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.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello from Houston!! We have finally moved to Houston for Dr. Sweetpea's job! To celebrate our new life, I baked up a fresh batch of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies for Dr. Sweetpea. No pictures this time but these were so delicious and chewy that I'll be making these again in the next few days.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1 cup oats in food processor or blender and process until well ground, about 30 seconds. Transfer to large bowl and stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until well blended and lumps are gone, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add melted chocolate and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated, about 15 seconds. Add remaining 3/4 cup oats, chocolate chips, and nuts and beat on low speed until evenly distributed, about 10 seconds.

Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake, rotating and switching position of pans halfway through baking time, until cookies are cracked and set on top but look moist within cracks, 14 to 18 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 5 days.)

Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish

Dr. Sweetpea loves deep fried fish, but I'm not a fan of them because they're always greasy and super unhealthy. I've been searching for an oven-fried fish recipe for a while so he can eat fish with a crispy coating that isn't deep fried. I recently came across this Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish recipe on America's Test Kitchen's website and immediately knew that this would be a hit! It only took one bite for Dr. Sweetpea to be blown away by how good the oven fried fish turned out! 

Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

4 large slices white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

1/4 cup plus 5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional)

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 1/4 pounds skinless cod fillet, or haddock fillet, or other thick white fish fillet (1 to 1 1/2 inches thick), cut into 4 pieces

Lemon wedges

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse bread, melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in food processor until bread is coarsely ground, eight 1-second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. Cool crumbs to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Transfer crumbs to pie plate; toss with parsley and shallot. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Place 1/4 cup flour in second pie plate. In third pie plate, whisk eggs, horseradish (if using), mayonnaise, paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until combined; whisk in remaining 5 tablespoons flour until smooth.

Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Dry fish thoroughly with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge 1 fillet in flour; shake off excess. Using hands, coat with egg mixture. Coat all sides of fillet with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to fish. Transfer breaded fish to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 fillets.

Bake fish until instant-read thermometer inserted into centers of fillets registers 140 degrees, 18 to 25 minutes. Using thin spatula, transfer fillets to individual plates and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Comeback Sauce

(Source: America's Test Kitchen/Cooks Country)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons chili sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Process all ingredients in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls

I've always been hesitant to make Cinnamon Rolls because it's very time consuming. That said, I've been told by many people that it's totally worth the time to make them at home. Since I'm not working for the time being, I decided to try my hand at making America's Test Kitchen's recipe and I was BLOWN away by how good my Cinnamon Rolls turned out for my first attempt. Dr. Sweetpea kept telling me that they are better than what you would get at the grocery store or Cinnabon. I'll definitely be making these again during the holidays or when we have guests over for brunch.

Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls

(Source: America's Test Kitchen/ Cook's Country)

Dough

3/4 cup whole milk, heated to 110 degrees

1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast

3 large eggs, room temperature

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened

Filling

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Glaze

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

For the dough: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, shut off. Line 13- by 9-inch baking pan with foil, allowing excess foil to hang over pan edges. Grease foil and medium bowl.

Whisk milk and yeast in liquid measuring cup until yeast dissolves, then whisk in eggs. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt until combined. With mixer on low, add warm milk mixture in steady stream and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and add butter, one piece at a time, until incorporated. Continue to mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes. Turn dough out onto clean surface and knead to form a smooth, round ball. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in warm oven. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

For the filling: Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Following photos 1 and 2 in the related step-by-step, roll dough into 18-inch square, spread with butter, and sprinkle evenly with filling. Starting with the edge nearest you, roll dough into tight cylinder, pinch lightly to seal seam, and, following photo 3, cut into 8 pieces. Transfer pieces, cut-side up, to prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

For the glaze and to bake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Discard plastic wrap and bake buns until deep golden brown and filling is melted, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and top buns with ½ cup glaze; cool 30 minutes. Using foil overhang, lift buns from pan and top with remaining glaze. Serve.

Make Ahead: After transferring pieces to prepared pan in step 3, buns can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 24 hours. When ready to bake, let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Remove plastic wrap and continue with step 4 as directed.

Sloppy Joe

Whenever I think of Sloppy Joes, it makes me think of the ones that were served in the school cafeteria. I never liked them as a kid, and never had any cravings for them either as an adult. That said, we had some ground beef and some condiments that needed to be used, so I decided to give Sloppy Joe's a whirl from scratch. They turned out really good, and even Dr. Sweetpea said he'll eat them again too. 

Sloppy Joes

(Source: Cooks Country)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef

Ground black pepper

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 cup tomato puree

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

4 hamburger buns

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and stir until coated with oil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 10 minutes (if onion begins to burn after 5 minutes, reduce heat to low). Add garlic and chili powder and cook, uncovered, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until just pink, about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon pepper, brown sugar, tomato puree, ketchup, water, and hot sauce. Simmer until Sloppy Joe sauce is slightly thicker than ketchup, 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Spoon meat mixture onto hamburger buns and serve.

Baked Spaghetti

Since we're moving to Houston, we haven't really grocery shopped and we've been trying to eat whatever we have in our kitchen so nothing is wasted. I had a few cans of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce in one of our cupboards, so I decided to use them to make Baked Spaghetti with ground beef. I found this recipe in a Facebook group that I'm in, and it's absolutely delicious!!! Unfortunately, no picture for this recipe :o(

Baked Spaghetti

(Source: Facebook Group)

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, drained

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon dried basil flakes

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook and drain 8 - 10 ounces of spaghetti noodles (I used a 12 oz pack of noodles). In a large stock pot, heat up a few tablespoons of vegetable oil and saute chopped onions. Add in the chopped garlic and saute for another 1 - 2 minutes before adding ground beef into the mixture. Cook until the ground beef is browned. Then add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, sugar, basil flakes, oregano, salt, and Parmesan cheese into the pot with the ground beef and onions. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes, uncovered. Once the sauce is done cooking, mix the cooked noodles with the sauce. Place of the noodle/sauce mixture in 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  

Pork and Chive Dumplings

Dr. Sweetpea has been asking me to make dumplings for months. I've always been too lazy to make them because they are time consuming, and there would be too much for the two of us. Then I caved in to his request when I came across this Pork and Chive dumpling recipe. It uses a lot of chives as an ingredient and since we had a TON of chives growing in our balcony garden, I decided to make these dumplings with the chives we grew. This all goes back to trying to use everything before we move. Anyway, these dumplings were absolutely delicious, even though I didn't use the Chinese chives called for in the recipe. Dr. Sweetpea kept saying how these were the best dumplings he has had, ever.

Pork and Chive Dumplings

(Source: New York Magazine - Good Fork Restaurant Recipe)

2 tbsp. canola oil, plus more for frying dumplings

1 cup diced onion

3 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. minced ginger

1 cup chopped garlic (or Chinese) chives

1 1/2 lbs. ground pork

1 (8 ounce) package firm tofu

3 tbsp. hoisin sauce

1 (16 ouce) package dumpling wrappers

1 egg, beaten and reserved in a small bowl

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and garlic chives and cook for 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let cool. In a large bowl, combine pork, tofu, and hoisin sauce with the chive mixture. Test-fry a small portion of the pork mixture and adjust seasoning. (1) Holding dumpling wrapper flour side down, place a teaspoonful of pork mixture onto the middle of the wrapper. (2) Dip your index finger into the beaten egg and rub it over half of the outer edge of the dumpling. (3) Fold dumpling in half, crimping it in the middle and sealing along the egg-moistened edge, taking care not to leave any air pockets. Repeat procedure and pan-fry the dumplings until crisp and brown on both sides. Serve with a combination of soy sauce and rice-wine vinegar to dip. Note: makes about four dozen dumplings; extras will keep in the freezer for two weeks or so.

**Instead of pan-frying the dumplings, I deep fried them in a fryer set at 350 degrees. I fried the dumplings until they were crispy and the wrappers were golden brown.