Blueberry Lime Cornmeal Scones

These scones have the potential to be very good, well they are very good but the recipe told me to greese the cookie sheet and also to cook on 450 F and that resulted in burned bottoms. This recipe calls for lime zest and the lime flavor in the scones is really nice with the blueberries but I don't think there was enough of it. I also don't think there were enough blueberries. I am going to write this recipe for you the way I think it ought to be.

1 1/3 cups flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
3 tbsp white sugar
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup cold butter chopped up
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
zest of 2 limes
1 1/2 frozen blueberries
1 tsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400 F

Combine 1 1/3 cup flour, 2/3 cup cornmeal

Add 3 tbsp white sugar

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

cut in 1/3 cup cold butter until flour mixture resembles course crumbs

Zest 2 limes

Combine the zest of 2 limes, 1/2 cup buttermilk, and 1 egg

Make a well in dry mixture, and add the buttermilk mixture all at once.
Stir with a fork until just moistened. Don't over mix.

Toss frozen blueberries with cornstarch, and then add to flour mixture.
Drop dough on floured (not greased) sheet pan in 12 mounds 1 inch apart

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden on top.

The recipe I used also called for a a drizzle made with powdered sugar mixed with lime juice. I did not do this because it just adds more calories, and I have never had a good outcome when making icing with just powdered sugar and a moistening agent. It always tastes icky. I used some honey instead. It was pretty but the honey got all over me every time I ate one. Its really not necessary they are good plain. The recipe also called for sliced almonds sprinkled over the top but again, more calories.

Chorizo and Black Bean Pasta

Bopstafari


Here comes Bopper Cotton Tail
Hoppin down the bunny trail...

Sorry, since I'm lame and didn't take pictures of the following recipe you'll have to suffer with just a few pictures of the Bopper instead :)

So my mommy and auntie were just here visiting. We went shopping at Loehmann's and my lovely mother bought me some new clothes to celebrate my finally no longer pregnant body. While its only a month out and I still have some work to do on it, it was nice to get some new stuff that looks good on me. Nothing like shopping to sooth the soul. So I made another recipe from the afore mentioned cookbook for them. This one is not only delicious but figure friendly as well. Only 7 Weight Watcher points per serving, and the recipe makes 6 big servings. Gotta love it. If you've never done WW then you probably have no idea what I'm talking about but just take my word that its a pretty figure friendly meal. You could replace just plain old pasta for wheat pasta and make it even better for you but I just cant bring myself most of the time. Its a little too much like cardboard. You could also replace the chorizo with some spicy turkey or chicken sausage if you can find some that you like, but I think you would loose a lot of flavor. Chorizo is just so yummy. OK without further ado...here is the recipe. Sorry again about no pictures. The recipe I'm making tonight, Goat Cheese and Salami pasta, I will photograph. I promise. OK I lied, there was further ado.

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion sliced thin
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 pound cured chorizo
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 16 oz can black beans drained
juice of 1 lime
3/4 lb corkscrew pasta
1/2 cup fresh parsley (opt.)

Cook pasta
Saute onion over medium heat until tender, about 3 minutes
Add garlic, oregano, and chili powder, and saute another 2 minutes
Add chorizo, tomato paste, and broth to pan
Let simmer for 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened
Add the black beans, lime juice, and salt if needed, and remove from heat
Toss with pasta, sprinkle with parsley, and serve

Sorry I've Been Away

Sorry I haven't been around lately. I just had a baby 4 weeks ago for those of you who didn't know that.
Desmond Xen Danger Lee.

I am absolutely loving it, but have not had any time to blog lately. I have however been making some very good recipes. I finally learned how to make my own pizza dough, something that I was afraid of for a long time for some reason. We topped one with tomato, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, and prosciutto. Another we topped with mushrooms and breakfast sausage. I've made four total. The other two were topped, one with artichoke, mushroom and prosciutto, and one with sausage and spinach. YUMMYYYYY!!!!! Breakfast sausage on pizza is great. Here is the dough recipe I'm using. Its pretty good. Sorry I don't have step-by-steps for this.

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 or 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon basil

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Stir the salt, spices, and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 3 1/2 cups of the flour
3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out.
   
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly oil the pan, and bake in oven for about 7 to 10 minutes before you add your toppings.
   
5. Take pizza crust out of the oven and top however you like.
   
6. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

I have also been making a bunch of pasta recipes I got from this great cookbook that I had lying around, and every single one that I have made has turned out pretty damn good and they were all pretty easy too. These are the ones I have made so far.

Penne, Broccoli & Balsamic Butter
(this one was very simple and btw, roasting broccoli in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper is the most delicious thing in the world. So simple but so good. Also good without being cooked.)

Shells, Portobello Mushrooms, Asparagus, and Boursin
(This one you make a sauce using a whole thing of Boursin and chicken stock. Again, very simple but oh my god is it good. If you love Boursin you gotta do this one.)

Fusilli, Choke Hearts, and Parmesan Cream
(This one was good too, nothing too exciting about it just artichoke pasta with a cream sauce but good)

Wheels with Shrimp and Yogurt Dill Dressing
(This one actually ended up with way too much salt in it which kinda ruined it but the idea was great. Good for a summer BBQ or something)

Shells with Prosciutto and Melon
(This one was interesting. Basically just crushed tomatos, cantelope, prosciutto, cream, and pasta, but very interesting. Definatly worth a try)

I'm telling you, this cook book is the shit. There are a ton more recipes in here that I want to try. I don't know what the copy write rules are so I'm not going to write the recipes for these pastas down on this blog right now. If you want any of these recipes email me and I'll send them to you or something. I'll try to figure out a way to post them eventually. If anyone has any ideas let me know. Sorry I don't have any pictures of these. Forgot.

Jalapeno Corn Dog Muffins

So in the picture you can see that I used a quarter of a quarter of a hot dog. Upon consulting my husband it has been determined that the hot dog should actually be chopped and spread throughout the batter. Other than that this is a quick and easy way to come close to simulating a jalapeño corn dog.

Here's what you will need
1 box corn muffin mix
1/3 cup of milk
1 egg
1 big hot dog
2 tbsp jalapeños

Prepare the corn muffin mix according to the directions on the box.

Chop your hot dog into small cubes and mix into the muffin batter. Use a good hot dog for better results. I like these and the Johnsonville Hotlinks.

When I was making these I forgot to put the jalapenos in until I had already poured the batter into the muffin tins so I just layed them on top and it worked out fine but its easier just to chop them and add them to the batter so do that.

Bake according to package directions and enjoy.
If you like your corn dogs to have a sweet flavor add a bit of sugar. For moister muffins you can sub 1/2 cup of buttermilk for the regular milk.

Heath Bar Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1-1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits
• 1 8 oz. pkg. semi sweet chocolate bits.
  

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine 2 stick softened butter with 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup brown sugar. Blend with hand mixer until combined.
Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Add three whole large eggs and combine.

Add 3 1/2 cups of flour 1 cup at a time until well blended. In between 1st cup of flour and second add 2 tsp. baking soda.
In between 2nd cup of flour add 2 tsp. cream of tartar.

Add 1 bag of Heath-1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits and 1 8 oz. pkg. semi sweet chocolate bits. Mix well.

Use a tbsp. to measure out your cookies onto a greased cookie sheet and
bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes

Hollandaise Sauce recipe all on its own

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1. Cut the butter into four pieces, place in a 1-quart glass measure
or bowl, and microwave, covered with a paper towel, on high,
until almost melted, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Remove butter
from the microwave and stir until completely melted.
2. Separate eggs, placing the yolks in a small bowl and setting the
whites aside for another purpose. Beat the yolks well with a
whisk or fork, then add to the butter and stir well.
3. Add cream and lemon juice to egg mixture and stir well.
Microwave mixture, uncovered, on high, until just slightly thick,
about 1 to 2 minutes, stopping every 20 seconds to stir with a
fork. Remove sauce from microwave and stir in mustard.
4. NOTE: Sauce may be kept warm for up to 2 hours in an
insulated container. Or cool the sauce to room temperature and
refrigerate it in a covered microwave-safe container for up to 24
hours. To re-warm, cover container with plastic wrap, pierce
wrap with a knife to vent, and microwave on 50 percent power
until heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to stir
halfway through. Do not allow sauce to boil.

Eggs Benedict Skillet, An Epiphany!

So I have been dreaming about and planning this recipe for a few weeks now. It all started when we got our new cast iron dutch oven. If you don't yet have one your missing a great piece of kitchen equipment and you should run out and buy one right away. I love mine even though it weighs about a gazillion lbs. I got it for a freaking steal, $29.99 at Homegoods. Yipee!!!!
Moving on... Kevin wanted to find camping recipes for the dutch oven and he ended up finding one for this delicious breakfast skillet thing with hash browns, bacon, eggs, jalapeños, cheese, and salsa. (I will blog it soon.) That dish got me thinking about what other things we could make in the dutch oven and for some reason Eggs Benedict popped into my head. This is what I came up with. It's a real winner, although I actually made it in a skillet not the dutch oven. Toasted English muffins soaked in egg (like you would for French toast), cubed ham (I could not find Canadian bacon), and a easy no fuss Hollandaise sauce I found that you make in the microwave. This is the easiest way to make Eggs Benedict you will ever find. You could feed and impress a large group, without having to poach a thousand eggs.
Now my original idea was to also have a layer of home fried potatoes on the bottom of this dish since thats usually what you get with Eggs Benedict, but I totally forgot this morning when I was making this. I was going to saute them up with some onion and garlic and then add the diced ham. Next time I make this I'm gonna add the tatters for sure so I'll let ya know.

P.S. This recipe makes about twice as much Hollandaise sauce as you need.

What you will need


7 large eggs
3 English muffins
1 1/2 -2 of diced ham or Canadian bacon
1 Lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Melt one stick of butter in medium bowl.

Crack and seperate 4 eggs adding the yolks to the butter while reserving the 4 whites in a large bowl.

Whisk the butter and egg yolk mixture until well blended.

Add 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and the juice of 1 whole lemon or 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and mix well.

Microwave mixture, uncovered, on high, until just slightly thick,
about 1 to 2 minutes, stopping every 20 seconds to stir with a
fork or whisk.

It may take a little longer than this, but sauce will thicken up.

Remove sauce from microwave and stir in mustard.

Once the sauce is done you can leave it in the microwave until skillet is done to keep it warm.

If it is cold when you are ready to use it heat for 20 more seconds.

Split and toast 3 English muffins.

Once toasted, cut each half into quarters.

Whisk the three remaining eggs into the reserved whites and soak the toasted English muffins in the egg for about 2-3 minutes.


In a cast iron skillet saute 1 1/2 cups of ham until slightly colored and hot, 2-3 minutes.

(here is where I would change things for next time. I am going to saute onions and garlic in some olive oil, add already parboiled frozen diced potatoes and saute until golden brown, add the ham, and continue)



Pour the egg and English muffin/egg mixture over the ham in the skillet.

Spread everything out so that you have bread and meat in every bite.

Cover and heat in oven at 450 F for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

Heat for another 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and egg has set.

Top with as much Hollandaise sauce as you like.
(I only ended up using about half of what I made)

Sprinkle with paprika, and enjoy.