Friday Foodday

Its that time lovebugs! Friday Foodday.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  And if you're celebrating, Happy Easter to you!

The Humble Cupcake

c/o Nikki from Cupcakes for Breakfast

Ingredients

Banana cupcake

4 ripe bananas, mashed

2-1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup canola oil

1-1/2 cups milk

3 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Peanut butter cream cheese frosting

     1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

     4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

     1 cup creamy peanut butter

     1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

     Directions

Cupcake

 Preheat oven to 350°. Line enough muffin tins with paper liners for 30 cupcakes.  Mix the ingredients in the order listed in a large bowl, starting with the wet ingredients and moving to the dry ones.  Bake for twenty minutes, rotating the pan mid-way.

     Frosting

     Beat the cream cheese and the butter together. 

     Add the peanut butter and vanilla and continue to mix well.   

     Slowly add the sugar and beat until incorporated.  Pipe on to cupcakes

Bruschetta Pizza

     c/o Stephanie Cooks

 Ingredients:

1 batch of pizza dough

1/4 cup pesto sauce

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 tbsp. chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1- In a small bowl combine the tomatoes, red onion, garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Set the bowl in the fridge and allow it to marinade for at least an hour.

2- Preheat the oven to 450. Place your pizza stone in the oven while it preheats.

3- Prepare your dough (either on parchment paper or on a cookie sheet/pizza peel coated with corn meal).

4- Top the dough with the pesto sauce, spread evenly.

5- Top evenly with the bruschetta mix, careful to drain the tomatoes from the olive oil/vinegar to prevent the pizza from being too moist.

6- Sprinkle the mozzarella over the pie, until evenly covered (about 1/2-3/4 of a cup of cheese).

7- Transfer to the pizza stone and bake 10-12 minutes, until golden.

     Tortellini Lasagna 

     c/o Annie Bakes

 Ingredients:

     1 package fresh tortellini
     2 tablespoons olive oil
     1/2 onion-chopped
     2 cloves garlic-minced
     1 1/2 pounds beef
     1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
     1 fresh mozzarella ball-sliced thin
     Parmesan cheese-grated

Directions

     In a large sauce pan bring water up to a boil and boil the tortellini as directed.  

     Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.  

     In a large skillet, heat oil to medium-high and saute the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes.  

    Add the beef and brown.  Add the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

    Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  

    Add the cooked tortellini, pour the sauce over the top and layer with slices of mozzarella.  

    Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  

    Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Friday Foodday!

Hey there lovebugs! It's been a great week here at TCB. I got the Stylish Blogger Award and we made it onto the "It List"! Thank you so much for your continued support and help with making this blog successful! 

But today is the day we put fashion aside.  You know why.  Because it's Friday Foodday!!!!

Tex Mex Chicken Pot Pie
c/o Dad

Ingredients
8 cups Chicken Stock (see related recipe)
1 cup + 3 Tbsp Bob's Red Mill Organic Medium Grind Cornmeal, divided
2 green onions, chopped finely, divided
4 Tbsp Chipotle Lime Finishing Butter
1 pkg (16 oz) Tex Mex Blend
1/4 cup Food You Feel Good About Fire-Roasted Poblano Peppers
3 1/2 cups cooked chicken from Chicken Stock, shredded
1 pkg (8 oz) Shredded Sharp Cheddar

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


1. Add stock to stockpot; bring to rolling boil on MEDIUM-HIGH. Cook 1 hour on low boil, until stock is reduced by half (4 cups total). Reserve 1 cup.
2. Add 3 cups of hot stock to large saucepan on MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Slowly add 1 cup cornmeal, stirring constantly, bringing to a low boil. Cook and stir about 5 min, until mixture is smooth and thickened.
3. Fold half the chopped green onions into cornmeal. Remove from heat; let stand while preparing remainder of recipe.
4. Place chipotle finishing butter in an oven-ready skillet; heat on MEDIUM. Stir in 3 Tbsp cornmeal until mixture is bubbling. Raise heat to MEDIUM-HIGH. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 min; watch carefully to prevent scorching.
5. Add Tex Mex blend, peppers, and reserved cup of stock to skillet; stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, 4 min, or until sauce thickens.
6. Turn off heat. Fold chicken and remaining green onions into mixture until well-mixed. Smooth surface evenly.
7. Fold shredded cheddar into cornmeal/onion mixture and spread over Tex-Mex mixture, smoothing over surface, as if frosting a cake.
8. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake 30-35 min, until golden brown on top and edges bubble. Rest 10-15 min for easy scooping.
 
 
 

Spinach Dip Chicken
c/o Stephanie Cooks
Ingredients:

2 thin chicken breasts
1/3 cup panko (or bread crumbs)
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 egg
Cooking spray
1/2 cup spinach dip (or any variety you have)

Directions:
1- Heat the oven to 350.
2- In a bowl, beat the egg.
3- On a separate plate combine the panko (or bread crumbs) and garlic powder.
4- Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the breading.
5- Place in a dish that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Lightly cover coated chicken with cooking spray.
6- Bake for 10 minutes.
7- Remove from the oven, top with the spinach dip. Return to the oven- bake until chicken is cooked through and the dip is hot.

Twice Baked Sweet Potato
c/o AnnieBakes

Ingredients
5 medium sweet potatoes

1/2 cup cranberry sauce
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup pecan pieces, lightly toasted
Directions
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Scrub potatoes; rinse and pat dry. Pierce all over with a fork. Place potatoes on oven rack and bake for 1 hour or until tender.

-Cut each potato in half lengthwise and using a spoon, scoop the pulp from each potato half, leaving a 1/4 inch shell. Place pulp in a mixing bowl, set aside the shells.
-Using a potato masher, mash pulp until smooth. Stir in cranberry sauce, dried cranberries and butter. Spoon mixture into each potato shell. Place, filled sides up in a baking pan, sprinkle with pecans. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
-To serve, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.
 
 

Snicker-free Snickerdoodle
c/o Nikki
 
Ingredients:
2-3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted, softened butter
1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl.Put butter and 1-1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.


Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into small balls (around 20); roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake cookies, rotative sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, about 12-15 minutes. Let cook on sheets on wire racks.
 
 
 
 
Be fabulous today!

Friday Foodday

Its the best day of the week lovebugs! Thank you so much for sending me your recipes, and please keep them coming!!!

Spiced Apple Galette

c/o Nikki

• 1 large apple (I think this one is a honey crisp), sliced
• 1 frozen pie crust
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice mix (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, lemon peel, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Mix apple slices with sugar, flour and spices.
3. Arrange apples on pie crust.
4. Fold the edge of crust in, around the fruit creating folds.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Chicken Divan Soup
c/o M&SJ+C

• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 1  garlic clove, chopped
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried crushed red pepper
• 1  (48-oz.) container chicken broth
• 2  (12-oz.) packages fresh broccoli florets (about 12 cups)
• 1  (8-oz.) package cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 4  cups  chopped cooked chicken (I cooked four chicken breasts in the crock pot all day then shredded and added to the soup).
• 8-oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and broccoli. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Stir in cream cheese.

2. Process mixture with a handheld blender until smooth. Add chicken, shredded cheese, and noodles. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don’t have a handheld immersion blender, let mixture cool slightly; process mixture, in batches, in a regular blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Return mixture to Dutch oven, and proceed as directed.

Parmesan Potato Balls

• 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes 
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 2 1/2 teaspoons onion soup mix 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 
• 1 dash pepper 
• 1 egg, beaten 
• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs 

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese into the potatoes until smooth. Stir in Parmesan cheese, soup mix, salt, hot pepper sauce and pepper. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place the egg and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip potato balls in egg, then roll in crumbs. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.

Chicken and Mushroom Marsala

3 whole boneless chicken breasts with skin (about 2 1/2 pounds),
halved
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, sliced thin
3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup Marsala
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. 


In a large heavy skillet heat oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken in 2 batches, transferring with tongs to a large plate as browned.


Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add Marsala and cook mixture, stirring, until Marsala is almost evaporated. Add broth and chicken with any juices that have accumulated on plate and simmer, turning chicken once, until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken with tongs to a platter.


Simmer mushroom sauce until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste, stirring until butter is just incorporated. Spoon mushroom sauce around chicken and sprinkle with parsley.