Peanut Butter Chews

I know - I'm a horrible photographer.
A loyal reader and blog friend, Denise, shared this recipe with me. I'm not a huge peanut butter fan, but I am a huge fan of a quick and easy dessert. If you like peanut butter, this is sure to please. I rolled and wrapped mine in wax paper and gave them away as candies.

1 ¼ cup of Confectionary sugar
1 ¼ cup of Powdered Milk
1 cup of corn syrup
1 cup of creamy peanut butter

Simply mix together. You might have to squish by hand and put into pan. Then you get to lick your fingers off.

Let chill about 15-30minutes - or if you're in a hurry, stick in the freezer for 5-10 min. Cut with pizza cutter and roll/serve.

Enjoy!

Baba Ghanoush

If you've never had this version of "eggplant hummus", please give it a try. It's delicious. Go all out and make it with a whole mediterranean meal.

1 large eggplant
1/4 cup tahini, plus more as needed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
1 pinch ground cumin
salt, to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
Preheat an oven to 375°F.
Preheat a frying pan on high heat, then prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and place in pan and let blacken on all sides, until skin is softened - about 10-15 minutes.

Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and bake until very soft, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin, then remove seeds.
Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl and mash with fork (or use blender if you like it more smooth).

Add the 1/4 cup tahini, the garlic, the 1/4 cup lemon juice and the cumin and mix well.
Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed.
Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.
Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley.

Serve with pita bread and fresh veggies to dip.

Hawaiian Meatballs

Found a recipe online for sweet & sour meatballs, and had to majorly modify it based on what we had in the pantry. It turned out great! Serve with rice and grilled veggies.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup bread crumbs (I didn't have quite enough so I added some quick oats)
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon seasoning salt (Lawry's recommended)
1/3 cup flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE
1 (13 1/2 ounce) can pineapple chunks
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce (we loe Yoshidas, from Costco) +1/2 cup brown sugar
1 yellow pepper, chopped into bite size chunks
1/2 tomato chopped

Directions
Combine the first four ingredients, mix well, but lightly.
Shape into meatballs--about 36 (may be frozen at this point and thawed as needed).
Roll meat ball in flour and brown in the shortening.
Place in a casserole dish and cover with the sweet and sour sauce.

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE.
Drain pineapple (set aside)- reserve juice.
Add water to the juice to make 1 cup liquid.
In a pot over medium heat, blend cornstarch in the juice, then add vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, and teriyaki sauce, cook until clear.
Add the pineapple, yellow pepper, and tomato.
Pour over the meatballs and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Cupcakes

All she had to say was chocolate chip cookie stuffed, and I knew I had to try it. Jenny, over at Picky Palate, came up with an amazing combo. I'm kicking myself! Why didn't I think of that?! I don't usually love cupcakes. Usually being the key word, because I will make these again - no question. I'll cut & paste the recipe here, but check out her blog for the gorgeous pictures. I ate mine without frosting, and used my own very favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe, and they were FABULOUS. Thanks for a great recipe, Picky Palate!

1 box butter/yellow cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1/2 Cup sour cream
Your Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 stick softened butter
3 Cups powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil and sour cream into a stand or electric mixer. Beat on medium speed for close to 2 minutes or until well combined. Scoop into 24 paper lined cupcake cups just over 1/2 full. Next, press 1 Tablespoon prepared cookie dough into the center of each cupcake batter. Bake for 18-24 minutes or until toothpick comes out mostly clean from center. Let cool completely.
2. Place cream cheese and butter into mixer, beat until well combined. Slowly add in powdered sugar until good frosting consistency then spread with cream cheese frosting or chcolate ganache.

Spinach Salad

This is easy and delish and makes a ton - I'd suggest halfing the recipe unless you are feeing 8+. Prepare dressing ahead of time and let marinate in fridge for several hours.

1 bag spinach
1 bag mixed greens
1/4 c. bacon, crumbled
1/2 lb. Swiss cheese
4 baby bella mushrooms

Poppyseed Dressing (makes a lot - only use a little and save the rest in the fridge for other salads, will last for a few weeks if stored in airtight container):
3/4 c. white vinegar
1.5 c. oil
3/4 c. sugar
1.5 tsp. salt
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp. mustard seed
1 Tbs. poppy seeds
1 small red onion (or half of a small onion, depending on how strong you like it)

Mix salad ingredients and then add desired amount of dressing and toss. Can add chicken to make this more of a main dish.

Frozen Chocolate Coated Bananas

Do you remember going to the fair, or the pier? Since almost all of my memories are associated with food, it's no surprise that my fair and pier memories from childhood involved frozen chocolate bananas. I had one, recently, at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and I must say, it was disappointing. Too much chocolate (gasp! is that possible?), too ripe of a banana, and no nuts on it. So, it was to my pleasure when I came across a super-easy frozen chocolate banana recipe at Noshtalgia. Try it out - it's perfect. I made some plain, some with crushed Oreos, and some with chopped walnuts. I liked them all!

6 tbsp. butter
1-1/2 cups of semi sweet chocolate morsels
8 Ripe but not too ripe bananas
8 wooden sticks
Assorted coatings; Nuts, sprinkles, cereal, crushed cookies whatever you like it's completely optional because these taste just as good with the banana and chocolate alone.

Melt butter and chocolate together and simmer over low heat stirring until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture into a dish and set aside. Peel bananas; insert stick into end of banana. Immediately dip each banana into melted chocolate and coat evenly, then roll in your choice of coatings pressing gently into chocolate. Place on waxed paper lined tray and freeze until firm, about 2 hours, serve frozen. To store wrap each in aluminum foil and keep in freezer, they keep for weeks!

Peach Pie Muffins, I Kid You Not.

As if peach pie and peach muffins were not already amazing on their own, someone had to go and combine the two and make the most heaven sent recipe ever!

Peach Pie Muffins, from one of my favorites...FoodBlogga!

Makes 12 regular size muffins + a mini bread loaf.

Pecan Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Muffins:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

3 tablespoons honey

1 cup light brown sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh diced peaches with skins

1. Place rack in center of oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12 mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. To make the crumb topping, in a small bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and pecans, and toss until well combined. Pour melted butter evenly over mixture, and using your fingers, quickly toss and pinch the mixture until little pebbly pieces form. Refrigerate while making the muffins.

3. Combine flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl, and stir well.

4. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, honey, sugar, butter, eggs, ginger, and vanilla, and whisk well. Add to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in peaches.

5. Spoon the batter evenly into the into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle pecan crumb topping evenly over the muffin tops. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.

Bet you can't wait to let them cool!

Chicken Parmesan Pitas

I know, I haven't posted many recipes. We've had a really busy summer and really I'd rather be outside! I love summer. More recipes to come soon... But while you're waiting, try this one. I've been on a pita kick lately.

can't figure out why this pic is the wrong way. sorry.

4 chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness of 1/2-inches and cut into chunks
1/2 c. vegetable oil, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp jarred minced or crushed garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/3 c Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
4 TBS grated parmesan cheese
4 lg sandwich-size pitas (top 1-inch cut off )
1/2 c marinara sauce, heated

1 vidalia sweet onion, diced and sauteed (optional)
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
12 thin slices ham (optional)

HEAT oven to 425F. Line 9x13 pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Rinse chicken. Pat dry. Combine 1/4 cup oil, salt, pepper, garlicand Italian seasoning. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
POUR remaining 1/4 cup oil into baking pan. Heat in oven 5 minutes. Combine chicken with seasoned mixture. Pat bread crumbs onto chicken strips. Remove pan from oven. Add chicken strips in single layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven.Turn chicken with tongs. Return to oven. Bake 6 minutes, or until chicken is nolonger pink in center. Remove from pan. Drain on paper towels.
REDUCE oven temperature to 400F. Tuck chicken slices into pita pockets. Spoon sauce and mozzarella cheese over chicken. Tuck in ham slices and sauteed onions, if desired. Place filled pitas on baking sheet. Bake pitas for 6 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.