Avocado, Corn & Tomato Salad

What a yummy summer winner! I came across this recipe here and decided to give it a shot.

As it turns out, my kitchen is STILL under renovation (since, hell-o, MEMORIAL DAY weekend!!!). So cooking/baking anything is pretty tough.  Hence, I've been on a mission for two things. One: NO MORE TAKE-OUT. I swear, I've gained at least 6 pounds in the last 6 weeks.  And two: finding and making recipes that don't require any cooking.

This is how I turned to this current recipe.  And it is delicious! It only takes about 15 minutes to make (that includes the cooking time for the corn). I prepared everything else while the corn was cooking.  Then I soaked the corn in cold water for about 2 minutes before slicing it off.

Here it is...

AVOCADO, CORN & TOMATO SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

6 ears corn

3 large fresh tomatoes

1/2 large onion or about 1 cup chopped ( I used a sweet onion)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

two to three sprigs fresh oregano (optional)

2 tablespoons white vinegar ( I used white balsamic)

1/4 cup olive oil

coarse sea salt

fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Boil corn in large pot of water for about 7 minutes. Drain and plunge corn into cool water. Cut corn off cob and set aside to cool completely.

Chunk tomatoes and onion. Coarsely chop basil and strip the oregano off stems. Place cooled corn, chopped vegetable and herbs into large bowl. Toss with vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste. Serve chilled or room temperature

Tips:

-The recipe called for white vinegar, but I love white balsamic (sweeter) vinegar. Apple cider vinegar would also work. I don't recommend regular balsamic vinegar. The dark red color will discolor the onion and corn and the overall look of the salad will change.

 

PERSONAL NOTES:

The original recipe calls for white balsamic vinegar.  That would certainly work.  I used a cabernet vinegar. So it was red, but as you can tell by my pictures it didn't turn the salad completely red.

It's so refreshing and simple to make!

Double Decker Oreo Fudge

Yes, I've been experimenting with fudge. Once I found out how ridiculously easy it was to make I've been putzing around with different ideas.  This one isn't exactly mine (original recipe can be found here) but I played around with it to bring you the following...

DOUBLE DECKER OREO FUDGE

INGREDIENTS:

1 can of sweetened condensed milk, portioned in half

10 Oreos, chopped

1 cup white chocolate

2 tablespoon butter

1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS:

1. Split sweetened condensed milk in half and set aside. Chop Oreos and set aside
2. Place white chocolate, one ½ of sweetened condensed milk, 2 tablespoon of butter in a heat proof bowl over simmering water. Stir and mix until melted and combined. Fold in Oreos and stir to combine. Pour mixture into pan.
3. Place semi-sweet chocolate and remaining half sweetened condensed milk in a heat proof bowl over simmering water. Stir and mix until melted and combined. Pour mixture on top of Oreo layer and refrigerate for 1 an hour to set.
4. Remove from refrigerator and peel away foil once set. For ease of cutting make sure to clean knife between cuts to prevent sticking.

PERSONAL NOTES:

As I've mentioned, these are ridiculously easy to make. That's actually a liability as I've eaten far too much of this lately. I really need to slow it down on the sugar!  Bad, bad... but oh so good...

Chocolate Caramel Macchiato Pie

This is serious guys.  Chocolate. Caramel macchiato. Pie.  All rolled into one bit of fabulousness.

Tomorrow is the Roaring 20's Lawn Party on Governor's Island.  This will be the first time attending.  For the last 5 years or so I was either working or in a yoga teacher training program.  This year I was determined to BE THERE.

That said, my sister-in-law informed me of a pie contest at the event and encouraged me to register.  So I did.  Then the big question of which pie would I make arose.  I tried experimenting with a few different options, but I'm pretty sure this chocolate caramel macchiato pie is the one I'm going with.  It's YUMMY.  And...it's pretty much all my own creation.  Well - at least the combination of layers involved.  The recipes are all from different places - none I can truthfully say are all mine.

I started with a sugar cookie layer, then espresso chocolate chip, then caramel, topped off with Oreo cookie truffle.

Here it is...

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL MACCHIATO PIE

INGREDIENTS:

For the sugar cookie layer:

1 1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C plus 2 TBLS margarine (I use butter sometimes)
1 C granulated sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the espresso chocolate chip layer:

1/2  stick butter, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 of a large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tsn instant espresso coffee powder

3/4 C semisweet chocolate chips

For the caramel layer:

25 caramel candies
2 Tbls heavy cream

For the Oreo cookie layer:

1 package Oreo cookies
1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened

DIRECTIONS:

For the sugar cookie mix:

Combine flour, baking powder and salt then set aside.  Using a mixer, cream together margarine and 2 C sugar until fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Slowly beat in dry mixture.

For the espresso chocolate chip mix:

Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 30 seconds. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.

For the caramel layer:

Place the caramel candies in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the heavy cream and stir until completely melted. Pour hot caramel mixture over shortbread crust and spread into an even layer. Refrigerate until set, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

For the Oreo cookie truffle layer:

Using a blender or hand held mixer, mix Oreos and cream cheese together. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place a layer of sugar cookie mix on bottom of 8x8 pan (or just use a pie pan).  Chill at least 30 minutes (or an hour) then layer on the espresso chocolate chip mix.  Bake for about 10-15 minutes (or until edges turn brown) and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. 

Drizzle on the caramel and chill for about an hour.

Top off pie with the Oreo cookie truffle mix and chill again for about an hour.  Serve and enjoy!

PERSONAL NOTES:

Oh my, are these just yummy!  Since I pretty much put all of these layers together myself I already included any important notes.  If you let the pie sit out for a few minutes before eating it will be a little softer.  Either way it is DELICIOUS! Plus, my husband gave it 2 thumbs up so it passed the test :)

Keeping my fingers crossed it wins tomorrow!!!

Cake Batter Fudge

I'm learing it takes quite a bit of time when you undertake an entire kitchen renovation on your own.  And that's where a great deal of my time is spent, energy is focused.  However, I have made efforts to do some baking while waiting for everything to be hooked up, put back, finished/re-finished, etc...

As it turns out, my husband and I headed to NJ to see his brother (and family).  Not only do I not go anywhere empty handed, but if at all possible I bake something from scratch. That said, I made a batch of cake batter fudge. It was simple and didn't require dirtying up too many dishes. As a matter of fact, I used one bowl to mix the ingredients and a tray to spread out the fudge.  Easy peasy, lemon squeazy.

The original recipe can be found here, but I was inspired by the fun coloring/display as posted here by another blogger.  The first recipe is easy and fast, but I liked the idea of dropping in blue swirl to liven up the dessert.  YUM!

CAKE BATTER FUDGE

INGREDIENTS:

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3.5 cups white chocolate chips
3 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
Rainbow Sprinkles


DIRECTIONS:

Pour milk and white chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 2-3 minutes, or until white chocolate is almost completely melted. DO NOT OVERHEAT. Stir until completely blended, melted, and smooth.

Immediately add vanilla and almond and combine thoroughly. Add a handful or so of rainbow sprinkles and fold in quickly, because they will melt (and if they are stirred for too long they’ll turn the fudge an ugly muddy color).

Transfer to an aluminum-foil lined 8×8 inch baking pan for very thick fudge, or a 11X7 pan (recommended). Let set at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Once set, cut into cubes (and peel off the foil!). Store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place.


PERSONAL NOTES:

This was ridiculously easy to make.  I think the whole thing took 10 minutes, tops.  Of course, that doesn't include the setting time, but if you're looking for something fast to make (and you don't need it immediately), this is your dish. 

The only downside to this recipe is that I don't find it tastes a whole lot like cake batter. It's good - don't get me wrong (maybe even too good - I almost can't stop eating it once I start), but it tastes more like white chocolate fudge than anything else.

Cookies N'Cream Scones

Where have I been for the last month??? Why haven't I posted?

Well... for starters there were family issues that had to be handled, then I was traveling a bit to be with the family.  Then somehow my schedule just got a bit out of control, though I'm not sure how it happened.  As a yoga teacher, I'm used to a certain amount of changes - even last minute ones - but for some reason it was much more challenging these past few weeks.

I decided to get back on the posting bandwagon as soon as possible because pretty soon my kitchen will be out of commission.  That's right, my hubby and I are renovating the kitchen.  It's overdue and thus the time has come.  Hopefully I won't have too much a gap between posts like this last month.  I'm hoping it's just a week or so... fingers crossed.

Anyhow, as I was experimenting with scone recipes recently I decided to give this latest one a whirl: adding Oreos.  OMG.  What results!  They came out GREAT!

Check them out...

COOKIES N' CREAM SCONES

INGREDIENTS:

Original scone recipe can be found here on a previous post.

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

1 egg

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, blend the sour cream and baking soda, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Cut in the butter. Stir the sour cream mixture and egg into the flour mixture until just moistened. Mix in crumbled Oreos. Add about as much as you want. I used about 1 cup.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly. Roll or pat dough into a 3/4 inch thick round. Cut into 12 wedges, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom.

PERSONAL NOTES:
 I chose to add sugar glaze icing to top it off, although it doesn't need it.  If you like sweeter scones, go for the icing.  Otherwise you can leave it off.
I used 1 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 tsp milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla (or you can use any variation thereof as you like it).  Then I took Oreo crumbles and sprinkled them on top. 

SO GOOD!!!

Banana Cream Cheese Breakfast Cakes

Oh look, another muffin recipe. Ha!  Sorry, they're just about my favorite things on this earth.  Thus, I go out in search of new muffin recipes all the time.  As a matter of fact, I should probably think about branching out to include cranberries or other kinds of fruit in my muffins.  Incidentally, that's what brought me to this next recipe. 

Banana breads and banana-things aren't always my favorite - although I love eating bananas by themselves.  However, when I saw this recipe I thought it would be fun.  Plus, I'm actually combining two different recipes to bring this to you. 

The recipe for cream cheese filling can be found here.  The banana muffin part is a recipe I found in the latest Food Network Magazine (May 2012 issue), compliments to Gary Danko.

BANANA CREAM CHEESE BREAKFAST MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups plus 3 tblsp cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 stick plus 2 tblsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 6 tblsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 very ripe bananas, mashed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

3. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla with the paddle attachments on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Beat in the mashed bananas until combined.  Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until almost combined, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined (do not overmix).

4. Drop a small scoop of batter for each muffin.  Drop in about 1 tsp of the cream cheese mixture for each muffin then scoop on the remaining batter over the cream cheese mixture (cups should be about 3/4 full).

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake (not the filling) comes out clean, 20-35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool about 15 minutes, then remove the cakes to the rack to cool completely.

PERSONAL NOTES:

The directions for the cream cheese mixture in the magazine seemed so involved, I went back to the cream cheese filling I used for other muffins.  It was a good decision, I like the way they came out.  I love biting into muffins or cupcakes only to find a surprise in the middle.  Yum!

Oh, and I didn't bake the muffins all that long... probably only 20 minutes - max.  If I baked them for 35 they would have burned.  So my recommendation is to check them at 20 minutes and see if they need more time or not.

Avocado & Crab Salad

What a treat it was to stumble upon this recipe for avocado and crab salad.  Two of my favorite things; especially in the warm weather.  One thing I love about this dish is that it's actually healthy for you!  I know I speak for lots of people when I say that avocado is VERY good for you.  It's packed with the Omega-3's we need so much and don't often get.  To top it off, it's made with crab.  MMmmmm... crab...

The recipe is adapted from this one. Thank you skinnytaste.com!

AVOCADO & CRAB SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium Hass avocado

4 oz lump crab meat

2 tbsp chopped red onion

2 tblsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, combine onion, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro salt and pepper. Add crab meat and toss well.
Cut avocado open, remove pit and spoon out avocado. Cut into large chunks and add to crab. Mix carefully, not to mash the avocado. Spoon back into avocado shells and enjoy!



PERSONAL NOTES:

What an easy little meal to make! I had it done in about 10 minutes, if that.  The original recipe called for the juice of one lime and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, but as always I chose to go in a different direction with the red wine vinegar.  Cabernet vinegar is a particular favorite of mine...