Sweet Potato Chili

Good Morning! It's Secret Recipe Time! I'm so thankful for this club this month.  As you can see, it's the only thing keeping my blog going right now. But more on that later...

Right now let me introduce Judee from Gluten Free A-Z Blog! Judee has great recipes, and it was really hard to pick just one. Then, she posted this chili. The somewhat odd combinations of ingredients intrigued me. Especially since I could make it in my crockpot. An easy, but extremely flavorful dish? One that cooks without any supervision? I'll take it!

The only change I would make next time is to add 1-2 teas. Cayenne or Chili powder. This chili is on the sweet side.

Sweet Potato Chili

Adapted from Gluten Free A-Z

1 medium red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 28 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes (find the fire-roasted, they are so good!)
16 oz black beans
16 oz kidney beans, drained
1 large sweet potato (I actually used 1 1/2), cubed
1-2 teas cayenne pepper
1 Tb ground cumin
2 teas unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teas ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot and stir well.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4 until potatoes are cooked through. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and cheese.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Molten Cakes for Secret Recipe Club

Good Morning! You may have noticed that I skipped the Secret Recipe Club last month. With our house closing 2 weeks early, it was just impossible to get in the kitchen. So, this is my first official post as a GROUP B member! I say goodbye and thanks to Group D. They were a great group, but I wanted to try some new blogs. So, when the option came up to change, I switched to B. Now, my reveal dates are earlier in the month.

This month I had the pleasure of baking from Searching for Spice.   Corina hails London, far away from my little Utah, USA.  Her measurements are in grams. So, I wasn't quite sure my conversions would work! It's hard when baking not to have exact measurements, but I forged ahead. And... ta da!  Fabulous little chocolate cakes! I cooked them a bit too long, so they didn't have the "lava" in the middle, but they were great with a little scoop of ice cream on top. Who can say no to chocolate cakes? Right?

The recipe makes 2 cakes in larger ramekins, but mine were small, so I got 4 out of it. But, you can see I could have filled them a little more. So, plan on 2-3 mini cakes.

Chocolate Molten Cakes
found on Searching for Spice; adapted from Gordon Ramsey's Gordon Ramsey Makes it Easy.

2 teas cocoa powder
3.5 Tb (50g) unsalted butter
3.5 Tb (50g) dark chocolate chips
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
4.3 Tb (60g) sugar
3.5 Tb (50g) flour

Preheat oven to 350 F. (180C)

Grease your ramekins. Put the cocoa powder in one. Put the other ramekin upside down on top of the first, hold firmly, and shake. This will coat both ramekins in cocoa powder.

Put the chocolate and butter in a small dish and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted.  Leave to cool slightly.

Put the whole egg, and the egg yolk, in another larger bowl with the sugar. Whisk until the mixture becomes pale and thick.  Pour a small amount of the egg/sugar mixture into the chocolate and stir. Then, pour all of the chocolate into the rest of the egg/sugar mixture; stirring constantly.  We don't want to cook the eggs!

Sift the flour on top of the chocolate and fold into the chocolate. 

Pour into ramekins; about halfway; and bake for 12 minutes. The top will appear done, but it should still be liquid in the middle. The toothpick test will not work! :)

Eat directly from the ramekins, or very, very carefully, unmold them and serve.

Enjoy!

Mexican Street Corn- Secret Recipe Club

Welcome! Today is the best day of the month... Secret Recipe Club time!  Here it is...posting time...and I'm still writing the post! Sorry! I actually had the recipe done weeks ago, but life has been crazy with school starting, PTA, Michael getting his tonsils/adenoids out...etc. But, here we are!

I'd love to introduce you to Rhubarb and Honey. Kimberly is the boss on this wonderful blog. Her pictures are amazing, and it was so hard to pick just one recipe!

I was making a Mexican feast, which is quite common around here, but with all new recipes. Kimberly had a Mexican side dish that was perfect. Mexican Street Corn! Now, you have to know that I've tried this corn before, and wasn't a fan. It was too messy, and too mayonnaise-y. But, do you know how brillant Kimberly is? She takes the corn off the cob, and serves it all mixed together. It was WONDERFUL!  I seriously thought that I would be the only one to eat and like it, but you know what? EVERY family member, including the 3 kids, LOVED it! This recipe is a keeper!


Mexican Street Corn

1 pound frozen corn (defrosted before using- or cut the corn off of fresh cobs)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup mayonnaise  (I actually used sour cream. I liked the taste of it a lot better!)
1/2 cup grated cotija cheese (grated parmesan can be substituted)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste


1. Drain defrosted corn in colander; dry on papertowels, removing as much water as possible.
2. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat; add butter and melt.
3. Add corn to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, approximately 10 minutes or until most of the kernels have browned.
4. In a large bowl, combine roasted corn, mayonnaise, cheese, and spices. Stir to combine.
5. Serve.

NOTES: For creamier street corn, increase the mayo to 1/2 cup. Want to make it a bit spicier? Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper to taste.

**Thank you so much Kimberly for creating a dish that my entire family loved! You don't know how rare that really is!

Enjoy!

Happy 3rd Blogversary to me! Cake and Ice Cream from SRC

Good Morning!  Today marks my 3 year "blog" anniversary!  I really can't believe it's been 3 years! Thank you to all of my loyal readers. It's been quite the adventure.

I think my photos have improved...

Honey Whole Wheat Bread 8-5-09    

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce  8-16-2011

And I think my recipes, my writing, and my networking has improved as well.  Mostly though, I have stayed true to my goal of this blog being a place to celebrate food. At my own pace, and my own tastes.

Now, on to the celebration's dessert!  Everyone needs Cake and Ice Cream for a anniversary. Right? Especially Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake!


This month for the Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Ambition Kitchen. I love this blog, and have been a fan for awhile now.  Kelly is from Utah; same as me!  We seem to have similar tastes in food, and her blog is just terrific. 

Right when you open her blog, your mouth starts watering. Just look at that amazing cake in her header. I wanted that cake. Now, I've never learned how to ice cakes and make them look good. I don't have the fancy equipment. I actually ended up using the ziplock bag trick, but still couldn't get pretty drizzles. Oh, well. It's the taste that counts!

Add in another of Kelly's recipes for Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, and you're ready to party!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake 
Ambition Kitchen
Copycat recipe for "Nothing Bundt Cakes"

1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 small box chocolate fudge instant pudding
1 C sour cream (full fat)
4 eggs
1/2 C water
1/2 C canola oil
1 1/2 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together until well incorporated. Add chocolate chips and stir to distribute. 
Pour into a bundt cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (I forgot this step- another reason why I had to hide the top of my cake with frosting!)  
Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. 
Let cool for 20 minutes. Remove from pan. 

*Now, Kelly mentions covering the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerating overnight before frosting.  She liked it this way.  I just let the cake cool, and then frosted it and it was wonderful that way as well! So, do whichever method you have time for.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 pkgs. 8 oz. each cream cheese, softened
1/2 C butter, softened
3-5 C powdered sugar (depending on desired consistency- I only used 2 cups)
2 teas vanilla extract


In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and mix well. Slowly add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until desired consistency has been reached. You want it to stay pretty thick.

Pipe the frosting onto cooled cake. Slice and serve. Cover well and refrigerate any leftovers.





Simple 3 Ingredient Vanilla Ice Cream
Ambition Kitchen

We have some picky ice cream fans in my house.  They only like vanilla.  I really wanted to fancy this ice cream up with some brownies like Kelly does, or some chocolate chips or fruit.  But, since I was planning on serving it with a cake that has the word Chocolate twice in it's title I just did vanilla.  Feel free to add your favorite mix ins!

2 Cups Whipping Cream
1 (14oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 teas Vanilla Extract
Desired add-ins

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ICE CREAM MAKER: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, being sure to thoroughly incorporate the condensed milk. Pour into ice cream maker and churn as per instructions. Mix your add ins into the ice cream, transfer to a sealed container and place in freezer for a few hours to firm up more, or enjoy as soft serve consistency!


INSTRUCTIONS WITHOUT ICE CREAM MAKER: Whip heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add sweet & condensed milk and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Add mix ins and freeze in freezer for 6 hours then serve!

Happy Blogversary!

Green Verde Enchiladas

 

It's that time again! Time for a recipe from the Secret Recipe Club! This is such a fun club. I get secretly assigned to a brand new blog, and get to cook anything I want from it. 

This month was especially fun. I was assigned Prevention RD. Nicole is a registered and licensed dietitian. Her blog has a great mixture of food, all with a great balance for eating healthier. I was especially happy to see that she had done MY blog a few months ago! She made Crispy Baked Breakfast Taquitos! Check out her beautiful pictures. 

 

So, now it's my turn to make one of her recipes shine, and let me tell you, it was super easy! I picked these amazing enchiladas. They require you making your own Verde (Green salsa), but it was really pretty easy, and so, so worth it.  I would recommend doubling the salsa. I also made the mistake of using the whole 8oz of cream cheese, instead of 4.  That made these waaay too rich and creamy, and overpowered the salsa. That is not recommended! But, even with that mistake, we could tell that this recipe is a keeper. 

 

These are tomatillos, the basis of green Salsa Verde. My local grocer sells them, and they are becoming increasingly popular.  You peel them, chop them up, and add them into the salsa. They are great raw, and they are fabulous roasted.

 

Green Verde Enchiladas
Adapted from Prevention RD for the Secret Recipe Club

(I would recommend doubling the sauce ingredients!)


12 tomatillos, paper skin removed and cut in half
2 poblano peppers, quartered
1 head of garlic
1/2 large onion, cut into large chunks
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (A rotisserie would be fabulous)
4 oz 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese, cut into cubes
6 oz part-skim Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
10 whole wheat tortillas



In a large skillet, combine tomatillos, poblano peppers, garlic cloves, and onion. Allow to dry roast over medium heat 3-5 minutes until tomatillos become very soft, garlic and onion begin to brown and peppers begin to blister.

Add peppers, tomatillos, garlic cloves, onions and cilantro to a food processor and process until smooth.

Add tomatillo sauce back to skillet. Season with salt and cumin. Season additionally to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer over medium low heat for 3-5 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of tomatillo sauce. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Add shredded chicken to remaining sauce in skillet over medium low heat. Add cubes of cream cheese to sauce. Stir to blend.

To assemble, spray 9 x 13 pan with non stick cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup of reserved sauce in bottom of pan. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of chicken mixture onto one side of the tortilla; roll to close. Lay seam side down in pan. Repeat process until all filling or tortillas are gone.

Top enchiladas with 1/4 cup remaining sauce. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Yield: 5 servings (2 enchiladas each).
Nutrition Information (per serving): 501 calories; 15.4 g. fat; 67 mg. cholesterol; 653 mg. sodium; 58 g. carbohydrate; 6.2 g. fiber; 32.6 g. protein


Thank you Nicole for the fabulous recipe!

Enjoy!

Potato Cheese Sticks and Mashed Potatoes

 

It's time for another Secret Recipe! The Secret Recipe Club is a group of bloggers that secretly browse another member's blog and cook one of their recipes.  We can change the recipe if we want, but we can't tell the recipe owner that we're cooking their recipe until the day of the reveal.

This month I was assigned "Enriching Your Kid".  Shirley is a clinical physiologist, and focuses on making food that is both healthy for kids, and that they will actually eat! What a challenge! 

The recipe I picked this month are Mozzarella Cheese Cutlets. I bought mozzarella for this recipe... I swear I did... but it had disappeared when I went to make it! I did have some wonderful Smoked Habernero White Cheddar from Beehive Cheese, so I used that.  I loved the results of using this cheese. It added spice and dimension to the potato sticks. 

I actually ended up only frying a few sticks, as we tasted the "mash" and decided that we liked it that way better. Either way is good, and I'll include both recipes here.

Potato Cheese Sticks

adapted from Enriching Your Kid

1/4 cup Smoked Habernero White Cheddar (or Mozzarella), diced fine, or grated

2 large potatoes

1/2 teas ground pepper

1/2 teas oregano

1 teas cumin

1/4 teas chili powder  (these are not spicy, promise!)

2 Tb chopped fresh coriander or cilantro

salt to taste

breadcrumbs or panko to coat

Oil for frying  OR 

2 Tb butter for mashed potatoes and 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

Wash the potatoes, and poke the skin with a fork. Microwave at 5 minute intervals until soft.  Let cool until you can handle them; peel; and chop finely.  

Mix in the rest of the ingredients (except for Panko) and mix well.  I used my pastry cutter to mix it all together. 

Scoop a spoonful of the potato mixture and shape into a rectangle or circular pattie. Dip in the Panko to coat.

Heat oil until hot.  Drop potato sticks into oil, flipping once, until browned.  Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Eat hot! 

Mashed Potatoes

Cook the potatoes and add other ingredients as outlined above. (I do not include Panko in the mashed version!)  Add butter and milk, and mix, or beat, potatoes until they are light and fluffy. 

Enjoy!

Here are some other recipes from the fabulous participants of The Secret Recipe Club!