Category Archives: Cooking

Banana Crumb Muffins

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 22 March, 2014 None comments

I got this recipe from my mom and tweaked it slightly. It’s very delicious and extremely easy to make. I don’t know if any of you have found a “keeper” recipe for banana bread but I haven’t and continue to try and find one. If you have one, please share. These are my alternative to banana bread as we sometimes have bananas take the next stage in color; dark brown/black. I can’t even eat a banana once it’s fully yellow. GROSS! I have to have I slightly green if I am going to eat one.

With that said, we had a couple bananas left over and I wanted “banana” bread and made these quick muffins. Along with the muffins I made Blueberry Oatmeal Scones to take to my mother-in-laws and as well as feed my parents who are visiting for the weekend.

Banana Crumb Muffins:

¾ cup sugar
1 egg
3 bananas
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Crumb Topping:

½ cup flour
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup oats
4 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a standing mixer add sugar, egg and bananas; mix well.

Add butter, flour, soda, powder and salt. Mix until moistened.

Add Pecans

Fill muffin tines 1/3 full.

Meanwhile make the crumb topping and top with muffins.

Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy fresh out of the oven or slice muffin in half and spread a little butter on warm muffin. ENJOY!

Cheese Please!

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 21 March, 2014 None comments

I absolutely love cheese. While I was pregnant I was so sick I couldn’t really eat much nor did anything sound good when I went to eat. The only things I could stomach were the little tangerine “cuties.” I went through boxes of these, literally 15 or more boxes during my first trimester. I would pop 5 at a time. I loved them so much and was so happy they made my tummy feel better. Morning sickness is truly the worst; nothing can actually describe these feelings. The only thing that brought light to my life during these 13 weeks of misery was my cuties and of course knowing I had a little baby I was growing. If you are pregnant or have been pregnant you are the only women who truly know how this morning sickness actually works. It’s a weird concept that eating actually helps the sickness, yet the thought of eating may cause you to throw up, while throwing up makes you not want to eat again. This vicious cycle can’t be tamed.

As my tummy started to settle and my cravings picked up, I began turning my appetite towards cheese as well as my cuties. I have always had a deep love for cheese even prior to pregnancy. I would buy blocks of medium or sharp cheddar cheese and cut chunks and melt them in the microwave. I have pictures of eating my cuties and cheese while my husband downs a bowl of ice cream. I would literally eat this melted cheese with either a fork or my fingers, it was so delicious. You hear the rumors that the husbands gain along with the wife; well I have proof that my weight was not ice cream induced but his most likely was. :) The thought of melted cheese right now actually turns my nose up, but I must say at the time it was fantasy land.

Now that I am post pregnancy I still love my cheese; cold cheese that is. I’ve found that Fred Meyers is one of the best places to buy block cheese for less. They have a refrigerator section at the end of the isles full of cheese. They have a big sign above that says “CHEESE CHEESE CHEESE.” They have sharp, medium, Pepper jack, Monterrey, and swiss. These are decent size blocks that are roughly $2.30-2.50 each. They almost always have these cheese piles and you can get a variety for a great deal.

Trader Joes also has cheese for an impeccable price. They have authentic cheese and delicious soft cheese for a good deal. We loaded up on cheese from there for our wedding and had many different platters full of many different tastes.

Here’s a few pics:

Display case for Hors’ devours

Cake Pops for the guests!

Fred Meyers and Trader Joes, I’ve found have the best bang for your buck for block cheese. Costco on the other hand has the best deal for shredded cheese. I buy the double bag for $12-15 depending on the kind. I have a container I use for the fridge, and constantly fill that with the remaining cheese I keep in the freezer. It’s a way better deal to purchase this in bulk rather than buy a couple smaller 8 oz or 16 oz bags from your local supermarket. This will last you a long time even if you are a household such as mine that enjoys their cheesy meals.

How to pick an avocado

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 20 March, 2014 None comments

How to pick an avocado

Pick one that has the stem on it…

Pick the stem off. If its green below you have a perfect avocado. If it’s brown it’s rotten or stringy inside. If it’s really speckled it’s also going to be really stringy inside.

Rotten-stringy inside

Perfect Avocado!

Thw harder the avocado the longer you have til it ripens. If you need it sooner, go for green and soft.
This old trick has never let me down.

Rice Noodle Saute

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 15 March, 2014 None comments

Rice noodle sauté fabulous. My heart and tummy were utterly satisfied after eating this dish. It was a good 65 degrees outside which honestly felt like 85 after all the cold weather we’ve been having. I was out digging out 4 foot ditch and was longing for a good “summer” meal and came up with this. :)

eIngredients:

1 package rice noodles*
1 lb tofu
1 lb kielbasa sausage (opt out for vegetarian)
1 cup broccoli, chopped
½ cup peppers (any color works)
1 large carrot, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped

Sauce:

3 tbsp terryaki sauce
2 tbsp worsterchire sauce
2-3 tbsp. sweet chili sauce
Drizzle of EVOO
1 tsp garlic salt
Salt and pepper

Chop all vegetables and add everything to a Wok including the sauce.

Heat on Medium-High heat for 5-8 minutes or until the vegetables are almost cooked.
Before they are fully finished cooking, add the uncooked rice noodles directly to the Wok without cooking.

Sautee for 2-3 minutes longer until they are tender. Remove from heat (they will continue to cook)

Serve and ENJOY!!!!

*Rice noodles- on the packaging they usually suggest boiling the noodles for 2-3 minutes; don’t do this. Boiling before adding to the vegetables only over cooks them and makes them mushy; basically they fall apart and taste terrible. Due to the vegetable mix in the Wok being already hot, this cooks them just enough and allows for perfection. :)

Easy cake pops

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 14 March, 2014 1 comments

Cake pops can take a lot of work and a lot of your precious time to compile them. After all the time spent into making delicious cake pops the family devours them leaving you with nothing but crumbs and begging for more.

Do you ever think about the amount of time you spend in the kitchen slaving over breakfast, lunch, dinners, and tasty desserts? I don’t think about it as I know the hours are beyond what I can count. Although my husband is an accountant I still refrain from asking him as I still like to believe ignorance is bliss. :)

These are pretty good and I freeze them and pull one out at a time to enjoy throughout the month. (Okay maybe I take a few out at a time)

Here’s what you do…

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
¼ cup oil
2 eggs
Water (as per the box of cake mix)
8 oz Sweet cream frosting
2- 16oz bag of chocolate (I used semi-sweet and white chocolate for a variety)

Bake the cake according to package instructions.

Let cool fully! Once cooled take a butter knife and slice through every which way to crumble to cake easily and into small pieces.

For easy use, in a stand mixer combine the cake crumbs with the frosting.

Roll into small balls and place in muffins cups or line up in a 9×13 pan.

Place in the fridge for 2 hours.

Once cold, melt chocolate and 1 tbsp of butter (optional) together until fully melted.

Dip each individual ball into chocolate and place back in the pan. Keep in the fridge.

Once chocolate is hardened you can drop them into a plastic bag and keep in the freezer if so desired.

Polenta Deep Dish Pizza

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 13 March, 2014 None comments

I made this for dinner tonight and was in love with how easy making your own polenta truly is. I was also 100% guilt free of eating two LARGE portions as it was polenta and not actual white crust. (Remember it’s deep dish pizza so one piece is pretty large) This gluten free recipe was very delicious and a must have when you want something divine and healthy.

Homemade Polenta:

3 cups water
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups cornmeal
1 tsp garlic salt
5 tbsp butter
2 tsp salt

In a large saucepan bring 3 cups water and 3 cups chicken broth to a boil. Turn on low heat and add cornmeal.

Add in garlic and salt and let simmer for 15 minutes; stir constantly.

Once thickened, add butter.

Pizza Sauce:

1 cup Ricotta cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt

In a small bowl mix together all three ingredients.

Set aside.

Pizza Toppings:

1 garlic clove, minced
1 ½ lb, mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
8 oz Sliced Salami (omit for vegetarian)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used Baby Bell cheese and shredded it myself)

In a large skillet add mushrooms, onions and garlic. Begin to simmer over medium heat.

Add Parsley, salt, and pepper.

In a greased cheesecake pan, add about 4 cups polenta and spread throughout pan as well as up the sides make it “deep dish.”

Spread ricotta cheese mixture on top of polenta

Layer mushroom mixture on top of ricotta

Layer salami on top of mushrooms to help hold the ingredients together

Top with shredded cheese

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is fully melted

To serve, remove outer rim and cut through.

Enjoy!

Idea adapted from Rachael Ray but recipe not used.

Almond Pesto

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 11 March, 2014 None comments

I love Pesto and you all should make it especially this time of year. I bought my basil plant about a week ago and have already made a batch of Almond Pesto. You can make so many different types of pesto and even freeze it in an airtight plastic bag.

Ingredients:

2 Large handfuls of fresh Basil
½ cup fresh parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper
1 garlic clove
1 handful of raw almonds*
¼ cup EVOO or Grapeseed Oil (You may need more)

Simply add all ingredients to a food processor.

Pesto goes on anything and everything. For a yummy appetizer serve on Baggett chips. Serve on grilled cheese, or use in anything to create a sauce with terrific flavor.

*Pine nuts work great in pesto but I like to switch it up from time to time even adding additional flavors to give a bit of a spice!

Shiitake Mushroom Pasta

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 10 March, 2014 None comments

What’s for dinner tonight??? Shiitake mushroom with zucchini and asparagus. This meal is easy to make and can be healthy as well. I served it over spaghetti squash but also made noodles as my husband is not a fan of squash.

Make your own cream sauce. It’s simple and delicious! For the sauce I added cornstarch to the meat and veggies and tossed until thoroughly coated. Next, add milk and heat on low heat to help thicken. For a little extra flavor I added sriracha and chicken “better than bouillon” to help bring out the flavors. Easy, tasty and a little spicy but not too much for that sensitive tongue.

Ingredients:

1 lb pork sausage (Italian sausage)
1 lb mushrooms, chopped
2 medium zucchini’s, chopped
1 lb asparagus
¼ cup Pesto*
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp parsley
3 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups milk
1 tsp sriracha (optional)
1 tsp chicken bouillon (better than bouillon)
1 cup Kale or Spinach
Spaghetti Squash or Pasta

Chop zucchini and mushrooms; set aside.

In a large skillet begin cooking the meat until half done, add the mushrooms and zucchini and continue to cook.

Add pesto and continue to cook the meat until thoroughly done.

*Pesto- I made my own pesto with my basil plant a couple days prior. To make your own add 1 cup fresh basil leaves, 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, small handful of raw almonds. In a food processor begin to puree while adding enough EVOO to make a paste.

Once meat is no longer pink, add cornstarch and coat evenly.

Add milk and simmer over low heat until it begins to thicken.

Add Sriracha sauce (optional)

Add Better Than Boullion.

Turn heat off and top mixture with kale and place a lid on top of the skillet to not overcook the kale.

Once the kale is wilted, you are now ready to serve and eat up! :)

Meanwhile, broil asparagus with EVOO, salt, pepper, and garlic salt for 5-7 minutes.

Serve on Spaghetti Squash (or pasta)

Top squash with sauce and layer with asparagus!

Enjoy!

Carrot, Zucchini Bread

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 9 March, 2014 None comments

Being on the health train we’ve attempted lately, I have been craving bread, carbs and flat out junk food. I want anything and everything that is terrible for you. Craving sugar, bread and donuts has been anything but unusual for me lately. Although our cupboards are filled with fruit and veggies I opted for a healthy bread that I was by far impressed with. Being as I am a sugar and carb gal, I was beyond shocked I was able to enjoy a slice without butter. Yes, withOUT butter. My heart probably thanked me and my tongue didn’t ask for some. So all around we were good!

Michael on the other hand doesn’t really care for all the bread, tortillas, bagels, English muffins or cinnamon rolls that Cooper and I devour. So although he thought it was good he really had no true insight because he could easily live without bread. He was not my captive audience on this particular dish; Cooper was. :)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup honey
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
¼ cup apple juice (orange juice works too)
1 ½ tbsp vanilla
3 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
½ tsp salt
2 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
2 large carrots, shredded (1 ½ cup)
1 large zucchini (1 ½ cup)
1 large apple (1 cup)
½ cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixer blend butter, sugar and eggs until well beaten. Add apple juice and vanilla and stir well.

Add all dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Cream well.

Meanwhile, in a food processor shred carrots and zucchini. (This makes for an easy step)

Add carrots and zucchini to mixture.

With a food chopper, chop the apples into small pieces. I make sure they are extremely small for my son’s sake. Add to the mixture.

Mix well.

In two greased bread pans evenly divide the mixture and cook in the oven for 45-60 minutes depending how hot your oven runs. When a toothpick inserted comes out clean, your bread is done!

While I was making this bread my son was in his tent playing with balloons. This has been a normal activity for him lately. He has been loving his tent. Today he got extremely quiet while I was baking and almost too quite I knew I needed to check on him.

Here is what I found:

He got into the container of Peach O’s that my husband left out…. This was the funniest sight I’ve seen in quite awhile. When I peeked in the tent he had the entire Peach O in his mouth gnawing extremely fast trying to get a bite off of it.

Hahaha oh how I laughed so hard that he tried even harder to suck off all the sugar before I swept them all away. Sweet boy! It was so precious to see this sight that I gave him some bites to enjoy!

Now that I rescued my little man from this choking hazard I gave him lunch with some Peach O’s for dessert. :) He deserved it!

Toothpick inserted came out perfectly clean. This bread is extremely moist and tastes awesome! No butter needed!

Meatloaf Bites

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 8 March, 2014 None comments

Meatloaf Bites, okay don’t ride off this recipe without reading it first. This is actually by far the best “meatloaf” recipe you will encounter. Honestly, it is! It was so good, my husband had no idea it was considered to be meatloaf as he probably wouldn’t have ate it. He absolutely hates the word “meatloaf” believing that ruins the essence of what meat actually is.

So try this recipe before you use the good ol’ excuse that you don’t care for meatloaf (I’m thinking of my sister right now). If I can trick my husband, I sure can fool you by the end of the recipe that this is even called meatloaf bites. :)

So here we are and my husband had six in one sitting and I probably had the remaining six. Luckily they make 18 muffins so we had enough for Cooper as well. We all loved them. They are healthy, full of veggies and protein and even my little toddler ate them, mind you he can be very picky as most kids are. I was thrilled that he ate them and not only ate them but ate with satisfaction! :)

Ingredients: