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 14:38:00 -0500

Goat Cheese and Tomato Salsa Bruschetta:

I can’t say that I’ve ever tried bruschetta, and honestly, I’m really not a big fan of tomatoes, but I feel like this is the sort of thing that mom might like. Or that might make a really fancy appetizer for a fancy occasion.

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 French baguette
8 ounces Goat cheese (room temperature)

Directions:

Mix tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, onion, basil, vinegar and oil in a mixing bowl. (Marinate for several minutes.)
Slice baguette into 1/2-inch think rounds.
Toast in a preheated 250 degree oven on a baking sheet until slightly brown.
Spread with Goat Cheese and top with a spoonful of tomato salsa.

Recipe from Spoon and Chair, via slender-wishes

Pasta Twists with Broccoli Sauce Pasta and broccoli - two of my...

apharine — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:49:00 -0500

Pasta Twists with Broccoli Sauce

Pasta and broccoli - two of my favorite things, put together? Yes please! And as if it couldn’t get better, look at that sauce with the herbs and the cheese! Not sure how I feel about including the red pepper, so I may very well omit that.

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
2 medium stalks broccoli
1 large red bell pepper
3/4 pound pasta twists (about 4 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Finely chop the garlic and onion.
Separate the broccoli tops from the stems, cut the stems and tops into bite-size pieces. Coarsely chop the red bell pepper.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until Al Dente, 10 to 12 minutes, or chording to package directions.
While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, warm of 1 Tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
Add the garlic onion mixture and stir-fry until browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon oil, the broccoli tops and stems, the bell pepper, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
Stir fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the heavy cream and Parmesan and bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat.
Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
Drain the pasta and toss with the vegetables and sauce. Serve with warm Italian bread.

Recipe from momswhothink, via qualityrecipes

Buffalo Chicken Chowder The only soup I’ve ever eaten,...

apharine — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:00:00 -0500

Buffalo Chicken Chowder

The only soup I’ve ever eaten, really, is chicken noodle soup and chicken and rice soup…and honestly, buffalo chicken chowder just sounds like such a flavorful step up from those classics. Besides, anything spicy is worth a try once, especially when it involves buffalo chicken. Not sure how I’d feel about the bleu cheese on top, but I suppose that’s optional, right?

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 pound chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, cut into small pieces
1 cup carrot, cut into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken stock
Hot sauce to taste
1 large yukon gold or other boiling potato, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
Add the chicken and saute until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Add the garlic and flour and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan.
Add the hot sauce and potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, mix in the cream and blue cheese and remove from heat when the cheese has melted.

Recipe from ClosetCooking, via maggeeb

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake I remember ordering this as a dessert...

apharine — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 12:36:00 -0500

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

I remember ordering this as a dessert at some fancy expensive restaurant once - Olive Garden or something like that. And while the cake itself was fantastic, the price really just wasn’t. I’ve seen boxed versions of lava cakes, but they always seem a bit ‘iffy’ - as if they just won’t taste as good because they are, after all, boxed. Homemade just wins every time.

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, at least 60 percent
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons cake flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter 4 (6-ounce) ramekins and set aside.
Over a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate, whisking until smooth. Make sure to whisk until the chocolate and butter have combined into a smooth chocolate mixture.
Whisk in the sugar, making sure most of the sugar dissolves in the warm chocolate mixture.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture in to the eggs. Whisk until smooth, then add the flour and combine until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins about 2/3 full. Bake the cakes until slightly puffy and set around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Don’t worry if your cake tester comes out wet, the center should still be loose. Serve warm.

Recipe from gwenskitchencreations, via celebratingtheseasons

Poblano Macaroni and Cheese Yet another variation on Mac n...

apharine — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 11:59:15 -0500

Poblano Macaroni and Cheese

Yet another variation on Mac n Cheese! I’m beginning to realize just how versatile this dish actually is and how many wonderful variations of it there actually are. Seeing as I love anything spicy, this sounds like it’d be quite the treat to make with the right meal.

Ingredients:

2 poblano chiles
8 oz. elbow pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 teaspoon chopped cilantro
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
12 oz. grated white cheddar cheese
1/2 cotija cheese-for serving

Directions:

Roast the poblanos under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side.
Place chiles in a paper sack or plastic food storage bag, close tightly, and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes.
Take chiles out of the bag and rub off the skin.
Remove stem and seeds and chop the chiles into 1 inch pieces.
Bring a large salted pot of water to a boil and add pasta. Cook according to your package directions (around 5 mins) and then drain the pasta.
Preheat your oven to 375° F.
Grease a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet.
In a pot set over low heat, melt the butter. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook until light brown and toasty pastes is formed about 1 minute.
Whisk in the milk and stir until thickened a bit but fluid, about 1-2 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in mustard powder, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, cilantro, and prepared poblanos.
Adjust seasonings add salt and pepper.
Slowly add half of the cheddar cheese into the sauce until melted and well combined into the sauce.
If the sauce has cooled too much and the cheese won’t melt, return the pot to low heat on the stove. If however the sauce gets too thick, like a custard, you can thin it by stirring in milk, a teaspoon at a time.
Pour sauce over pasta and top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly golden.
Sprinkle with Cotija cheese and serve immediately.

Recipe from Sweet Life, via qualityrecipes

Christmas Tree Relish Tray Ingredients: 1 bunch of celery 4...

apharine — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 11:39:00 -0500

Christmas Tree Relish Tray

Ingredients:

1 bunch of celery
4 peeled baby carrots
1/4 of a green bell pepper
3 thick slices of cucumber with the skin on
8 red teardrop or cherry tomatoes
6 yellow cherry tomatoes
5 black olives
3 large green olives
1 radish
2 crimini mushrooms

Directions:

Arrange sliced celery stalks in a tree shape, starting at the top and working your way down about five tiers.
Slice baby carrots into quarters and arrange in zig zag pattern across the tops of the celery layers.
Just under the carrots, arrange sliced green peppers in a straight layer across the tops of the celery layers, as if it were tinsel.
Arrange olives, black olives, and red and yellow cherry tomatoes across the ‘tree’ as if they were ornaments.
Slice mushrooms and place at bottom of tree as the stump.

Recipe from Coupon Clipping Book, via gastrogirl

Santa Hat Brownies Adapted from this recipe found on Erica’s...

apharine — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:23:00 -0500

Santa Hat Brownies

Adapted from this recipe found on Erica’s Sweet Tooth
Yields 12-16 brownies

Ingredients:
1 pan of your favorite brownies, cooled and cut into desired size and shape (I used a round cutter)
12-16 small strawberries, cleaned and hulled
vanilla-mascarpone buttercream (recipe below)

Mascarpone Buttercream
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2-1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Method:
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and mascarpone cheese until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and salt. Add 2-1/2 cups of sugar, half a cup at a time and continue beating until smooth. Add more sugar, if needed to reach desired consistency and sweetness.

To assemble, pipe a ring of vanilla buttercream on top of each brownie. Cut off the base of a strawberry so it is flat and place it upside down on each brownie, pushing slightly to secure in place. Top the tip of the strawberry with a dot of buttercream to finish the santa hat.

Recipe via clauw

Herbed Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites Cucumbers have, historically,...

apharine — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:59:00 -0500

Herbed Cream Cheese Cucumber Bites

Cucumbers have, historically, been my absolute favorite vegetable. My parents often regale me with stories about how much I adored them as a child. I lost a couple years of loving cucumbers, thanks to some medicines changing my taste buds and preferences, but now that that’s behind me, I’m more than eager to give any recipe involving my favorite veggie a try.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 a fresh cucumber
1/2 cup cream cheese
2-3 tablespoons each of chopped basil, sage, and oregano
1-2 tsp chopped chives
Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Instructions:

Chop herbs and slice cucumber.
Mix up herbs and cream cheese.
Spread cream cheese mixture on cucumber slices.
Top with small basil leaf.

Recipe from Alisa Burke, via callmebettycrocker

Healthy Egg Salad Sandwich Having spent most of my life eating...

apharine — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:54:00 -0500

Healthy Egg Salad Sandwich

Having spent most of my life eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch 6 days a week, I think it’s about time to branch out a little bit. I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten an egg salad sandwich before, but I adore eggs, and anything that’s healthy and looks this good is worth a try once, right?

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 slices organic wholemeal bread, pita bread or crusty roll
1 free range egg
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely diced green parts of spring onion
1 tablespoon finely diced continental parsley
1 tablespoon finely diced basil
Handful salad greens
Cracked black pepper and sea salt

Instructions:

Hard boil the egg. Place egg in small saucepan; cover with enough cold water to submerge the egg by 1 inch. Heat over high heat just to boiling, then remove from heat, cover, and allow to stand for 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile, mince the spring onion, parsley, and basil.
Remove egg from saucepan and mash in a bowl with a fork.
Mix in the mustard, oil, and herbs, with salt and pepper to taste.
Place mixture between bread with salad.

Recipe from A Splash of Vanilla, via qualityrecipes

Tips on how to hard boil an egg from IncredibleEgg

Roasted Garlic Mac and Cheese While this looks like it takes a...

apharine — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:49:00 -0500

Roasted Garlic Mac and Cheese

While this looks like it takes a good bit longer than stovetop macaroni and cheese, it also looks like it’s quite worth it. I’d love to try this with some meatballs or meatloaf sometime!

Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 head garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
12 oz. dry pasta
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/4 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
8 oz. garlic cheddar or white cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. crumbled garlic and herb boursin cheese, divided
Salt and pepper
Snipped chives, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Remove most of the outer paper skins from the head of garlic, leaving it intact. Slice off the top portion of the head so that all of the cloves are exposed at the top, but the head is still intact.
Rub with a bit of olive oil.
Place the head of garlic on a piece of foil and loosely fold the foil up around the head of garlic to create a foil packet.
Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the cloves are easily squeezed from the skins (be sure to let cool before handling!)
Squeeze all of the garlic out of the skins and smash with a fork to make a paste.
Increase the oven temperature to 400˚ F.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta until about 2 minutes shy of al dente according to the package directions.
Drain in a colander. Return the pasta to the pot and set aside.
Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Whisk in the flour and the roasted garlic paste and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the milk, dried parsley, and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce comes to a low boil and thickens noticeably.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheddar and about 3 ounces of the boursin. Whisk until the cheese is completely melted.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the sauce over the drained pasta and toss to coat well.
Transfer to a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish and top with the remaining boursin.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is browned and the cheese is bubbling. Let cool at least 5-10 minutes before serving.
Top with snipped chives for garnish, if desired.

Source: Annie original (via qualityrecipes)

Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese I’ll admit it - I do enjoy...

apharine — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:43:00 -0500

Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese

I’ll admit it - I do enjoy the easy Kraft Mac n Cheese as much as the next person. But honestly, sometimes a more ‘adult’ mac and cheese is called for, and this seems like the perfect blend, with a nice mix of cheeses and a dash of seasonings. I’m sure this would go great with a nice salad or with chicken or…almost anything, really.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

12 oz. dried elbow macaroni
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup shallot, finely minced
8 oz. gouda, shredded
2 oz. freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup milk
4 oz. low-fat Greek yogurt
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions just until al dente.
While pasta is cooking, mince garlic and shallot and shred cheeses.
Drain al dente pasta well, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
Immediately return the pasta to the pot. Add the garlic, shallot, and cheeses and stir briefly to combine.
Mix in the milk, Greek yogurt, and butter and stir until the cheese is thoroughly melted and the mixture is creamy. If necessary add a small amount of the reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from The Curvy Carrot, originally from Macaroni and Cheese by Marlena Spieler (via qualityrecipes)