The Sweetest Thing I've Baked...

I've taken a break lately from my foodie antics and my catering business to finish baking up something extra sweet and special...and oh boy did he turn out perfect! We welcomed the newest member of our household four weeks ago and each of us fell immediately in love. Though he was nearly a week overdue, we think he was "baked" to perfection. Take a peek at the sweetest thing I've baked...

Salads - Just in Time for the New Year!

If you're like me, you enjoyed every aspect of the Holiday Season including mashed potatoes and gravy, with lots of pie and cookies. Now that it's time to start another New Year, I'm reminded that summer will be here again before we know it and so will those sleeveless shirts, sundresses, and shorts. New Year's resolutions aside, it's never too early to start thinking about healthy side dishes that help to fill us up without breaking our caloric bank. Here are two such dishes that pack in the vitamins and fiber while leaving you feeling full and not deprived. These make great dinner sides or can fly solo for a light lunch.

We'll start with the bean salad. This is very simple, easy to assemble - anyone, and I mean ANYONE, can make this. The recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled. Plus, it is super healthy, low in fat, and high in fiber - great way to start your new year!


Bean Salad

1 can kidney beans, well-drained
1 can mexicorn, well-drained
1 can black beans, well-drained
1/4 cup chopped scallions (green onion)
3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large bowl, combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin. Stir in black beans, kidney beans, corn and onions. Combine well and refrigerate at least one hour. Serve chilled.

*Live-It-Up Variation: Turn this simple side into a main dish by grilling 1-2 chicken breasts, shredding with a fork and tossing into salad.
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And then there's broccoli salad. Sweet and tangy with the crunchiness of bacon, helps to ensure that even the children in your home will eat their veggies...


Broccoli Salad

1 large head broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
6-12 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup Miracle Whip (can use fat-free)
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

Combine chopped broccoli, chopped onion, carrot, cranberries and bacon in a large bowl, toss well. In a small bowl, mix together Miracle Whip, sugar and vinegar. Pour over broccoli mixture and stir to combine well. Chill for at least an hour. Serve chilled.

What I've Been Up To - Part II

In addition to all of my cooking/caking activity, a local magazine asked to feature my cake business as their cover story. How could I possibly say no to such a proposal? Click here to read the article...

What I've Been Up To - Part I

Wow! I can't believe it has been over 2 months since I've posted anything new. I've still been cooking up a storm and baking cakes galore and honestly, those activities have monopolized my time. Here's a quick peek at a few of the creations that have been keeping me busy...

Black Forest Cherry Trifle

If you like chocolate covered cherries, and I mean real chocolate covered cherries - not the artificially flavored kind you find at the drug store during the holidays, but real cherries covered in real chocolate - then you will love this black forest cherry trifle. Be warned - it's very rich, very chocolaty and sure to send your blood sugar levels through the roof....but it is worth it!

Start by making the custard as it will need time to cool and during the cooling process you can assemble the remainder of your trifle ingredients.

Melt 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate in a double broiler....set aside.


Combine 1/3 cup cocoa and 1/2 cup sugar, sifting well to remove all lumps. Add 7 egg yolks and whisk together until well combined.


Combine 1/3 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup milk and 1 tsp. vanilla in a large saucepan heating until just beginning to steam; add the cocoa and egg yolk mixture and whisk well to combine. Continue to cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, stirring constantly for about ten minutes - do not walk away from it!


After the custard has begun to thicken, add the melted bittersweet chocolate and stir well to combine. Pour into a bowl to cool and prevent a "skin" from forming by covering custard with plastic wrap.


Now, you're ready to assemble the rest of your ingredients....

You'll need some cake. A nice dark chocolate cake works best, but you could easily use your favorite chocolate cake at the moment.


You can make this in a full-size trifle dish as well....I chose the mini trifle because they're cute and...I like cute. Turn the mini trifle upside down to score the cake and cut accordingly...



Mini trifle dishes are lacking in stature and your initial cake round will be quite high, so you'll need to cut the cake circles in half and then in half again, resulting in a total of eight rounds of cake....



Make sandwiches by slathering on cherry preserves and smushing a second cake round on top (yes, "smushing" is a made-up word) - this will be the first layer in your trifle...



Gently smash a cake sandwich into the bottom of each trifle dish and top with a drizzle of cherry brandy. If you have an aversion to alcohol or, as in my case, you happen to be pregnant and think avoiding fetal alcohol syndrome is probably a good idea, then you can use the cherry syrup from your jar of maraschino cherries. Next, layer with maraschino cherries and then chocolate custard. Cover and chill for at least an hour or even overnight. Top with freshly whipped cream just before serving.




Black Forest Cherry Trifle
(makes 4 mini trifles or one full-size trifle*)

1 9-inch round chocolate cake
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate*
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
7 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup whole milk
1 large jar maraschino cherries
1 jar cherry preserves
2 cups heavy whipping cream for whipping*

Melt chocolate in double broiler, set aside. Combine cocoa, sugar and egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl and whisk together well. Combine milk, heavy cream and vanilla in a large saucepan and heat until just beginning to simmer. Stir in cocoa and egg yolk mixture. Cook and stir constantly over medium heat for about ten minutes or until thickened. Stir in melted bittersweet chocolate and pour custard into a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from from forming as custard cools. Set aside while you assemble your cake.

Cut chocolate cake into small rounds that fit easily into the bottom of your mini trifle dish. Each round should measure no more than 1/2 inch high, so trim accordingly. Sandwich cherry preserves between 2 1/2-inch rounds and press into the bottom of your trifle dish. Top with cherry brandy or liquid from maraschino cherries. Layer maraschino cherries on top and cover with chocolate custard. Cover and chill for at least an hour or overnight. Top with freshly whipped cream just before serving.

*Live-It-Up Variation: Can substitute semi-sweet chocolate to result in a milk chocolate flavor if dark chocolate is not your preference. If using a full-size trifle, split 9-inch round cake in half horizontally and make one large cherry sandwich. Dress up your whipped cream topping with chocolate shavings or red sprinkles.

Got Beef?

I have recently become fond of mustard. I've always liked mustard, but with my developing pregnancy I've come to know mustard as my true love. Of all the things a girl could crave, at least mustard has a fairly low caloric and fat content.

This stroganoff reminds me of Chateaubriand as both require dijon mustard in the sauce - have no fear, the mustard in this stroganoff is not overwhelming and the whole family cheered at the final result.

First, you'll need some pasta. I chose farfalle because...well, I think it's cute and it's easy to stab with a fork - I know that reason does not involve a refined culinary point of view, but it will have to do. You'll also need beef tenderloin (or sirloin for the budget conscious), a large yellow onion, baby bella mushrooms, sour cream, beef broth, corn starch, dijon mustard, salt and pepper.


Okay, so the onion is not in the above picture...I have flaws...

Make the sauce first. Stir 1 teaspoon cornstarch into 1 cup hot broth, whisking to prevent lumps. When barely beginning to thicken stir in 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 Tbs. dijon mustard. If sauce overheats and becomes too thick, simply stir in additional broth or water.


Next, coat beef with 1 1/2 Tbs. kosher salt and 1 tsp. coarse black pepper. In a large pan, heat 2 Tbs. canola oil over high heat. Stir in your beef and cook until browned, but do not over cook - think medium/rare - your strips are thin and will cook quickly, so just about 2-3 minutes is all you'll need.


Remove meat from pan and set aside. Add an additional Tbs. canola oil to your pan, if needed, and throw in your onions. Cook until tender and brown. Someone got her thumb in the photo...remind me to fire her...


Add in the baby bella mushrooms and cover. Cook for 6-8 minutes until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally.


Return beef to your pan and stir in your broth/sour cream mixture. Combine well.


Serve over piping hot cooked pasta. Refrigerate leftovers and eat at midnight!


Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. beef tenderloin, thinly sliced into strips
3 Tbs. canola oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms
1 cup beef broth (low-sodium if available)
2 Tbs. dijon mustard
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 Tbs. kosher salt
1 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 Tbs. cornstarch

In a saucepan, heat beef broth and whisk in cornstarch. Heat until just beginning to thicken, then remove from heat and whisk in sour cream and mustard. Cover and set aside. Toss beef strips with kosher salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbs. canola in large skillet. Add beef and saute until browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove beef from pan and set aside. Add an additional Tbs. canola oil to beef drippings and stir in onion, cooking until tender and brown. Stir in mushrooms, cover and continue cooking for 6-8 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Return beef to skillet and stir in sour cream sauce. Heat thoroughly and serve over piping hot pasta. Top with a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Peach Cobbler, Baby!

The Music Man looovvees cobbler. On a recent trip to my home state of Ohio, he devoured some super yummy cobbler whipped up by my sweet cousin Liz. I thought this would satisfy his cobbler cravings, but it appears that it merely whetted his appetite for more. When his birthday approached he asked for cobbler instead of cake. Here's what we made...

Peach Cobbler

Filling:
5 cups sliced fresh peaches* (about 6-8 peaches)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch

Topping:
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
4 Tbs. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup half & half

Filling: Place sliced fresh peaches in a large sauce pan, barely cover with water and heat just to a simmer, cook for five minutes then remove from heat and let set another five minutes, barely softening the peaches. Drain peaches, reserving your liquid. Combine sugar and cornstarch with 1 cup of the reserved liquid. Place your sliced peaches in a shallow baking pan, cover with sugar mixture and set aside.

Topping: Finely dice or grate butter and place in the freezer to set. In the bowl of a food processor combine flours, sugar, baking powder and salt - pulse till well combined. Add grated butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal (8-10 pulses). Transfer flour mixture to a large bowl and gently add the half and half, stirring until just combined. Spoon balls of mixture on top of the fruit. Bake 1 hour at 375 degrees. The topping should be golden brown and fruit should bubble.

*Live-It-Up Variation: can substitute 5 cups of fresh blueberries in place of peaches, adding the zest of 1/2 lemon and leaving all other ingredients the same.

Oh, Do You Know the Muffin Man?

We like muffins for breakfast...or at any time of day really. We also have a household obsession with fiber. Combine the two and the possibilities are endless! These Coconut Pecan Oat Bran Muffins were a big hit and at 3 grams of fiber per muffin, I could rest easy as my son devoured four of them. What can I say? He's growing and who could resist giving plenty to a boy who waited with so much anticipation...


I hope you enjoy them just as much we do!


Coconut Pecan Oat Bran Muffins

2 1/2 cups oat bran
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup shredded coconut*
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
Turbinado Sugar for topping

In a large bowl, combine oat bran, sugar, coconut, nuts, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and oil. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until combined. Spoon into prepared muffin pan, sprinkle the tops with turbinado or demerara sugar and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

*Live-It-Up Variation: can substitute 1/4 cup chopped apple, raisins, or banana in place of coconut.