Blackened Tilapia

Tilapia is not eaten frequently in our household since we tend to gravitate toward Halibut or Salmon. That said, since we had some in our freezer, I was looking for ways to make it palatable, and was pleasantly surprised when we loved coating the fish in blackening spice and cooking them over the stovetop. Not only were the fish flavorful and tender, we devoured them in no time flat!!! This is definitely a keeper for us now.

Blackened Tilapia

(Source: Aaron McCargo)

Blackening Spice:

3 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dried ground thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

For Fish:

4 tilapia fillets

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1/2 lemon, juiced

In a small bowl combine all of the spices. Press a heaping tablespoon of the spice mix onto each fillet so that both sides are liberally coated. Allow the fish to sit for 15 minutes at room temperature prior to cooking. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is almost smoking, add the fillets and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with lemon juice and transfer the fillets to serving platter.

Our Favorite Homemade Salad Dressings

I absolutely love making salad dressing at home. Not only do I know what went in it, but it also tastes fresher to me. I made these dressing a few days ago and Dr. Sweetpea has been using these every day on his salad.

Maple Dijon Salad Dressing

(Source: Taste Of Home)

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all ingredients; shake well. Store in the refrigerator. Shake before serving.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

(Source: Southern Living)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 small shallots, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup olive oil

Whisk together first 7 ingredients until blended. Gradually whisk in olive oil.

Outback Steakhouse Tangy Tomato Dressing

(Source: Outback Steakhouse)

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1 cup water

7 tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon granulated onion

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

1/8 teaspoon dried basil

1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together tomato paste, apple cider vinegar and white vinegar. Add water and whisk until smooth. Whisk in sugar, salt, granulated onion, granulated garlic, thyme, ground red pepper, basil and black pepper. Move into a container, cover and chill before using. Can be made up to 4 days ahead. Makes: 2 cups

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins

Since Fall is right around the corner, I decided to make these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins. I've had muffins with cream cheese in them, so I knew I wanted to try my hand at making them at home. I found a wonderful recipe online, and gave it a whirl. The end results? Absolutely the most moist, flavorful, and creamy Pumpkin muffins that I've tried. Dr. Sweetpea took some to work with him and he said they were a massive hit. This recipe will stay in our fall baking collection for years to come. 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins

(Source: MyRecipes.com)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups sugar, divided

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

4 tablespoons chilled butter

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375°. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with paper liners. Stir together cream cheese, vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl; cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until large crumbs form. Set aside. Combine remaining 3 cups flour, remaining 1 3/4 cups sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon, cloves, and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs, pumpkin, oil, and milk in a medium bowl; stir egg mixture into flour mixture just until moist. (Do not overmix.) Spoon half of batter into prepared muffin pans. Dollop about 1 tablespoon reserved cream cheese mixture in center of batter, and top evenly with remaining batter. Sprinkle with reserved streusel mixture. Bake 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on a wire rack.

Cashew Chicken

I bought some chicken thighs a few days ago since they were on sale at the grocery store. I definitely didn't want to grill them so I was looking for recipes where I can just cook them in the skillet. Then I came across this Cashew Chicken recipe by Ree Drummond. I absolutely love her Pioneer Woman blog and almost everything that I've made from her blog and show turned out amazing. So I knew it was a no brainer for me to make this for dinner since I had all the ingredients at home. Seriously, from start to finish, it took me all of maybe 30 minutes to make this dish. Another perk? This is absolutely AMAZING!!! Like chinese takeout amazing. Dr. Sweetpea was also blown away by how good this was and told me to keep this in our regular rotation. Definitely try making this at home yourselves, folks :o)

Cashew Chicken

(Source: Ree Drummond)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar (I used unseasoned rice vinegar)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (Don't use regular soy sauce, it will be SUPER salty)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into small cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, cut into small cubes

1/4 cup dry sherry (I used mirin)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup whole roasted, unsalted cashews

1/3 cup water chestnuts, chopped

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

In a bowl, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, oyster sauce, sesame oil, 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of the ginger. Set aside. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. In the same skillet, stir-fry the garlic, bell peppers and remaining 2 tablespoons ginger, keeping them crisp-tender. Deglaze the skillet with the sherry and scrape up any brown bits. Add the reserved soy mixture and cook until the mixture boils, about 1 minute. Whisk together the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup soy in a small bowl, then stir the slurry into the skillet. Add the cashews and water chestnuts. Add 1/4 cup water to thin the sauce. Cook for another minute. Serve garnished with the scallions and cilantro.

Tres Leche Cake

The first time I had a Tres Leche Cake was when I went to my favorite Mexican restaurant and ordered it for dessert. My mind was seriously blown after just one bite. I mean, how can you not love a cake that is super moist, a touch sweet, an creamy? I've tried a few different recipes, but the one from America's Test Kitchen takes the cake. This is absolutely amazing and my favorite so far. Dr. Sweetpea never had Tres Leche until now and he has been raving about how good this is too.

Tres Leche Cake

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

Milk Mixture

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup whole milk

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting

1 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the milk mixture: Pour condensed milk into large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on low power, stirring and replacing plastic every 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly darkened and thickened, 9 to 15 minutes. Remove from microwave and slowly whisk in evaporated milk, cream, and vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in bowl. Heat butter and milk in small saucepan over low heat until butter is melted; set aside off heat.

With electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs in large bowl for about 30 seconds, then slowly add sugar until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until egg mixture is very thick and glossy, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly mix in melted butter mixture and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, scraping down bowl as necessary, then mix on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Using rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.

Using skewer, poke holes at 1/2-inch intervals in top of cake. Slowly pour milk mixture over cake until completely absorbed. Let sit at room temperature 15 minutes, then refrigerate uncovered 3 hours or up to 24 hours.

For the frosting: Remove cake from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat heavy cream, corn syrup, and vanilla to soft peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Frost cake and slice into 3-inch squares. Serve. (The assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies like the ones at Potbelly

I've lost track of how many Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie recipes I've tried because Dr. Sweetpea loves them. He especially loves the ones that you get at Potbelly that are soft, chewy, and packed with chocolate goodness. I googled and googled and googled until I couldn't google anymore and found this recipe. Not gunna lie folks, these cookies are as close as you can get to the ones that you get at Potbelly. This is our favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Source: liliesandloafers.com)

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup butter, softened room temperature

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 3/4 cups flour

2 cups oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 oz package of chocolate chips

Take out 1/4 cup butter to sit out to soften. Melt 3/4 cup butter, and whisk together with the softened butter, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs. Mix together the dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in a large bowl. Pour the sugar mixture into the flour mixture, and stir together. Warning – your dough will be soft. Mix in your chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and chill until it’s firm (a few hours) or overnight. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for 5-10 minutes to let it soften. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough into large balls (or use a cookie scoop), place on cookie sheet and push down on the dough, slightly flattening them. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and underbaked – my favorite kind – but don’t be alarmed. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before removing.

St. Louis Style Pizza

Looking to make homemade pizza without using a pizza dough that needs rising time??? Then the St. Louis Style Pizza is it!!! I made this for Dr. Sweetpea twice already and he is always raving about how good the pizza is. The only thing that I did differently from the original recipe was using mozzarella cheese and adding crumbled goat cheese and thin slices of prociutto for the topping.

St. Louis Style Pizza

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

SAUCE

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons dried oregano

CHEESE

2 cups shredded white American cheese

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 drops liquid smoke

DOUGH

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil

MAKE SAUCE Whisk together tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, sugar, and oregano in small bowl; set aside. Toss cheeses with liquid smoke in medium bowl; set aside.

MIX DOUGH Combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Combine water and olive oil in liquid measuring cup. Stir water mixture into flour mixture until dough starts to come together. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times, until cohesive.

ROLL DOUGH Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place pizza stone (or inverted baking sheet) on rack, and heat oven to 475 degrees. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, press into small circle and transfer to parchment paper dusted lightly with flour. Using rolling pin, roll and stretch dough to form 12-inch circle, rotating parchment as needed. Lift parchment and pizza off work surface onto inverted baking sheet.

ASSEMBLE PIZZA Top each piece of dough with half of sauce and half of cheese. Carefully pull parchment paper and pizza off baking sheet onto hot baking stone. Bake until underside is golden brown and cheese is completely melted, 9 to 12 minutes. Remove pizza and parchment from oven. (***If topping with crumbled goat cheese and prociutto, add these on top of the pizza after it has baked for 9 minutes. Bake an additional 3 minutes and it’s done.***) Transfer pizza to cooling rack and let cool few minutes. Assemble and bake second pizza. Cut into 2-inch squares. Serve.

Fall Off the Bone Roasted Chicken Thighs

Who doesn't love a delicious roasted chicken dinner with very minimal work??? When the weather nice and it's the end of summer, I'd much rather enjoy my time outside than slave over the stove to make dinner for us. So when I saw this recipe, I had to make it asap! These roasted chicken thighs are super flavorful and the meat is fork tender, no need to use a knife. Dr. Sweetpea kept telling me to keep this recipe somewhere safe and that the chicken thighs are the best that he has had in a long time. Definitely a keeper recipe for us.

Fall Off The Bone Roasted Chicken Thighs

(Source: Cristina Ferrare)

3 cups chicken stock (I used 1 1/2 cups)

12 chicken thighs, washed and dried (I used 8 thighs)

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fines herbes (I used dried Italian herbs)

1 teaspoon fennel seeds (omitted)

Kosher salt

Cracked pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Place chicken thighs in a baking dish (I used a 9X13 inch baking dish). Combine Dijon mustard, lemon juice, soy sauce, and olive oil, and pour over the chicken. Turn the thighs to coat evenly. Sprinkle on the fines herbes and the fennel seeds; then sprinkle on several pinches of kosher salt and plenty of cracked pepper. Cover with aluminum foil, and roast for 45 minutes (I roasted for 30 minutes since I used 8 thighs). Remove the foil and baste. Add 2 cups of chicken stock (I added 1 1/2 cups. When I make this again, I’ll only add 1 cup of chicken stock for 8 thighs) and stir to turn up any of the bits that have formed at the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste again with a bulb baster. Continue to roast for 60 minutes more (I roasted mine for 50 minutes), basting every 15 minutes (I basted mine every 10 minutes) to keep the chicken supermoist. The thighs will turn a beautiful caramel color. If you find that the bottom of the roasting pan is dry, add the rest of the chicken stock. (I had a lot of the liquid in the pan, so didn't add any more chicken stock)

***Since I used 8 thighs, I did make some changes to the recipe. I italicized the changes that I made*** 

Macaroni and Cheese Muffins

If you live in Minnesota, then you'll know that the Minnesota State Fair is a massive fair that happens  toward the end of every summer. I've heard it's one of the largest start fairs in the country, and I believe it! Dr. Sweetpea was looking at the website trying to decide what he wanted to eat when we get there, and one thing he really wanted to eat was the Macaroni and Cheese Muffins. I told him that I could make them at home for him without shelling out money for those at the fair. Needless to say, my first time making Macaroni and Cheese Muffins at home were an absolute success! I simply used Panera Bread's Mac and Cheese recipe and baked them in muffin tins. The best part? Dr. Sweetpea was raving about these as he was eating them :o)

Macaroni and Cheese Muffins

(Source: Mac and Cheese recipe from Panera)

1 (16-oz.) package small pasta shells (I used elbow macaroni this time)

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

6 slices white American cheese, chopped

1 cup (8 oz.) shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. hot sauce

Paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and is bubbly. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, mustard, salt and hot sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth. Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat, 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Divide this mixture evenly into 12 muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes in preheated oven. Once the 25 minutes are up, sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on each of the Macaroni and Cheese muffins and bake for an additional 3 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted. 

Vegetable Thai Red Curry

This is quite possibly the best Thai Red Curry that I've made at home so far. Dr. Sweetpea thought it would have been better with slices of chicken, and I'll do that next time. However, for a vegetable red curry, this was fabulous. 

Vegetable Thai Red Curry

(Source: Me)

1 red pepper, sliced up

1 potato, cubed into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 a medium onion, sliced

1 small can of baby corn

1 (13.66 oz) can of coconut milk

1 cup chicken broth

4 tablespoons Thai red curry (we use Mai Ploy brand)

Heat up a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large hot skillet. Add the sliced onions into the skillet and saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Add in the cubed potatoes and continue to saute with the onions until the edges of the potatoes are translucent. Add the baby corn and saute for 1 minute with the rest of the vegetables. Add 4 tablespoons of the Thai Red Curry with the vegetable mixture and whisk in the can of coconut milk. Whisk until the red curry is completely dissolved. Let this mixture come to a light boil and then add the 1 cup of chicken broth. Let the mixture come to a light boil again and toss in the sliced red peppers a few minutes before serving the curry over rice.