Creamy tomato-balsamic soup

I LOVE tomato soup.  If it's on the menu, chances are I'm ordering it.  I get it to-go from Panera at least once a week, I've made several delicious versions at home (here, here and here for example), and now I'm adding this creamy tomato-balsamic soup from Cooking Light to the list.  The preparation of this recipe is pretty unique- you pour a broth mixture over the vegetables and then roast them in a very hot oven to get all that browned caramelly goodness.  This one is a keeper!

CREAMY TOMATO-BALSAMIC SOUP

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup less-sodium beef broth, divided 

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 cup coarsely chopped onion 

5 garlic cloves

2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained

Cooking spray 

1/2 cup half-and-half

Cracked black pepper and salt to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 500°.

Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500° for 40 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.

Place tomato mixture in a blender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half-and-half, and process until smooth. Garnish with cracked black pepper.

Sweet potato & chicken chili

The temperatures have finally started to cool off around here, and we jumped at the chance to make this sweet potato & chicken chili from Pinch of Yum.  It is thick, hearty and delicious- welcome, Fall!!

SWEET POTATO & CHICKEN CHILI

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. chicken breasts

5 cups chicken broth

1 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)

2 14-ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes, undrained

1 14-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

Cilantro, for topping

Instructions:

1). Poach the chicken: Bring the chicken broth to a rolling boil and add the raw chicken breasts. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken continue to cook in the broth for another 20 minutes. Remove the chicken, let cool, and shred with two forks. Reserve 2 cups of broth.

2). Saute the veggies: Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño and saute until tender. Add the chili powder, salt, and sweet potatoes. Saute until the sweet potatoes are lightly browned.  Add the fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, shredded chicken and reserved broth. Stir and cover with a tight fitting lid. Keep over medium low heat for 45 minutes without stirring.

3). Make it saucy: After 45 minutes, uncover and you’ll see a bunch of chicken and veggies with hardly any liquid. Perfect. Add 2 cups of water (or less, as needed) and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve topped with cilantro.

Pumpkin doughnuts

I love Fall.  I love cooler weather, switching from shorts to jeans, colorful leaves, and all things pumpkin.  My favorite recipe of all time is this chocolate chip pumpkin bread that my friend Kady got me hooked on years ago.  When I make it, which is often, there is leftover canned pumpkin that I need to find a use for.  This time around I made these delicious baked doughnuts from Pia Recipes.  The kids loved making doughnuts at home, and I felt slightly better about them since they aren't fried.  Yum yum!  ** And I just noticed I have back-to-back doughnut posts.  #sorrynotsorry

PUMPKIN DOUGHNUTS

Yield: 12 doughnuts

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin)

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar, for coating

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans. If you don't have doughnut pans, you can bake these in a standard muffin tin.

2) Beat together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth.

3) Add the flour, stirring just until smooth.

4) Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full; use a scant 1/4 cup of batter in each well. (If you're making muffins, fill each well about 3/4 full; the recipe makes about 15).

6) Bake the doughnuts for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. (If you're making muffins, they'll need to bake for 20-25 minutes).

7) Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.  While the doughnuts are still warm (but no longer fragile), gently shake them in a bag with the cinnamon-sugar. If you've made muffins, sprinkle their tops heavily with cinnamon-sugar.

9) Cool completely, and wrap airtight; store at room temperature for several days.

Copycat Gordough's doughnuts!

Ok, this isn't as much a recipe as it is a genius (copycat) idea of putting FUN TOPPINGS on DOUGHNUTS.  I know, right??  Earlier this year, a friend and I went to Austin to visit another friend, and we had a great time eating at food trucks.  Austin was a pioneer in this trend, and there are silver Airstreams everywhere selling good eats.  My very favorite, which will be no surprise to anyone familiar with my sweet tooth, was Gordough's, which serves enormous doughnuts topped with all kids of deliciousness.  Ever since I experienced it, I thought it would be fun to recreate them at home.  So last night for the Bachelorette finale, we did just that.  These were a BIG hit, and SO easy.  The two I copied were Dirty Berry and Mama's Cake (details below).  I don't have any measurements because it depends on how many people you're serving.  The beauty of these is that it's just as simple to do a small batch (doughnuts for one!), or a large one (party hearty!).  I'm ready to do this again!!

Ingredients:

Glazed doughnuts (you can make your own, or just buy them at Krispy Kreme like I did)
Jar of hot fudge, warmed in the microwave
Strawberries, hulled and sliced
Yellow cake mix, mixed with milk and/or water to a good drizzle consistency
Sprinkles/jimmies

Instructions for Dirty Berry doughnuts:

Place hulled and sliced strawberries in a bowl, and sprinkle them with sugar.  Let the berries macerate for about 30 minutes.  Heat a pan over medium heat, and roast the strawberries until they're soft and juicy.

Cover a doughnut with hot fudge and the roasted strawberries.  Devour.

Instructions for Mama's Cake doughnuts:

Cover a doughnut with hot fudge, drizzle with yellow cake mixture, and top with sprinkles.  Enjoy!

Chocolate chip cookie cups with peanut butter frosting

A beloved member of our weekly Bachelorette watch parties was moving away, and I wanted to do something extra-special that night.  These frosted cookie cups from The Baker Chick were just what I was looking for!  Rich, creamy, and delicous- not to mention one of my very favorite combinations, chocolate and peanut butter. Mmmmmmmmm!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CUPS WITH PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

Yield: 24-30 cookie cups

Ingredients:

For the cookie cups:

2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

12 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

*sea salt for sprinkling, optional

For the frosting:

1 stick of butter, softened

1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter

2-4 cups of powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons milk or cream

Instructions:

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven to 325°. Grease muffin pans.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside. With electric mixer, or by hand, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Scoop rounded spoonfuls of cookie dough into muffin pans- press dough into the muffin well and up the sides. Bake until edges are golden and the middle is soft but set, about 8-10 minutes.  Let cool.

To prepare the frosting, cream together the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla extract, and then the milk a little at a time until the frosting is the right consistency. Beat on high for a few seconds to make it light and fluffy. Pipe or spread into each (cooled) cookie cup.

Cereal marshmallow chip cookies

It took me a while to come up with a title for these- the original name was cornflake marshmallow cookies, but I subbed Golden Grahams for the cornflakes so I changed that part of the title to a more general "cereal".  Then, I wanted to convey that these have chips in them - peanut butter AND chocolate, yay!- so I added that to the name as well.  An alternate name for these could be Cookies As Big As Your Face.  For real, y'all- you're gonna love these.  These are pretty special cookies, and I'm guessing that's partly due to the butter-to-flour ratio.  :)  And for all my fellow foodies, this is an adapted recipe from the acclaimed Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC.  They do a lot of creative flavor combinations and techniques, but some of it can be overwhelming to your average home chef (ie: me).  So this is a simpler version of their famous cornflake marshmallow cookies, courtesy of Shutterbean.  I made them last night for our Bachelorette watch party, and they were a BIG (pun intended) hit!    

CEREAL MARSHMALLOW CHIP COOKIES

Yield: 12-15 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups cereal (I used Golden Grahams, original recipe calls for cornflakes)

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup peanut butter chips

1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions:

Cream together butter and both sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and add egg and vanilla; beat for 4 to 5 minutes.

Reduce speed to low and add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix just until dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula.

With the mixer on low, add cereal and both chocolate & peanut butter chips; mix until just combined, 30 to 45 seconds. Add mini marshmallows and mix until just incorporated.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 2 3/4-ounce ice-cream scoop or 1/3-cup measuring cup, portion dough out onto prepared baking sheet. Pat tops of cookie domes flat. Wrap baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 week (I chilled mine for 4 hours and they baked beautifully). ** Do not bake cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line additional baking sheets with parchment paper.  Arrange chilled dough at least 4 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Transfer to oven and bake until puffed, cracked, spread, and browned on the edges, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets. (Resist the urge to mess with the cookies and let them cool completely on the baking sheets- they will continue to set and flatten as they cool).

Peanut butter S'mores 7-layer bars

It seems 7-layer/Magic bars are all the rage right now.  And trust me, I'm not complaining- I'm a big fan of layers of sugary goodness!!  With the addition of peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts, these aren't your average s'mores bar, either.  Try them, you'll love them!

PEANUT BUTTER S'MORES 7-LAYER BARS

Yield: 2 dozen bars

Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full graham crackers, ground)

1/2 cup salted butter, melted

2 cups chocolate chips 

1 cup peanut butter chips

2 cups Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows

1/2 cup peanuts

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. Spray generously with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Stir together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Mixture will be relatively crumbly. Press onto the bottom of the prepared dish and slightly up the sides. (Mixture will be thin, that's ok).

Layer chocolate chips and next 4 ingredients (in that order) into prepared baking pan. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk.

Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. This will prevent the marshmallows from getting too brown. Place back into the oven and bake for 17-18 more minutes (for a total of 35-36 minutes). Allow to cool completely and lift the bars out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper. Cut into squares.

Surprise cookies

These marshmallow surprise cookies from Martha Stewart were the sweet treat at our Bachelorette watch party this week.  They are very chocolatey (my favorite), and the girls enjoyed baking them with me.  The soft marshmallow center is a delicious surprise!

SURPRISE COOKIES

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally

For the frosting:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Slowly add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.

3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 9-10 minutes.

4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begin to melt, approx 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

5. To prepare the frosting, place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in butter and cocoa powder. Add milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined. (Frosting will be lumpy at first- keep whisking).

6. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Roasted zucchini salsa

Our favorite local Mexcian restaurant serves a great assortment of salsas, and one of the best is their zucchini salsa.  When I saw this recipe from Closet Cooking, I knew we were destined to try it.  It's a delicious side item, and would also work great as a sauce for tacos or nachos.  Yum!

ROASTED ZUCCHINI SALSA

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise

1 handful cilantro, coarsely chopped

1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 1/2 a lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Brush the zucchini with oil, place it on a baking sheet cut side up, and roast on top rack until tender, about 45 minutes.

Puree roasted zucchini and remaining ingredients in a food processor.  Serve with vegetable sticks or chips.

Corn and black eye pea salad

We had a nice, long weekend at the lake for the 4th, and that means grilling and eating well.  We made this corn and black eye pea salad from Reluctant Entertainer, and it was a HUGE hit!  Such bright, fresh flavors, which makes it the perfect summer side dish.

CORN AND BLACK EYE PEA SALAD

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice or white wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

Sea salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 can black eye peas, drained

6 ears fresh corn, blanched and cut off the cob

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup diced cucumber

1/2 cup diced orange or red bell pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

4 Tbsp. basil, chopped

1-2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  Slowly whisk in olive oil, which will slightly thicken the dressing.

Blanch the corn in boiling water for 1 minute; put directly into ice water. Cool and cut off the cob.

Mix the corn kernels and black eye peas, along with remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Gently toss with the dressing, and season to taste.

Cinnamon and white chocolate chip cookies

When I saw this recipe for Snickerdoodle-like cookies from Picky Palate, I immediately bookmarked it for one of our Bachelorette watch parties.  These are fantastic- the cinnamon sugar cookie base is great, then you "take it to the next level" (Bachelorette reference for all you fellow watchers) when you add all the chips.  Your sweet tooth will thank you.

CINNAMON AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup cinnamon chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with silpat liners or parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.  

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, beating to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture. Add cinnamon chips and white chocolate chips and mix until just combined.

Using a medium cookie scoop, place dough onto prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until baked through. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Salted caramel brownies

Whoever first paired caramel and salt together is genius- and then you add chocolate to the mix, and WOW!!  These salted caramel brownies from Ina Garten are super-fudgy and delicious!  (Side note- I think the espresso powder is optional.  It enhances the chocolate flavor, but I'm sure these would be just fine without it, if you prefer).

SALTED CARAMEL BROWNIES

Yield: 12 large bars

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
14 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules or espresso powder
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces caramel sauce (I used Smuckers)
2 to 3 teaspoons flaked sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan.

Melt the butter, 8 ounces of the chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate together in a medium bowl set over simmering water. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature. NOTE: It is very important to allow the batter to cool before adding the next chocolate chips, or they will melt.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1/2 cup of the flour, the baking powder, and salt and add to the chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate chips and the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour in a medium bowl and add them to the chocolate mixture. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Don't overbake. (Mine only took 28 minutes on convection bake).

As soon as the brownies are out of the oven, place the jar of caramel sauce without the lid in a microwave and heat just until it's pourable. Stir until smooth. Drizzle the caramel evenly over the hot brownies and sprinkle with the flaked sea salt. Cool completely and cut into 12 bars.

Pork and sweet pepper kebabs

This pork kebab recipe comes from Cooking Light, and it is suuuuuuuuper simple.  The marinade gives the pork tons of flavor, and 'tis the season for grilling, right?  The sweet peppers are great too, but they're really a separate side dish, so feel free to substitute on that one.

PORK AND SWEET PEPPER KEBABS

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon ketchup 

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

16 mini bell peppers

Cooking spray 

Instructions:

1.  Place first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top bag, stirring well. Add pork; seal bag. Refrigerate 1 hour, turning after 30 minutes.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

3. Remove pork from bag, and discard marinade. Thread pork evenly onto 4 (6-inch) skewers; sprinkle evenly with salt. Thread 4 mini bell peppers onto each of 4 (6-inch) skewers. Arrange skewers in a single layer on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Potato, poblano and chorizo tacos

Well, it looks like chorizo has finally become mainstream.  Our Kroger stores have started carrying it, and you can find it amongst the sausage links.  I remember the days of only being able to find it at our local Hispanic market, so I'm glad it no longer requires an extra trip (I have three tiny tots, so dragging them in and out of another store isn't high on my to-do list).  Let's celebrate this newfound chorizo freedom with these delicious tacos from Cooking Light.  (Now, for a confession- we maaaaaaaaaay have dialed down the 'cooking light' part by doubling the amount of chorizo this recipe calls for (using 6 oz instead of 3)- we're a meaty group).  

*Also, as a side note, chorizo comes in two variations: 1) raw Mexican chorizo, which you remove from the casing and crumble and brown, similar to ground beef, and 2) cooked Spanish chorizo, which is more like a smoked sausage link you chop and cook/grill).

POTATO, POBLANO AND CHORIZO TACOS

Yield: 8 tacos

Ingredients:

2 poblano chiles

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 cups diced white potato

1 cup chopped onion 

1 cup fresh corn kernels 

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

5 garlic cloves, minced

3 ounces Mexican raw chorizo, casings removed

3/4 cup unsalted chicken stock

3/8 teaspoon kosher salt

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup shredded cheese (manchego, monterey jack, or colby jack are good choices)

8 lime wedges

Instructions:

1. Preheat broiler to high.  Cut poblanos in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place poblano halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil for 8 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel; coarsely chop.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add potato; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove potato; place in a large bowl. Add onion to pan; cook 3 minutes. Add poblano, corn, red pepper, and garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion mixture to potato. Add chorizo to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes, stirring to crumble. Return potato mixture to pan. Stir in stock and salt; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until potato is tender, chorizo is done, and liquid almost evaporates.

3. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, heat tortillas over medium-high heat directly on the eye of a burner for about 15 seconds on each side or until lightly charred. Arrange about 1/3 cup potato mixture in center of each tortilla; top with 1 1/2 teaspoons onions and 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

Mini calzones

These mini calzones from Food & Wine are fun & delicious. There's just something irresistible about these shrunken pizzas!  You can experiment with different fillings, changing it to suit your taste.  I did half of ours with pesto, ricotta, and pepperoni, and the other half with marinara, ricotta and pepperoni.  We loved both versions, and I served marinara on the side for dipping.  My kids devoured these too, so it's a family friendly meal!

MINI PEPPERONI, RICOTTA AND PESTO CALZONES

Yield: 16 calzones

Ingredients:

DOUGH:

1 cup warm water (110 degrees is ideal for the yeast)

1 tablespoon honey

1 envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

3 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:

1 cup ricotta cheese

4-6 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni, chopped

1/4 cup jarred basil pesto

1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon of water

Olive oil, for frying

Instructions:

MAKE THE DOUGH:

In a large bowl, stir the warm water, honey and yeast until the yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add 1 cup of the flour and stir until a loose batter forms. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour until almost completely incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a work surface with any remaining flour and knead until the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and silky, 7 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and brush all over with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 16 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.

FILL THE CALZONES:

Working with 1 ball of dough at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to a 4-inch round, a scant 1/8 inch thick. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the ricotta on one half of the round, then top with 2 to 4 pepperoni slices and a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of the pesto. Fold the dough over to form a half moon and press the edge to seal tightly. Crimp the edge with a fork or pinch at intervals to make pleats. Transfer the calzone to a baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make the remaining calzones.

Preheat the oven to 325°.

In a large saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 350°. Fry 4 calzones at a time, turning once, until browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the calzones on paper towels and keep warm in the oven while you fry the rest. Serve hot.

** MAKE AHEAD: The stuffed calzones can be prepared through Step 3 and frozen for up to 1 month. Let the calzones return to room temperature before frying.

Gruyere quiche with caramelized peppers, onions and spinach

I made this yummy little number from Whole Foods for Easter brunch this year.  There is a Brazilian restaurant in town that makes a delicious quiche, and my goal was to imitate it.  The keys to making the copycat version are the red bell pepper and spinach- the Gruyere cheese may be poetic license, but this version was delicious and definitely a keeper!

GRUYERE QUICHE WITH CARAMELIZED PEPPERS, ONIONS AND SPINACH

Yield: 1 pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 pound baby spinach leaves

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese, divided

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 refrigerated pie crust

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add peppers, onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown and caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes; transfer mixture to a large bowl. Return skillet to heat, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and spinach and cook, tossing often, until completely wilted and liquid is evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to bowl with onions and peppers and set aside.

Add eggs, milk, 1/2 cup of the Gruyère, salt and pepper to bowl with onion mixture and mix well. Transfer to pie crust, top with remaining 1/4 cup Gruyère and bake until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly then cut into slices and serve.

Nacho burgers

This burger recipe from Bobby Flay had our name all over it- salsa and cheese sauce on a burger??  Yes, please!

NACHO BURGERS

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Salsa:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

3 plum tomatoes, finely diced

2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Salt

Cheese sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheese

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Burgers:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck

Vegetable oil, for brushing

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 hamburger buns, split and toasted

Sliced pickled jalapeños and blue corn tortilla chips, for topping

Instructions

To prepare the salsa, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt.

To prepare the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened (5 minutes). Stir in the Jack cheese until melted, then stir in the pecorino; season with salt and pepper. Let cool until spreadable.

To prepare the burgers, heat a grill to moderately high heat. Form the beef into 4 patties and brush with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill until browned outside and medium within, about 4 minutes per side. Place the burgers on the buns, top with the cheese sauce, salsa, jalapeños and chips, and serve.

Honey chipotle pork tacos (Crock pot)

This recipe comes from the Rachael Ray Show- I know her personality can be a bit grating, but she has some fantastic recipes, this one included.  I love Crock pot meals- even though I'm usually home during the day, being able to prep dinner early frees up my hands at the end of the day, when things start getting crazy around here (ie: being pulled in 3 different directions by hungry, tired kids).  Robert was a super-fan of this one, so I know we'll be making it again.

HONEY CHIPOTLE PORK TACOS (Crock pot)

Yield: 12 tacos

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 2-pound bone-in pork shoulder (I used a pork tenderloin)

Salt and pepper

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, grated

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons puréed chipotle in adobo

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup vinegar

1 cup water

12 6" tortillas (corn or flour)

Toppings- chopped avocado, cilantro, fresh lime juice, sour cream, shredded cheese

Instructions:

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper and brown all sides; then place in the slow cooker. In the same skillet, sauté the onions, garlic and cinnamon until softened and fragrant; remove to the pot with pork then add in the chipotle, honey, vinegar, salt, pepper and water. Cover and cook undisturbed for 4 hours on high.

Once the meat is done, discard the bone and shred the meat using two forks. Using a grill or gas burner, char up both sides of the corn tortillas, then build your tacos.  Top with avocado, cilantro, lime juice, a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheese.

Pumpkin muffins

The girls and I read Bear Says Thanks for our 'book club' this week, and since I don't have a recipe for huckleberry pie, we followed the rabbit's lead and brought muffins to the party.  These pumpkin muffins from Smitten Kitchen are great for breakfast or a snack (or both!).

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Yield: 12

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth.  Stir in flour mixture until just combined.

Stir cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar together in a small bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins to rack to finish cooling.  Eat and enjoy!

Chinese orange chicken

We've been on a bit of a Chinese chicken kick lately.  There's just something about coating chicken in yumminess and giving it a light fry that calls our name.  This recipe from Cooking Classy is a keeper!

CHINESE ORANGE CHICKEN

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless, chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 Tbsp grated orange zest (zest of 1 1/2 large oranges)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp dried ginger

2 Tbsp grated yellow onion (be sure to get some of the juices when measuring)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (optional)

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp cornstarch, divided

2 Tbsp cold water

2 large eggs

Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying

Cooked rice, for serving

Chopped green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions:

Place chicken pieces in a gallon size resealable bag, and set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine chicken broth, orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, granulated sugar, ginger, yellow onion, garlic, Sriracha and black pepper. Whisk well, then measure out 2/3 cup of the mixture and pour it over the chicken in the resealable bag. Seal bag while pressing excess air out, and press chicken into marinade. Place bag in a bowl or baking dish and refrigerate 30 minutes, turning once.

Meanwhile, return remaining sauce mixture in saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil, stirring frequently. In a small bowl whisk together 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water then stir cornstarch mixture into sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 1 - 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until thickened, remove from heat.

Pour vegetable oil into a large cast iron dutch oven, filling pot about 1 1/2-inches deep and heat oil to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a shallow dish until well blended. Pour remaining 1 1/4 cups cornstarch into a separate shallow dish. Remove chicken from refrigerator and drain and discard marinade from chicken. Dip chicken pieces into egg, followed by cornstarch (evenly coat), then carefully place 1/3 of the chicken pieces into preheated oil and cook for 5 - 7 minutes until golden, turning once during cooking. Using skimmer, remove fried chicken from oil and transfer to a paper towel lined cookie sheet to drain excess oil. Repeat process with remaining chicken working in two more batches.

Put drained fried chicken into a bowl and toss with sauce. Serve warm over white or brown rice, and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Oatmeal cream pies

I love Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies, so when I saw this recipe from Cooking Classy, I immediately bookmarked it.  And then I saw that it called for shortening and I put it on hold.  I had never baked with Crisco before.  Now, I'm not a health nut by annnnny stretch of the imagination, but Crisco seemed too indulgent even for me.  But I decided they would be perfect for our Bachelor finale watch party- might as well go out with a bang on the last episode, right??  And I'm so glad I did- these are to die for, and were claimed to be the best thing I've ever made.  So, you've been warned... now go for it!

OATMEAL CREAM PIES

Yield: 15 cookie sandwiches

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 3/4 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup quick oats, slightly ground in a food processor

2 tsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup butter, softenend

1/2 cup shortening (unflavored)

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp molasses

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Marshmallow Buttercream Filling:

1/2 cup butter, nearly at room temperature

1/4 cup shortening (unflavored)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

7 oz. jar marshmallow creme

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, whip together butter, shortening, sugar and molasses on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stir in eggs, mixing until combine after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until well combine.

Scoop dough out about 2 Tbsp at a time and shape into balls, and place on Silpat or parchment lined baking sheets, cookies spaced 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 10 - 12 minutes (cookies should still be soft, not fully set - don't over bake). Allow to cool several minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool.

To prepare the buttercream filling, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fit with paddle attachment, whip butter and shortening on medium-high speed, until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add powdered sugar and blend on low speed until combine, then increase speed to medium-high and whip for 1 minute. Mix in marshmallow creme.

Once cookies are cooled, spread marshmallow buttercream filling along bottom side of one cookie and top with another cookie to form sandwiches. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.