Mr. Lawson's Famous Zucchini Bread

*image from Google

Zucchini Bread

http://tinastidbit.blogspot.com/2010/07/zucchini-bread.html

3 cups shredded zucchini (2 to 3 medium)

1 2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

3 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts

1/2 cup raisins, if desired


1. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to

350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans or 1 (9x5-inch) loaf pan with shortening or

cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs until well mixed. Stir in remaining

ingredients except nuts and raisins. Stir in nuts and raisins. Divide batter evenly between 8-inch

pans or pour into 9-inch pan.

3. Bake 8-inch loaves 50 to 60 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, or

until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on cooling rack 10 minutes.

4. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on cooling rack.

Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up

to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Guacamole Salsa (from Frosted Bake Shop)

Make yourself a happy little camper and whip this up quickly.  It's AMAZING paired with the Chorizo Chili I just posted and obviously good with chips!

Everything below is copied directly from Frosted bake shop - great food blog, check it out and enjoy!!

I went to a church dinner a couple weeks ago and they made shredded pork with an amazing guacamole salsa over it. I loved it! I was so excited when later in the night they had a class teaching us how to make the same salsa!

It is really easy to make and is healthy also. It is made with all fresh vegetables & herbs ( and a pinch of salt.) It can be made thicker like real guacamole or thinner to make it like a salad dressing - and everywhere in-between. I use it to spread on my turkey sandwiches and it has a bunch of flavor without adding any fat. I keep thinking of all the other ways I can eat this - besides with a spoon!

Guacamole Salsa

1 lb. tomatillos (or more if you want it thinner)

1 jalapeno pepper (or more if you like it spicy)

1/3 bunch cilantro

1 thick slice of onion

1 garlic clove

1 avocado

1 tsp. salt

Peel and wash the tomatillos - they are usually found over by the cilantro & peppers, and have a husk on them. Cut them into quarters and put in the blender. Follow with the jalapeno, cilantro, onion, garlic, avocado & salt. Be sure to put the tomatillos in the bottom of the blender and not the avocado so it doesn't stick to the blade. You might have to help it start by shaking or using a mixer at first. But, once it gets going the juice from the tomatillos will help move the other ingredients around.

That is it! I was told it lasts for about a week in the fridge. I did notice that it thickens up in the fridge, so if you want it thinner grab a couple more tomatillos to mix in again. Super easy and so good!!

Crockpot Chorizo Chili

Crockpot Chorizo Chili

1 lb choizo sausage
1 lb stew beef
1 can (28 oz) diced or whole peeled tomatoes
3 chipolte chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
2 medium zucchini
1 cup celery, chopped
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried cilantro
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1 to 2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup lime juice
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
lime wedges (optional)

1.  grease crockpot with olive oil (spray, or I use a basting brush to coat the bottom and sides with about 2 tsp to 1 tbsp of olive oil).

2.  in a blender or food processor, blend the canned tomatoes and chilies.

3.  place the chorizo sausage and beef in the bottom of the crock pot.  Add chopped onion, zucchini, celery, and garlic.  spinkle spices over meat and veggies.

4.  pour in tomato and chili mixture.  add 1/2 cup dry red wine.  fill crockpot with beef broth, but don't over fill, it will boil over!

5.  simmer on low setting for 8 hours.  you may stir at the 4 hour mark, but mostly you can just leave it be!

6.  add lime juice 1/2 hour before serving.  garnish with cilantro and lime.

Don't feel that you need to add everything in this recipe to your chili.  If you don't have zucchini on hand, use carrots.  Add green peppers if you have them.  Use the whole onion if you prefer.  Also, don't worry about the cayenne pepper or coriander if you don't have any, but I highly recommend you do not skip the cumin!  You may also substitute ground turkey or ground beef for the stew beef.

Robin's note: I've made this as listed above and personally like to cook and drain the chorizo first as it can get greasy.  Pairs up great with Guacamole Salsa (see post).

This recipe is from the blog: F2F Nutrition

Picture from Pinterest linked to Paleomommy  - she has a very similar recipe, basically minus the zucchini more or less...

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes via Recipe Girl

 I found this recipe on Pinterest the other day and knew I'd be trying it soon.  Do click on the link because the lady tells you exactly what to do (and what not!) - they were really great and everyone ate them up.  The only thing I did differently was that I had some softened butter, so I used that instead of melting butter and I dare say it worked perfectly because I didn't have to keep mixing to reincorporate the butter to the sugar swirl mixture.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, from Recipe Girl

We made them again when Dimitris was here and he swirled the kids' initial in theirs - they thought that was the bee's knees!

This was my first batch and an example of what can happen if you swirl too close to the edge!
My second batch looked more like they should and tasty!

Salted Chocolate Truffles

So Dimitris and I have been attempting to make these for several months now, and this weekend we finally did it!  He's been following this gal, The Londoner, for quite some time and this heavenly recipe was one of the first that drew him to her blog.

As is our rule, we always try the recipe the first time as is written without changing, but we both agreed next time we'll sprinkle just a teensy tiny bit of crispy bacon along with the salt.  You may be thinking, "Blech, that sounds gross!", silly, silly folks - trust us, it will be a taste sensation!

Salted Chocolate Balls, from The Londoner's Blog

for quick reference, here's a great link to convert your measurements: Conversion Chart

Better than Anything Cake

To go with our incredible meal, we made this chocolate caramel poke cake - yummy!  Found this recipe on Pinterest of course and will certainly make it again.


Better than Anything Cake from the Chef in Training's blog (click here to see original and lots of other goodies)

Ingredients: 

• 1 box chocolate cake mix and any ingredients it requires 
• 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 (16 oz) jar caramel topping 
• 1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip, thawed to room temp
• 3-6 Heath candy bars, chopped 

Instructions:

• Bake cake according to directions in a 9 x 13 pan.
• Let cake cool for about 5 mins
• Poke holes in cake with the handle end of a wooden spoon.
• While cake is still warm, slowly pour over sweetened condensed milk over the top, making sure to get in the holes.
• Next drizzle the caramel topping in the same fashion.
• Spread Cool Whip evenly 
• Sprinkle with chopped Heath bar

ENJOY!!

Ours during the making process - this is cake, poked and double drizzled.  We were too busy eating to take an after picture!

an afterthought of a picture...

Butternut Squash soup

Dimitris was here this weekend and you all know what that means... LOTS of cooking and maybe a project or two!  :)  When the guys arrived from VA Friday night I suddenly was not feeling great, a quick stomach bug had knocked me out.  Saturday was better, but slow going and that evening I rallied, but the guys did the lion's share of the cooking.  We tried three new recipes: butternut squash soup, a flank steak roll and a poke cake.  Lots of great things!

First off was the soup; we've had a butternut squash lingering here and finally pulled the plug and used it!  It was delicious and the only thing that would have made it better would have been the crostini we forgot... oops.

Delicious and perfect for the wintry mix weather we had over the weekend.

Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostini - via Giada / Food Network

Ingredients

Soup:

• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crostini:

• 1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 cup (2 ounces) grated fontina cheese
• Kosher salt

Directions

Soup: In a 8-quart stockpot, melt the butter and oil together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in the squash and chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the sage and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.

Crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.

Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Mmmmm beef jerkey.

Brian's family arrived this morning and Pat brought with him the dehydrator we gave him for Christmas.  I'm not sure who was more excited about this, Brian or Pat, but let's just say they were both excited!!

They headed out just after dinner to get the supplies so that the meat could marinate overnight then we dehydrate the next evening.  We all agreed we should do some samplings before doing it all one way; it's quite possible they got carried away with that part...

They picked up a beef brisket and another piece, maybe a loin (?) and Brian started the slicing.  Pat was on the other side mixing up the marinade and then we set up the sample bags of Texas Pete, Cholula and Texas Pete Chipotle.

 

After doing those, I think the consensus was that the original TX Pete and Cholula were the best.  Then they got fancy and did some General Tsao's and two REALLY hot, hot sauces named Tongue and Fire.  In my personal opinion, I still vote for Pat's original TX Pete recipe and the Cholula!

The guys had an awesome time making it up and it was fun to see the process all the way through.

Chicken Brunswick Stew

Chicken Brunswick Stew from The Lady & Sons (Paula Deen)

serves 6-8

• (1) 2 1/2 lb fryer 
• (1) 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, sweetened with 1/3 cup sugar
• (1) 16 oz can creamed corn
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce 
• 1 T liquid smoke (found in grocery store)
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 1 T vinegar (I used white)
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce 
• salt and pepper to taste 
• celery salt to taste 

In a large pot, boil chicken until meat falls off bone, approx 45 minutes; drain (reserve 1 - 2 cups of stock).  Remove skin and bones; chop meat.  In a separate pot, mix chicken and remaining ingredients.  Simmer slowly for about 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.  (Add a little bit of stock if stew gets too think.)  Serve over steamed rice.

**Robin's edits / notes**

• This was a new recipe for me, so I followed it exactly (aside from adding the lima beans) and thought it was good, but a bit sweet for my personal taste.  Next time, I will not add the 1/3 cup of sugar - I think between the ketchup and bbq sauce, it will be sweet enough for me.  I'll most likely also add just a dash or two of a hot sauce next time too or maybe just do that on my own bowl - either Tabasco or Texas Pete would be good I think.
• Also, I have always eaten it like we did last night, more as a soup if you will, so I didn't do the rice, but I think that could be good / hearty as a meal in itself.
• The chicken I cooked was closer to 5 lbs as I was debating which recipe to use... so I had double the chicken the recipe called for.
• I had on hand a few pieces, probably about 1 lb of beef briskett - I tossed it in since I had it on hand (it had been smoked).
• It says to use another pot; I don't like washing dishes that much!  I reserved 2 cups of stock and did end up using about 1 1/2 after it had cooked a bit.  The remainder of the stock I put in ziplock bags in 1/2 cup and 2 cup portions that I lay flat and freeze.  Next time I need stock in a recipe - voila!  Once I had bagged up the stock, I poured all the ingredients back in to that pot and started simmering.
• I added a small bag (10-12 oz +/-) frozen lima beans - I've always had lima beans in the Brunswick stew I've eaten, so I tossed them in with the rest.
• Liquid smoke; I found it by the BBQ sauce section, small 5 oz bottle at Harris Teeter 
• Just for your purposes, I used Kraft Honey Hickory Smoke BBQ sauce - it's what I had on hand.  Again, I think this sauce is sweet enough in itself, that I won't add the sugar next time.
• I didn't have crushed tomatoes, so I used petite diced - once it's cooked down a bit, it's kind of all the same for this particular dish at least!

Easy Focaccia Bread

Prepped and ready for baking

Fresh from the oven - can't wait to make some paninis!

Easy Focaccia, from Southern Living's Homestyle Cooking 

• 2 (1 lb) loaves frozen dough, thawed - I used fresh dough sold in the deli section of my Harris Teeter, they were pizza dough balls, but I don't think that made a huge difference.
• 1/4 c olive oil - I didn't use nearly that much, closer to 1/8 cup
• 1 small white or purple onion, thinkly sliced and separated into rings 
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
• 2 T fresh (or dried) rosemary 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 tsp coarse salt 
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 

Place each portion of dough on a lightly greased baking sheet; slightly flatten each dough into a 12 x 8 x 1/2 inch rectangle.  Press your finger or knuckle into dough at 2" intervals to create "dimples".  Brush with olive oil.  Top with onion rings; sprinkle evenly with cheese, rosemary, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Bake at 375* for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Serve warm, or cool completely on wire racks.  

Yield: 2 loaves 

**This shortcut version can get creative!  Vary the toppings - try whole pitted olives, slivers of garlic and ham, and grape tomatoes.

Appetizer Chicken Wings

Trying to be more efficient and work through the food we have overstocked in our freezer... this week, we worked through a bag of chicken wings left from one of our frying sessions.  I didn't want to fry them, so I made these delicious Terriyaki wings that Mama makes and I served with saffron rice and asparagus.  The wings were delicious - fell off the bone in a tasty perfection!

Appetizer Chicken Wings, Ann E. Naylor

• 3 lbs chicken wings 
• 1 c honey
• 1/4 c soy sauce 
• 3 T vegetable oil
• 2 T ketchup
• clove garlic 
• salt and pepper 

Mix all ingredients except wings together.  Stir in wings until well coated.  Bake at 375* 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Stir several times.  Cook until dry.  Pour off grease.

Fun kitchen gadget: THE EBELSKIVER!

Dimitris has a new kitchen toy that he brought to play with while he was here... the ebelskiver!  It's a cast iron pan with 7 indentions to fill with a pancake-like batter, fill with a fun center, then top with more batter.  After cooking a few minutes, flip to cook other side and voila!  A fun filled pancake ball.  Not only were they fun to try different fillings, they were delicious too!  We whipped up our own batter that included almonds (pulverized until almost like flour) and well beaten egg whites; Dimitris has a mean batter recipe, I'll see if I can snake it from him later on.  We did all kinds: plain, blackberry filled, cream cheese filled, strawberry jelly and cream cheese, nutella and nutella with blackberry.  

Next time I'd like to try a corn meal batter and fill with jalapenos and cheese - of course for dinner and not breakfast!  

 The ebelskiver pan; get one.

 It all starts with some butter...

 First layer and blackberry center

 Putting top layer on. 

 Flipping them with bamboo skewers

 Flipped and cooking other side.

 First batch: blackberry 

(This first batch we tried a new batter and they were a bit "flat" and not as rounded as the almond based batter we did next)

 

 Whipped up some blackberry sauce to top them with. 

 Whitley Ann loved trying them all!

Nutella filled - whoa!  We even did two that were Nutella and blackberries... mmmmmm

French Silk Chocolate Pie

Lalon Approved!

Our friend Dimitris had emailed this pie recipe to me and since he was here visiting this weekend, seemed like the perfect time to try it out.  Needless to say, it did not disappoint!!  I had everything on hand that was needed except hazelnuts... I had pecans and macadamia nuts and we decided to live a little and try it with macadamia nuts - good decision!  It was so creamy and delicious, all the guys had 2 pieces at one sitting!!  It was like a delicious piece of chocolate on top of a sugar cookie.  Best of all, it took no time to piece together, a great easy thing to make - just need to allow time for it to set.

French Silk Chocolate Pie with Hazelnut Crust, from Eat, Live, Run

makes 1 pie to serve 8 people

Ingredients:
for crust—

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 6 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp salt

for pie—

• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a high speed blender or food processor, process the flour, sugar, hazelnuts and salt together until all are well combined and there are no clumps. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the melted butter until incorporated. Press mixture into a greased 9″ pie dish and bake for about 13 minutes until golden brown.

Remove crust from the oven and let cool completely.

Now make the filling! It’s important to use fresh eggs here because they are uncooked, so check the date and if possible, get organic and/or farm fresh (check your local farmer’s market or Whole Foods!).

Bring a small pot of water to a simmer on the stove. Place chocolate in another small(er) pot and place that pot on top of the simmering water to create a double boiler. Melt chocolate over simmering water (keep heat on low) and then remove and let chocolate cool to room temperature.

Cream butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and cooled melted chocolate and continue to beat until smooth. Now add the eggs, beating well after each addition. After the second egg, beat on HIGH for about 8-10 minutes until light and fluffy.

Pour filling into your cooled pie crust and place in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight to set.

Cover pie with whipped cream and decorate with cocoa, chocolate shavings and chopped hazelnuts.

Time: 1 hour active time—4 hours including time to set

My new favorite: Jacques Pépin

 Our good friend JP killed a couple of deer around Thanksgiving up in West Virginia while visiting his family and had both dressed.  Brian and I hit the jackpot as he was so very gracious to share some of that wonderful meat with us.  While I've had venison before, I've never prepared any that wasn't ground so I'm treading into new territory.  A few weeks back, I made a venison stroganoff = WOW!  Amazing, simply amazing.  And tonight after the kids were in bed, I finish off this meal of venison steaks with asparagus and gratin dauphinoise (potatoes).  It was all simply amazing.  After searing the steaks, I deglazed the pan, sauteeing some shallots in red wine vinegar and red wine then mixed in a few other ingredients to top the steaks.

I can not say enough good things about this meal!!  Brian literally wanted to just spoon the sauce into his mouth, but I did make him at least get a piece of bread... HA!  The venison and potatoes were both recipes from my new favorite, Jacques Pépin - I've been watching his show since I saw a link on a friend's Facebook - LOVE IT!  Links to the recipes are just below - take the time - it's worth it all!

Venison Steaks

Gratin Potatoes

Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers

And another Pinterest recipe... I know you're probably all sick of hearing about Pinterest!  I'm typing this up as the peppers are cooking and while I haven't tasted them yet, they sure do smell yummy!

Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers, from Skinnytaste

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes  
Servings: 5 • Serving Size: 2 halves • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 303.7 • Fat: 5.9 g • Protein: 29.9 g • Carb: 34.9 g • Fiber: 6.5 g 

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 half red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup parsley (or cilantro)
• 5 bell peppers (red or green)
• 14 oz shredded cooked chicken breast
• cumin
• adobo (or salt)
• 15.5 oz can white beans
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar

In a medium pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add chopped onions, garlic, parsley and red pepper. Saute until soft, about a minute. Add chicken and season with cumin andadobo. Add beans and 1 to 1-1/2 cups of water and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until it thickens and the liquid reduces. Adjust spices to taste.


Preheat oven to 350°. Cut peppers in half removing seeds and stem. Place peppers in an oven-proof dish. Fill each pepper with 1/3 cup of chicken and bean mixture. Pourabout 1/3 cup water or chicken broth on the bottom of the dish. Cover tight with foil.Bake 30 minutes at 350°. Remove foil, top with cheese and bake uncovered another 5 minutes.

Healthy Banana Bread

Of course another great find on Pinterest... and my friend Meghan had also made it, saying it was a keeper, so Lalon and I tried our hand at it this morning.  Unfortunately we got too far in before I realized I didn't have enough of all the ingredients needed, so we improvised.  So the improvised version we made this morning probably lost some "healthy" points, but it was good!  Just so you know what I didn't have, I used white AP flour (didn't have any whole wheat) and I only had about a 1/4 cup of honey, so I added 1/2 cup of molasses - and that my friends is where healthy said good-bye!  :)

Banana Bread, from 8 weeks to a healthier you

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar free applesauce
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 mashed overripe bananas

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together applesauce and honey. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.