Pineapples, PLEASE!

Pineapples are most certainly my favorite fruit. I like them in entrees, desserts and drinks(usually accompanied by a cute drink umbrella and some rum).  I had been asking my mother in law, Mimi, for a carrot cake recipe for awhile.  She is an amazing baker and I knew she would have a knock out recipe.  She did not disappoint. I couldn't be any happier than when I discovered there were pineapples in this recipe. Instead of making the recipe into an actual round cake or pan loaf, I decided making muffins would be the way to go.  Why you ask? My reasoning is simple: portion control.  Muffins are portioned. A slice of cake can be as big as you want it to be, BUT it is still ONE slice, right?

Before I share the recipe, I wanted to address my previous post about changes to this blog. I am still trying to hunt down the perfect, simple template.  I just feel as though my blog is a bit busy and I would like the fringe and frou frou to be less distracting.  I have been working on my photography skills as well.  Let's just say, it's coming along, but not nearly as quickly as I'd planned. It's a lot of practice and reading. One day at a time, right? So, without further ado, here's an amazing carrot cake recipe, featuring pineapple.

Mimi's Carrot Cake
Ingredients
3 whole eggs
2 cups of sugar
1 1/4 cup of  vegetable oil (I used olive)
2 cups of grated carrots
1 TSP salt
1 TSP baking soda
2 TSPS cinnamon
1 small can of crushed pineapple (include the juice)
1 cup pecans - chopped (I used walnuts)
1 TSP of vanilla

Directions
(DO NOT USE AN ELECTRIC BEATER/MIXER)
Beat the eggs and add the sugar, oil and beat until smooth.  Sift the flour and dry ingredients. Add pineapple,carrots, pecans and vanilla. Bake 1 hour at 350 in loaf pan.  (I made 18 cupcakes and they were done is less than 15 minutes. Use caution and just monitor the cake if you make a loaf or round). Top with cream cheese icing or whipped cream after cake has cooled.

Changes, They Are A Comin'!

Hello, readers! Thank you so much for taking the time to vote for me in foodbuzz.com Project Food Blog. I didn't advance, but I am ever greatful for all the support I received. I took some time to review the other entrants' blogs and I was blown away. These bloggers are dedicated to the blog, the recipes and photography. I am completely inspired by and in awe of their beautiful creations!

As for changes, the design of my blog will be undergoing some 'upgrades'. I am also working harder on learning how to photograph food. I always had the attitude of, "How hard could it be to photograph food? It's not like it moves....".Wrong. So wrong. I have always openly admitted that photography is my weak point, so I am working on tightening the bolts. I have a great recipe, courtesy of my mother in law, for carrot cake, that I plan on posting this week. The secret ingredient is pineapple, which gives the cake major zing.

Thanks again for your support, keep it coming, and I will keep posting!!!

Chicken Chili with Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Cannelini Beans

Fall is here (not that you can tell from the run of 90 degree days we just had) and it is time for some heartier meals. I decided to go with a healthier version of my normal favorite, full fat beef chili. I wanted to make it tasty and interesting, so I decided to top it with some spiced up avocado. This summer, I went on an avocado craze, so I always pick some up when I go to the store. Not only are they yummy, but they are a good, healthy fat. Add one can of cannelini beans, fire roasted tomatoes, and spices to ground chicken and dinner is ready.  I also paired it with one of my family's favorite 'sides' - garlic bread from Alexia foods. The chili also freezes very well, so you can make batches and put it away for the nights you don't feel like cooking. Enjoy!

Chicken Chili with Cannelini Beans and Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1.25 LBS of ground chicken
1 14 oz can of Hunt's Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 14 oz can of Cannelini Beans
1 TBSP Smoked Paprika (optional)
1 packet of taco seasoning
2 TBSP chili powder
1/2 cup of water
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 TBSP onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive Oil - 2 -3 TBSP to coat pan

Directions
Coat a medium pan with olive oil. Set heat to high and add garlic. Saute until browned. Add ground chicken and season with onion powder. Use a wooden spoon to stir and break up chicken. Once chicken is fully browned, add chili powder and taco seasoning, with the water.  Please note the taco seasoning instructions add more water, so follow those instructions as well.  Allow to cook until chili powder and taco seasoning are coated into the meat and a nice amount of juice remains in the pan. Add tomatoes and stir.  Drain beans and add. Add this point, add salt and pepper to taste. You can add more paprika and chili powder if you need to.

Avocado - Smash a ripe avocado with a fork.  Add salt, pepper, and onion powder to taste. Use to top the chili.

Jeanne's Special Pasta With Sausage and Spinach

Picky,Picky,Picky.  These are the three words that describe my struggle of getting my family to eat new foods.  Spinach has been on the "NO-NO" list for as long as I can remember.  My son has recently discovered the old Popeye cartoons and he is touted as the man who is "so strong, his muscles have muscles".  How did he get those muscles? By eating spinach, of course! My son is obsessed with getting big and strong, so I saw this as a selling point for getting him to eat spinach.  My husband went along for the ride and didn't give me any trouble about trying it.  My daughter, who is my best eater, didn't seem to mind what I was making.
This recipe is something my friend Jeanne whipped up for dinner one night when I went for a visit.  It is an easy dish and so yummy! I have tried my best to copy the recipe, but I may have changed a few things.  Anyhow, my husband, daughter and I LOVED it.  My son was a little fussier.  He kept picking out some of the spinach, saying he was not eating the "lettuce'".  I used my line about Popeye and he did take a few apprehensive bites. So, the jury is still out on whether or not he will eat spinach again, but we shall see. Also, I apologize for the blurry picture. I had to use my iPhone to take the picture since my camera was on the fritz.

Jeanne's Special Pasta With Sausage and Spinach (serves 4)
8 oz (1/2 box) of pasta, such as orechiette or fusilli (I actually did a mix of the two)
14 oz of crushed tomatoes with basil (Use enough to coat pasta and sausage to your liking)
3 large sweet Italian sausage (half the pack)
3 large hot Italian sausage (half the pack)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small white onion or half of a large onion, diced
1 bag of pre-washed baby spinach ( I used about half to 3/4 of the bag), shredded by hand
2-3 TBSP of olive oil, to coat saute pan

Directions
Boil water for pasta. Add sausage to heated pan and cook fully. In a saute pan, add shredded baby spinach,garlic and onion. Carefully stir the veggies in the saute pan until garlic and onions are nicely browned and spinach is cooked. Remove from heat and add to large serving bowl.  Strain cooked pasta and add to veggies. Mix thoroughly. When sausage is fully cooked, removed from pan and cut into bite sized pieces.  Add to veggie/pasta combination and mix.  Finally, add crushed tomatoes to pasta mix. Stir completely and enjoy.

You've Come A Long Way, Baby!

It started innocently enough with a Microbake Oven in 1978. Now, before you think this is going to be an adorable post about how I made precious concoctions in my mini-micro, think again. The beginning, at least, is about how my cooking dreams went up in smoke, literally, before they even began. I find it important for my readers to hear this part of the story so they can appreciate just how much I have grown as a cook and how this blog is proof of that fact.

I was two and a half years old when I got this microwave. My mom, being overly cautious, carefully hid the plug for the microwave behind it with electrical tape. In other words, I had no idea that I could actually use this  microwave for anything other than pretend.  That all changed the day my older and wiser cousin came for a visit.  After several months of 'fake baking', the power of the microwave was unveiled. The machine was plugged in and ready to go, but what to make? The possibilities were endless. We settled on some dirt, twigs and berries (from the famous 'dingle berry' tree in my yard) to make a pie.  After lots of sparks and setting off the smoke detector, the plug was cut off the microwave by mom and it was back to pretend confections.  This was my first and last cooking experience for almost 26 years.

That brings me to a time where I was no longer a kid or banned from the stove. I had a husband to feed and in the future, children to feed as well.  I had to get on the ball. My family could not eat peanut butter and jelly every night, even if it is one of my favorites. To bring us up to the present, I've learned a lot. I've burned myself. I've ruined many pots and pans. I've cursed and thrown things when meals did not come out as planned. Throughout the process of learning and burning, I realized ,"Hey! I actually enjoy cooking!". I also love to write, so voila! The blog was born.

Cappuccino Brownies

My style of cooking, at times, can be a bit unconventional.  When a recipe calls for crushed cookies, WHACK! Out come the Ziploc bag and the hammer. I end up with perfect cookie crumbs and toss the baggie in the garbage.  I am a rare breed of Italian, as in, I am not a cheese fan.  With that said, far be it from me to deprive anyone else who likes cheese. So, I do cook with it.  It's not uncommon to see a meatloaf or casserole in my oven only half drenched in cheddar or mozzarella.

My blog has captured a pretty diverse audience. Our college age babysitter has called me to talk her through making my lasagna and baked ziti for her dorm friends. I still have this image in my head of her trying to melt the cheese over macaroni on a hot plate.  It brings back memories of my Microbake incident.  I heard from a friend that my blog and my Confetti Meatloaf was discussed at one of her club meetings.  The thought that I have 'fans' gives me warm fuzzies in my belly.

I always ask my self the same questions when creating or choosing a recipe, such as, "Will I pull the hair out of my head trying to make this recipe?" or "Can this meal be put on the table in under an hour?"  If the recipe is not for a special occasion or treat, I want to keep it fairly simple and appealing for a picky palate. I think that is part of my appeal to college students, busy families and people with little time to whip up a decent meal. I want to spread the message: If I can do this, anyone can do this....and enjoy it too!

Eye-Watering Spitfire Shrimp

I make my blog posts as down to earth as possible, never hesitating to poke fun at myself when I make a mistake.  Humor, in my opinion, plays a huge role in my blogging.   I especially love to humorously capture my picky family's responses to a meal, whether the reaction is a gag or a grin. My husband is often the target of my jokes, as I often call him my third child. He can be more difficult to feed than my two or four year- old kids. That also puts him in the role of guinea pig. As much as I have burned or cut myself and destroyed cooking ware, I have made his eyes water and his face turn red.  Without my husband to test my recipes, this blog would be so much harder to write.

Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

My blog tells of my journey from nightly take out to a cooking-happy mama. I choose simple, yet delicious recipes that can draw the reader into my cooking experience and perhaps influence them to get into the kitchen. It's all about learning, growing and experiencing new foods.  It thrills me to be able to share all of my triumphs and disasters in the kitchen. I feel it's a privilege to be able to share these experiences through my writing, to inspire others and have my readers learn with me.

Giada's Roman Style Chicken

Summer is winding down and I finally have a moment to share a tasty recipe with you all. This was a part of my "3 Days of Food Network" series but I never quite made it to this recipe. Anyhow, this dish is delicious and healthy. We eat alot of chicken in our house and I am always searching for ways to spruce it up and make it more interesting(spices, oils and the occasional chicken sculpture are avenues I travel). My philosophy is this: Food should be delicious, healthy and fun. The more colorful a dish is, the better I like making it and eating it. Giada's chicken is a great way to take chicken and give it a kick in the pants. The peppers give it color and spice, not to mention how yummy they are. So, if you're bored making your traditional chicken cutlet meals, give this one a try!

Giada's Roman-style Chicken from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs

2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3 ounces prosciutto, chopped ( I subbed 3 slices of turkey bacon, cooked and chopped)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Instructions
Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.


Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

A MUST MAKE - PEANUT BUTTER CUP BROWNIES

I noticed my readership escalates when I make desserts. To be perfectly honest, the holiday season of '09 wiped me out, baking-wise. Anyhow, I decided it was a great time to put my mixer back to work. These brownies can be a bit of work since they are layered, but I assure you, they are well worth the effort. My son, who is four, told me, "Mommy, I like you ALOT," when I let him sample a brownie. I brought them to the salon while I got my hair highlighted and the owner told me (jokingly), "I HATE YOU!" because I was breaking her diet. If you want to save sometime, the brownie bottom can be made the night before and the frosting and toppping can be added the following morning. It does take at least an hour for the frosting and topping to set, so bare that in mind. Enjoy!
Ingredients for the Brownies
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips( I used to packages of Ghiardelli's semi-sweet baking squares)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp instant espresso coffee powder
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Ghiardelli's powder)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Peanut Butter Frosting
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup of smooth peanut butter
3 TBSP of whole milk
Peanut Butter Cup Topping
25-30 minature Peanut Butter Cups, sliced into 4 pieces each
1/4 cup of chocolate and peanut butter chips, melted
Directions for Brownies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides and bottom of an 8 x 8 square baking pan (or line with parchment paper).In a medium bowl combine flour, espresso powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Put the chocolate chips and butter in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat but keep the bowl over the water and whisk in sugars and vanilla until completely combined. Remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature. Add in the eggs one, one at a time, whisking lightly after each addition. Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just combined. Do not over beat! Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack.
Directions for Frosting
Add peanut butter and softened butter to mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar and continue to mix. Add milk, 1 TBSP at a time, and continue to mix until frosting is the desired consistency. Spread on cooled brownies.
Directions for Topping
Slice 25-30 minature cups into 4 slices. As you slice, add the cups on top of the frosting. The candy can overlap slightly, just be sure to cover the entire surface of the frosting. In a microwave safe bowl, add 1/4 cup of peanut butter and chocolate chips. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat this step for another 30-45 seconds, until completely melted and creamy. Let it cool, then add mixture to a Ziploc bag. Snip one corner of the bag with a scissor and decoratively drizzle the mixture in any uncovered spots of frosting. Let the brownies set for at least ONE HOUR in the refrigerator before serving.