Quick Veggie & Shrimp Stir Fry

Published on September 2, 2010 in Quick & Easy and Seafood. 2 Comments

Every time I get ready to go on vacation I make a big soup or salad using up the contents of my fridge – I hate when food goes bad.  I’m heading up to N.H. for a few days and decided to put my left over ingredients into a stir fry to last me till Friday :) .  While yes, the temps in Boston are still 90+ degrees, and stir fry is hot, it was still a quick, healthy meal that hit the spot!  This recipe was made on the fly and you can feel free to substitute any leftover veggies or proteins you have lying around (p.s. cucumber not a good choice with this one ;) ) – it’s the concept that’s important: healthy, quick cooking stir fries with what you have in the fridge.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small zucchini
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/4 medium yellow onion
  • 4 cremini mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup frozen edamame, defrosted
  • 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted
  • 12 frozen raw shrimp, defrosted and shelled
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot chili oil

Directions:

  1. Chop, slice & dice your veggies. 
  2. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a medium skillet, over medium-high heat.
  3. Add the pepper, onion and zucchini.  The veggies should sizzle when you add them to the pan – if not, the pan isn’t hot enough.  Stir for3 minutes.
  4. Add the mushrooms, edamame, corn, shrimp, soy sauce and hot chili oil.  Stir for 3- 4 minutes until shrimp is pink and cooked through. 
  5. Serve with brown rice and enjoy!

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Published on August 31, 2010 in Soup. 0 Comments

How is summer almost over???  Wasn’t it just yesterday we were breathing in the fresh air of spring?  Us New Englanders have had quite the summer though – I think it’s rained five times in three months; a welcome change from last summer’s continuous monsoon!  It’s been a busy but lovely summer; weekend trips to Wells, ME, BBQ’s with friends, family reunion in Canada and fresh produce up to our eye balls :) .  My parents’ crop of tomatoes is just starting to come in, so I headed home this weekend to grab a few.  On Sunday I made a Roasted Tomato Basil Soup that paired perfectly with some toasty grilled cheese.  The recipe below can be altered based on how many tomatoes you have or basil.

Ingredients:

  1. 10 Roma tomatoes or 5-6 beefsteak tomatoes – honestly, enough tomatoes just to fit on a sheet pan :)
  2. 4 cloves of garlic
  3. 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves 
  4. 1/2 medium onion; diced
  5. 2 small cans diced tomatoes
  6. S&P to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 465 degrees and place the rack on the 2nd highest level.
  2. Spray a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and lay on tomatoes, cut length-wise, cut side up.  Add two cloves smashed garlic.  Spray tomatoes and garlic with nonstick cooking spray and add S&P.  Roast for 30 minutes. 
  3. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, saute onion and remaining two cloves diced garlic until translucent; approx. 5 minutes.
  4. Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes, roasted tomatoes & garlic and red pepper flake.  Bring mixture to medium-high heat for 5 minutes. 
  5. Turn off heat and stir in basil leaves. 
  6. Let the mixture cool for 10-15 minutes and pour into food processor.  Blend for 1 1/2 minutes.  I like a little texture left to the soup – feel free to blend for more or less time depending on your preference.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Blueberry Muffins

Published on August 26, 2010 in Breakfast. 4 Comments

Blueberry muffins :) .  There’s just something about them that takes me back to childhood.  Growing up, my mom would sometimes stop at this cute little shop Country Kitchen on the way to school and I’d get one of their famous blueberry muffins.  Hands down the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever had.  Trish, the owner, makes them fresh every morning and sprinkles the tops with course sugar – yum!  It had been quite some time since I had a muffin like that (store bought ones tend to taste so greasy and fake), so when I saw We Are Not Martha post a recipe for the tasty treats, I decided to try to make them myself.  Goodness gracious, these are incredible!  Soft, sweet, the perfect blueberry to muffin ratio – absolute bliss when you eat them right out of the oven.  Store bought muffins be damned; these are my new go-to :) .

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 – 3 cups fresh blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar & 1 teaspoon cinnamon (for tops of muffins)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a cupcake/muffin tin with liners.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
  3. Combine the cinnamon and sugar for the topping in a small bowl.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer.
  5. Add one egg at a time, beating the mixture after each egg.  Add the vanilla.  Add the milk and dry ingredients (adding alternately) and beat until well combined. 
  6. Stir in the blueberries with a spatula (not the hand mixer – unless you want smooth purple muffins). 
  7. Fill the muffin tin with the mixture – it’s best to have a heavy hand with these, almost overflowing the liners. 
  8. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the tops. 
  9. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Cool slightly (best while warm!) and enjoy.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Published on August 10, 2010 in Dessert. 0 Comments

I’ve really gained quite the sweet tooth over the past few months – cookies, cakes, sweet breads and brownies.  And now that I’ve figured out how to bake these delicious treats (I used to think boxed-mix was homemade/burned everything I baked…story for another day) I’ve been enjoying them more and more!  Might be time to up the gym regimen ;) .

These Chocolate Chip Cupcakes have a dense body that’s almost like a soft cookie (some taste-testers noted it was ‘crumb cake-esque) and the topping offers a crunchy/chewy combo.  The original recipe comes from Bake or Break, who has the most gorgeous photos accompanying every delicious creation.

The cupcakes were pretty easy to whip up – all though it’s not a ’set it and forget it’ process; you need to first mix & bake the cupcakes, then mix the topping, top the cupcakes and finish baking – just a heads up for planning your time.  Also, I highly recommend spraying your muffin/cupcake pan with non-stick spray after lining it.  I missed that step and had a lovely time trying to prod out half the cupcakes stuck to the pan.  The topping adds a fun flair to these sweet treats, making them a perfect party dessert.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Cupcakes:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a mini muffin/cupcake pan with liners and coat with non-stick cooking spray (this will be helpful for removing the cupcakes as the topping is pretty sticky right out of the oven).
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter & sugar with a hand mixer. 
  4. Add the vanilla extract, mix well, then add the egg and mix well.
  5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. 
  6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined. 
  7. Spoon about 1 & 1/2 teaspoons batter into each muffin cup and bake for 10-12 minutes. 

Topping:

  1. In a small mixing bowl, mix the brown sugar, egg and salt until blended.  Stir in the chocolate chips and vanilla. 
  2. After the cupcakes have been baked, remove from the oven and spoon topping mixture over each cupcake.
  3. Return to oven and bake for 8-10 more minutes. 
  4. Cool & enjoy!

Bon appetit!

- Christina

Salsa Showdown: Grilled Pineapple & Mango Salsa

Published on July 29, 2010 in Appetizer, Lifestyle and Vegetarian. 2 Comments

There’s nothing like fresh salsa on a hot summer’s day…..or at a 4:00 happy hour at work :) .  Last week my company hosted a Salsa Showdown – a competition to seek out the perfect Tostitos topping.  You may remember a few months back when my company held it’s second annual cookie bake-off; what can I say?  we like competition & food (awesome, I know :) ).

Having walked away with a winning nod at the last competition, I knew I needed to bring my A-game.  I’ve made salsas and guacs in the past, but neither of them would cut it for a competition of this caliber.  Instead, I turned to my grill pan for inspiration….and decided to make Grilled Pineapple & Mango Salsa!

Grilling really concentrates the sweetness of the fruit, providing good caramelization and a slight smoky flavor.  Per usual, I made the salsa at 7:30 a.m. before work (procrastination is my friend) and it turned out fantastic!  Sweet & fruity, with a hint of lime, cilantro & spice.

At 4:00 p.m. the competition laid out their goods – salsa and guacs of every kind.  Black beans, peppers, mangoes, pineapple, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, lemon, lime – the ingredients ran the gamut, producing fresh tasty dishes to sample.  Even hummus made the list!  Check out this amazing presentation! 

At the end of the grueling competition (bevies were generously provided to cool us off), I was honored to take home the award for ‘Should Be On A Menu’ :)

Shout out to Ciri for taking home ‘Best Dip’ with her awesome Guacamole and Beardy Lollipop’s Mike for his Pineapple Ginger Salsa that won the ‘Hottest’ award!  And a big thanks to SHIFT for hosting!

Recipe for Grilled Pineapple & Mango Salsa:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup diced red pepper
  • 1/3 cup diced & seeded cucumber
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion
  • 1 1/2 half cups cubed grilled pineapple
  • 1 cup diced grilled mango
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
  • Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

To grill the pineapple & mango

Spray a medium grill pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat to medium-high.  Place 1 inch-thick strips of pineapple on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until nice grill marks appear.  Repeat with the mango. 

To assemble the salsa

  1. In a small bowl, add the red pepper, cucumber, red onion, cilantro & jalapeno.
  2. Cube the grilled pineapple and mango and add to the bowl.
  3. Finish the salsa with the lime juice and S&P to taste.  Mix & enjoy!

Bon appetit!

A few more pics from the showdown:

Yum!

Ole!

Refreshing beverages to wash down the heat :)

Do you ever have friendly food competitions at work?

-Christina

Choco-Loco Dream Cake

Published on July 27, 2010 in Dessert. 2 Comments

Holy chocolate!  This cake is amazing – moist chocolate bundt cake, smooth chocolate glaze…..yum!  This was the first time I’d ever attempted to make a cake from scratch and it came out perfectly.  The recipe is super easy – honestly, the hardest part was the 1 cup of strong hot coffee (I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t actually know how to make coffee from a machine, so I ended up boiling it – thanks Mom for the tip!).  Based on a few cooking shows I’ve seen, it’s the coffee that really brings out the strong chocolatey flavor.

The glaze is almost like the chocolate glaze on a Boston creme doughnut, really taking this cake to the next level.

The perfect dessert for a special occasion or birthday :) .  The recipe is adapted from Eating Well’s Died and Went to Heaven Chocolate Cake.

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 1 1/2 cups  flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup hot black coffee, extra strong!

Glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  3. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and beat with a hand held electric mixer for 2 minutes.  Whisk in the hot coffee – note: the batter will be very thin.
  4. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a tooth pick (pick a long one!) comes out clean.
  5. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely. 

For the glaze:

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Whisk in the cocoa powder and water.
  2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the confectioners sugar and vanilla until the mixture has a thick, shiny, glaze consistency.
  3. Spoon over the cooled chocolate bundt cake.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Sweet Potato Quinoa with Black Beans & Feta

Published on July 23, 2010 in Side Dish and Vegetarian. 3 Comments

Quinoa – have you tried it?  The popular grain, pronounced “KEEN-wah,” has been all over menus and cookbooks for the past year.  I’ve certainly tried it, but never actually made it myself…until now :) .  Inspired by some of my favorite bloggers’ recent posts incorporating feta cheese, I combined quinoa, sweet potato, black beans, corn & feta to make a delicious & easy side dish with a southwestern flair.  This dish made it’s debut at dinner in my friend’s recently purchased condo – congrats Ang on being a homeowner!

Quinoa is super versatile and a little goes a long way (I used 1/2 cup dry quinoa and it made enough for 4 people!)  I can definitely see this healthy grain making it into many future dinners :) .

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup dry quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 medium sweet potato, cooked & chopped (I cooked mine in the microwave) 
  • 1/2 cup black beans
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1 tablespoon EVOO
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • Juice of 1 lime or lemon 
  • S&P

Directions:

  1. Rinse & drain the quinoa.
  2. In a small pot, add the quinoa, water and pinch of salt then bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the quinoa for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.  Fluff and cool. 
  3. In a medium bowl, add the quinoa, EVOO, sweet potato chunks, black beans, corn, feta, lemon juice and S&P.  Mix to combine and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Monkey Bars

Published on July 21, 2010 in Dessert. 2 Comments

Two sweet treat posts in a row…overload???  I think not ;) .  In addition to the Marshmallow Brownies, I also made Monkey Bars to bring up to my family reunion.  The original recipe comes from Maris at In Good Taste.  In her post, Maris talks about the woes of brown and squishy unused bananas and the joke that is ‘healthy’ banana bread with chocolate chips (sugar, eggs, etc).  The solution? Monkey Bars – banana, chocolate chips and pecans – a treat that doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t – absolutely delicious :)

I baked these babies in an 8×8 baking pan, but for a thinner bar you can use a 9×13; your preference.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups mashed banana (about 3 med bananas)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees.  Coat an 8×8 baking pan with butter.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar into butter, followed by eggs, vanilla and mashed banana. 
  3. In a second bowl, sift flour with baking powder and salt.  Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.
  4. Add in chocolate chips and pecans, stirring until just mixed (don’t over mix!)
  5. Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
  6. Remove and cool, then cut into 12 squares. 

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Marshmallow Brownies

Published on July 19, 2010 in Dessert. 0 Comments

What a fantastic weekend!  I had such a great time visiting my family in Canada and am absolutely stuffed from all the delicious food.  For the past few years it’s been a tradition to bring up food to share with each other throughout the course of the weekend.  Wanting to participate, I decided to bring up Marshmallow Brownies and Monkey Bars (recipe to come this week!).  I had seen First Look, Then Cook’s Marshmallow Brownies a few weeks back and knew these would be the perfect sweet treat to bring to the reunion – chocolate and marshmallow?? How could you go wrong!?!  The original recipe adds a chocolate glaze over the top layer of marshmallows – I had to forgo this step because I didn’t have confectioners sugar on hand.  No matter; to decorate I added sifted cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips – still pretty cute and absolutely delicious!  These were a big hit on the dessert table; I’m pretty sure my little brother ate about 15 :) .

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder & mini chocolate chips for decoration

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, cocoa, eggs, vanilla and salt.  Slowly add in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon, just until combined (don’t over mix!) 
  3. Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. 
  4. Remove from the oven and immediately top with the marshmallows.  Return to the oven and bake for 2 more minutes.  With a knife, spread the melted marshmallows into an even layer (it helps if you regularly run the knife under hot water). 
  5. Cool completely and cut into squares (running your knife under hot water should make cutting easier).
  6. To decorate, lightly sift cocoa powder over the tops of the brownies & dot with a mini chocolate chip.

Bon appetit!

Full recap of the reunion and Monkey Bars recipe coming this week :) .

-Christina

Headed to the Great White North

Published on July 16, 2010 in Lifestyle. 0 Comments

It’s that time of year – the Haddad Family reunion.  Once a year my Mom’s side of the family gets together in Canada for a weekend to catch up, play wist :) and eat lots of delicious food.  I’m headed up today, but will be back bright and early on Monday to share recipes & a recap of the weekend.

Have a great weekend!

-Christina