Cherry Pecan Coffee Cake

I found the original recipe for this cake in an old issue of Southern Living, and it was originally made as an Apricot-Almond Coffee Cake. I made the apricot version and it was so delicious. Today, I needed something red or pink, not screaming Valentine's Day, but just a hint of Valentine's flavor, to serve at my jewelry training party tomorrow evening. I decided to make this coffee cake into a Cherry Pecan Coffee Cake. My house smells so wonderful right now! That delectable cake is sitting there cooling, waiting to be drizzled and is begging me to come hither with my fork! I am sure there will be a piece of that cake missing before my party tomorrow evening. I mean, who can leave a perfectly wonderful smelling cake sitting in the kitchen, all warm and oozing with drizzled pecans! Come on, give a girl a break! Just one tiny piece?!

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup cherry preserves

16 ounce package pound cake mix (take one tablespoon out and set aside)

8 ounces sour cream

1/2 cup milk (I use canned evaporated milk)

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Glaze

Directions:

BEAT cream cheese, preserves and one tablespoon of the cake mix just until blended and set aside.

BEAT sour cream, milk, eggs, almond extract and remaining cake mix at low speed with an electric mixer 30 seconds or until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat 3 more minutes.

POUR cake batter into a lightly greased 13x9-inch pan. Drop cream cheese mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls evenly over batter. Swirl batter gently with a knife. Sprinkle pecans evenly over the top.

BAKE at 350 degrees for 25 to 28 minutes or until golden.

COOL on a wire rack 20 minutes. Drizzle Glaze over slightly warm cake or individual pieces.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 to 2 tablespoons milk (I use canned evaporated milk)

STIR together powdered sugar, extract and one tablespoon of the milk until smooth. Add additional milk if needed to get the desired consistency.

NOTES: To make the apricot version just switch out the cherry preserves for apricot preserves and the pecans for almond slices. This is fantastic with any flavor of preserves you can think of! I would love to try it with homemade pear preserves or blackberry preserves. Mmm so delicious! And YES I CUT A PIECE! I had to have a picture for my post, right?

Italian Chicken & Pesto Pasta (Gluten-Free)

This has been a crazy week, and there hasn't been much time for creativity in the kitchen. I needed a quick and easy but comforting dinner to help me and that wonderful hubby of mine unwind tonight. We love this because it's a quick and easy dinner, and is a fantastic alternative to take out. Oh, and it is pretty healthy too! Throw in a delicious green dinner salad & enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken strips or 2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
Italian breadcrumbs (I used Gluten-Free bread crumbs, recipe below)
1 package pasta, prepared according to directions (I used brown rice spaghetti)
1/2 cup pesto (I used Basil Pesto from Whole Foods)
Sea salt, black pepper, garlic, parmesan cheese
Olive oil


Directions:
Cook your pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Pour breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and dredge chicken into bread crumbs being sure to shake off the excess crumbs. Brown strips on each side until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes total cooking time.


Drain pasta and return to pan. Toss pasta with 1/2 cup pesto, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and add sea salt & pepper to taste, depending on the saltiness of your pesto. Plate pasta and add strips on top, sprinkling with parmesan cheese.

GLUTEN-FREE ITALIAN BREAD CRUMBS
INGREDIENTS:
10-12 slices gluten-free brown rice bread
garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, parsley flakes, Italian seasoning

Place bread on a cookie sheet in a preheated 200 degree oven. After one hour, turn bread over and bake for an additional hour. If bread still feels soft, repeat the process. When bread is dried out, place in food processer and reduce to crumbs. Add in 3/4 teaspoon of garlic and onion powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and dried parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and sea salt. Mix together and place in a airtight container.

Over The Top Frosted & Stuffed Brownie Bites

I am preparing for an upcoming jewelry fashion show (which will be my training show & my new jeweler showcase - I'm SO excited) at my home next Monday night and have been planning my dessert offerings. I knew I wanted to offer a Cherry Almond Coffee Cake (delicious, red & dainty for Valentine's Day), but I have also been considering some type of over-the-top brownie bite or tart (keeping with chocolate for the Valentine's theme). I found this recipe & thought it sounded scrumptious so I gave it a trial run. This recipe is absolutely fabulous! As if brownie bites aren't decadent enough, these are stuffed with semi-sweet chocolate chips! The semi-sweet chocolate chips perform a dual purpose as a filling and frosting! How fantastic is that?!! This is definitely the go-to brownie dessert for those killer chocolate cravings. I am a very happy and satisfied chocolate lover!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 (about) cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini-muffin tins with papers. Combine cocoa and oil in large bowl until smooth. Mix in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to cocoa mixture, stirring to combine. Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips, reserving remaining 2/3 cup for decoration. Fill each muffin paper with about 1 rounded tablespoon of batter. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or just until set and small cracks appear on surface. Remove from oven. Immediately place about 6 semi-sweet chocolate chips on center of each hot brownie bite. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes to soften, then swirl melted chips with the back of a spoon to frost brownie bites. Yield: About 4 dozen brownie bites.

NOTE: I do not have mini-muffin tins but I do have a 24-count mini tart pan. I lightly greased my tart pan and it worked fine, just be sure not to fill each cup to the top or you will wind up with big ol' muffin tops, which are quite tasty but not too pretty.

Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry with a Side of Oriental Potatoes

I absolutely love Chinese food, but when I eat it out it does not like me. I had a very bad reaction last year to MSG at one of our local Chinese buffets. Although I adore Chinese food and love the variety, I can't bring myself to tempt fate again. So in order to get my Chinese food fix, I have created my own version of some of my favorite Chinese dishes. I know you will enjoy them and will be challenged to create your very own healthy Chinese dishes at home.

Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
½ cup shredded carrots
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbls soy sauce (I use organic with no added MSG)
2 tbls brown rice syrup
1 cup water
sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
olive oil
tapioca starch & water (for thickening)

Directions:
In a large skillet, add in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat and add in chicken, onions, bell pepper and garlic. As this is browning, add in half of the soy sauce, half of the ground ginger and the black pepper. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until chicken is browned then add in the broccoli, carrots and water. Reduce heat to low and add remaining soy sauce and ginger. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until veggies are tender. Add in brown rice syrup, stir and check your seasonings, adjust if necessary. If needed, add a dash of sea salt. When all ingredients are combined, thicken to your desired consistency using a mixture of tapioca starch and cold water. Delicious served by itself or over fried brown rice or brown rice noodles. (Note: I do not care for fresh ginger, however I know many people do. So if you prefer, replace the ground ginger with fresh grated ginger.)

Oriental Potatoes:

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes, peeled, quartered & cut into 1/2” chunks
1 medium onion, quartered & cut into ½” chunks
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbls soy sauce (I use organic with no added MSG)
2 tbls brown rice syrup
3 tbls olive oil

Directions:
Place potatoes in a covered microwave-safe bowl with ¼ cup water and cook on high for 15 minutes. Drain off any remaining water. Heat olive oil in medium skillet, add in potatoes, onions, sea salt, garlic powder and black pepper, and cook over medium heat until potatoes are browned. Add in soy sauce and brown rice syrup and stir to combine. Cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes to combine flavors. Enjoy!

Green Chili Burritoes

My Daddy made the best green chili burritoes and his were made with pork. While I was living in Tennessee for a few years, I would get so hungry for his green chili burritoes. One homesick day, my friend, JB, gave me habenaro peppers out of his garden. I had never cooked with them, but I thought they would make delicious green chili burritoes. So in the kitchen I went, chopping, dicing, stiring and cooking. I had all of my ingredients browned and poured in my liquid to simmer for a few minutes. Just at the right moment, I popped that habenaro pepper open, scraped the seeds out, and tossed the pepper in my tasty pot. All of the sudden, I was on fire! I was literally in tears and wanted to cut my hand off...SERIOUSLY! I could not image what had happened. With a closer inspection of my poor pain-ridden hand, I found the tiniest little habenaro pepper seed lodged under my thumbnail. I quickly dug it out and ran to the faucet, then dunked my hand in a glass of ice water while looking for any other solution I could think of to make the intense pain stop! Oh the misery! JB wandered up to the house just in time when my scrumptious green chili mix was ready to dive into and I just happened to be pulling off the last homemade tortilla from the griddle. He bellied up to the table and I placed my offering in front of him. He took a big ol' bite, looked at me in horror and threw the burrito down in the plate, reaching for water and spouting off a stream of four letter words. It seems he didn't get the fact that they were screaming hot from cooking, but it also contained his firey peppers. And as he was from Tennessee he wasn't too up on the fine art of Mexican cooking, spicey seasonings and our love of the wild and hot side of things. I think I brought tears to the poor man's eyes. In the end, after his heart settled back in his chest and mine quit throbbing in my thumb, those burritoes were delicious, brought me memories of home, and filled our tummies.

This is a quick version of Dad's green chili burritoes and these are made with chicken because I no longer eat pork. I hope you will give these a try. I know you will love them and will make them again and again.


Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into small pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1 can roasted diced green chilis
2 new potatoes peeled and diced (or regular potatoes)
1 tsp (or more to taste) sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp ground chili powder
2 tbsp olive oil
1 whole habenaro pepper (Don't blame me if you get a seed under your fingernail!)

Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add in chicken and onions, salt and pepper. Saute until browned. Next pour in green chilis, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder, and toss in the whole habenaro pepper (if you so desire) lowering heat to medium and cook 10 minutes, stiring frequently. While this is cooking, place your diced potatoes in a microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup water and microwave for 10 minutes. After the potatoes have microwaved, drain any remaining water and add the potatoes into the meat mixture, check your seasonings for taste and add in 1/2 cup water. Reduce heat and cover, simmering over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender and water is absorbed. Adjust seasonings if necessary.I usually get out my trusty old griddle and heat my tortillas, being sure to brown both sides. This is delicious with tortillas, in a baked potato, over eggs, in an omelet, the uses are endless. Enjoy!

Italian Roasted Chicken

I planned ahead for this hectic day, my first day back at work after a very long Christmas vacation. I seasoned my chicken with a delicious blend of Italian seasonings and olive oil last night and let it marinate over night in the fridge. This evening, it was ready for Hubby to slide in the oven just in time to make the house smell divine when I walked in the door. Let me just say, the house smells fabulous & my mouth is watering!


Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken, cleaned, washed & dried
Italian Seasoning
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Olive Oil


Directions:
After cleaning, washing and drying off chicken, sprinkle generously with your favorite Italian seasoning, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and rub spices into skin. This is great if you can season, cover and refrigerate overnight, but if not, that’s okay too. Place chicken into baking pan and slide into preheated 400 degree oven. Bake for 1 ½ - 2 hours depending on the size or until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken pierced if you do not have a thermometer, basting the chicken periodically with the cooking juices in the pan.I make many different baked or roasted chickens, but this one tends to be our go-to chicken when we want a good old-fasioned dinner around the table. This one is fantastic with parmesan and garlic seasoned pasta or your favorite potato dish. I like to serve it with a side of Brown Rice Pasta seasoned with garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil and a dash of sea salt & pepper. MMM MMM! My taste buds are sooo excited over this one! I never met a chicken I didn't love!

Sunday Dinner & Eggplant Parmesan (Gluten-Free)

Well, the fun has got to come to an end sometime I guess and I must head back to the real world tomorrow. My two week vacation from work ends when my head hits the pillow tonight because at 5:00 a.m. that buzzer will ring and I will stumble to the coffee pot before making my way to the office.

We had a very enjoyable day at home together today, playing with little Connor (my great nephew), working on my crafty projects, and cooking. I prepped my hen for dinner tomorrow night, Hubby will only need to slide it in the oven, and I steamed new potatoes and seasoned with olive oil and Italian seasoning for tomorrow night's dinner. I'll be posting those tomorrow. Tonight I made Eggplant Parmesan. I have never been a fan of eating this out, but have created a delicious recipe that is also gluten-free so I really enjoy it.

Ingredients:

2 eggplants, sliced lengthwise in 1/4" slices, skin on or off your choice

1 jar spaghetti or marinara sauce (use your favorite)

2 eggs

Italian Bread Crumbs (I made gluten-free Italian bread crumbs)

Olive Oil

Fresh Mozzerella (Smoked or regular, sold in a ball, not the shredded)

Directions:
Slice eggplant. Heat enough oil in skillet to cover bottom of pan (adding to as necessary as eggplant soaks the oil). Break the eggs into a shall dish, add a splash of water, sprinkle with sea salt and a dash of pepper & whisk. Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Run each eggplant slice through the eggs, draining any excess, then dredge in breadcrumbs. Brown eggplant over medium high heat. When browned on both sides, remove from skillet and drain on papertowels. Repeat the process until all eggplant slices are browned. In a 9x12 pan, spread the bottom of the pan with spaghetti sauce, add layer of eggplant, top with sauce, then dot with fresh mozzerella cheese. Repeat process until all eggplant slices are used. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning or parsley. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden bubbly. Enjoy with a beautiful dinner salad! Oh so yummy!

Green Bean Casserole - (HEALTHY & Gluten-Free)

I bought a few old magazines the other day when Mom and I were browsing the thrift stores for goodies to refurbish and I ran across this fabulous recipe. It is such a drastic change from the run of the mill green bean casserole. I'm trying to keep my foods all natural, organic as much as possible, gluten-free and for the most part dairy free. This recipe is a fabulous find & was delicious!

Ingredients
2 lbs green beans fresh or frozen (I used fresh)
1 medium onion, cut in half & sliced into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, cut in half & sliced into thin strips
6 oz. fresh mushrooms - button or portobello, sliced
6 oz. cheese - goat and cream cheese. (Cheese can be omitted. I used about 3 oz of feta instead)
olive oil
plain bread crumbs (I made gluten-free Italian bread crumbs - see recipe below)
balsamic vinegar or soy sauce
sea salt
black pepper
flat leaf parsley fresh - for garnish (Optional)


Directions
If using fresh green beans, trim the ends. Place green beans in a pot of salted boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes. Pour green beans into collander to drain and run cold water over to stop the cooking process. In a casserole dish, combine beans with button mushrooms and sliced red peppers. Toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or soy sauce to coat, a sprinkle of sea salt & black pepper. Roast in oven for 15 minutes at 400. Saute onion wedges and garlic in olive oil just until tender. Toss cooked onions with a handful of bread crumbs to coat for classic onion ring crispiness.
Toss warm vegetables with cheese, top with onions and return to oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. If desired, scatter fresh snipped parsley on top for a peppery flavor when done. Enjoy.

NOTES: I used the balsamic vinegar last night when I made this. My hubby doesn't like sweet foods unless it is a dessert and leans more to savory flavors, so I will be using soy sauce the next go with this recipe.

GLUTEN-FREE ITALIAN BREAD CRUMBS
10-12 slices gluten-free brown rice bread
garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, parsley flakes, Italian seasoning

Place bread on a cookie sheet in a preheated 200 degree oven. After one hour, turn bread over and bake for an additional hour. If bread still feels soft, repeat the process. When bread is dried out, place in food process and reduce to crumbs. Add in 3/4 teaspoon of garlic and onion powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and dried parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and sea salt. Mix together and place in a airtight container.