I had a sweet tooth and wanted make something small for myself and this is what I found.
The Recipe:
1 egg
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon softened butter
3-4 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
1. Add all ingredients into your mug and mix together with a spoon
2. Microwave your cake for 1 1/2-2 minutes, or just until the top center of the cake has set
3. Serve with a dollop of ice cream and enjoy!
My Experience:
Just what I wanted. A simple, single portion sugar dose. I was skeptical at first but it turned out really good. I didn't have any ice cream so I just ate the cake and it was a little dry. Nothing a glass of milk can't fix.
The best part of this recipe, it was ready in just a few minutes!
Oh and just make sure you use a decent sized mug... don't want you to run out of room for the chocolate chips!
Here is the website I used because there are 9 other mug cake recipes to try if you like! http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/11/10/10-tasty-mug-cakes-that-you-can-make-in-just-minutes/?pid=6019#slideshow
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Crockpot Barbecue Chicken
Simple and in a slow cooker. I love it! Such a juicy and tender chicken to enjoy.
The Recipe:
4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder
1. Mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it
2. Place chicken in crockpot
3. Pour sauce over it and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours
My Experience:
I actually used bone-in chicken breasts and the chicken just fell off the bone almost like a pulled chicken. So moist and succulent.
I used Diana's chicken and rib bbq sauce and it was really really yummy. Try serving the chicken with a little dish of extra sauce for dipping. I also served with roasted red potatoes (with onions and garlic) and green beans.
It was so good and I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow!
The Recipe:
4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder
1. Mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it
2. Place chicken in crockpot
3. Pour sauce over it and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours
My Experience:
I actually used bone-in chicken breasts and the chicken just fell off the bone almost like a pulled chicken. So moist and succulent.
I used Diana's chicken and rib bbq sauce and it was really really yummy. Try serving the chicken with a little dish of extra sauce for dipping. I also served with roasted red potatoes (with onions and garlic) and green beans.
It was so good and I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict
Where did I find this recipe? Best Recipes Ever of course. Man I love that show!
The Recipe:
1 tsp vinegar
8 eggs
4 English muffins or wedges focaccia or croissants
8 oz smoked salmon
Hollandaise Sauce:
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1. Pour enough boiling water into skillet to come 3 inches up side; return to boil. Add vinegar; reduce heat to gentle simmer.
2. Break each egg into small dish; gently slip into simmering water.
3. Cook until desired doneness, about 5 minutes for soft yolks and firm whites.
4. Remove with slotted spoon and drain well, patting bottom of spoon with towel to dry egg.
5. Meanwhile, cut English muffins horizontally in half and toast; place 2 halves, cut side up, on each plate.
6. Top each with smoked salmon, poached egg and 2 tbsp Hollandaise Sauce.
Hollandaise Sauce:
1. In heatproof bowl over saucepan of simmering water, whisk egg yolks until thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 4 minutes.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk in butter, 2 tbsp at a time, until thickened; whisk in lemon juice, salt, cayenne and dill.
4. Keep warm over hot water.
My Experience:
I don't like making sauces. Next time I will just buy a package of Hollandaise sauce because I didn't find it was worth the effort. Especially since I didn't use fresh dill and put WAY too much in so I had to add more egg yolks. Now I have 6 egg whites in my fridge to use. But if you are good at making sauces, go right ahead. It just isn't for me.
Other than that incident, this was really yummy. It was also my first time making poached eggs. I sort of over-cooked them though. So if you want the yolk runny, I would say cook less than the 5 minutes because it was too long for me.
Sam said he really liked it on the croissant and of course he loved the smoked salmon.
I might try this again, but with store bought sauce and cook the egg for less time.
The Recipe:
1 tsp vinegar
8 eggs
4 English muffins or wedges focaccia or croissants
8 oz smoked salmon
Hollandaise Sauce:
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1. Pour enough boiling water into skillet to come 3 inches up side; return to boil. Add vinegar; reduce heat to gentle simmer.
2. Break each egg into small dish; gently slip into simmering water.
3. Cook until desired doneness, about 5 minutes for soft yolks and firm whites.
4. Remove with slotted spoon and drain well, patting bottom of spoon with towel to dry egg.
5. Meanwhile, cut English muffins horizontally in half and toast; place 2 halves, cut side up, on each plate.
6. Top each with smoked salmon, poached egg and 2 tbsp Hollandaise Sauce.
Hollandaise Sauce:
1. In heatproof bowl over saucepan of simmering water, whisk egg yolks until thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 4 minutes.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk in butter, 2 tbsp at a time, until thickened; whisk in lemon juice, salt, cayenne and dill.
4. Keep warm over hot water.
My Experience:
I don't like making sauces. Next time I will just buy a package of Hollandaise sauce because I didn't find it was worth the effort. Especially since I didn't use fresh dill and put WAY too much in so I had to add more egg yolks. Now I have 6 egg whites in my fridge to use. But if you are good at making sauces, go right ahead. It just isn't for me.
Other than that incident, this was really yummy. It was also my first time making poached eggs. I sort of over-cooked them though. So if you want the yolk runny, I would say cook less than the 5 minutes because it was too long for me.
Sam said he really liked it on the croissant and of course he loved the smoked salmon.
I might try this again, but with store bought sauce and cook the egg for less time.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Rosemary Beef Burgers with Jalapeño Mayonnaise
Saw this recipe on my favorite show EVER (Best Recipes Ever that is!) and I just had to make it. Especially for my boyfriend who loves everything spicy (I toned it down a little for me).
The Recipe:
1 egg
1/4 cup sodium-reduced beef broth
1 small onion, grated
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb lean ground beef
4 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns
Jalapeño Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp minced jalapeño pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1. In bowl, beat egg with beef broth.
2. Stir in onion, bread crumbs, rosemary, salt and pepper; mix in beef.
3. Shape into four 1/2-inch thick patties.
4. Place on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and cook, turning once, until digital thermometer inserted sideways into centre registers 160°F, about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, parsley, jalapeño pepper and garlic.
6. Cut rolls in half; toast, cut sides down, on grill until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Spread jalapeño mayonnaise on cut sides.
8. Place burgers on bottoms; sandwich with tops.
My Experience:
So I made these burgers as mini burgers like they did on the show because it makes them more fun!
I used crushed saltine crackers instead of bread crumbs because, well, I had some and mom used to always make burgers that way. However, the addition of the beef broth made the burgers nice and juicy which was a lovely surprise.
Since I don't really like lots of spicy, I didn't put any jalapeño peppers in my mayonnaise (but I did in my boyfriend's).
I topped our burgers with jalapeño monterey jack cheese (could you any cheese you like), sliced tomato, lettuce and bacon (like I always say, everything is better with bacon). However, you can top the burgers with whatever you like best!
Sam said it was great and spicy. This is definitely a meal I will be making again!
Nutritional Info (approx per serving)
cal 534
pro 30g
total fat 27g
sat. fat 9g
carb 41g
fibre 2g
chol 130mg
sodium 897mg
%RDI: 419mg
calcium -
iron 10%
vit A 32%
vit C 4%
folate 8%
The Recipe:
1 egg
1/4 cup sodium-reduced beef broth
1 small onion, grated
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb lean ground beef
4 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns
Jalapeño Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp minced jalapeño pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1. In bowl, beat egg with beef broth.
2. Stir in onion, bread crumbs, rosemary, salt and pepper; mix in beef.
3. Shape into four 1/2-inch thick patties.
4. Place on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and cook, turning once, until digital thermometer inserted sideways into centre registers 160°F, about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, parsley, jalapeño pepper and garlic.
6. Cut rolls in half; toast, cut sides down, on grill until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Spread jalapeño mayonnaise on cut sides.
8. Place burgers on bottoms; sandwich with tops.
My Experience:
So I made these burgers as mini burgers like they did on the show because it makes them more fun!
I used crushed saltine crackers instead of bread crumbs because, well, I had some and mom used to always make burgers that way. However, the addition of the beef broth made the burgers nice and juicy which was a lovely surprise.
Since I don't really like lots of spicy, I didn't put any jalapeño peppers in my mayonnaise (but I did in my boyfriend's).
I topped our burgers with jalapeño monterey jack cheese (could you any cheese you like), sliced tomato, lettuce and bacon (like I always say, everything is better with bacon). However, you can top the burgers with whatever you like best!
Sam said it was great and spicy. This is definitely a meal I will be making again!
Nutritional Info (approx per serving)
cal 534
pro 30g
total fat 27g
sat. fat 9g
carb 41g
fibre 2g
chol 130mg
sodium 897mg
%RDI: 419mg
calcium -
iron 10%
vit A 32%
vit C 4%
folate 8%
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pork Loin
Tried this new slow cooker recipe and we loved it! Need a sweet tooth to enjoy it though.
The Recipe:
1 boneless pork loin roast, 4 to 6 pounds
1 clove garlic, halved
salt and pepper
1 1/3 cups brown sugar, divided
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1. Wash pork roast, trim excess fat, pat dry, and rub with garlic halves
2. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then prick the roast all over with a fork or skewer
3. In a cup or bowl, combine 1 cup of the brown sugar, the mustard, and vinegar. Rub all over the roast.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours. Pour off the excess juices. (SAVE THE JUICES for a gravy!)
5. Combine the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar with cinnamon; Spread the mixture over the top of the roast.
6. Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 1 hour longer.
My Experience:
So so so so so yummy! Don't be fooled by the lack of liquids in the recipe... the juices from pork do the job (just don't cut off too much of the fat, I actually didn't cut any off of mine). After about 5 hours I just turned the roast over so that the top layer could soak for a bit. Mine was nice and moist.
I couldn't get my bottle of balsamic vinegar to open so in my hurry this morning I just used regular vinegar and it was still good.
I saved the juices and made a very yummy gravy out of it. Sliced up the roast and served it with rice (with a bit of gravy mixed in) and a side of steamed vegetables.
The Recipe:
1 boneless pork loin roast, 4 to 6 pounds
1 clove garlic, halved
salt and pepper
1 1/3 cups brown sugar, divided
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1. Wash pork roast, trim excess fat, pat dry, and rub with garlic halves
2. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then prick the roast all over with a fork or skewer
3. In a cup or bowl, combine 1 cup of the brown sugar, the mustard, and vinegar. Rub all over the roast.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours. Pour off the excess juices. (SAVE THE JUICES for a gravy!)
5. Combine the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar with cinnamon; Spread the mixture over the top of the roast.
6. Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 1 hour longer.
My Experience:
So so so so so yummy! Don't be fooled by the lack of liquids in the recipe... the juices from pork do the job (just don't cut off too much of the fat, I actually didn't cut any off of mine). After about 5 hours I just turned the roast over so that the top layer could soak for a bit. Mine was nice and moist.
I couldn't get my bottle of balsamic vinegar to open so in my hurry this morning I just used regular vinegar and it was still good.
I saved the juices and made a very yummy gravy out of it. Sliced up the roast and served it with rice (with a bit of gravy mixed in) and a side of steamed vegetables.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Tuna Pasta Salad
Had a curling bonspiel this weekend and needed to make something for the potluck dinner. This was my selection (from the Gold Seal website), and the bonus: it was pretty cheap :)
The Recipe:
1 can tuna, drained and flaked
2 cups small pasta shells
1 celery rib, cut into 1/4" dice
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" dice
1/2 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2" dice
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
2 tsp horseradish
salt and pepper to taste
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until just tender and drain well
2. Cool in cold water and drain well again. Place in a salad bowl
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix gently to combine
4. Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve
My Experience:
I actually cooked the pasta and cut up all my veggies up the night before so that it was a quick mix in the morning. Made my life at 7am much simpler.
I also made the dressing before mixing everything together to make sure that the mayonnaise and horseradish fully mixed. For some extra tang I used extra hot horseradish (it was also all we had at the apartment) and I added maybe half a tsp of sugar to balance out the lemon juice. I don't know why but I thought it tasted better.
Other than that it was quick and easy to put together. The longest part was all the veggie chopping because, well, I'm not very good with a knife lol.
If you are interested, I even have the nutritional values for you this time! (provided by Gold Seal)
Per Serving
Calories 118
Fat 3.1 g
Carbs 15g
Protein 8g
Fibre 1.5g
Sat fat 0.5g
Cholesterol 8mg
Sodium 120mg
Sugar 1.6g
Calcium 14mg
The Recipe:
1 can tuna, drained and flaked
2 cups small pasta shells
1 celery rib, cut into 1/4" dice
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" dice
1/2 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2" dice
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
2 tsp horseradish
salt and pepper to taste
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until just tender and drain well
2. Cool in cold water and drain well again. Place in a salad bowl
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix gently to combine
4. Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve
My Experience:
I actually cooked the pasta and cut up all my veggies up the night before so that it was a quick mix in the morning. Made my life at 7am much simpler.
I also made the dressing before mixing everything together to make sure that the mayonnaise and horseradish fully mixed. For some extra tang I used extra hot horseradish (it was also all we had at the apartment) and I added maybe half a tsp of sugar to balance out the lemon juice. I don't know why but I thought it tasted better.
Other than that it was quick and easy to put together. The longest part was all the veggie chopping because, well, I'm not very good with a knife lol.
If you are interested, I even have the nutritional values for you this time! (provided by Gold Seal)
Per Serving
Calories 118
Fat 3.1 g
Carbs 15g
Protein 8g
Fibre 1.5g
Sat fat 0.5g
Cholesterol 8mg
Sodium 120mg
Sugar 1.6g
Calcium 14mg
Monday, February 13, 2012
Mini Tacos
Easy spin on Old El Paso Tacos with less mess while eating.
The Recipe:
Old El Paso Taco seasoning mix
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 bag of Tostitos Scoops
Toppings
Shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce
Salsa
Sour Cream
Whatever you like!
1. Brown ground beef in large skillet; drain
2. Fry onions in a bit of butter on low heat (at same time as beef but in small pan)
3. Stir 1 cup of water and seasoning mix in with beef
4. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes or until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often
5. Stir in onions after about 5 minutes
6. Place Tostitos Scoops on a baking sheet covered with foil
7. Spoon some beef mixture into each Scoop
8. Top each with some cheese
9. Broil until cheese is melted
10. Serve with all the toppings as a self serve!
My Experience:
I love tacos! But they make such a mess when you try to eat them (maybe I just don't do it right...). These mini tacos allow for bite size pieces and you can top them how you want: whether it's salsa, sour cream, lettuce, diced tomatoes or whatever else you choose.
Just make sure you use the non-broken scoops so that you can spoon in the meat and cheese. It's MUCH easier! Save the broken ones for later snacking.
The meat is also really good on day 2 because it allows for the seasoning to soak in so don't worry about the left overs. You can even use the left overs with the broken chips to make a taco salad (with the left over lettuce topping) the next day! I've done it and it is yummy :)
The Recipe:
Old El Paso Taco seasoning mix
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 bag of Tostitos Scoops
Toppings
Shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce
Salsa
Sour Cream
Whatever you like!
1. Brown ground beef in large skillet; drain
2. Fry onions in a bit of butter on low heat (at same time as beef but in small pan)
3. Stir 1 cup of water and seasoning mix in with beef
4. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes or until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often
5. Stir in onions after about 5 minutes
6. Place Tostitos Scoops on a baking sheet covered with foil
7. Spoon some beef mixture into each Scoop
8. Top each with some cheese
9. Broil until cheese is melted
10. Serve with all the toppings as a self serve!
My Experience:
I love tacos! But they make such a mess when you try to eat them (maybe I just don't do it right...). These mini tacos allow for bite size pieces and you can top them how you want: whether it's salsa, sour cream, lettuce, diced tomatoes or whatever else you choose.
Just make sure you use the non-broken scoops so that you can spoon in the meat and cheese. It's MUCH easier! Save the broken ones for later snacking.
The meat is also really good on day 2 because it allows for the seasoning to soak in so don't worry about the left overs. You can even use the left overs with the broken chips to make a taco salad (with the left over lettuce topping) the next day! I've done it and it is yummy :)
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Philly Cheesesteaks
I love me some Rachael Ray and I saw this recipe on her show last week and I just had to try it! We had some cheap steaks in the freezer that we weren't crazy about so this was a great way to use them up and make them super yummy!
The Recipe:
For the Garlic Butter Bread
2 loaves baguette, halved and split or 4 crusty sub rolls 12 inches each split
6 tablespoons butter
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
For the French Onion Steak Filling
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 large or 3 medium onions, very thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1 large fresh bay leaf
1/4 cup dry sherry or 1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cans beef consommé or 3 cups beef stock
4 flat-iron steaks or 1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
3 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
ONIONS
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat then add butter.
2. When it foams, add onions and season with salt, pepper, thyme and bay.
3. Cook until caramel in color, about 30 minutes.
4. Add consommé and sherry/wine to onions.
5. Continue to simmer until consommé reduces by about half.
BREAD
6. Toast bread in a 375°F oven to golden.
7. Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat until it foams.
8. Stir in garlic 1-2 minutes then remove from heat and stir in parsley.
9. Brush toasted bread liberally with garlic butter and reserve.
STEAK
10. Heat griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; drizzle with oil.
11. Season room temperature steaks liberally with kosher salt and pepper.
12. Cook 10 minutes, turning once.
13. Let stand 5 minutes, thinly slice against the grain.
SANDWICH IT UP
14. Pile steak and onions onto toasted bread bottoms arranged on a baking sheet.
15. Top with lots of cheese and melt under broiler.
16. Set tops in place and serve.
My Experience:
So this recipe takes a really long time because the onions take about half an hour to 45 minutes but you only have to stir every once in a while so I just prepared everything else while the onions were cooking.
Instead of Gruyère cheese I used Provolone but you could also use Swiss. Just buy it in a block so that you can grate it.
When making the garlic butter, try grating the garlic. It may waste a bit if you don't want to destroy your finger tips but it works really great to mix in well with the butter.
These sandwiches were really really good and I highly recommend trying it at least once. It might be time consuming and make a good stack of dishes but it is easy to make!
The Recipe:
For the Garlic Butter Bread
2 loaves baguette, halved and split or 4 crusty sub rolls 12 inches each split
6 tablespoons butter
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
For the French Onion Steak Filling
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 large or 3 medium onions, very thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1 large fresh bay leaf
1/4 cup dry sherry or 1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cans beef consommé or 3 cups beef stock
4 flat-iron steaks or 1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
3 cups shredded Gruyère cheese
ONIONS
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat then add butter.
2. When it foams, add onions and season with salt, pepper, thyme and bay.
3. Cook until caramel in color, about 30 minutes.
4. Add consommé and sherry/wine to onions.
5. Continue to simmer until consommé reduces by about half.
BREAD
6. Toast bread in a 375°F oven to golden.
7. Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat until it foams.
8. Stir in garlic 1-2 minutes then remove from heat and stir in parsley.
9. Brush toasted bread liberally with garlic butter and reserve.
STEAK
10. Heat griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat; drizzle with oil.
11. Season room temperature steaks liberally with kosher salt and pepper.
12. Cook 10 minutes, turning once.
13. Let stand 5 minutes, thinly slice against the grain.
SANDWICH IT UP
14. Pile steak and onions onto toasted bread bottoms arranged on a baking sheet.
15. Top with lots of cheese and melt under broiler.
16. Set tops in place and serve.
My Experience:
So this recipe takes a really long time because the onions take about half an hour to 45 minutes but you only have to stir every once in a while so I just prepared everything else while the onions were cooking.
Instead of Gruyère cheese I used Provolone but you could also use Swiss. Just buy it in a block so that you can grate it.
When making the garlic butter, try grating the garlic. It may waste a bit if you don't want to destroy your finger tips but it works really great to mix in well with the butter.
These sandwiches were really really good and I highly recommend trying it at least once. It might be time consuming and make a good stack of dishes but it is easy to make!
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