Leftover Quesadillas

Last night around 9pm, we decided we needed a snack. I looked in the fridge, and found only the staple condiments, eggs, and a container with 2 spoonfulls of ground turkey taco filling, and some corn. (These conditions typically lead to some of my best food experiements.) I dug out some leftover flour tortillas, got the shredded cheddar, and made these these little snack size quesadillas, then smothered them in salsa and devoured them. Creative? No. Delicious? Yes!

What's the best thing you've ever cobbled together from leftovers and/or pantry staples?

A Tale of Two Birthday Cakes

It's March, which means almost everybody I know is having a birthday at the same time. Case in point: both my nieces turned a year older in the past 2 weeks and their party was yesterday. I took the opportunity to flex my cake skills. Not perfect, but they tasted delicious and everyone seemed to like them. The theme, if you can't tell, was Cinderelly herself. The little one got her very own cake to smash and cover herself with. See below for results.

Since I had to drive them across town, I did the base layer of frosting at my house, then decorated them more fully upon arrival. I think I was most excited about getting to thread the ribbon through the cake platter that someone gave me for my wedding. Its the little things.

As you can see, the inside of the cakes was pink; fit for any princess. Watching the baby poke at her cake was probably my favorite part. At least I don't have to make another cake until November, so I have some time to hone my skills a little more. I learned a valuable lesson this time about frosting with buttercream in a warm apartment. Won't be doing that again!

Here was my recipe for the icing:

Ingredients:

2 sticks room temp butter

3 C powdered sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp milk or cream

food coloring

Instructions:

1. Combine butter and sugar with electric mixer on low speed until fully integrated. Raise speed to high and beat for 3 minutes.

2. Add vanilla, and cream; beat until fully incorporated. Add food coloring and use!

Tips: Frost the cakes with a "crumb" layer and then store in the freezer for 15-20 minutes between coats. Leave it in the freezer for 45-60 minutes before trying to drive said cake across town. :)

Cabbage Tots

After visiting local restaurant Bocado recently, I have a new found love of brussel sprouts. I filled up on sprouts and red wine alone - and I could have kept eating them. Anyway, I've been on a search ever since to find a recipe to make them at home. I think the secret is all in the roasting technique.


Ingredients:
1-1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut through the core into quarters
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. minced shallot
1-1/2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice; more to taste
1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. lightly packed finely grated lemon zest

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, toss the sprouts with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread the sprouts out evenly on the two baking sheets.
2. Roast until the sprouts are tender 20 to 22 minutes, stirring the sprouts once or twice during roasting. (Note that any loose leaves will be browning deeply; if they seem to be actually burning, turn down the heat a bit or just pick out the burned leaves.)
3. While the sprouts cook, combine the butter and shallot in a small, heavy saucepan. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat until the butter is melted and the shallots are soft, about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and continue cooking, swirling the pan, until the milk solids in the butter turn golden brown and the butter smells very nutty (take care that none of the shallots burn), about 2 minutes. Whisk in the lemon juice, thyme, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to dress the sprouts.
4. Slide the sprouts into a medium bowl, add the vinaigrette, and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, or lemon, and serve immediately.


*Adapted from a recipe here.

Valentine's Breakfast

I couldn't think of a more special way to thank my Valentine for being so great than to present him with a plate full of pork and cheese eggs! And yes, the toast is shaped like a heart - really went out of the box on that one. Nothing says, "I love you" like CHEESE EGGS!

What special foods did you enjoy today?

Orange Vanilla Pound Cake

In an effort to contribute something valuable to last weekend's superbowl party, I wanted to make some sort of cake. This turned out pretty good - but it was a little smaller than I expected. I'll definitely tweak to add more orange flavor next time, but the tanginess of the yogurt was surprisingly (and deliciously) notable.

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. vanilla yogurt
Powdered sugar icing (powdered sugar, vanilla, and orange juice)

Instructions:

1. Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

2. Combine flour, soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir lemon rind, vanilla and yogurt into batter.

3. Pour batter into a greased 10-inch Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean). Cool in pan 15 minutes; remove and cool completely on rack. Sprinkle with icing as desired.

Curry Chickpea Stew and Coconut Rice

This is directly inspired from one of our favorite restaurants in the Atlanta area: Brick Store Pub in Decatur. I couldn't believe one of us was actually brave enough to order a veggie based meal, but it turned out to be a total winner. Hearty enough to satisfy even on the coldest of nights. Serve with coconut rice.

Ingredients:
1 pkg dried chick peas, soaked for 12 hours
4 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flake
3/4 C. chopped carrots
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2" chunks
3 cloves chopped garlic
3/4 coconut milk
1/2 C. almond butter (or peanut butter)

Instructions:
1. Add pre-soaked chick peas, chicken broth, curry powder, red pepper, and garlic to crock pot. Set on low for 10-12 hours.
2. With 4-5 hours left to cook, add carrots and sweet potatoes.
3. When all chick peas and veggies are tender, add almond butter and coconut milk, and let simmer/meld for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Seriously - this is not my typical meal, but its worth a try. Also, I should mention that it is really easy.

Lasagna and Brownies

Tonight we took the opportunity to remember a special friend of ours by eating his favorite meal in his honor. Nothing about this meal is super creative, but it is meaningful to me, and delicious! I had every intention of making my own pasta for the lasagna, but time did not permit, so I used flat sheets of dry pasta.

What are some of your sentimental recipes?