Pumpkin Bread

It's officially Fall but still extremely hot in Houston. I don't think I'll ever get used to the heat and humidity here. I really miss cool crisp air and fall foliage that is common in the Midwest during this time of year. I'm positive this is why I'm having a hard time adjusting to the weather in the south. Anyhow, to get in the Fall spirit, I baked up a big batch of Pumpkin Bread and it was absolutely divine. I brought half to work and Dr. Sweetpea ate the other half. I've tried a ton of Pumpkin Bread recipes in the past, but I think this is our favorite. 

Pumpkin Bread

(Source: Cooks Illustrated)

Topping

5 tablespoons packed (2 ¼ ounces) light brown sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

Bread

2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened

pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar

1 cup packed (7 ounces) light brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 12 pieces

4 large eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped fine

FOR THE TOPPING: Using fingers, mix all ingredients together in bowl until well combined and topping resembles wet sand; set aside.

FOR THE BREAD: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in bowl.

Combine pumpkin puree, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook mixture, stirring constantly, until reduced to 1½ cups, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove pot from heat; stir in granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and cream cheese until combined. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until no visible pieces of cream cheese remain and mixture is homogeneous.

Whisk together eggs and buttermilk. Add egg mixture to pumpkin mixture and whisk to combine. Fold flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until combined (some small lumps of flour are OK). Fold walnuts into batter. Scrape batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle topping evenly over top of each loaf. Bake until skewer inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let breads cool in pans on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove breads from pans and let cool for at least 1½ hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sweet and Spicy French Beans

I'm always trying to get Dr. Sweetpea to eat a ton of vegetables on a daily basis. Most of the time, I'll make a huge salad and we'll both devour it before our actual meal. Other times, I try to make a side dish with only vegetables.

I recently bought a huge bag of French Greenbeans from Costco and I saw there was a recipe on the back of the bag and decided to give it a try.  Dr. Sweetpea was skeptical at first but as soon as I started making this dish, he kept coming back into the kitchen asking what smelled so good. It only took one bite for Dr. Sweetpea's eyes to light up since it was super tasty. This is definitely going in our regular rotation.

Sweet and Spicy French Beans

(Source: Pure Fresh LLC)

1 pound organic french beans

1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 red bell pepper sliced in thin strips

2 shallots sliced thin

1 tablespoon cooking oil

Cook french beans in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and place in an ice bath to prevent further cooking. Drain well and dry with paper towels. Make the sauce by combining  soy sauce, brown sugar and crushed red pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add shallots and red pepper and saute for 2 minutes. Turn heat up to medium high and add french beans. Saute until beans start to blister and brown. Add the sauce tot he pan and toss well to evenly coat. 

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread

Dr. Sweetpea loves Cinnamon Raisin Bread. Whenever I go grocery shopping, I always end up coming home with two loaves because he'll toast a few slices in the morning and walk out the door eating them. Since my goal this year was to be more comfortable with yeast doughs, I decided to try making it at home. The recipe is a little intimidating at first, but I swear it's not as hard as it seems. I mean, for someone that's making this bread for the first time, it turned out AMAZING!! In fact, Dr. Sweetpea no longer asks that I buy Cinnamon Raisin Bread from the grocery store since mine is soooooooo much better. This is definitely something I'll be making on a weekly basis.

Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread

(Source: Cooks Country)

Cinnamon Sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Bread

1 1/2 cups milk, heated to 110 degrees

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons melted

3 large egg yolks

4 1/4 cups all ­purpose flour, plus more as needed

1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) rapid ­rise yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup raisins

For the cinnamon sugar: Combine ingredients in small bowl, breaking up clumps. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.

For the bread: Spray large bowl with cooking spray. Whisk milk, melted butter, and yolks in large liquid measuring cup. Mix 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar, yeast, sugar, flour, and salt in large bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn mixer to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, 5 to 6 minutes. (If dough seems too sticky, add up to 1/4 cup more flour during kneading.) Turn dough out onto unfloured counter and knead raisins in by hand until evenly distributed. Knead to form smooth, round ball. Transfer dough to greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Do not place in warm oven, or sugar in dough will melt.)

Spray 9 by 5­inch loaf pan with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, press dough into 20 by 8­inch rectangle, with short side facing you. Using spray bottle, lightly and evenly spray dough with water. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar over dough, leaving 2­inch border along top edge. Lightly spray cinnamon sugar with water until damp but not wet. Starting at edge nearest you, roll up dough, then pinch seam and ends closed. Place loaf seam side down in prepared pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until 1 inch above rim of pan, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt remaining tablespoon butter and brush over top of dough. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar and bake until top is deep brown and center of bread registers 185 to 190 degrees on instant­read thermometer, 45 to 60 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Slice as desired. (Bread can be kept in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Easy Meat Sauce

I'm a huge fan of making a big ole pot of meat sauce during the weekend and freezing them so we have an easy weeknight meal. I tried this recipe from Cooks Country and it was absolutely devine! Incredibly easy to make and it freezes well too. Dr. Sweetpea said this is the best meat sauce he has had outside of the restaurants that we go to. Definitely a keeper for us!

Simple Italian Style Meat Sauce

(Source: Cooks Country)

4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and broken into rough pieces

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters

2 tablespoons whole milk

Salt and pepper

1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped fine

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (14.5­ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained with 1/4 cup juice reserved

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

1 (28­ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Process mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, about 8 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed; transfer to bowl. Add bread, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to now­empty processor and process until paste forms, about 8 pulses. Add beef and pulse until mixture is well combined, about 6 pulses.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium­high heat until just smoking. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are browned and dark bits form on pan bottom, 6 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, and pepper flakes; cook until fragrant and tomato paste starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add reserved tomato juice and 2 teaspoons oregano (if using dried, add full amount), scraping up any browned bits. Add meat mixture and cook, breaking meat into small pieces with spoon, until beef loses its raw color, 2 to 4 minutes, making sure that meat does not brown.

Stir in crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer until sauce has thickened and flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and remaining 1 teaspoon oregano; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Carnitas

After moving to Houston, Dr. Sweetpea and I have been eating a ton Carnitas. If we end up moving away after training, I'm definitely going to miss the top notch Tex Mex restaurants here. Anyway, back to the Carnitas, they are addicting and absolutely life changing. We already spent way too much money eating at various restaurants in the area, so I decided to make Carnitas at home. Dr. Sweetpea looked at me very cynically when I told him I'm making Carnitas for dinner. In fact, I'm pretty positive he had a backup plan just in case I messed it up. I saved about 10 different recipes and decided to make the recipe from Epicurious since there were so many wonderful reviews. This recipe is so easy to make but sooooo flavorful. While I was cooking the Carnitas, Dr. Sweetpea kept coming back into the kitchen saying that it smelled wonderful. After the Carnitas were done, Dr. Sweetpea took the first bite and his eyes got BIG, because he was blown away by how tasty they were. The Carnitas were so tender, flavorful, and as good as what we ate at restaurants. This is our go-to recipe for Carnitas at home now.

Carnitas

(Source: Epicurious)

4 pounds fatty pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 cups water

1 medium white onion, thinly sliced

1/2 orange, cut into 2 pieces

1/4 cup pork lard or vegetable oil

8 garlic cloves, peeled

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican, crumbled

2 teaspoons fine salt, or 4 teaspoons kosher salt

Put all the ingredients in a wide 6-to 7-quart heavy pot (don't worry if the pork is not completely covered) and bring the water to a boil, skimming the surface as necessary. Lower the heat and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender and the liquid has completely evaporated,  1 1/2 to 2 hours. Discard the orange pieces and bay leaves. If the liquid hasn't evaporated after 2 hours, transfer the pork pieces to a bowl and let the liquid continue to bubble away, stirring often, until it has.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Transfer the pork and fat to an ovenproof dish, if necessary, and brown the pork, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. There's no need to stir.

Carnitas keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Note: If you want to make half a batch, cut the amount of pork, salt, and oregano in half, but use the same amount of the remaining ingredients and water. You will need to use a slightly smaller pot.

Southern Cafeteria Style Cod

I'm actually really bummed that I didn't make this Southern Cafeteria Style Cod for dinner sooner! I had the recipe in my file for several months, but nothing really sparked my interest. Then one day, when Dr. Sweetpea texted me from work saying that he'll be home sooner than expected, I was in a rush to have dinner ready by the time he got home and decided to try this cod recipe because it's so easy. After Dr. Sweetpea got home and took one bite, all I heard was silence because he was too busy devouring his food. He reminded me to keep this cod recipe in my back pocket because it was delicious! 

Southern Cafeteria Style Cod

(Source: Miami Herald)

2 pounds cod filets

3 tablespoons butter, melted, divided

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup unflavored breadcrumbs

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter with the lemon juice, mayonnaise, garlic and onion powder and paprika. Coat a non­reactive baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange fish in the pan. Spread the mayonnaise and spice mixture onto the fish as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly on top. Drizzle with the remaining butter.

Bake 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork and top is golden. 

Ricotta and Cinnamon Meatballs

I absolutely love Giada's recipes. Everything I've ever made were always delicious and the recipes were always straight forward and easy to follow. So when I heard that Giada serves these Ricotta and Cinnamon meatballs at her restaurant in Vegas, I had to make them at home myself! Needless to say, these meatballs were absolutely divine and Dr. Sweetpea was raving about how good they were. Definitely a keeper recipe for us. I think I'll serve these as bite sized appetizers the next time we have a dinner party.

Ricotta and Cinnamon Meatballs

(Source: Giada)

1 large or 2 small shallots, minced (I used 1/4 teaspoon dried onion powder)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 pound ground beef chuck (80 percent lean)

1/4 cup orzo pasta

1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (23.5 ounce) jar store-bought marinara sauce

In a medium bowl, whisk together the shallots, garlic, egg, cinnamon and nutmeg. With a wooden spoon, stir in the ground beef, orzo, ricotta and basil. Add the salt, pepper and 1/4 cup water and mix well. Bring the marinara to a simmer in a shallow 12-inch skillet. Form the meat mixture into balls (about 1 heaping tablespoon each). Drop the meatballs into the simmering sauce, cover the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve on small toothpicks or skewers.

***I shaped mine by using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to shape my meatballs and cooked them a little longer in the sauce. 

Chick-Fil-A Coleslaw

Dr. Sweetpea loves Chick-Fil-A and he loves their coleslaw. So it wasn't a surprise when he was devastated when they removed their coleslaw from the menu. I recently came across a THE recipe for their coleslaw and made it for Dr. Sweetpea. It only took one bite for Dr. Sweetpea to tell me that he wants me to make it at home more often.

Chick-Fil-A Coleslaw

(Source: Chick-Fil-A)

4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup mayonnaise

2 (10 ounce) bags finely shredded cabbage, chopped

1/4 cup carrots, diced

Whisk vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt together until sugar is dissolved. Add mayonnaise and whisk to mix. Add cabbage and carrots. Mix to combine. Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve. 

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

I've been on a hunt to find an easy but delicious chocolate cake recipe. I read that the recipe from Hershey's is phenomenal, so I gave it a try and we definitely weren't disappointed. Dr. Sweetpea was raving about the cake and told me it's one of the best that he has had!

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

(Source: Hershey's)

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Hershey’s unsweetened Cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

“Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.

Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting. 

Nashville Hot Fried Chicken

Dr. Sweetpea loves fried chicken. The man could eat fried chicken all day for days and be perfectly happy. Anyway, I saw this Nashville Hot Fried Chicken recipe in one of my cookbooks, and since it's covered in a spicy sauce, I made it for dinner one day. Dr. Sweetpea took one bite and I swear I saw his eyes light up because it was that good. The chicken is perfectly brined and the coating is very crisp. Also, the sauce, it's spicy, but it adds that extra oomph that is perfectly paired with the fried chicken. The chicken is so good that Dr. Sweetpea begged for me to make this one a month for him!

Nashville Hot Fried Chicken

(Source: Cooks Country)

Brine

2 quarts water

1/2 cup hot sauce

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) whole chicken, quartered

Coating

3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Whisk water, hot sauce, salt, and sugar in large bowl until salt and sugar dissolve. Add chicken and refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes or up to one hour.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add cayenne pepper, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to small bowl.

Remove chicken from refrigerator and pour off brine. Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl. Dredge chicken pieces 2 at a time in flour mixture. Shake excess flour from chicken and transfer to wire rack.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat remaining oil in large Dutch oven over medium high heat to 350 degrees. Return chicken pieces to flour mixture and turn to coat. Fry half of chicken, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 300 and 325 degrees, until deep golden brown and white meat registers 160 degrees (175 for dark meat), 20 to 25 minutes. Drain chicken on clean wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Bring oil back to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken. Stir spicy oil mixture to recombine and brush over both sides of chicken. Serve on white bread with pickles.

***When I make this chicken at home, I usually use 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs. I cut the brine in half since I’m not brining a whole chicken. So for us, I use 1 quart water, 1/4 cup hot sauce, 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar for the brine and it’s been perfect.***

Ice Box Key Lime Pie

It's hot and humid in Houston. It's so hot and humid that I sweat walking from the exit of the grocery story to my car and I have to blast my AC as soon as I get in. Also, if you've been driving around a while, you get swamp ass. Yes, swamp ass is real in Houston. Anyway, because it's so hot, I rarely use the oven and I'm always looking for a dessert recipe where I don't have to bake. So I was pleasantly surprised when I came across this Ice Box Key Lime Pie recipe. I know Dr. Sweetpea has been craving Key Lime Pie for a while, and I've been telling him he'll have to wait until October for me to bake up a batch for him. Thankfully, since the the crust is the only thing that needs to be baked, I decided to give this a try. Honestly, it's BETTER than the other Key Lime Pie recipe on my blog. It's creamy, tangy, sweet, and super easy. Even Dr. Sweetpea who was super skeptical at first, raved about how good this pie was! 

Ice Box Key Lime Pie

(Source: Cooks Country)

Crust

8 whole graham crackers, broken into smaller pieces

2 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon grated lime zest

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 (14­ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding mix

1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

1 cup fresh lime juice from 6 to 8 limes

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crackers and sugar in food processor until finely ground. Add melted butter in steady stream while pulsing until crumbs resemble damp sand. Using bottom of dry measuring cup, press crumbs firmly into bottom and sides of 9­inch pie plate. Bake until fragrant and browned around edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool completely.

For the filling: Process sugar and zest in food processor until sugar turns bright green, about 30 seconds. Add cream cheese and process until combined, about 30 seconds. Add condensed milk and pudding mix and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Stir gelatin and 2 tablespoons lime juice in small bowl. Heat in microwave for 15 seconds; stir until dissolved. With machine running, pour gelatin mixture, remaining lime juice, and vanilla through feed tube and mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

Pour filling into cooled crust, cover with plastic, and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, let pie sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing.

Pan-seared Cod with Herb Butter Sauce

I'm on a mission to make sure Dr. Sweetpea eats fish more often. He is a huge fan of Halibut, Cod, Salmon, and Catfish, which thankfully are pretty affordable at Costco. We recently had dinner at Pappadeux, a popular seafood restaurant in Houston and Dr. Sweetpea loved the Tilapia with the Lemon Caper sauce. Since I knew his favorite part of the meal was the caper sauce, I immediately started looking for a good lemon sauce to make at home. I came across this recipe from America's Test Kitchen, and changed it a tad by adding some capers in the sauce. Dr. Sweetpea took one bite of the fish with the sauce and he said it was the best lemon sauce that he has had. This recipe is super easy to make during the week and very tasty. I served the fish with a side of couscous.

Pan-seared Cod with Herb Butter Sauce

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

1/2 cup all-­purpose flour

4 boneless, skinless thick fish fillets (see note)

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced

1/2 cup white wine

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 lemon

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

2 teaspoons of capers, drained (my addition)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Place flour in shallow dish. Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Coat fish lightly with flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Cook fillets until golden and thickest part of fillets flake easily, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and tent with foil. Wipe out skillet.

Add remaining oil and shallot to empty pan and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, and thyme and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and parsley. Season sauce with salt and pepper and pour over cod. Serve.

Couscous with Shallots, Garlic, and Almond

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 shallots, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups couscous

1 cup water

1 cup low­-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon table salt

3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (I omitted)

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Ground black pepper

Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium­high heat. When foaming subsides, add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add couscous and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add water, broth, and salt; stir briefly to combine, cover, and remove pan from heat. Let stand until grains are tender, about 7 minutes. Uncover and fluff grains with fork. Stir in almonds, parsley, lemon juice, and zest, season with pepper to taste, and serve.

Fluffy Pancakes

On weekend mornings, when Dr. Sweetpea isn't working, I love whipping up a big batch of pancakes and having breakfast in bed. I've tried many recipes so far, and one of my favorites is already on my blog. Then I came across this recipe and it was love at first bite when I made these over the weekend. Definitely a keeper for us and I'll be making this more often.

Light and Fluffy Pancakes

(Source: Serious Eats)

Basic Dry Pancake Mix:

10 ounces (about 2 cups) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

For Each Batch of Pancakes

2 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups (about 12 ounces) buttermilk

1 cup (about 8 ounces) sour cream (see note above)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for serving

Warm maple syrup

For the Dry Pancake Mix: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until homogenous. Transfer to an airtight container. The mix will stay good for 3 months. (See note above.)

For each Batch of Pancakes: Place one batch of dry mix in a large bowl. In a medium clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, buttermilk, and sour cream until homogenous. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter while whisking. Carefully fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula until just combined. Pour the mixture over the dry mix and fold until just combined (there should still be plenty of lumps).

Heat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes (or use an electric griddle). Add a small amount of butter or oil to the griddle and spread with a paper towel until no visible butter or oil remains. Use a 1⁄4-cup dry measure to place 4 pancakes in the skillet and cook until bubbles start to appear on top and the bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook on the second side until golden brown and completely set, about 2 minutes longer. Serve the pancakes immediately, or keep warm on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet in a warm oven while you cook the remaining 3 batches. Serve with warm maple syrup and butter.

I'm baaaack

I'm finally back to cooking up delicious meals at home since we finally got our belongings delivered. Moving across the country is hard, but dealing with an awful moving company made it soooo much harder. I really think I have PTSD because of our awful moving company, and it's sadly not over yet. I rarely rarely rarely say negative comments about anything, but this moving company is an exception.

Anyway, I made this skillet cooked pork recipe for dinner. It's fast, flavorful, and tender. Dr. Sweetpea kept raving about how good the pork was while he was eating dinner.

Pan Fried Pork Chops

(Source: Cooks Country)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup all­-purpose flour

4 bone-­in rib or center­-cut pork chops . about 3/4 inch thick

3 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Coat chops: Combine garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne in bowl. Place flour in shallow dish. Pat chops dry with paper towels. Cut 2 slits about 2 inches apart through fat on edges of each chop. Season both sides of chops with spice mixture, then dredge chops lightly in flour (do not discard flour). Transfer to plate and let rest 10 minutes.

Render bacon: Meanwhile, cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until fat renders and bacon is crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel­lined plate and reserve for another use. Do not wipe out pan.

Fry chops: Add oil to fat in pan and heat over medium­high heat until just smoking. Return chops to flour dish and turn to coat. Cook chops until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve.

Steak Fajitas

After we moved to Houston, we jumped on the BBQ and Tex-Mex bandwagon. There are SOOOO many Tex Mex restaurants that serve wonderful Fajitas and they're absolutely addicting. So, I decided to try making them at home ourselves and they turned out AMAZING. The Fajitas were restaurant quality good. Definitely a keeper for us. I'm not posting any pictures with this recipe again because our stuff haven't been delivered to our new home yet. Yes, we're eating off paper plates for the time being.

Steak Fajitas

(Source: Serious Eats)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup lime juice from 6 to 8 limes

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cumin seed

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)

2 pounds trimmed skirt steak

1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips

1 white or yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices

12 to 16 fresh flour or corn tortillas, hot

Sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa, for serving, if desired

Combine soy sauce, lime juice, canola oil, brown sugar, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, and garlic in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Transfer 1/2 cup of marinade to a large bowl and set aside. Place steaks in a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag and add remaining marinade. Seal bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Massage bag until meat is fully coated in marinade. Lay flat in the refrigerator, turning every couple of hours for at least 3 hours and up to 10.

While steak marinates, toss peppers and onions in bowl with reserved 1/2 cup marinade. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to cook, remove steaks from marinade, wipe off excess, and transfer to a large plate. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

Place a large cast iron skillet over cooler side of grill. Transfer steaks to hot side of grill. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Flip steaks, cover and cook for another minute. Continue cooking in this manner—flipping and covering—until steaks are well-charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into their center registers 115 to 120°F for medium-rare or 125 to 130°F for medium. Transfer steaks to a large plate, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, transfer cast iron skillet to hot side of grill and allow to preheat for 2 minutes. Add pepper and onion mix and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to char in spots, about 10 minutes. When vegetables are cooked, transfer steaks to a cutting board and pour any accumulated juices from the plate into the skillet with the vegetables. Toss to coat.

Transfer vegetables to a warm serving platter. Thinly slice meat against the grain and transfer to platter with vegetables. Serve immediately with hot tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, and other condiments as desired.