Funfetti Cake Dip

 a.k.a. Homemade Dunkaroos. Uh, YEAH.

This stuff is like crack. I served it with pretty much any snack-like thing I had in the house, but I think it would be ideal with some animal crackers. Or Teddy Grahams. Mmmm. I used Greek yogurt because I have an abundance of it, but if you don't enjoy that slight tang then I would suggest using plain or even vanilla yogurt.

Funfetti Cake Dip Recipe:

• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 3-4 tbsp funfetti cake mix
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk (Greek yogurt is super thick so I added to make it more akin to frosting; regular yogurt might not need)
• Extra sugar (again for the Greek yogurt because it's so tangy)

Mix it all up and consume with anything edible. Hey I bet cardboard would even taste good with it.

Steamed Cod in Grape Leaves & Quinoa Tabbouleh

So this meal was pretty fun to make. It incorporated cooking techniques I've never tried (steaming fish in grape leaves) and also brought together great Greek flavors. The timing was a little off, however, as I tried to cook my quinoa in the rice cooker while simultaneously cooking my fish in the steamer basket attachment. The quinoa ended up cooking way before I had the fish ready so I had to take it out and keep it on the stove, add water to the cooker, wait for it to heat and then steam the fish. Oh well, tabbouleh is supposed to be served cold anyway. 

I also accompanied with some sauteed collard green stalks that ended up being fantastic. I had saved them from my New Year's collard green recipe and wasn't sure if they would be edible. Well, they are indeed and very good. Throw some pita bread and Greek yogurt on a plate and bam, you've got a Greek feast.

Steamed Cod in Grape Leaves Recipe:

• 11/2 pounds cod, cut into fillets (about the size of your palm, made about 8)
• 12 large grape leaves (4 extra to line the steamer basket)
• lemon slices
• salt, pepper

Season your cod generously with salt and pepper. Lay one lemon slice on a grape leaf, place fish on top and then wrap up. Put folded side face down in basket. Steam for about 10 minutes or until a knife pokes through the fish without resistance.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt, black pepper

Cook your quinoa. Add all the ingredients, mix and enjoy!

Sauteed Collard Green Stalks Recipe:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Stalks of 1 bunch of collard greens, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp white wine
• 2 tbsp water

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add your stems and seasonings. Cook until they begin to brown but still retain bright green color and are a bit softer. Add garlic. Cook until fragrant and then deglaze the pan with wine and water. Reduce to medium low and cook until moisture has evaporated and stalks are tender. 

S'mores Cupcakes

I <3 s'mores. 

Sadly, they are very difficult to eat with braces/missing teeth. Although I wouldn't consider  these cupcakes a "substitute" for the delicious campfire treat, they are pretty darn tasty and way easier to eat. The toasted marshmallow top is essential. I only had mini marshmallows on hand, but would recommend using half a large marshmallow instead. Also I intended on putting graham cracker crumbs on the bottom before pouring in the batter, but forgot so just crumbled on top.

S'mores Cupcakes Recipe:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 2 graham crackers, crushed
• 2 tbsp chocolate syrup
• 1/2 large marshmallow per cupcake or 3 mini marshmallows per cupcake

Make your cupcakes according to the box instructions. I always make changes to mine (for example, this time I subbed buttermilk for the liquid and added 2 tbsp extra unsweetened cocoa). When the cupcakes are finished, remove from oven, re-position rack to second notch from the top and set to broil. Brush each cupcake with a little chocolate syrup (this helps the marshmallows stick), top with marshmallows and place under the broiler. This will only take like 1-2 minutes and check often! Those suckers will burn fast. Remove from oven and smush down the marshmallows a bit. Drizzle extra chocolate syrup and sprinkle with graham crackers crumbs. 

Traditional New Year's Meal

This is just one of those meals from my childhood that I could never seem to get enough of. To this day, every New Year I have to eat ham, greens, black-eyed peas and biscuits. Frankly, I could eat this meal ANY day of the year, but I reserve it especially for January 1st. Most people have their own renditions, but this one is perdy darn good. My only fail was the buttermilk biscuits, which made me VERY, VERY sad. I had been craving good, fluffy homemade buttermilk biscuits for days and really wanted to make them myself. Alas, I think my baking powder is expired/I overworked the dough because they really didn't rise. The taste was all there, but not the texture.

Southern New Year's Meal Recipe:

Sweet Mustard Glazed Ham

• 1/2 boneless fully cooked honey ham
• 1 cup water
• about 10 whole cloves
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Place your ham cut-side down in a baking pan with all the juices. Follow directions on package (mine said add 1 cup of water). Stick cloves all over the ham. Combine all of the remaining ingredients and brush 3/4 of the mixture on the ham. Cover tightly with foil and bake in oven for about 1 hour at 325 degrees. After 1 hour, take the ham out and brush the remaining 1/4 glaze. Seal tightly again and cook for 30 minutes. I actually made extra glaze to have as a dipping sauce.

Spicy Black-eyed Peas

• 2 cans black-eyed peas
• 1 tbsp jalapeno hot sauce
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste

Heat everything up. Yep, I go the easy route with these. Yes, you could slow cook dried beans in bacon all day long, but I just like the canned ones. Plus I reserve the special "bacon-ing" for the collard greens.

Collard Greens with Bacon

• 2 slices bacon of choice, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt, black pepper
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• generous dashes of your favorite hot sauce
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 bunch of fresh collard greens, chopped
• 1 cup water or stock

Cook your bacon over medium heat just until it begins to brown but is still pink. Add onions and cook until they are soft. Add garlic, salt and pepper and cook for a couple minutes. Add syrup, hot sauce and vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the bacon bits. Simmer for a couple minutes and then add your collard greens and water/stock. Bring to a simmer and then reduce temperature to medium-low. Cover and cook for at least 30 minutes. Reduce to low and continue to cook for as long as you want. The more time those flavors spend together, the better! 

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp cold shortening (or butter)
• 1 cup cold buttermilk

Combine your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Using your fingers, crumble in the cold shortening and mix with your hands slightly. Add the buttermilk and combine with your hands just until everything barely comes together. Knead a couple times on a floured surface and pat into 3/4 inch thickness. Using a circle cutter (or a small glass) cut out your biscuits. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Hopefully this works for people with fresh baking powder and better hands!

Sloppy Joe Lentils

I was really craving some good ol' Sloppy Joes last night, but did not want to go to the store to get ground beef. Hmm what to do, what to do? I knew I had some lentils in the pantry, and they are always my go to "meat substitute" in dishes because they are so high in protein. After doing a couple quick Google searches, I discovered that Lentil Sloppy Joes are actually a really popular item in the vegetarian/vegan world. There are like a bajillion recipes. I used some bits and pieces of others' ideas online to create my own concoction. It wasn't exactly Manwich, but it sure was delicious and incredibly flavorful. I also didn't haven't buns (fail) but served it over rice with super easy roasted green beans.

Sloppy Joe Lentils & Roasted Green Beans Recipe:

• 1 cup lentils, rinsed
• 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp ground mustard powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• dash of cinnamon
• salt, black pepper

• 1/2 lb green beans, washed, trimmed and dried well
• olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Asiago cheese

Combine the lentils and 3 cups of water, bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are just tender. Do not overcook.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat oil over medium low heat. Saute onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute for a couple minutes. Add all of the remaining ingredients (except green beans and last seasonings), mix very well and cook together for a couple minutes. Add your drained lentils, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low. Depending on how sloppy you want it, add more or less liquid. 

Meanwhile, toss your green beans in a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and grated cheese. Spread evenly on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Give the pan a shake to turn the green beans and cook an additional 5 minutes. 

When ready to eat, serve Sloppy Joe lentils over rice with your delicious roasted vegetables!

Not a beautiful dish, but a tasty one.

No-Bake Fruit Cake Squares

Happy Holidays!

 Geez Louise, it's been awhile since I've posted anything. Sigh, this time of year is so wonderful, yet so busy. 

Speaking of being too busy to do ANYTHING, these no-bake fruit cake squares are the solution to any holiday baking dilemma. That is, if you like fruit cake, which I know a lot of people don't. In fact, I have no idea when I started liking it. These squares aren't really fruit cake though so I definitely recommend trying them out even if you're skeptical. And they're freakishly easy! The recipe I made fit into an 8x8 inch pan, but you can double for a 9x13 to feed a larger crowd.

No-Bake Fruit Cake Squares Recipe:

• 1/2 box graham crackers, crushed (about 2 whole sleeves of crackers)
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds (or walnuts, pecans, etc.)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes
• 1 container of candied fruit (the mix comes with green and red cherries, candied lemon peel, candied ginger and pineapple)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (I added just to balance out all the sweetness)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• dash of salt
• 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk

Combine everything in a large bowl until well mixed. Yup, that's it.
Line an 8x8 inch square pan with plastic wrap so that it comes over the sides. Spray the plastic wrap with a little non-stick oil. Also, spray your hands with the oil too so the fruit cake mixture doesn't adhere to your skin. Spoon the mixture into the pan and spread evenly using your hands. Cover with the extra plastic wrap and place in freezer for about an hour. Then move to fridge until ready to cut and eat! Serve room temperature.





Ho ho ho. Noms noms noms.

Pan-fried Tilapia with Jalapeno Sour Cream Sauce

Gotta love those "fridge-scrounging" meals.

The recipe was born out of stale cornbread, expiring sour cream, frozen tilapia and zucchini - mmm mmm. We always have an unnecessary amount of rice in the house so that was a no-brainer side. It actually turned out really delicious. I'm not normally a "bread and fry" kind of girl, but this was super easy and tasted great without feeling oily or heavy. Good for ya too!

Pan-fried Tilapia with Jalapeno Sour Cream Sauce Recipe:

• 2 cups rice (I used half brown, half red Jasmine)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch strips (kind of like french fry size)
• 1 carrot, (same as zucchini)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt, black pepper, cumin
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp jalapeno vinegar (a.k.a. the juice in a jar of pickled jalapenos)
• 1 tsp water
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp jalapeno powder
• salt, black pepper
• 4 frozen tilapia fillets, thawed
• about 2 cups stale cornbread, ground into crumbs
• smoked paprika, cayenne pepper
• salt, black pepper
• 1 egg white + 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400-degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine rice and onion and cook according to preference (I use a rice cooker). 

Coat vegetable strips with olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin and bake in oven for 20 minutes, rotating after 10 minutes. 

To make the sour cream sauce, combine sour cream, jalapeno vinegar, 1 tbsp water, garlic powder, jalapeno powder, salt and black pepper. Mix together very well until smooth and creamy.

Combine cornbread crumbs, paprika and cayenne in a shallow dish. Combine egg and water in a separate shallow dish. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper fish fillets, dredge in egg mixture then in crumb mixture and place in the pan. I was able to fit 3 fillets at once. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until fish becomes tender and flaky. 

Enjoy with your roasted veggies, rice and sour cream sauce!