Against All Grain: Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

What do you make a man who loves snickerdoodle cookies, but who is also trying to eat a somewhat Paleo diet?  Cupcakes, of course.  I've got to say - every dessert I've had from one of Danielle Walker's books has been inpressively delicious.  Especially considering they have no: all-purpose flour. processed sugar, or dairy.  I honestly didn't think dessert could happen without those items.  Color me impressed.  And these little cupcakes are no exception.  While I'm not sure I could go so far as to call them healthy, they're certainly a far cry from the sugar bombs that I normally make.  Sugar bombs have their time and place, but these will work for the rest.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
From Against All Grain by Danielle Walker

4 eggs, at room temperature
½ cup honey
1 tablespoons coconut milk, at room temperature
3 tablespoons melted raw cacao butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup coconut flour, sifted
1½ teaspoons cinnamon, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Italian Meringue Frosting

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line 8 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups.

Place the wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium until frothy and fully incorporated.  Add the dry ingredients, beating until combined.  Spoon the batter into the prepared cups of the muffin pan, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Bake for 18 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.  Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes, then dust with cinnamon.

Makes 8 cupcakes

Italian Meringue Frosting
2 egg whites
⅓ cup honey
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
Small pinch sea salt

Place the honey in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high until soft peaks form.  Add the lemon juice and salt and beat to combine.  With the mixer on medium, pour the boiling honey into the bowl in a slow, steady stream.  Continue beating for 6 to 8 minutes, or until stiff peaks form and the meringue is cool to the touch and has doubled in volume.

Makes 3 cups

Bourbon Maple Bacon Baked Beans

My niece and nephew love baked beans.  LOVE THEM.  I'm not sure why or how this happened, but if you find something a kid will eat, you give it to them.  However, I'm all about making things from scratch, as those canned goods are full of all sorts of stabilizers, thickeners, and other unidentifiables.  So I needed to develop a recipe.  A recipe that wasn't just as bad as the cans because it included ketchup or barbecue sauce.  I know the recipe list looks long, but I promise a big chunk of it is just spices to give the beans their yummy flavor.  The little muchkins gobbled this up and asked for more, so I think that's about the highest praise a recipe can get.

Note: There's a little bourbon in these for the flavor.  It's completely safe for children, as the alcohol cooks out during the long period in the oven, but you can absolutely leave it out anyway.

Bourbon Maple Bacon Baked Beans

8 slices applewood smoked bacon, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup honey
½ cup real maple syrup
3 teaspoons liquid smoke
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground yellow mustard
2 teaspoons sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
¼ cup bourbon (optional)
3 (15-ounce) cans navy beans, rinsed and drained

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy and fat is rendered.  Using a slotted spoon, scoop bacon onto a paper towel to drain.  Keep two tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot and discard the rest.  Add the onions to the bacon fat and cook until the onion is translucent.

Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.  Add half of the cooked bacon and stir to combine.  Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Pour beans into a casserole dish and top with the remaining bacon.  Cook, covered, for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until beans are slightly saucy and bubbling.

Makes 8 servings

Spend with Pennies: Spaghetti Casserole

Sometimes the best way to take care of someone is to make them dinner and take it over to their house.  And the best dinner to deliver is probably a casserole.  It's one dish, easy to heat up, and easy to clean up afterwards.  Low effort, high return.  And when it's a pile of tomatoey pasta with sausage and cheese?  Yeah, I don't have to keep convincing you.  This casserole is spaghetti taken to the next level.

Note: I used vermicelli for this casserole instead of traditional spaghetti noodles.  I find that it makes it less doughy with the thinner noodles.

Spaghetti Casserole
Adapted from Spend with Pennies blog

16 ounces dried spaghetti noodles
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed

½ pound hot Italian sausage, casing removed
3 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, divided use
2 (24-ounce) jars spaghetti sauce, divided use
1 (8-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sour cream
3 cups shredded mozzarella, divided use
½ cup butter, cut into slices, divided use

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package, drain well and return pasta to original pot. Add 1 jar of prepared spaghetti sauce and combine. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, sausage, and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning to skillet, and cook until no pink remains. Drain well. Add 1 jar of spaghetti sauce to skillet. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Set aside.

Place half the slices of butter in a 9x13 baking dish. Spread half the spaghetti in dish, then spread cheese mixture evenly over spaghetti. Spread remaining spaghetti over cheese mixture. Top with the remaining butter slices. Pour tomato meat sauce evenly over top layer of spaghetti.

Top with remaining mozzarella and bake in preheated oven until casserole is heated through, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Honey and Birch: Bacon-Wrapped Dates with a Honey Balsamic Reduction

It's hard to cook for a family full of picky eaters, whether self-imposed or illness-imposed.  Each new item added to the no-no list means that many more recipes that either have to be altered or removed from the rotation entirely.  So it's nice to find creative new recipes that are an easy hit.  I hadn't eaten many dates before, but I figured that anything stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon was going to be delicious.  And I wasn't wrong.  Go easy on the balsamic reduction; it's a strong pop of flavor.

Note: I added a dash of cayenne pepper to the goat cheese.  Everyone needs a little spice in their life.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates with a Honey Balsamic Reduction
Adapted from Honey and Birch blog

30 pitted Medjool dates
15 slices of bacon, cut in half
1 (4-ounce) log goat cheese
¼ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup honey
¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Preheat your oven to 350°F and cover a baking sheet with foil. Combine the goat cheese and pecans in a small bowl. Mix well.

Stuff each date with the goat cheese mixture - you want to stuff them so they are full but not overflowing. Wrap a piece of bacon around the date so that the date's opening is covered - stretch the bacon if you need to.  Secure each piece of bacon with a toothpick.

Place each bacon-wrapped date on the baking sheet, spacing evenly on your baking sheet.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bacon is crispy, and remove from the oven. Let cool completely before serving.

While the dates are baking, combine the honey and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until combination is reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let sit to thicken.

Makes 10 servings

Yellow Squash and Zucchini Casserole

My mom decided that it would be a good idea to plant both yellow squash and zucchini in her garden.  She apparently hadn't heard the horror stories from other backyard gardeners.  Don't worry, she now knows that all the stories are true.  Her zucchini plant produced a massive green zucchini, and her squash plants grew enough to fill a Ziploc.  This was all about a week before she left town on vacation.  So all the squashes came to my apartment.  And they merrily ended up in this cheesy concoction.  My favorite part is the herbed cracker topping, so don't leave that part out.

Yellow Squash and Zucchini Casserole

1 pound yellow squash, sliced
1 pound zucchini, sliced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 large shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon dried dill

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.

Boil the squash and zucchini until almost tender. Drain the squash and zucchini well and let cool to room temperature in a colander. Mash against the side of the colander to push out the excess water. Move the squash and zucchini to a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the shallot and sauté until translucent, then add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds or so.  Do not let the garlic brown.  Add the shallot mixture to the squash in the bowl. Crush 8 to 10 crackers and sprinkle over the squash mixture; mix well. Season with salt and pepper.  Mix in the shredded cheese and the eggs. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

Crush the remaining crackers.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with the herbs, and then toss the crackers in the melted butter.  Top the squash with the buttered crackers. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and puffed.

Makes 6 servings

Spend with Pennies: Chicken Rice Casserole

Some days you want a super fancy dinner, and some days you just want the food to march into the oven by itself.  I'm having one of the latter type of days.  I remembered this casserole from way back in high school.  I had a date at my boyfriend's house, and his mom made us this super simple, but super comforting chicken and rice casserole.  It was awesome.  Even more awesome is that this version doesn't use instant rice.  Because come on, guys, that stuff is nasty.  Use real food.  Even when you're tired.

Chicken Rice Casserole
From Spend with Pennies blog

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
1 (10½-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

1½ cups water

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add chicken breasts, sprinkle with paprika, and season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle uncooked rice over chicken, then sprinkle with onion soup mix.  Combine mushroom soup and water and pour over chicken.  Cover with foil and bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Makes 4 servings

Creme de la Crumb: Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa

My office tries hard to make life fun for us, even if we're working 20 hours of overtime every quarter, and I appreciate that.  The latest part of the fun drive was a salsa-making contest.  I've honestly not been a big salsa maker, but I figured I would play along.  While I don't have a way to smoke all of the ingredients, I did find fire-roasted tomatoes.  And mine wasn't very spicy, so I've included a serrano pepper in the list below to give it a kick next time.  I did lose to a handmade Mexican salsa served in a molcajete, but hey, I was proud.

Note: It may look like the salsa is very soupy.  Resist the urge to dump those juices.  You'll need to stir them in later to keep everything loose.

Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa
Adapted from Creme de la Crumb blog

1 (28-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (4-ounce) can diced green Hatch chilis
1 small red onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
1 serrano pepper, seeded and diced
1 large handful of cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse until all ingredients come together and are pureed.  Serve immediately or, for best flavor, cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours or longer. Store chilled in airtight container.

Makes about 2½ cups

Bon Appétit: Shrimp Scampi

I'm not sure what my deal is lately, but all I can think about is eating mounds of shrimp.  Shrimp covered in melted butter and garlic.  I haven't dreamed about it yet, but I'm sure that's coming soon.  Well, I figured the fastest way to remedy this situation was to find a decent scampi recipe and cook up some shrimp for dinner.  I'm honestly not sure when I've been happier.  I was literally pulling hot little shrimp from the pan with my fingers because I couldn't wait for it to get to my plate.  And absolutely make sure you have some sort of vehicle for the juices, whether bread or pasta.

Note: I used double the amount of garlic.  Because they never put enough garlic in anything.

Shrimp Scampi
From Bon Appétit magazine, February 2017

4 garlic cloves, 2 grated, 2 thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Warm crusty bread (for serving)

Whisk grated garlic, salt, and 1 tablespoon oil in a medium bowl. Add shrimp, toss to coat, and chill, uncovered, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium and cook shrimp mixture, being careful not to let shrimp or garlic brown, until shrimp is pink but still slightly underdone, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving as much oil in pan as possible. Add sliced garlic and red pepper to skillet and cook, tossing, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add butter and cook, stirring and swirling pan occasionally, until butter is melted and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes more.

Scrape shrimp along with any accumulated juices into skillet. Toss to coat and cook until shrimp are fully cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter, top with parsley, and serve with bread for dipping alongside.

Makes 4 servings

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook: Samphire Salad

I just happened to be wandering in my local specialty grocery store this morning when I came across a little green plant that I had never seen before.  It was labeled "sea beans", so I immediately started googling.  Apparently these little plants grow near salt marshes, and they take on the saltiness of the waters near where they grow.  Now I figured that was a pretty impressive trick (and keeps me from having to salt the salad), so I took some home.  I think this salad allows the samphire to really shine through, but if you're a newbie, just know that yes, they are VERY salty.

Samphire Salad

From Hunter Angler Gardener Cook blog

1 pound samphire (sea beans)
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil, use high quality oil here
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
Black pepper to taste
¼ cup crumbled feta or Mexican cotija cheese
Lemon or lime juice to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the samphire for 1 minute. Transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool. Let them rest a few minutes. Lay out a tea towel or other cloth towel. Pick through the samphire stalks to remove any stray bits of seaweed, and to remove any discolored bits or woody bottoms. Use only the top 2 to 5 inches of the plant. Lay the cleaned samphire on the towel to dry.

Pat the samphire dry and toss with everything but the lemon juice. Add lemon juice until the salad is as tangy as you like it. Serve cold or at room temperature. This will keep in the fridge for a couple days.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ample Hills Creamery: Butter Pecan Ice Cream

There's no ice cream my father loves more than some good old butter pecan, so when we decided to have a family get together for Father's Day, I knew there needed to be more than just cake.  The only problem is finding a decent recipe for ice cream.  It doesn't seem like it would be that difficult of a proposition, but the more care you put in, the better the results that come out.  I knew when I saw this recipe (what? homemade pecan brittle??) that it met my criteria.  This is hands down the best butter pecan ice cream I've ever had.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

From Ample Hills Creamery

For the brown sugar ice cream:
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup skim milk powder
1⅔ cups whole milk

1⅔ cups heavy cream

3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the pecan brittle:
12 ounces pecans, broken into pieces
½ cup golden syrup or light corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon baking soda

Make the brown sugar ice cream:
Fill a large heatproof bowl or your kitchen sink about halfway with ice water.

In a medium saucepan off the heat, combine the brown sugar, skim milk powder, and milk. Blend with an immersion or stick blender, mix with a handheld mixer, or whisk until smooth. Make sure the skim milk powder is wholly dissolved and that no lumps remain (any remaining sugar granules, on the other hand, will dissolve when heated). Stir in the cream.

Clip the candy or deep-fry thermometer to the saucepan and set the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often with a rubber spatula and scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking and burning, until the mixture reaches 110°F (45°C), 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly pour ½ cup (120 milliliters) hot milk mixture into the egg yolks to temper them. Continue to whisk slowly until the mixture is an even color and consistency, then whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the remaining milk mixture.

Return the saucepan to medium heat and continue cooking the mixture, stirring often, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon and reaches 165°F (75°C), 5 to 10 minutes more.

Transfer the saucepan to the ice water in the sink and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and making certain absolutely no ice water spills into the pan. Add the vanilla and stir to combine. Pour the ice cream base through a strainer into a resealable container and refrigerate for about 8 hours.

Make the pecan brittle:
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 275°F. Butter a 12-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.

Spread the pecans in a single layer on the parchment and toast until they just begin to change color, about 10 minutes. Immediately transfer to a plate and let cool. Reserve the prepared baking sheet for the brittle.

Grab a medium deep-sided saucepan (3½- to 4-quart would be perfect) and add the syrup, sugar, salt, butter, and water. Clip the candy thermometer to the side of the pan and set the pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the ingredients are combined and the sugar has dissolved, then continue to cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 305°F (150°C), at least 15 minutes and up to 25 minutes. You want to constantly monitor the temperature so that it doesn’t rise above 310°F (154°C).

Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the pecans and baking soda and whisk to combine. (The baking soda will cause the mixture to bubble slightly but not too furiously. This is is where that deep-sided saucepan comes in handy, as it keeps spatters to a minimum.) Working quickly, as the mixture will begin to set as the temperature drops, spread the mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Let the mixture cool at room temperature until it’s brittle, about 2 hours.

Break the brittle into bite-size pieces and store in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use.

Assemble the butter pecan brittle ice cream:
Transfer the cooled base to an ice cream maker and churn it until it’s ready, 30 to 40 minutes.

Transfer the ice cream to a resealable freezer-safe storage container, folding in the pecan brittle pieces as you do. Use as much of the brittle as you want; you won’t necessarily need the whole batch. (We found that about ½ batch of brittle was just right.) Serve the butter pecan brittle ice cream immediately if you prefer a super soft consistency or stash it in your freezer for 8 to 12 hours to harden if you prefer to be able to scoop it.

Makes 1 quart