Recipes

Carrot Cake Pancakes #EasterRecipes

~ lk529 ~ 22 Comments

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I’ve recently discovered a blogging group who goes by “Holiday Fun with our Blogging Friends” and they do themed events or even themed weeks around holidays. How could I not join the fun!?

This week, 13 bloggers are sharing 46 recipes and tips to help you serve up deliciousness this Easter. Follow #EasterRecipes on social media to see what we’re serving up!

I’d already planned to do a week of carrot cake inspired recipes and figured, why not?!

I didn’t link yesterday’s Cocoa Carrot Cake in with the group because it was more of a cookbook review and even though it wasn’t a sponsored post, I didn’t know if it’d be allowed in the scope of the event.

Today I’m sharing Carrot Cake Pancakes from our favorite brunch cookbook Brunch at Bobby’s.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

We’ve made these pancakes twice. And twice I had issues with the cream cheese maple syrup. I’m sorry, Bobby, but I think there’s a typo with your recipe. Even a full block of cream cheese and a cup of maple syrup did not look like the thick syrup in that beautiful full page photograph accompanying the recipes. And I had a ton of this glaze-type sauce left over, which I used for cinnamon rolls (recipe tomorrow, so stay tuned!).

I would highly suggest starting with half a block of softened cream cheese, a hand mixer, and adding maple syrup until the consistency and flavor profile meets your preferences. Next time I make these pancakes, I’ll take my advice and update the recipe with the ratio that worked best for us.  (**)

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 C flour
  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 C buttermilk
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 C shredded carrots
  • 1/4 C chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 1/8 C crystalized ginger, chopped
  • 3 oz cream cheese, at room temperature**
  • 1 C real maple syrup**

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, zest, and vanilla. Mix in the carrots.
  3. Combine wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold in the walnuts and ginger.
  4. On a hot buttered griddle drop 1/4 C of batter into pancakes. Flip pancakes when batter starts to set and bubbles form in the center of the pancake. Cook until both sides are golden brown.
  5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream cheese and syrup until smooth. Transfer to an oven safe bowl and warm in a 250 degree F oven until easy to drizzle.**

**This cream cheese syrup recipe did not work, see my suggestion above.

*This recipe is adapted from from Brunch at Bobby’s*

Carrot Cake Pancakes #EasterRecipes Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out these other Easter recipes, too:

Italian Easter Bread by Palatable Pastime

Torta Salata Pasquale by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Dill Roasted Radishes by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus by Family Around The Table

Praying Arm Pretzels by Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Creamy Coconut Mini Tarts by Making the Most of Naptime

And here are the recipes from Monday:

Deviled Ham Bites by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

30 Minute Dinner Rolls by Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Easy Pecan Sticky Buns by Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

Easy Citrus Ham by Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Sausage and Vegetable Strata by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus With Lemon Herb Sauce by Tip Garden

Dipped Strawberry Carrots by Family Around The Table

Easter Malted Milk Dip by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Sharadan’s Lemon Blueberry Parfaits by Cooking With Carlee

Easter Egg Cooking and Dyeing Tips and Tricks by Palatable Pastime

Cocoa Carrot Cake from The Chef Next Door

~ lk529 ~ 12 Comments

Two months ago I reviewed  The Migraine Relief Plan by Stephanie Weaver and I loved the assignment of digging into a cookbook to really understand the author and explore more than one recipe at a time.

My friend, Tara of Tara’s Multicultural Table, does a lot of cookbook reviews in serious detail and so, I decided to give cookbook reviewing a trial session before jumping into it on an official scale.

I decided to take to my personal cookbook selection and review those I already own. To start off, I chose The Chef Next Door by Amanda Freitag.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

You probably know Amanda from her roles on Food Network as a judge on Chopped and a contestant in Next Iron Chef America. She is a highly talented chef and a successful restaurateur.

She opens her book with a very heartfelt introduction admitting her insecurities when it comes to cooking at home. For her, the kitchen comfort zone is her busy restaurant kitchen with a loud atmosphere, staff, and countless kitchen tools at her fingertips.

To help the reader learn to feel more comfortable in their own home kitchen, she provides tips and skills that any cook can learn to call on. Spoiler alert – none of them cost a dime.

The book is broken into 9 chapters and even has a section with menu suggestions for special occasions. Each recipe includes a miniature story including tips before the ingredient list. To really help out the home cook, Amanda has included the steps for prepping each recipe before the official list of steps on how to complete the dish. There are also photographs to accompany each recipe.

Because it’s Easter week, I’m featuring her Cocoa Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. The frosting is incredible – cream cheese icing is usually my go-to, but her version features far less sugar than my grandmother’s and I’m sorry, Busia, but I like this cheesier alternative better. As for the cake, it’s a rich, dark cake chocked full of carrots and walnuts.

Cocoa Carrot Cake | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

This recipe will make a 10″ round cake or a 9″ round cake and 10-12 cupcakes.

Cocoa Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients for cake:

  • 2 C packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 C vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 3/4 C flour
  • 1/4 C cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 lb carrots, peeled and grated
  • 1/2 lb walnuts, chopped

Ingredients for icing:

  • 3 stick butter, at room temperature
  • 3 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3 C powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cake pan with parchment paper and then grease with nonstick spray.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine brown sugar and oil until combined. Add the eggs two at a time, mixing well.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly add it to the stand mixer, mixing until combined.
  4. Fold in the carrots and walnuts.
  5. Pour batter into prepare cake pan. Bake 45-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool slightly before turning out of the pan onto your hand and flipping again onto a cake stand to cool completely.
  6. Make icing: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter with an electric hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mix on low to start. Mix until smooth.
  7. Frost the cooled cake. Decorate with extra chopped walnuts, if desired.
  8. Keep in refrigerator at least an hour. Allow cake to come to room temperature before serving.

Cocoa Carrot Cake | Sew You Think You Can Cook

One of Amanda’s tips is to not be afraid to veer from the recipe. If you’re missing an ingredient, figure out something else that would work. All it takes is practice in the kitchen to become comfortable understanding the purpose of each ingredient in the recipe.

Following that advice, I made her Puerto Rican Pernil using a boneless pork shoulder and my slow cooker instead of the oven. I made Salmon with Peas, Pearl Onions, and Mint taking advantage of frozen pearl onions instead of peeling fresh ones myself. I also made Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken Thighs with Jamaican Spice, reducing the cayenne to appeal more to the little ones in my home.

The Chef Next Door cookbook review | Sew You Think You Can Cook

#FoodieExtravaganza: Caramel

~ lk529 ~ 9 Comments

foodieextravaganza-300April is here and with it another Foodie Extravaganza! This month Kathleen from Fearlessly Creative Mammas decided we should celebrate National Caramel Day, which is on April 5th – today!

I still had some caramels left over from those Salted Caramel Shortbread Cookies I made in December, so why not use some more in a delicious caramel apple dip!?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

This dip was the perfect “redemption” snack to bring to my Bible study group yesterday morning. (“Redemption” because two fevers and three infected ears kept me from sharing the King’s Bundt Cake with the group in March.) Yesterday was our last meeting studying the book Hope for the Weary Mom: Let God Meet You in the Mess. We’ll take a three week break before digging into some more study material, so it was time for a potluck party!

I served this dip with two apple varieties and cinnamon graham crackers.

Caramel Apple Dip for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Caramel Apple Dip

Ingredients:

  • 16 soft caramels, unwrapped
  • 1/4 C water
  • 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

  1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the caramels in the water until smooth. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer until combined.
  3. Mix in the melted caramel.
  4. Serve with apples, graham crackers, or pretzels.

*This recipe is adapted from Nikki at http://www.chef-in-training.com/2013/08/caramel-apple-dip/*

Caramel Apple Dip for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out these other caramel recipes:

Affogato – Vanilla Ice Cream With Espresso, Caramel Sauce And Salted Almonds from Sneha’s Recipes

Banana Chia Pudding with Date Caramel from Caroline’s Cooking

Caramel Apple Granola from Hardly a Goddess

Easter Coconut Bird’s Egg Nests from Palatable Pastime

Fa’ausi (Samoan Coconut Caramel Bread) – Tara’s Multicultural Table

Gooey Caramel Cake from Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Ooey Gooey Salted Caramel Cake from A Day in the Life on the Farm

If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you’re a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

#Sunday Supper: Recipes Using Fresh Tomatoes

~ lk529 ~ 20 Comments

Happy April, everyone!

April is National Florida Tomato Month, so the Sunday Supper crew, headquartered in South Florida, asked us to come up with recipes using fresh tomatoes to celebrate. Fittingly, Rini from Healing Tomato is our host today. Be sure to scroll past my simple recipe to see over 40 ways to use that bright red fruit!

I did something insanely simple that can create that wow factor at your next party – tomato tulips. I got the idea from Pinterest but when I clicked on the pin it did not lead me anywhere useful. So I did my own thing!

Tomatoes are stuffed with flavored goat cheese and then arranged with some scallion stems. They’d be beautiful on a cheese plate! Or arrange a veggie platter with other favorite veggies to create stunning garden scene perfect for springtime festivities – I’m looking at you Easter and Mother’s Day.

Kids might be more inclined to try a tomato if it looks like a flower. My 2 year old was anxious to try one as I was making them, but then he reached for a not-yet-stuffed tomato and managed to touch some of the seeds. It was game over after that point. He did have a spoonful of the goat cheese though. Ha!

I couldn’t decide what flavor goat cheese to go with when I was checking out the options at the grocery store. To go sweet or savory? I ultimately went with a savory garlic and herb variety, black pepper was my second choice, but honey could be fun!

Now it’s got me thinking… if you had large enough green grapes, stuffing them with honey goat cheese could be a great “bouquet” too!

Tomato Tulips

Ingredients:

  • grape or cherry tomatoes
  • garlic and herb goat cheese
  • scallions

Steps:

  1. Cut an X in the end of the tomatoes, not cutting all the way though.
  2. Using a small spoon fill the cut tomatoes with the goat cheese.
  3. Arrange on platter with scallion stems.

Tomato Tulips for #SundaySupper from Sew You Think You Can Cook

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Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

Food Bloggers Recipe Swap: Peanut Butter & Nutella Brownies

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

I am back with a Food Bloggers Recipe Swap assignment! By opting in for March, I committed myself to being assigned a blog, finding and recreating a recipe from that blog, and then sharing it with all of you, my dear readers.

I don’t think the assignments are a secret either, and should I choose, I could search through the assignment list and figure out who is digging through my recipe index, but I won’t spoil the surprise. 🙂 (Because my assigned blogger already posted her recipe, I can share that Sarah of Cook at Home made my Balsamic Glazed Beef Roast with stunning photography.

I love the posting leniency afforded in this challenge. As long as I get my post completed by the end of the month, life is peachy! I definitely used that to my advantage this month! It seemed like a busy blogging month for me and my posting of today’s deliciousness just had to wait.

This month I was assigned the blog The Olive Blogger written by Melissa. Melissa started blogging as an outlet for her creativity and to keep her “brain happy.” She has a fabulous balance of savory and sweet recipes on her site and my secret Pinterest board was a perfect split. From Kale and Breadsticks to Brownies and Mug Cakes.

When I noticed that the days on the calendar were quickly passing by, I had to go with a quick recipe that didn’t use anything not currently in my kitchen. The brownies won out! (It wasn’t until just this moment that I realized this recipe was from one of Melissa’s Food Blogger Recipe Swaps. Oops! I recall seeing that when I checked out the recipe the first time and wouldn’t normally have pinned it to my secret board but I guess this one got past me.)

wesleyYou guys. These brownies are to die for! Unfortunately, even though I had a giant tub of Nutella in my pantry, I was a little bit shy of 1 1/2 C. I supplemented with some creamy peanut butter, Probably about about 3-4 tbsp worth. Peanut butter does have a strong flavor and made these brownies taste just like a Girl Scout Tagalong cookies. But in brownie form. Which makes them that much better!

I’ve remedied my lack of Nutella on my latest grocery trip. And I’m highly tempted to exhaust the entire jar on more of these brownies. They’re that good. (The photos… are not.)

Peanut Butter & Nutella Brownies

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 C flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 C Nutella
  • 1/4 C peanut butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 C miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8″ x 8″ cake pan.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, Nutella, peanut butter, and vanilla with an electric hand mixer. Add the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  4. Bake 25 minutes.

*This recipe is adapted from http://www.theoliveblogger.com/2017/01/18/easy-nutella-brownies/

brownie

 

#MuffinMonday: Coffee Cake Muffins

~ lk529 ~ 7 Comments

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It’s time for another Monday filled with muffins!

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins to brighten their Mondays. There isn’t a theme to #MuffinMonday posts so anything goes, as long as it’s a muffin! (A big thank you to Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for helping organize everything this month.)

You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

While I typically try to provide some slight form of nutrients in my muffins, sometimes (like last month) it’s just about comforting deliciousness. Not that healthier muffins can’t be delicious. But. You know what I mean.

Originally the thought for making coffee cake muffins came about by needing to use up a tub of Greek yogurt in my fridge before its expiration date. My husband suggested I make a version of our favorite coffee cake. I thought I’d make it into muffins to satisfy March’s #MuffinMonday. But then I realized, my coffee cake is truly a cake and wouldn’t qualify with the muffin method of baking. It really has been too long since I’ve visited that recipe and need to do so again soon!

With coffee cake muffins now needing to fill a void in my stomach, I reached out to trusy ole Pinterest.

Coffee Cake Muffins | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

These muffins are bursting with cinnamon. And there’s almost nothing better than cinnamon! To kick that coffee cake element into full gear, these muffins get a streusel topping added. I had quite a bit of streusel topping leftover, so I toasted it up for 10 minutes in an even layer on a baking sheet. It’s perfect for topping your morning yogurt.

There is also a simply vanilla glaze to go over the top of the muffins. I assure mine did receive a drizzle of extra sweetness, though by the time I got around to pulling out my camera, it was invisible.

This recipe makes 1 dozen muffins.

Coffee Cake Muffins

Ingredients for streusel:

  • 1/3 C superfine sugar
  • 1/3 C brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 C flour

Ingredients for muffins:

  • 1 1/2 C flour
  • 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 C milk
  • 1/3 C canola oil

Ingredients for glaze:

  • 1/4 C powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. Make the streusel: Whisk together the sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter. Fold in the flour until fully incorporated, break apart into crumbs, spread out on a baking sheet, and set aside.
  3. Make the muffins: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and oil. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine.
  4. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin. Top with the streusel, patting it down into the muffin. Bake 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly. Remove muffins to a cooling rack.
  5. Make the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the cooled muffins.

*This recipe is adapted from Chungah at http://damndelicious.net/2014/03/24/coffee-cake-muffins/*

Coffee Cake Muffins for #MuffinMonday from Sew You Think You Can Cook

And don’t forget to check out these other muffin recipes:

Apple Oatmeal Muffins by Food Lust People Love

Asparagus Goat Cheese Muffins by Farm Fresh Feasts

Cacao Nib Muffins with Dark Chocolate Glaze by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Cheese & Thyme Muffins by Passion Kneaded

Coffee Cake Muffins by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Oh My Darling Muffins by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Honey Garlic Baked Cauliflower

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

As cauliflower continues to gain in popularity, I’m excited to say that we’re finally on that bandwagon. Though to be honest, I still haven’t been able to convince myself to try it raw. Don’t ask me why, it makes no sense.

I decided to delve into that cauliflower enjoyment and search my Pinterest account for any previously saved recipes that I’d forgotten about. Immediately this pin for Honey Garlic Baked Cauliflower called out to me with its stunningly mouth-watering photography.

I made the recipe as directed the first time and while we enjoyed it, it was missing something. I kept thinking, “This needs veggies!” which is hilarious as the entire dish was veggies. That, right there, should tell you that you won’t be missing the meat at all.

We were forced to eat the prepared cauliflower cold as we were dealing with some child(ren) meltdown(s) while simultaneously waiting for the brand new rice cooker to cook some rice.

I determined that the breading wasn’t necessary and decided to try again for lunch later that week. I know it’s “honey garlic” cauliflower, but the garlic was too strong so I toned that flavor down a touch, too. And to get that “desire for something green” I added some frozen edamame to the dish.

cauliflower horizontal

My version is perfect for lunch or a weeknight dinner. It serves 2.

Honey Garlic Baked Cauliflower

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 6 tbsp honey
  • 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp sriracha
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 6 tbsp water
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/3 C frozen shelled edamame, thawed
  • cooked rice, for serving

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Place cauliflower on a lightly greased baking sheet in an even layer. Bake 20 minutes.
  3. In a small saucepan over medium heat the honey, soy sauce, sriracha, garlic, and onion powder until combined and warmed through.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Slowly pour into the sauce, whisking continuously. Bring to a simmer and cook a couple of minutes until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat.
  5. Toss cauliflower and edamame in as much of the sauce as desired. Serve immediately over cooked rice.

*This recipe is modified from Kirbie at http://kirbiecravings.com/2016/01/honey-garlic-baked-cauliflower.html*

Honey Garlic Baked Cauliflower | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

CIC: Pears & Red Pepper Flakes

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

CIC-header

I’m {finally} back with another Crazy Ingredient Challenge!

This month’s mission: to combine pears and red pepper flakes.

As I informed my husband of the task at hand I was also creating my menu and grocery list. I thought about the proteins that were in the freezer and the lightbulb went off.

Barbecue pork!

Why not make a barbecue sauce with the pears and add in the red pepper flakes for kick?

Pear Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

I made the barbecue sauce in the morning and then added it to the slow cooker along with my bone-in pork shoulder. I shredded the pork when it was ready, put it in a container, and headed out the door to Pure Barre. When I came home, all I had to do was assemble a sandwich on my favorite pretzel bun for an easy dinner.

Well, actually, I had to first put the boys to bed. But then I got to eat my sandwich! I had more for lunch the next day, too. Having the pork for lunch was really the best thing about it!

Pear Barbecue Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 C tomato paste
  • 1 C apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 C dark brown sugar
  • 2 red Anjou pears, diced
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 2 1/2 – 3 lb bone-in pork shoulder, trimmed of extra fat
  • 6-8 pretzel buns

Steps:

  1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, season with salt, and saute until translucent. Add the fennel seeds and cook until the onion become golden. Stir in the cinnamon and tomato paste and cook 3 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar, pears, and pepper flakes. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until pears are tender. Let cool slightly.
  2. Transfer sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. (If the sauce is still warm, be sure to cover the top of the blender with a kitchen towel.)
  3. Place a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a slow cooker. Season pork with S+P and place in slow cooker. Cover with 1 C of the pear barbecue sauce. Cook on LOW 8 hours.
  4. Shred pork with two forks. Serve with extra barbecue sauce on a pretzel bun.

*The barbecue sauce is adapted from http://usapears.org/recipe/pear-barbecue-sauce-with-chile-and-spice/*

Pear Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich for Crazy Ingredient Challenge from Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge click on the link below.

#SundaySupper: Easy Spring Recipes

~ lk529 ~ 16 Comments

Can you feel it? Spring is in the air!

IMG_6287Well, you’re probably feeling it more if you didn’t just have to survive a surprise late winter storm.

Here in SoCal the benefits of a wet winter have flowers in bloom and bright green grass at the park.

One weather feature I wasn’t prepared for was this concept called a “marine layer.” The marine layer is like a fog that won’t quit. It completely blocks the sun and makes everything “cold” and grey.

With the start of spring technically starting tomorrow, the #SundaySupper tastemakers have over 40 ways to make the most of your spring bounty. Be sure to scroll past my recipe to see them all! Thank you to Anne of Simple and Savory for hosting today’s event.

When thinking spring, I often think of bright green dishes, fresh veggies from the farmer’s market, and lots of salad. But I also think of the Easter season. With Lent in full swing, there’s often a lot more fish being prepared in my kitchen.

I’m not a fan of ham and growing up my family had a Polish cold meat salad called Swienconka (pronounced shven-shun-ka). Swienconka is Polish and translates to “blessed food.” My mom’s grandfather was a butcher and he would bring home the leftover meats for this dish – veal, smoked butt, two kinds of Polish sausage, and ham. These meats would be cooked and mixed with hard boiled eggs. The mixture would then marinate in vinegar and fresh and jarred horseradish.

Instead, for Easter, I’ve always  made a pork tenderloin as the star of the dinner table. So, yes, for me, pork tenderloin qualifies as an “Easy Spring Recipe.”

The Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin I’m sharing today is perfect for pairing with those fresh spring veggies and some mashed potatoes!

And it’s easy. Case in point: it’s the first pork dish I ever made. In high school, with my best friend. The recipe card comes from Publix (a grocery store I’m seriously missing out here in Cali).

Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

  • 1 C panko
  • 1/2 C shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
  • zest 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried sage
  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper
  • 2 egg whites
  • juice 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 1 lb pork tenderloin

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a shallow baking dish.
  2. In a wide bowl, whisk together the panko, Parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, salt, sage, and pepper.
  3. In another wide bowl, whisk together the egg whites, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
  4. Coat pork in the egg white mixture and then coat in the breadcrumbs.
  5. Place pork in prepared baking dish. Bake 20-25 minutes, until an internal temperature of 155 degrees F is reached. Allow pork to rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin for #SundaySupper from Sew You Think You Can Cook

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Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement

#BundtBakers: Yeasted Bundts

~ lk529 ~ 17 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspostFor this month’s theme of Yeasted Bundts, we have two bloggers working together to make sure reveal day goes smoothly, Felice of All That’s Left are the Crumbs and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm.

#BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient.

I have been attending a Moms bible study this year and it was my turn to bring the snack on February 28th. I originally planned to make a Cocoa Carrot Cake (you’ll see that recipe leading up to Easter). And then I realized that Febraury 28th was Mardis Gras! I changed gears and decided to make a King’s Cake. Remembering March’s Bundt Bakers theme I opted to do a bundt cake version of a King’s Cake. With walnuts instead of pecans, since I’d already bought the giant bag of walnuts for the previously mentioned carrot cake. Conveniently I had the appropriately colored sprinkles and/or sugar for decorating!

Colored Sugar

And then my boys were too sick to make it to bible study. I felt (feel) terrible letting everyone down. I’ve now missed 3 weeks in a row due to fevers and colds that won’t quit. As I mentioned earlier this week, the boys both have ear infections. Now that they’re on antibiotics everyone is feeling better and I’m pumped to leave the house today for story time at a nearby light house.

The silver lining of not sharing that cake with my friends was that I ate nearly the entire thing for breakfast all week. Seriously, this cake was insanely good. I loved it! Sure, it got a little stale by Saturday, but that’s nothing 10-15 seconds in the microwave couldn’t fix. The boys had a slice for breakfast on Mardi Gras. My husband had a couple of slices over the course of the week and I gave a couple of slices to a friend. Other than that, seriously, I ate it all.

The kids had fun with the Mardi Gras beads all week, too!

Beads and Bites

King’s Bundt Cake

Ingredients for cake:

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 C milk
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 4 1/2 C flour
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1 pkt (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 C walnuts, finely ground
  • 3/4 C brown sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

Ingredients for glaze:

  • 2 C powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • decorating sugar or sprinkles in yellow, green, and purple

Steps:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, milk, and butter. Stir in the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
  2. Place the bowl on the stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on medium-low speed for 10 minutes until smooth. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled in size 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
  3. In a bowl, combine the walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
  4. Grease a bundt pan.
  5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough into a rectangle measuring 18″ x 14″. Brush the dough with a little bit of water. Sprinkle the walnut mixture onto the dough. Roll the dough up lengthwise like making a cinnamon roll. Pinch the edge to seal. Form the dough into a ring and place in the prepared bundt pan, seam side up. Cover and allow dough to rise another hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  7. Bake 30-35 minutes, until an internal temperature of 190 degrees F is reached. Allow the cake to cool 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
  8. Make the glaze: Whisk together the sugar and milk. Pour over the cooled cake. Decorate with the colored sugar/sprinkles.

*This recipe is adapted from Michelle at http://www.browneyedbaker.com/king-bundt-cake/*

King's Bundt Cake for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Bica Bundt Cake by Patty’s Cake

Coconut Spice Mini Yeasted Bundts by Passion Kneaded

Cornish Saffron Cake by Food Lust People Love

Czech Poppyseed Crown Coffee Cake by The Queen of Scones

Guinness Bread Bundt Cake by I Love Bundt Cakes

Healthy Vegan Bundt Cake by Bizcocheando

Hot Cross Bundts by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Irish Butter Cheesy Bread Bundt by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite A Whiskered Accomplice

Jasmine Tea Savarin by Sneha’s Recipe

King’s Bundt Cake by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Lemon and Blackberry Savarin by A Day in the Life on the Farm