Brown Sugar & Pecan Sticky Buns

Salivating yet? It's breakfast rolls made with pizza dough! I got this idea from an Everyday Food issue over a year ago--that's how long it's taken me to make a homemade batch of pizza dough.  I'll tell you it's way easier than other homemade doughs (see pie crust) and Martha has several other great ideas for the dough itself.  I choose to make the sweet and sticky suggestion--surprised? I'm not.

Anyway, you should plan to make the dough the night before then prepare the rolls the morning you want to serve them. You can also skip the pizza dough making step, and just use store-bought pizza dough, which makes this already easy recipe that much faster!

Homemade breakfast rolls this easy are dangerous--because there are only two of us and it makes a whole pan full.  They are delicious! I used about 4 or 5 tablespoons less of the butter that the recipe called for. Folding the butter into the dough can get a little messy so be careful, but apparently that's what gives it the flaky texture in the end.

I put the dough on parchment paper on a large cookie sheet to keep it from sticking to the counter when I wanted to roll it up after dropping the butter and sugar mixture on it. 

Because of my primitive rolling pin, half of my rolls had more dough than the other, so I tried to compensate by making the more dough-y rolls smaller once I cut them up.

I liberally buttered the pan before placing the rolls side-by-side to bake.

Once they are done, immediately flip them over.  I used the same cookie sheet I put the rolled out dough on with a new piece of parchment.  Oh my goodness....so good.

Who can resist dripping hot brown-sugar caramel and pecans on fresh baked dough? Not me...Find the full recipe here.

To balance out this high calorie treat, I sauteed some spinach with garlic, added one egg and three egg whites for a healthy scramble.

Delicious and (sort-of) nutritious!

Pizza Dough:

Here is the Pizza Dough Recipe.  Since I'm still lacking in the kitchen supply department, I rolled out my dough with a Costco sized Pam bottle and it still worked! 

It's a basic recipe that can be frozen for up to three months. I can't wait to try the other recipe's using this versatile dough. You can make Focaccia with Dried Fruit and Rosemary, Sweet Soft Pretzels or Individual Cinnamon-Apple Tarts.

Take Out At Home-Cashew Nut Chicken

I love Chinese food. And takeout. Here is a version from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine that's delicious and pretty fast to make at home. She of course made her own pot stickers, but I just got the frozen kind from Trader Joe's and they were perfect. Add some sauteed green beans and brown rice and you have a complete meal in under an hour.

Frozen Potstickers (serve with Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce)
 Cooked Brown Rice
Green Beans

Cashew-Nut Chicken:
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
3 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves,chopped
2/3 cup cashews, toasted
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced

In a medium bowl, toss chicken with sherry, ginger, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch; season with salt. Refrigerate 30 minutes. In another bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and 2 teaspoons cornstarch; set sauce aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high. Add chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, about 6 minutes.  Add garlic, cashews, and scallion whites. Cook, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds.  Whisk sauce and add to skillet.  Cook until sauce thickens, about 30 seconds.  Top with scallion greens.

Serve with cooked potstickers, green beans and rice.

Finally....French Toast!

I posted a few months ago a great picture of some Colorado Peach French Toast from a restaurant I inteded on making myself at home.  Months went by, and I scoured recipes for french toast only to decide that I like my parent's version best.  It's simple and delicious and it's memorized, so nothing is easier.   I'm posting it here just because I liked the picture of fresh french bread and strawberries. 

3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 large dashes of cinnamon
pinch of salt
bread

Mix, dip bread on both sides, and fry on a butter greased pan. Voila!

Cake Truffles...

...or cake balls, whichever your prefer. I've been so excited about jumping on the Bakerella trend and making cake pops. Its everything I love about food--cute, sweet and delicious--oh and dipped in chocolate.  Before I attempt the pops, I figured I would try the basic cake ball recipe and make some cake truffles.  It is so stinking easy.  Except for the waiting part, and there's a lot of waiting.  

Here is the OG cake ball recipe.  For my batch, I used yellow cake mix (a personal favorite) and store-bought cream cheese frosting.

It was funny to annihilate a freshly baked cake. Next time I will use homemade frosting to cut down on the sweetness factor.

I then used dark chocolate Wiltons candy melts for the coating.  The dark chocolate was perfect, so I would recommend that over the milk chocolate flavor. 

These lasted in the freezer for several weeks and tasted even better slightly frozen anyway. 

Honey Mustard Dressing & Spinach Salad

I love homemade dressings, but can never remember what I put in the last one to repeat it again later. So for my own sake I'm posting a honey mustard dressing recipe I made a while back--the batch got so big because I kept having to add ingredients to adjust the taste.  I finally unveiled this almost perfect version with a spinach salad, topped with the spiced walnuts.  There is something about bright green spinach that contrasts with just about everything you add to this salad. Whip up the dressing and salad, or just the dressing and keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to three weeks. 

Homemade Honey Mustard Dressing

1/4 cup yellow or dijon mustard
3 tablespoons  honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
two nice swirls of olive oil
Salt and pepper-to taste

Mix first five ingredients together.  Add oil slowly while whisking all ingredients together.  Whisk the entire dressing a few more times then let rest for about 10 minutes.  Taste.  Season and add more sweet/savory ingredients until preferred flavor ratio is met.

Spinach Salad:

3 cups spinach
2 chicken breasts, seasoned, grilled then sliced
1/2 medium red onion
1 hard boiled egg, cooled and chopped
1/2 cup spiced candied walnuts 
Honey Mustard Dressing (above)

Prepare chicken and egg first, then chop to add to salad. Dice red onion to desired size for salad.  Toss walnuts, onion and egg with spinach.  Lightly coat salad with dressing, toss. Top individual bowls with chicken. Enjoy a healthy yet hearty dinner.

Spiced Candied Walnuts

These are the perfect salad topper, and I just like having them around to grab a handful or two when I'm craving a sweet and savory (but healthy!) snack. They are so easy, you can make batches to freeze or to give away as gifts. 

1/3 cup dark-brown sugar
2/3 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound walnuts
1 egg white, room temperature
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix sugars, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps; set aside. Beat egg white and water until frothy but not stiff. Add walnuts, and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven, and separate nuts as they cool.

When completely cool, pour the nuts into a bowl, breaking up any that stick together.

Here is the link to the original recipe from Smitten Kitchen. 

Peanut Butter Brownies

I saw this recipe and almost keeled over in joy just looking at the pictures--it was like peanut butter perfection. And the recipe did not disappoint. The two-step process for the brownies and the ganache is not as time consuming as you think, and though it suggests waiting until everything is completely cooled before finishing, I cut out a lot of time by setting the ganache topping in the freezer for about 15 minutes even while the brownies were still warm. Mix, bake and then enjoy. These guys will disappear faster than you can say peanut butter and chocolate!

2 sticks (1/2 pound) butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt



1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter, softened

Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter parchment.

Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, then add peanut butter and beat until incorporated.

Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour until just combined.

Mix in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) then spread batter in baking pan, smoothing top. (It will be thick, almost like cookie batter.)

Bake until brownies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center come out with some crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Ganache:
Put chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute.

Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms. Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

 As you can see, only one is not enough...

Chocolate Ball "No-Bakes"

I made these little guys one night when I actually had planned to make the peanut butter brownies I've been craving (check back soon for that recipe!) Unfortunately that night, I lacked motivation to actually "bake" anything, so I settled for these instead. I got the recipe from IKEA (shocking, I know, since I've pretty much lived in that store since we got to San Diego).  Obviously it's not an IKEA original, as Drew let me know his mom made these a lot when he was growing up. Whether you've been making them for years, or this is your first time like me, they're easy, delicious, and you probably have all the ingredients on hand. Enjoy!

7 tbsp butter
7 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups rolled oats
3 tbsp cold strong coffee
Crushed sanding sugar (I used regular white sugar) or shredded coconut

Mix butter, sugar, unsweetened cocoa and coffee.  Form into small balls, about 3/4"-1" in diameter (I like to think of the same size that you make chocolate chip cookie dough before baking). Roll them in either sugar or coconut. Put them in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving. Eat with milk, coffee or what I did...wine.

Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies

I found this recipe on two different food blogs I read, so I figured they must be good. Turns out, they're awesome. They stay fresh, dense and chewy for days (two of us polished them off in three days)! I also learned how to spell "mascarpone," so making these brownies was quite a personal success. They are a little more time consuming than other made-from-scratch recipes, but I think it's worth it for these guys have when you're done. 

1 cup unsalted butter

3 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened

3 large eggs, at room-temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, or leftover chopped semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 325°F; butter an 8-inch square pan. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to just below a boil; have the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl--pour the hot butter over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds.

I used a combination of dark and milk chocolate from bars we got at IKEA…so just use whatever you have on hand for the chopped chocolate, it will be good regardless. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add the sugar and cocoa powder. 

With a wooden spoon, beat in the mascarpone, eggs (30 minutes on the counter brings them to room temperature-I also recently learned you do this to avoid any chance of cooking the eggs when adding them to batter or dough mixtures). Then add vanilla, mixing until smooth.

Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter. Add walnuts and chocolate chips, stirring only enough to mix in. 

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly--if the batter isn't spread evenly, it won't bake evenly.

Place into preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean (45 minutes did it for me). Place pan on a cooling rack and let brownies cool for 10-15 minutes. Eat. Immediately. 

They were so good, I was told "I can't believe these didn't come out of a box."  You know how most brownies get a little "crusty" on the edges and corners? These have the exact same softness and texture throughout. Basically, the corner pieces feel and taste the exactly like the middle piece--that's pretty incredible if you ask me, and one more reason I will be making these guys again...soon. 

Asian Noodle Salad with Salmon

Inspired by a friend's delicious dish, I made this meal as the first official dinner cooked in the new San Diego kitchen (on the new kitchen island--see previous post!). It's flavorful, light, full of veggies and best of all, it's super easy.

4 Salmon filets, seasoned with soy sauce and rice vinegar, grilled or baked
1/2 lb. whole wheat spaghetti noodles
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh grated or finely chopped ginger
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced lenghtwise
6 large strawberries, sliced
2 handfuls of spring mixed greens

Get the salmon rolling, either on the grill or in the oven. Cook the spaghetti noodles until al dente, drain, rinse with cold water, then set aside. Whisk together the rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce and ginger. Set aside.

Mix bell pepper, strawberries, and greens in large bowl with the noodles (as always, add any different variety of fruit and veggies to this recipe to suit your tastes). Add sauce and toss to combine. I also reserved a small amount of the sauce to spoon over the salmon filets half-way through the baking time.

Once the salmon in cooked, serve atop or next to cold noodle salad and dig in!
And when you're putting away the leftovers, make sure you get the Tupperware back on the counter before trying to put the lid on, otherwise..... :)

Homemade Kitchen Island Brought to you by IKEA

Finally settled in the new home in San Diego! But before anything could be cooked, or even put away, the kitchen needed way more space--counter space and storage space. So, Drew came up with an ingenious idea that cost less than any kitchen island would at retail: fix together four IKEA LACK side tables, and top it off with two large butcher block cutting boards. We used the kind with the lip that goes along the wall, but flipped it upside down so that it keeps the block on the top of the tables without needing to be fastened down.

4 IKEA LACK tables @ 7.99
2 large cutting boards w/ lip @ 9.99
8 small screws w/ elbow fasteners (free @ IKEA AS-IS section)

Here's the laborious process, and the final result. All for only $51.94!

Colorado Peach French Toast-coming soon!

I did not make this dish...yet. A few friends and I indulged in this delectable breakfast last weekend at the Regis Cafe in Red Lodge and I had to share the glorious picture of it's perfectness. We actually all got different things but couldn't pass up this menu special, so we ordered it to share and all had a few bites (thought I'm sure we all would have gladly had the whole thing to ourselves.) I've been wanting to perfect my own french toast recipe, so I figured I would post this first as a teaser to my own version. In the meantime, head down to the Regis in Red Lodge and ask for their special french toast--you will not be disappointed!

Summer Broccoli Salad

This recipe was created by my old roommate, who invented it just in time to take on a little picnic to the river. The light dressing and sweet and crunchy additions were a perfect compliment to the healthy broccoli that makes up the bulk of this side dish. Make it in the morning and pack it on ice with your beer and sandwiches and enjoy an afternoon lunch at your favorite summer spot!

2 full heads broccoli, chopped
large tablespoonful of mayo
a little bit more than  1/4 cup of Asian dressing (I used Kraft's Asian Toasted Sesame)
1/2 red onion, chopped
large handful of dried cranberries

The steps are simple: 1) chop and 2) mix! Oh and 3) eat!

Cheddar-Stuffed Turkey Burgers

This recipe is  killer--even my youngest brother who "hates" turkey burgers devoured them! I think the secret is the oozing cheesiness of the cheddar tucked inside the grilled patties. And my mom loved the cilantro cream that goes with it--if you like cilantro (I absolutely love it) making the cream will make your whole kitchen smell ah-MAY-zing.


1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast
1/3 to 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
1 rounded tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil , for drizzling
1/2 cup sour cream
A handful of cilantro leaves, chopped

Preparation

Chop and dice the onion, cheddar cheese, pepper (I love spicy so I don't seed the jalepeno--even if you don't like spicy these did not turn out hot at all even with the seeds so I say leave 'em in when you chop), garlic.

Pre-heat a large nonstick skillet, or grill to medium-high heat.

Combine the ground turkey, onion, cheddar cheese, chili powder, ground cumin, jalapeño or serrano pepper, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium size bowl and mix everything together with your hands. Separate into four equal amounts. Form the mixture into four large patties no more than one inch thick. This recipe makes either four large patties, or can make several smaller patties depending on what you want. My mom suggested making small ones and having them in the fridge for a little high protein and delicious snack!

Drizzle oil on the patties and place them in a hot skillet or on a hot grill with a spatula and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until the turkey is cooked through.

For the cilantro cream, finely chop cilantro, and then combine with sour cream and salt and pepper in a small bowl. I used less sour cream and a little bit of miracle whip, so experiment with what you like and use that for the cream (mayo, etc.).

I also made a quick and fresh salad to serve on the side. Just dice up some ice berg lettuce, red peppers, mango, the other 1/2 of the red onion and top with lime juice and salt and pepper--toss to coat.

Serve the burgers on toasted buns topped with a little of the cilantro cream, and voila!