Baked Yellow Squash

May 30, 2013

Baked Yellow Squash

Yield: 4

Ingredients

2 whole eggs (you could try using just egg whites, but I found the crumbs didn’t stick very well)
½ cup 2% milk
1 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
¼ cup parmesan cheese
¾ teaspoon onion powder
¾ teaspoon paprika
¾ dried parsley
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
4 medium-sized yellow squash, quartered and cut into wedges
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 450 F.
Line a cookie sheet with foil and place a cookie cooling rack inside of the cookie sheet. Spray the cookie rack with a little non-stick spray so the squash doesn’t stick. This way the squash cooks nice and crisp on all sides.
In a pie plate, whisk the eggs and milk.
In another pie plate, add the bread crumbs, cheese, onion powder, paprika, parsley, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Mix well.
Dunk the squash wedges into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumb mixture. Repeat until all the squash wedges have been covered in panko crumbs and place them on the cookie rack and bake for 15 minutes or until browned.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 214Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 306mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 15g

Well it’s summer time…..ok, it’s technically spring but here in Houston it’s typically summer all year-long it just gets more humid during the months of spring and summer. During this time I like to change up my meal choices, particularly at dinner time.
Today’s recipe is a good substitute for French fries. You have yellow squash wedges, breaded in whole wheat panko bread crumbs and baked. For a little extra flavor, try dipping these in some marinara sauce.

PRODUCT ALERT

I found these bread crumbs at my local HEB! Whole wheat, non GMO and they are panko bread crumbs, what more can you ask for?

French Macarons with White Chocolate Lavender Ganache

May 27, 2013

This was my first time baking macarons. I was a little nervous about baking these since I've heard these cookies tend to be finicky. But with the help of my favorite website www.howtocookthat.net I was able to face the challenge!

French Macarons with White Chocolate Lavender Ganache

Ingredients

WHITE CHOCOLATE LAVENDER GANACHE

8 ounces white chocolate, such as Lindt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon lavender buds
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon dark rum

MACARONS

4 large egg whites
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon caster sugar or powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 4 teaspoons powdered sugar
1 cup plus 3 teaspoons almond meal
1/8 teaspoon salt
gel or powdered food coloring

Instructions

Finely chop the white chocolate into 1/4 inch pieces and place it in a medium heatproof bowl with the butter. Bring the cream, corn syrup and lavender buds to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour the hot cream through a sieve over the bowl of chocolate. Tap the bowl on the counter to settle the chocolate into the cream, then let it sit for 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion starting from the middle working your way out to the sides. Stir until all the chocolate is melted, and stir in the rum. Set ganache in the refrigerator while you make the macarons.
Preheat your oven to 300 F. Place the egg whites and caster sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer and beat for about 10 minutes or until very stiff. Add gel or powdered food coloring and mix for about 20 seconds more. Sift the almond meal and powdered sugar twice before combining to the egg white mixture. Toss the any almond lumps that won't pass through the sieve. Fold together the egg white and almond mixture, folding about 50 times. The mixture should be smooth and not runny. For more tips about this process please see this video. Pour the mixture in a piping bag and pipe onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, or a silicon baking mat. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cookies come off the baking sheet cleanly. Once the macaroons have cooled, take your ganache from the refrigerator and stir it to loosen it up a bit. Pour the ganache in a piping bag and fill your macarons. Enjoy!

Apricot-Mustard Pork Chops

May 12, 2013

Here is a great, quick and simple recipe you can make if you're just too exhausted to cook (but don't want to eat out), or are short on time.

But not only is this dish quick and easy, it's also quite tasty. And made with few ingredients. Quick. Easy. Tasty. And made with few ingredients make this dish a winner. Try it!

Apricot-Mustard Pork Chops

Yield: 4

Ingredients

4 boneless pork chops, about 1/2 inch thick
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup apricot jam
4 teaspoons yellow mustard

Instructions

Spray a 10 inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over a medium high heat. Rub the pork chops with kosher salt and pepper and place in the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes on each side.
In a small bowl, mix the apricot sauce and mustard. Spoon on top of the pork.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 410Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 873mgCarbohydrates: 13gSugar: 13gProtein: 40g

Pasta Primavera

April 7, 2013

Today's recipe is under 500 calories, full of fresh veggies and is full of flavor! Try it and let me know how you like it.

Pasta Primavera

Yield: 6

Ingredients

16 ounces spaghetti
2 1/2 cups diagonally sliced asparagus
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups zucchini, diced
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese

Instructions

Bring water to a boil in a large Dutch oven; add pasta. Cook pasta for 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes. Add peas and cook for 1 minute. Drain well.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high eat. Add zucchini, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add onions and sauté for 1 minute. Add the broth and wine, bring to a boil. Stir in pasta mixture, basil and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in salt, pepper, and prosciutto. Spoon pasta mixture into 6 plates and top each with some Asiago cheese.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 433Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 482mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 22g

Seafood Linguine

April 1, 2013

Here is a healthier alternative to the usual high in calories cream sauced pastas! You can file this one under your favorites. I know you're going to love it!

Seafood Linguine

Ingredients

1 pound uncooked linguine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped green onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled
1 pound sea scallops
2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 pound lump crab meat, shell pieces removed
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package directions.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over a medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 1 minute or until tender. Add the shrimp and scallops and sauté for 3 minutes or until done. Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the next 4 ingredients; cook for about 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly (do not boil). Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over seafood mixture stirring constantly; cook for 1 minute; stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat. Combine the pasta and seafood mixture in a large bowl. If there is a lot of liquid, try simmering on low for about 5 minutes to let the sauce thicken a bit. Garnish with shredded Parmesan and parsley.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 630Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 228mgSodium: 1266mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 44g

Southern Shrimp and Grits

March 25, 2013

This is an update to an old favorite, Southern Shrimp and Grits. What I like about this dish is that its quick and easy to make, mouthwatering-delicious and its a bit of a lightened up version of shrimp and grits.

I found the original recipe in Cooking Light. And while the original recipe makes 6 servings, Craig and I usually get 4 servings out of it, but, we usually eat a little more than most people probably would. So just know there is a little wiggle room in your portion size, and you could get this amazing Southern Shrimp and Grits for right around 500 calories if you divide it up between 5 or 6 servings.

Not watching your calorie intake and looking for a little indulgence? If so, then head over to my Shrimp and Grits recipe.

Southern Shrimp and Grits

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

A southern classic lightened up a bit. Shrimp and Grits made with bacon, veggies and cheese. And easy enough to make on a weeknight.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon hotsauce
2 pounds large shrimp, deveined and peeled
4 slices bacon
1 cup onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
½ cup green onions, chopped and divided
5 cups water
1 ½ cups uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Combine first 3 ingredients, set aside.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Place bacon on papertowels to drain. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic to drippings the pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in shrimp mixture, broth, and ¼ cup green onions; cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Do not over cook or the shrimp will become rubbery. Remove from the heat.
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually add grits; stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Simmer; covered for 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in butter and salt. Chop bacon. Serve shrimp over grits, sprinkle with cheese, bacon and green onions.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 526Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 519mgSodium: 3181mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 64g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to see it! Tag The Cake Chica on Instagram @thecakechica1 #thecakechica1

Chicken with Tarragon and White Wine

January 26, 2013

Here is another one from Weeknights with Giada. I changed mine just a little by using all chicken thighs. The original uses a mix of chicken breast and chicken thighs. Since I normally cook with chicken breast I thought it might be a nice change from the usual. Another change I made was using whole wheat flour to dust the chicken versus the all purpose flour. This makes a lot of sauce so I paired mine with quinoa. Feel free to check out the original version, or my version below.

Chicken with Tarragon and White Wine

Yield: 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 2 pounds
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour, divided
1 large yellow onion
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
½ cup white wine
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken stock, divided
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Instructions

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil over high heat. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper and dust with 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside on a large plate.
Heat the same pan used for the chicken over medium-high heat. Add the onion and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until aromatic. Increase the heat to high. Add the wine and scrape up the browned bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Return the chicken pieces to the pan. Add 1 cup chicken stock and ¼ cup fresh tarragon. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken pieces to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons chicken stock and the remaining 1 tablespoons whole wheat flour until smooth. Whisk together the flour mixture into the simmering cooking juices. Whisk in the mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the 1 tablespoon unsalted butter until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sauce over the chicken and garnish with the remaining tarragon.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 429Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 1286mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 49g

Gingerbread Dough

December 27, 2012

I have never been a fan of gingerbread, but this recipe helped change my mind. Two years ago a made a gingerbread house for a work place contest, and I thought it would be a good idea to also have cookies made for my co-works so they would know what the gingerbread house tastes like. They loved them. And so did I. Crisp on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. I even had some co-works say they weren’t fans of gingerbread either but really liked this gingerbread cookie.

Gingerbread Dough

Yield: 3 1/2 pounds

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup dark molasses
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons white vinegar
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

In a bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until well combined.
Add the baking powder, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves and beat until incorporated.
Add the molasses, eggs, and vinegar and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.
Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix on low until smooth.
Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a rough square. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
Preheat your oven to 375 F. Depending on what size your cookie shapes are will depend on your cooking time. I put my gingerbread man cookies in for 8 minutes.
Happy Baking!!!

Notes

You will need to have a stand mixer for this dough. If you don’t, you can half the recipe.

Cajun Meatloaf

December 21, 2012

A few days ago I had the urge to take a look at some of my older posts on my blog. I went back to when I first started blogging, and yikes, talk about some cringe worthy photos. I spotted this one and I felt that I needed to do this recipe justice and retake the photo. It’s still one of my favorite meatloaf recipes. I have tried several throughout the years and this one is still my favorite, and it is so easy!

Cajun Meatloaf

Yield: 6

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Ground black pepper
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 cup ketchup, divided

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in heavy medium sized skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, bell pepper, salt, cayenne pepper and cumin. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes, and sprinkle with pepper.
Combine meat, egg, breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup ketchup in large bowl and blend well. Mix in sautéed vegetables. In a 11x9x2 glass baking dish form meat mixture into 3 inch high and 5 inches wide loaf. Bake 20 minutes. Spread top with remaining ketchup and bake until cooked through, about 40 minutes longer. Let stand on counter for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 532Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 1477mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 45g

Adapted from Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook

Pepper and Coriander Coated Salmon Fillets

December 21, 2012

UPDATE 3/2016: Another recipe update! This week its Pepper and Coriander Coated Salmon Fillets. If you've noticed I have been taking on a pattern lately. Every Wednesday I update an old favorite recipe with some new food porn. This one goes back to December of 2012. Back before I knew how to work with my camera. I still have a lot to learn but I am pretty excited that just this year I began shooting in Manual mode with my camera. Making progress!

I found this recipe in The Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook I cooked out of this book for at least a month straight! I still haven't found a recipe in this cookbook that I didn't like. It's full of easy, quick and mostly healthy meals you can make on a weeknight. Definitely one to add to your cookbook library.

Pepper and Coriander Coated Salmon Fillets

Yield: 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian Parsley
3 tablespoons finely grated orange peel
¼ cup coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
4 6-ounce wild salmon fillets
1 tablespoon butter, divided
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided

Instructions

Mix parsley and orange peel in a small bowl. Mix coriander, brown sugar, and black pepper in medium bowl.
Sprinkle salmon with salt. Coat salmon on all sides with spice mixture. Melt ½ tablespoon butter and ½ tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 salmon fillets. Cook fish until crust is golden and center is just opaque, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer fish to a platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. Wipe skillet. Repeat with remaining butter, oil and salmon. Spoon parsley mixture on top of salmon.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 444Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 102mgCarbohydrates: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 44g

Broccoli with Garlic and Parmesan Cheese

December 21, 2012

Here is a favorite of mine, and I think it will be a favorite of yours too! This Broccoli with Garlic and Parmesan Cheese is a quick and easy side dish you can prepare on a weeknight. Like tonight! With just a few ingredients and about 15 minutes you've got yourself a healthy and tasty side dish for your weeknight meal.

Broccoli with Garlic and Parmesan Cheese

Yield: 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
3 pounds broccoli florets
½ cup water
½ cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and lemon peel and stir 30 seconds. Add broccoli and toss to coat. Add ½ cup water. Cover skillet and cook until broccoli is crisp and water evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add cheese and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 10g

Adapted from Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh

Sweet 16 Tiffany Box Cake

December 10, 2012

I always get super excited when I get to do a custom cake like this. I don't get to do very many because they aren't cheap. This one was a gift to my niece who was turning 16 so I was more than happy to do one for her as a gift.

I get lots of inquiries from my co-workers about ordering cakes like this but they never actually buy them. I know it's because of cost, but that's just how much they are. There is a lot of work involved and I thought I would show just a little bit of what is involved when I do a custom cake. There are still plenty of things I still need to learn but this is the way I do my cakes right now. And each time I do one I learn a lot. That means I will only get better with practice, and practice makes perfect.

First thing I do is bake the cakes. Planning is everything when I do a custom cake, especially since I work full time. I'll usually plan on taking one day just to do the baking.

Now that I have the cakes baked, it's now time to trim them up. I usually take off the cake tops, or cake domes to make the cakes nice and flat on top.

I have a cake cutter that helps take off the cake tops but it doesn't always get it even so sometimes I will have to go behind it and level it myself.

I'll try to get it as level as I can.

Once I have all my cakes level I prepare to fill my cakes. I use a super thick buttercream dam to hold my filling in. To do this I add a lot of cornstarch to make it more of a putty like consistency.

I use a piping bag to pipe out the stiffened buttercream.

For square cakes I make sure I get the buttercream at the very edge of the cakes. The corners have a tendency to slope down and create a droopy effect on the final out come of the cake and I don't like that so I make sure the corners are full of buttercream.

Once my buttercream dam is up I pour in my filling. Lemon this time.( I also made a mental note that I could have put a little more filling in so I will remember that next time. )

From here I will stack the cake layers pressing down just a little and repeating this process for all my cake layers.

I spread some buttercream on the sides of the filling edges and let the cake set for a few hours to settle.

While the cakes set, I prepare my support system. I use a special support system called SPS. No stacked cakes leave my house without this support system!!! It's pretty much fool proof and this also allows my clients to come pick up their cake instead of me delivering it. This way customers can save a little money. This support system was made just for that purpose.

Since my cakes need to be stacked right on top of each other I first need to take off those little rings on the back side of the cake plate.

Now that I have those off I can turn the cake plate over and continue getting the support system ready.

The notch on the top of the cake plate helps the cake stay in place. No middle dowel required.

Just pop the cake board on top of the notch, and when it's time to stack the cake, I'll just place it on the preset hole. You'll also see I have trimmed my cake board. My cakes tend to shrink a bit. Sometimes I will have to cut the cake plate as well but I did not have to do that this time since the fondant covered the edges of the cake plate this time.

After the cakes have settled I then take a knife and even everything out. Everything has to be straight.

From there it's time for the crumb coat. (which I didn't have enough buttercream to do it properly so I made another mental note for next time) Once the crumb coat has crusted I take my Viva paper towels and my fondant smoothers and I smooth out everything.

I set the crumb coated cakes in the refrigerator for about 8 minutes, just enough time to get the buttercream set so when I lay the fondant on top it would mess up the cake.

Now that all the cakes are covered, it's now time to stack.

I then have to measure to make sure the columns are the correct size so the cakes set flush against each other.

I just push down the columns and there was a gap so that means it's time to get the hack saw out. I take a measurement and mark my columns to get them ready to saw.

This takes a little more work then cutting wooden dowels, but trust me, this cake will go nowhere when it's all set and done. I like not having to worry if a cake will fall because of the type of supports I use.

Once everything is all measured out and ready to go I melt a little white chocolate and spread a little on the cake board for my cake to attach to.

From here I stack the cakes on top of each other and then the fun stuff comes. DECORATING!!!

But that's for another blog post.

Thanks for checking out my blog. If you like what you see please follow. Thanks!

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WHITE CHOCOLATE LAVENDER GANACHE

MACARONS

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