3 Minute Cake?! Yes please!

I know... its been awhile.  I've been busy, gimme a break!  Not to mention I haven't really been too inspired in the kitchen lately.  That is... until today.

A few weeks ago I placed my annual PC order for school.  You know I love me some good bakeware and utensils and I'm a firm believer in Pampered Chef.  I'm always looking for their new items.  I'm also always looking for ways to make things easier for my students.  I found a solution!  Yippee!

PC has a new piece of stoneware out called the Single Serving.  It looks like this.

Not really all that unique, but here's what I was thinking.  My kids always want to make cakes and lasagna and things that take entirely too long for the 45 minute class period I have.  But if I can microwave these things, then I've got a whole new world in foods class! 

My order came on Tuesday and while my kids were cooking today, I played around with some cake mixes.  I just used a regular spice mix- no changes to the recipe- and sprinkled in a few butterscotch chips.  I put 1/2 cup of batter in each cup and then put it in the microwave.  I started with one minute at a time and toyed with it for 2 or 3 batches.  For my microwave, the best time was 3:00 minutes at 50% power with 3-5 minutes of standing time.  The cake was moist and rich.  I was quite pleasantly surprised!  The kids were totally excited!

Each stone comes with a flexible knife to help pop out whatever you've cooked and I was happy with how they actually worked! haha Once again PC has lived up to my expectations.  Good work!

Next up:  quiche, lasagna and meatloaf. :)

This one's for Steph

Years ago, I began my college career at Snow College.  Across the hall there lived a girl named Stephanie.  We had our very first day today in the exact same class... Fitness for Life, or as we affectionately called it, Fit for Death.  That started a long friendship that carried us through Snow, her mission, our Utah State years and beyond.  During that time, she would come up with some bizarre things to eat for dinner.  Isn't that what college food is about?  What's in the cupboard that I can mix together to create something edible?  Anyway, Steph would always eat the following simple dish.  It took me awhile to try it, but it really only takes once and you find it quickly makes it's way into your weekly meals.  I came home from work the other day, exhausted and not wanting to cook for myself for dinner.  Then I had a sudden craving for this silly thing and whipped myself up a bowl.  I texted Steph and told her lol She and her family still eat it, too.  So I'd definitely say give a shot :)

Rice with Cheese

Ingredients:
Cooked white rice
Grated cheddar cheese
Soy sauce

Directions:
Mix well and eat hot. 
Its that simple.

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

First let me give credit to those who provided this recipe for me.  I don't have permission to use her name, but a very nice and talented woman I work with gave this one to me.  Her recipe says it is slightly adapted from The Cooking Photographer.  So- while I'd love to take credit for something so delightful, its not my own. :)  I'm just sharing it because they are so tasty and perfect for fall!

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 box (10 packets) apple cider instant drink mix (do not use sugar free)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups flour
1 14oz bag Kraft caramels

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.  (I used my stoneware, but would still suggest lining it).

In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

In larger bowl, cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packets of cider.  Cream until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and combine well.  Add vanilla and mix well.  Gradually add flour mixture and combine. 

Refrigerate for one hour.  During that hour, unwrap your caramels.

Measure dough to about the size of a walnut.  Flatten it in your palm and place one caramel in the center.  Flatten a second piece of dough and cover the caramel.  Seal the edges by pressing with your finger tips.  Place on parchment papered cookie sheet.

Bake 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.  Don't overbake :)
When cookies come out of the oven, slide the parchment off the sheet and onto the counter.  Cool cookies on counter until they are firm but still warm.  Twist off paper and cool upside down on cooking rack.  If they stick to your parchment, put them in freezer for a few minutes to pop off.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Here's the Chunky Monkey Pancakes!

Its easier to post the link than type the whole thing out.  You'll see pictures and the recipe is at the bottom.  Enjoy!

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/09/banana-chocolate-chip-pancakes-with-peanut-butter-syrup-chunky-monkey-pancakes/

Comfort Lasagna

Lasgna is one of those foods that I thoroughly enjoy and yet never make.  Probably because it makes so much and there's just me!  But one of my students asked me if it was my favorite food and I replied No (because its really not), but it DID get me thinking about how good it sounded.  The recipe I typically use is in my head from my catering days.  Its decent and most people really like it, but I wish there was a little more flavor to it.  Keeping that in mind, here's what I came up with.  I'm calling it Comfort Lasagna because no one ever really eats lasagna with the idea of being healthy and keeping your calories down, even though I used low fat cheeses ;)

Comfort Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage (got mine at the Harmon's butcher block)
1 can Western Family Mexican Fiesta Tomatoes diced with Lime and garlic (find those with the rest of the stewed tomatoes)
1 3/4 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
7 pieces Barilla lasagna noodles

Directions:
Boil noodles as direction on package.  (once they're cooked, I usually leave mine sitting in enough cool water to cover them so they don't stick.)

Brown sausage in a frying pan.  Once browned and broken into smaller pieces, add can of tomatoes.  Simmer together for about 15 minutes, leaving lid OFF for last 5 minutes.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine ricotta, cottage cheese, Miracle Whip, Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup Mozzarella.  Set aside remaining Mozzarella.  Stir together well.

In an 8x8 baking dish (I used my PC stoneware... shocking, I know), spread one layer of meat sauce.  On top of that, add a layer of white sauce.  Sprinkle approximate 1/4 cup mozzarella on top of both.  Add a layer of noodles.  Repeat process until all ingredients are used.  I usually get two layers.

Top with remaining Mozzarella.  For some color, I sprinkle it with about 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until warmed through.

Serve it up!  It will be runny if you serve it straight from the oven so I'd let it set for about 5-10 minutes prior to serving.  I couldn't wait that long ;)

Grilled Corn!

I've never done this before but thought I'd try it out.  I had gone on a trek to the farmer's market and had some lovely salt and pepper corn.  I've seen other people grill corn, so I figured it couldn't be all that difficult.  Come to find out, its not. :)

You can grill corn in the husk or in foil.  I chose to do mine in foil since I'm not a big fan of corn silk and the mess it creates.  Keeping that in mind, here's what I did. 

First, I shucked my corn and soaked it in the sink for about 15 minutes.

 

Then I basted it with olive oil and sprinkled it with some spices.  I wrapped each piece in foil.  The spices I used were garlic salt, onion salt, salt, pepper, and nutmeg (if you can believe!).

 

I placed it on my grill and rotated it every 2-3 minutes for about 15 minutes.  I think I cooked it too long and if I do it again, will probably take it off after 10 minutes.  FYI.

Once it was done, I took it inside and ate it!  It was delightful!  The nutmeg gives it a flavor I can't quite place and yet, it was tasty! 

PS- I tried one ear with butter on it and one ear without.  Didn't make a huge difference to me.  They both tasted good!



Favorite Summer Foods

I don't know about you, but I really don't like to cook in the summer.  Its hot.  Nothing sounds good. I just want liquids to drink and play in most of the time.  So while its been awhile since I posted a really good recipe, I thought I'd give some suggestions of what I eat in the summer.  They're easy and, for the most part, self explanatory. 

1.  Open faced grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches.  You MUST use garden tomatoes or the taste is lost.
2.  Sherbet and fruit.  Yep, ice cream for dinner.  My mom used to do this when we were young.  Orange sherbet works best.  Grapes, melons, berries.  Its like dessert for dinner.  So tasty on a hot evening.
3.  In the rare event that I fire up the grill, I do grilled squash, pineapple and I even tried watermelon this year.  Keep your grill at a low temp and watch it carefully.  I also do turkey kabobs.
4.  Salads!  Lots of greens.  Lots of tomatoes.  Cukes.  Croutons.  Cheese.  Turkey.  Choose your favorite dressing.
5.  BLTs.  Enough said.
6.  Corn on the cob, sauteed veggies and a cucumber soaked in vinegar water. Best dinner ever.
7.  A bowl of berries and a piece of toast.  Or a bowl of peaches.  Or a plate of watermelon.
8.  Good old peanut butter sandwich, but instead of jam, put on fresh berries like sliced strawberries or raspberries.  *sigh*
9.  Pasta salad.  Choose your noodle.  Choose your veggies.  Choose your italian dressing.  Choose your cheese.  Done.
10.  When all else fails, I eat cold cereal.  Plain, old, unromantic cold cereal.  Rather anti-climatic, I know.

What do you eat?