quick Archives - Page 24 of 25

Chocolate Malt Muffins

January 2, 2012 ·

I had a lot of leftover malt powder after making Triple Chocolate Malted Cookies. While I’m sure Mike would love if I used it up making several batches of his favorite cookie, I had other ideas. One of them, of course, being muffins! These muffins were a fun change from our usual breakfast. The malt flavor was not overwhelming, and the chocolate chips gave a little extra interest. A little chocolate for breakfast can’t be a bad thing, right? Definitely not if that means enjoying these muffins!

Chocolate Malt Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup chocolate malt powder (plus 2 teaspoons for topping)
⅓ cup granulated sugar (plus 2 teaspoons for topping)
1 tablespoon baking powder
⅓ cup canola oil
¾ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare muffins tin (line cups or spray with cooking spray). In a small bowl, mix 2 teaspoons malt powder and 2 teaspoons granulated sugar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, malt powder, sugar and baking powder until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix the oil, buttermilk, egg and vanilla.
Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and fold gently until just combined; gently fold in chocolate chips.
Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with malt powder/sugar mixture.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from weewelcome

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: baked, brunch, chocolate, easy, malt, malted, muffins, quick

Pretzel Kiss Candies

December 19, 2011 ·

Pretzel Kiss Candies are the ultimate salty sweet treat made using only three ingredients. Colors can be customized for holidays and events, making these a go-to for any party! Make a lot, because they disappear quickly!!

Pretzel Kiss Candies | alidaskitchen.com

Pretzel Kiss Candies are a fun and easy treat for the holidays. These candies have been circulating around the web for some time now, and with good reason. They are easy and SO good! You have the salty-sweet thing going on, plus they are a cute addition to your holiday treat plate. Use your favorite M&Ms for the topper, choosing whatever goes with your celebration. The white chocolate Hershey’s Hugs tend to melt faster and smoother than their milk chocolate counterparts, but they are both equally delicious.

Simple to make, Pretzel Kiss Candies are perfect for a last minute get together, or simply because they mood strikes you. Whatever the reason, Pretzel Kiss Candies are a must-make for the holidays!

More easy pretzel treats:

Pretzel Kiss Candies

Yields: varies

Ingredients

Square waffle-shaped pretzels
Hershey's Hugs or Kisses
M&Ms candy, any variety

Instructions

Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Set pretzels on lined cookie sheet. Place an unwrapped Hershey's Hug or Kiss on top of pretzel.
Bake oven for 4-6 minutes until softened (note: Hugs will soften quicker than Kisses). Remove from oven and press an M&M candy into the center of each Hug/Kiss.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then place in refrigerator to harden for 15 minutes to overnight.

Filed Under: dessert, Favorites, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: candy, chocolate, christmas, easy, entertaining, holiday, pretzels, quick, white chocolate

Banana Graham Muffins

December 12, 2011 ·

One of the reasons I often make muffins or quick breads is so that Mike can take breakfast on-the-go. With this lastest muffin creation, I wanted to make something that Adam would love as well. It definitely did not take me long to come up with this one. It is no secret that toddlers love bananas and toddlers love graham crackers. So why not put the two together in a muffin to create the ultimate toddler treat!

I must confess that Adam is not the only banana and graham cracker lover in this house ~ yours truly is a huge fan as well. These muffins definitely did not disappoint! The crushed graham crackers definitely add a tasty spin on an otherwise simple banana muffin recipe. In fact, they ended up being a nice combination of the two flavors. They were not overly graham cracker-y but also not like banana bread. I added some cinnamon, which ended up very subtle in this recipe. That amount could be doubled if you’re looking for something cinnamony to go with your banana and graham.

So did Adam love them? He sure did! In fact, we all did, and I hope you do too!

Banana Graham Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup crushed graham crackers
1 cup all purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup granulated sugar
3 medium overripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
¼ cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tin with paper liners (or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the graham crackers, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and sugar.
In a separate bowl, combined the mashed bananas, oil milk, egg anv vanilla.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, folding gently until combined (be careful not to over mix).
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Adapted from Baking Vintage

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, banana, brunch, cinnamon, easy, graham, graham cracker, muffins, quick, snack

Pumpkin Cornbread

November 30, 2011 ·

On Monday, I shared my favorite chili recipe of all time and gave you a preview of today’s post. What goes best with chili – cornbread! As I am sure you have noticed, we are all about pumpkin over here these days. So we put the two together to make Pumpkin Cornbread.

This recipe is super easy to make, and the sweet cornbread was the perfect complement to the spicy chili. The leftovers were a great quick breakfast on the go, while Adam enjoyed it most as a snack in the car after a trip to the zoo. Versatile and delicious, these Pumpkin Cornbread recipe is definitely a keeper.

Pumpkin Cornbread

Yields: 16 servings

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon molasses

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 8x8" baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar and cornmeal; set aside.
In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs and then stir in the pumpkin, oil and molasses until combined.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and fold until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan (smooth the top, if needed).
Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Slightly Adapted from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, cornbread, easy, pumpkin, quick, snack

Easy Spinach & Cheese Lasagna

November 17, 2011 ·

While working on clearing out the cupboards in advance of our upcoming move, I found myself faced with 3 boxes of lasagna noodles. How did that happen! At least it is something I am happy to use, unlike the random can of soup that I have been avoiding. In lieu of my usual lasagna recipes, which tend to be a bit more labor intensive, I decided to go with something easy and quick to prepare. This Easy Spinach and Cheese Lasagna is exactly that…and so good!

This lasagna is first simplified by not boiling the noodles. I used no-boil noodles, but have used regular noodles in the past and they have worked just fine. Another step is saved by using a good quality pasta sauce from a jar. A from scratch sauce would of course be fabulous, but we’re going for easy here. Mix the filling, layer it up with the sauce and noodles, add water, and pop the pan in the oven. In a little over an hour, you have an easy, healthy, delicious meal. This lasagna makes plenty for serving guests, or you can enjoy some great leftovers!

Easy Spinach and Cheese Lasagna
Yields 6-8 servings

15 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (divided)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen spinach, thawed, chopped and drained well
3-4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (25-ounce) jar pasta sauce
9 to 12 no-boil uncooked lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13 inch non-reactive baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Paremsan, egg, spinach salt, pepper and Italian herb seasoning.
In another bowl, combine the remaining mozzarella and Paremsan cheese. This is for the topping, so set aside.
Pour 1 cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of the baking pan. Top with a layer of noodles and then a layer of the ricotta-spinach mixture. Repeat with another layer of noodles and ricotta-spinach mixture. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Pour 1 cup water around the edges of pan.
Cover very tightly with non-stick foil (or foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray). Bake for 1 1/4 hours. Let stand, uncovered, for 15 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Whole Foods

Filed Under: healthy, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: cheese, easy, entertaining, italian, lasagna, quick, spinach, tomato, vegetable

Apple Cinnamon Oven Pancake

November 3, 2011 ·

I can still remember the first time I made this pancake. It was many years ago, after I moved into my very first apartment. I had purchased a Betty Crocker cookbook, and for whatever reason, out of all the recipes, the Puffy Oven Pancake jumped out at me. I was hosting a brunch to show off the new place, and thought it would be a perfect dish to serve. You know it’s a winner when after so many years, the memory of this pancake is fresh in my mind.

Over the years, I have made a few tweaks to the recipe. It is very easy to make and yields an impressive looking result. The pancake is light, and with the delicious cinnamon sugary apple topping, additional toppings are not necessary.

Apple Cinnamon Oven Pancake
2 tablespoons butter (I use light)
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium apple, thinly sliced (any variety, I used granny smith)
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Put butter in a 9-inch pie plate and put in the oven to melt.
Mix sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk eggs. Add buttermilk, and whisk until blended.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in flour until blended. Batter will be lumpy, be careful not to over mix.
Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over melted butter. Top with apple slices. Pour batter over apple slices.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until pancake has puffed up and is golden brown. Invert on to a serving platter and cut into wedges.

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: apple, brunch, cinnamon, easy, pancakes, quick

Sweet Onion and Cheddar Cornbread

October 12, 2011 ·

Chili and cornbread is such a classic combination. On Monday I shared a delicious Black Bean Chili with Roasted Butternut Squash with you. Today I am sharing with you this amazing Sweet Onion and Cheddar Cornbread that with our chili. Of course, while I have made several cornbread recipes over the years, cornbread with sweet onions and cheddar is a version I did not have a recipe for…until now.

The first step in creating this recipe was to select a base, and for that I went to a very trusty source – the back of the cornmeal canister. Their Easy Corn Bread was a perfect place to begin. The rest was a little bit of guess work and crossed fingers.

Sauteed onions and cheddar cheese are the perfect additions that take this basic cornbread recipe to a whole new level. The poppy seeds sprinkled on top add a little visual appeal. Mike has already requested I make this again. There is no doubt this Sweet Onion and Cheddar Cornbread will be making a regular appearance at our dinner table this chili season.

Sweet Onion and Cheddar Cornbread

Author: Alida Fischbach

Yields: 16 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
¾ cup cornmeal
1¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt (optional)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (reserve 1 tablespoon for topping)
¼ teaspoon poppy seeds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add onion and saute until softened (about 5-7 minutes). Reserve 1 tablespoon for topping. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar and baking powder.
In a small bowl, whisk milk, oil and egg until combined.
Add milk mixture to dry ingredients, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in onion and and cheese (do not over mix).
Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle reserved onion and cheese and poppy seeds on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Adapted from back of Quaker corn meal canister

Filed Under: bread, Recipes Tagged With: buttermilk, cheddar, cheese, corn bread, cornbread, easy, onion, quick

Tortellini Soup with Chunky Tomatoes and Spinach

September 20, 2011 ·

(Photos updated 2/23/2012)

As the weather turns cooler, we find ourselves gravitating toward soups, chili, baked pasta, all of those warm comfort foods. I have had a vision for this tortellini soup for quite a while, but simply have not had an opportunity to execute it. Until now…

Filled with healthy vegetables and hearty tortellini, Tortellini Soup with Chunky Tomatoes and Spinach is the perfect comfort food for a crisp fall day, or any day for that matter. And guess what? It can be made in under 30 minutes! Had I realized that, this soup would have been made long ago.

I put a range of 4 to 6 cups for the broth, so you can adjust to your preference. I like my soup on the chunkier side, so 4 cups of broth yielded the perfect consistency for me. I also used frozen spinach, which worked really well. I recommend using both low sodium broth and tomatoes, so you can control the sodium by adding salt to taste.

As a great weeknight dinner, or a quick any time meal, we are looking forward to enjoying this soup all fall/winter long, and I hope you will too!

Tortellini Soup with Chunky Tomatoes and Spinach

Yields: 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 to 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 can (14.5 ounces) low sodium diced tomatoes, including juices
9-10 ounces tortellini (fresh or frozen), any variety
1½ teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
10 ounces fresh or frozen spinach, chopped (if frozen, thaw and squeeze out excess moisture)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
¼ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion for 5-7 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic, and saute for 1 minute.
Add broth and tomatoes. Turn heat to high, cover and bring to a boil.
Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.
Within the last minute of cooking the tortellini, stir in Italian herb seasoning, crushed red pepper and spinach. Taste, and add salt and pepper seasoning, as desired.
Serve immediately, garnishing each bowl with Parmesan cheese.

Adapted from Food Network

Filed Under: Featured, healthy, Recipes, soup, vegetarian Tagged With: cheese, easy, pasta, quick, spinach, tomato

Magic Burgers

August 19, 2011 ·

We don’t eat a lot of meat in this house, but it’s been a while so why not, right? Mike is a huge burger fan and often gets a stuffed burger of the day from a local restaurant. Even though he loves to get those burgers out, he has been requesting I make Magic Burgers for some time now. I’m not sure where the term Magic Burgers came from…actually I remember years ago I made these and after one bite somebody said they’re like magic. 🙂 So anyway…

I like my burgers plain or with cheese, maybe even potato chips. But absolutely no ketchup, no bacon, no pickles, you get the idea. Since I don’t like relying on toppings to flavor my burgers, I add flavor to the patties.

This is a basic recipe and very easy to put together. I usually just eyeball the ingredients, but have listed below the approximate amounts for what I use. Sometimes I sub green onions for the red onions, which is really good too. Quick and easy to make, these burgers are a perfect last minute dinner just in time for the weekend.

Magic Burgers
Yields 4 burgers

1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
Onion buns
Toppings (as desired)

In a large bowl, mix beef, onion, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper until blended (do not over mix).
Divide mixture into 4 patties (a little larger than the size of your buns) and shape them thinner in the center so they don’t puff up.
Put patties onto grill heated to medium high heat. Cook until juices appear on the top of the patties (approximately 4-5 minutes). Flip and cook on other side until done (about 4-5 minutes).
Place on top of bun and serve with desired topping.

Filed Under: main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: beef, dinner, easy, grilled, quick

Pasta with Grape Tomatoes and Mozzarella

August 10, 2011 ·

The first time I made this pasta, I was a little underwhelmed. It was good, but not great. While I love pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella and chickpeas, there was something that just wasn’t doing it for me. However, I was not willing to give up on this recipe so easily. It had all the potential to be something fantastic, just clearly needed a little tweaking.

First, I decided to marinate the tomatoes and mozzarella in the vinaigrette while I cooked the pasta. I also added some garlic for good measure. It then became obvious. While thyme may offer a unique flavor, it was just not right in this dish. What goes best with tomatoes and mozzarella is…basil! Nothing beats classic caprese-inspired flavors.

As I hoped, with just a few changes, this dish became something extraordinary. It was simple, delicious and very easy to make. We enjoyed this pasta warm as an entree, but it would also be excellent served as a pasta salad. This quick and easy pasta has definitely landed a spot in our weeknight dinner rotation!

Pasta with Grape Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Yields 4 to 6 servings

1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed

12 ounces pasta (any shape short pasta, any flavor; I used whole wheat & flax rotini)
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Coarse salt and ground pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic and basil. Add tomatoes and mozzarella and toss until combined. Set aside.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Add chickpeas to pot for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain pasta mixture and return to pot.
Add tomato mixture to pasta. Toss, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a thin sauce to coat the pasta (you may not need all of the water).
Season with salt and pepper, as desired and toss to combined. Serve, garnished with basil leaves, if desired.

Adapted from Everyday Food