Cake Cooling Tip

Tip: 

When cooling cake layers, place bread slices on top to keep the cake layers soft and moist.

The bread becomes hard as a rock but the cake layers remain moist and as perfect as when you made them. You can use this same tip with muffins, cupcakes or anything that you want to leave on the counter.

Photo Credit: bakedbree.com

Buttermilk Ranch Cheeseball

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 package (1 ounce) ranch dressing mix
• 1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese
• ½ pound Cheddar cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup finely chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Mix the sour cream with ranch dressing mix in a bowl until smoothly combined. Add the cream cheese and Cheddar cheese to the bowl, and mix together with your hands until thoroughly blended. Chill the mixture for 5 minutes, then shape into a ball.
    
2. Place the pecans into a shallow bowl, and roll all sides of the cheese ball in the pecans to coat. Serve immediately.

Original Recipe: allrecipes.com

Boiling Pasta One Minute Less

Photo Credit: step-by-step-cook.co.uk

Tip: 

Boiling the pasta just one minute less than the cooking time given on the package.

By the time you strain the pasta out of the water and pour it in the pan, and maybe mixing it with the sauce you added up the extra minute cooking time.

Banana Caramel Muffins Recipe

Photo Credit: ahealthyfascination.blogspot

Ingredients: 

• 3 bananas
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/3 cup no sugar added cinnamon applesauce
• 1/4 cup stevia
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp sugar free caramel flavored syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the wet ingredients, then the dry, then combine all and spoon into 12 muffin tins. 
2. Put them in the oven about 40 minutes at 350 degrees. 
3. Let them cool down a bit before serve. 

Notes: 

95 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, and very low sugar.
Other toppings can be used or added by the banana, like;  "strawberry cream cheese" or "apricot jam".

Original Recipe: ahealthyfascination.blogspot

Abuelo's Papas con Chile Recipe

Photo Credit: mommytravels.net

Ingredients: 

• 3 lbs. red potatoes
• 3 oz cream cheese – cut into 2" squares
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 10 oz Velveeta – cut into 2 " squares
• ½ TBS salt
• ¾ tsp granulated garlic
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ½ cup diced red bell peppers
• ½ cup diced green bell peppers
• 2 cans chopped green chiles
• ½ cup chopped green onion tops
• 2 TBS of finely chopped jalapeño – seeds removed

Directions:

1. Wash and scrub potatoes until clean
2. Place potatoes in a pot covered with water and boil until soft.
3. Drain potatoes
4. Add the rest of ingredients and mash. Be sure all ingredients are incorporated

Original Recipe: mommytravels.net

Baked Cheddar Broccoli Rice Cups Recipe

Photo Credit: amazingpinterestworld.blogspot

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup quick-cooking rice (like Minute Rice)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 10-oz. box frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed and excess water squeezed out
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup Homemade Ranch Dressing, or store bought
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare rice as directed on package, substituting stock for water.  Place cooked rice in a large bowl and let cool slightly.  
2. Add the remaining ingredients, using only 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, and stir until combined. 
3. Transfer mixture to eight well-greased muffin cups–I like to use an ice cream scoop–and top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.  
4. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until tops are lightly browned and edges are starting to get crispy. 

Original Recipe: amazingpinterestworld.blogspot

Mushroom Ricotta Tart Recipe

Photo Credit: onceuponacakestand

Ingredients: 

tart dough:

• 120g flour
• pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 60g cold butter
• ice water

tart filling:

• 250g ricotta
• 30g freshly grated parmesan (plus more for rolling out tart dough)
• pinch of salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons of heavy cream
• handful of freshly picked thyme
• 3 hands full of chanterelles (or other mushroom), cleaned & roughly chopped
• ½ red chilli, de-seedes, cut in small pieces
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• salt & freshly ground pepper

Directions:

tart dough:

1. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a blender and pulse to combine. cut cold butter & add to the flour, then pulse until largest butter pieces are about the size of almonds. gently add some ice cold water until dough holds together (you don't want it to be wet!). form into a disc, wrap and let chill until firm in the fridge (about 40 minutes).

tart filling preparation :

1. First heat some olive oil in a frying pan, add shallot and cook until starting to soft, then add chilli and Chanterelles and fry on high heat until starting to soft. then take off heat and season with salt and pepper. put aside.
2. Mix ricotta with Parmesan cheese, add 1 egg yolk and add salt, pepper and thyme in a small bowl.
3. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on your kitchen counter (or directly onto a baking paper), then roll out dough into circle (doesn't have to be perfect!) - about 20cm in diameter. spread filling on the dough, leaving an about 3cm border. arrange the fried mushrooms on top and gently fold the edges of the dough toward the centre, creating a 2cm border. chill until firm.

 tart filling baking :

1. Heat oven to 220c°.
2. Mix remaining egg yolk with heavy cream and brush the edges of the tart with the egg wash and then sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese & some more thyme if you like. transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. then reduce heat to 200c°, rotate the baking sheet and bake for another 20 minutes until the edges become golden brown. remove from oven and slide (with baking paper) on a cooling rack. serve warm or at room temperature. 

Original Recipe: onceuponacakestand

Mexican Chicken Casserole Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 can of cheddar cheese soup
• 2 cans of rotel (I drained the second can)
• 1 whole cooked chicken cut up in pieces, I bought a pre-made chicken at Target
• 6 flour tortillas
• Enough cheddar cheese to cover the top of the casserole

Directions:

1. Mix the three soups, rotel and chicken in a bowl.
    
2. Spray the pan with pam, then put tortillas down for the bottom layer.
    
3. Put a layer of the soup/chicken mixture on the tortillas, then repeat tortilla then mixture ending with the tortillas on top.
    
4. Put a layer of cheese on the tortillas.
    
5. Cook in the oven on 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese starts to brown. Enjoy.

Note: Serves 6.



Original Recipe: mylifeinaustin

Chicken Mozzarella Roll-Ups Recipe

Photo Credit: Rightathome

Ingredients: 

 

• 4 small (4 ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 12 large, fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry
• 4 pieces roasted red pepper (available in jars), about 2 inches by 5 inches, ribs and membrane trimmed, patted dry
• 4 ounces shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (about 12 Tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 cups canned, plain tomato sauce

Directions:

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place 2 chicken breasts in a 1 gallon Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bag and seal. Working from the thinnest to the thickest part of the chicken breast, pound each piece with a rolling pin, meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, being careful not to tear the meat, until it is 1/4-inch thick and approximately the size and shape of a 4-by-8-inch rectangle. Remove the chicken from the bag and set aside on a clean plate. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
2. Lay the chicken breast on a clean work surface or cutting board in front of you, horizontally, with one long (8-inch) edge toward you and the smooth side down. Layer each piece with 3 basil leaves, 1 piece of roasted red pepper and 2 Tablespoons of the shredded mozzarella (reserve remaining mozzarella for later). Roll one long edge toward the other long edge to enclose fillings—like a wrap—making sure the edges overlap slightly. Fold in the loose (short) ends and secure with toothpicks on each side.
3. Pour 1 cup of the tomato sauce into a 9-by-12-inch nonaluminum baking dish that’s at least 2 inches deep, and distribute sauce evenly over bottom of dish.
4. Place the rolled chicken breasts, seam side down, in the baking dish. Top each roll with the remaining 1/2 cup of tomato sauce (about 2 Tablespoons each) and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the remaining 4 Tablespoons of shredded mozzarella (1 Tablespoon each) over the top of each chicken roll and broil on a low setting for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese melts and browns on top.
6. Remove the baking dish from the oven, transfer the chicken breasts to plates, carefully remove toothpicks, spoon any remaining sauce from the baking dish around the chicken and serve immediately.

Original Recipe: Rightathome

Orange Muffin Recipe

Photo Credit: annies-eats

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 2 sticks (16 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1½ tbsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• Zest of 1 orange (organic if possible)

For the glaze:

• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1-2 tsp. orange zest (organic if possible)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line 16 wells of a muffin pan (or pans) with paper liners.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the milk, orange juice, sour cream, eggs and melted butter.  Whisk together to blend.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Stir to blend.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Fold in the orange zest with a spatula.
2. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.  Bake about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet.
3. To make the glaze, combine the orange juice, confectioners’ sugar, and orange zest in a small bowl.  Whisk together until smooth, adding more juice if necessary to achieve your preferred consistency.  Drizzle the glaze over the muffins while they are still warm.  Allow the glaze to set before serving.  Store in an airtight container.

Original Recipe: annies-eats

Grilled Salmon Recipe

Photo Credit: allrecipes.com

Ingredients: 

 

•     1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
•     lemon pepper to taste
•     garlic powder to taste
•     salt to taste
•     1/3 cup soy sauce
•     1/3 cup brown sugar
•     1/3 cup water
•     1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

 

1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
2. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat grill for medium heat.
4. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Original Recipe: allrecipes.com

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb whole wheat penne
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup pumpkin puree, depending on your personal taste
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk, more if you like a thinner sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup parmigiano reggiano, I used about 2 cups, we like cheese! You can also use Parmessan
• 1 tsp pepper flakes, optional.

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to box instructions.
   
2. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium to high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the pumpkin puree, vegetable broth and mix through. Add heavy cream, milk, nutmeg and salt and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
   
3. Add the the cheese and pepper flakes if using. Stir, turn off heat and incorporate the pasta. Serve with some extra cheese and pepper flakes.

Note: Serves 6

Original Recipe: eatgood4life.com