Garlic and Herb Roasted Home Fries

Ingredients

• 5 russet potatoes
• 3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 2 sprigs rosemary, stem removed, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º F.
2. Wash potatoes and cut in half, lengthwise. Then cut each half into 4-5 wedges (like sliced pickles).
3. Put potatoes in a large Ziploc bag and pour in olive oil, rosemary, garlic, paprika, sea salt and pepper. Shake well to coat each wedge.
4. Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, or until brown and tender.
5. Flip potatoes over and roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until other side is brown and potatoes are cooked through.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan. Optional: serve with sour cream.

 from 12tomatoes.com

Sour Cream Chocolate Fudge Cake

Cake ingredients:

1 box chocolate fudge cake mix

1 large box chocolate instant pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. warm water

1 c. light sour cream

1 t. vanilla

1 pound semi-sweet chocolate chips

Glaze ingredients:

2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate

2 t. butter

2 c. powdered sugar

4 T. hot water (approx.)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease Bundt pan with cooking spray.

 Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips.  After ingredients are well-blended, add chocolate chips. Pour into pan and bake 45 minutes, or until cake bounces back when pressed lightly.  Cool completely before removing from pan.

When cake is completely cool, melt unsweetened baking chocolate and butter in saucepan on low. Add sugar and 2 T. hot water, and mix. Slowly add more hot water until a pourable consistency is reached.  Pour over cooled cake.

Garnish, if desired, with nuts, chocolate chips etc.

Thanks to Debbie Tsue

Strawberry Napoleons

Strawberry Napoleons

2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

2 tablespoons turbinado (sugar in the raw) sugar

1 cup soft goat cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 cups chopped strawberries

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Grand Marnier or Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur) (or frozen orange juice)

6 fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°. Place almonds in a mini chopper or food processor; process until finely ground. Add granulated sugar; pulse to combine.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1 phyllo sheet on pan (cover remaining phyllo to prevent drying). Combine butter and oil; brush lightly over phyllo. Sprinkle phyllo sheet with about 1 1/2 tablespoons almond/sugar mixture. Top with another phyllo sheet; brush lightly with butter mixture, and sprinkle with remaining almond mixture. Top with 3rd phyllo sheet; brush lightly with butter mixture, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Using a pizza cutter, cut phyllo into 15 even sized pieces. Cover the phyllo with another sheet of parchment paper. Top with another baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove top baking sheet and parchment paper. Cool phyllo on a wire rack.

Combine goat cheese and honey. Combine berries, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and liqueur; let stand for 10 minutes. Place 1 phyllo piece on each of 5 dessert plates; top each with 1 1/2 tablespoons ricotta mixture, sprinkle with fresh basil and put 2 tablespoons strawberry mixture atop the goat cheese mixture. Repeat layers once; top each with 1 phyllo piece.

Carmelized Red Onion Frittata

8 eggs

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

3 large fresh sage leaves, minced

3 large fresh basil leaves, cut into pieces (roll like a cigar and then slice)

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 large sliced red onion (don’t slice too thin, more like ¼ inch width)

1 container soft goat cheese (5 oz.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil and butter in a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet over low-medium heat. Add onion; saute until soft, about 6 -10 minutes.  Don’t cook too fast.  These are done when onions are nice brown caramel color.  While onions are cooking, whisk first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.  When onions are done, pour egg mixture atop the onions.  Spoon goat cheese evenly over the egg mixture. 

Cook until frittata begins to set, about 2 – 5 minutes. Then place in oven; bake until just set, 7-15 minutes. Slide the frittata onto a platter. Cut into wedges; serve hot or at room temperature.

Microwave Brownie Lava Cake

Ingredients
1 brownie mix (family size for 9x13 pan) plus ingredients needed according to brownie mix instructions (normally oil, water, and eggs)
1 large egg (in addition to the eggs called for in the brownie mix instructions)
16 Dove Dark Chocolate Promise candy pieces (each piece weighs .3 oz), or similar
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional
raspberries or strawberries for garnish, optional
Directions
Empty brownie mix into large bowl. Whisk to remove large lumps. Coat 8 (6 oz) custard cups with cooking spray. Add a small amount of dry brownie mix to each cup and rotate cups until completely coated. Set aside. In separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients called for in brownie mix instructions (oil, water, eggs), plus 1 additional egg. Add wet ingredients to brownie mix and stir until well combined.

Spoon batter into each custard cup or bowl until 1/2 full (approx. 1/3 cup of batter for a 6 oz. cup/bowl and 1/2 cup batter for an 8 oz. cup/bowl).  Stack two Dove candies and press them down into the center of the batter; spoon batter over candy so it is completely covered.

Place in microwave and cook at full power for 1 minute for 1 cake (microwave power and times may vary). May cook up to 4 cakes at one time, adding 1/2 minute to cooking time for each additional cake.

To remove cake from bowl: Immediately, run a thin knife around the edge of the cooked cake. Place a small plate on top of the cake cup. Flip the plate and bowl over, so the cake is inverted on top of the plate. Gently lift the bowl, leaving the inverted cake on the plate. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream; garnish with berries.

Cakes may also be eaten directly from the custard cup they are cooked in (without inverting them on a plate). May also be cooked and served in half-pint mason jars.
(If eating cakes directly from bowl or jar, it isn't necessary to spray or coat them before adding batter and cooking.)

MAKE AHEAD: Batter may be mixed and added with chocolate pieces to custard cups or jars in advance. Cover and refrigerate up to a week. Remove from refrigerator and warm to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.

Whole Wheat Breakfast Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup milled flax seed (ground)

1 cup regular oats

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 eggs

2 mashed bananas

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 12 muffin pan with Pam.

Soak oatmeal, raisins, eggs, brown sugar, oil, molasses  and buttermilk together while preparing the other ingredients.

In a separate bowl, combine flours, flaxseed, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and walnuts. Whisk together until combined.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two batches, just stir until dry ingredients are wet.  Do not over mix or your muffins won’t be fluffy.

Scoop 1/4 cup helpings into the muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until deep golden brown.

Fresh Strawberry Cake

Fresh Strawberry Cake

Ingredients

Cake
• 3 cups (370g) cake flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cup (390g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 1/4 cups milk (anything but skim)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
Strawberry Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar, divided
• 8 oz cream cheese, left at room temperature until partially softened (about 20 - 30 minutes)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 lbs strawberries, hulled and sliced into pieces slightly under 1/2-inch
• Sliced strawberries for decorating (optional)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 9-inch round cake pans then line bottom with a round of parchment, butter parchment and lightly dust pan with flour, shake out excess. Set pans aside.
• Sift cake flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add baking powder and salt and whisk 20 seconds, set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (if you don't have a paddle that constantly scrapes bowl while mixing then stop mixer occasionally throughout entire mixing process and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl to ensure even mixing), whip together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs and egg yolks one a time adding in vanilla with last egg yolk. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time (to the butter/egg mixture) alternating with 1/2 of the milk and mixing on low speed just until combined after each addition. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and gently fold batter several times.
• Divide batter among prepared baking pans. Bake in preheated oven 25 - 30 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan about 5 minutes, run knife around edges of cake to ensure they are loosened then invert onto wire racks to cool completely (I recommend transferring them to gallon size resealable bags after about 25 minutes of cooling so they don't dry and let them finish cooling in the bag).
• Once cool frost with Strawberry Cream Cheese Whipped Cream. Store cake in an airtight container in refrigerator. Best served day prepared.
• For the topping:
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form (occasionally scrap down sides and bottom of bowl to ensure even mixing), add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form (make sure they are stiff or your topping will be runny, it should get to the point where it doesn't have a wet sheen). Scrape cream out into a separate bowl, rinse bowl clean and dry.
• Add cream cheese to bowl of stand mixer, fit with paddle attachment and whip cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, mix in remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla. Add strawberries and mix until uniform in color. Remove bowl from stand mixer, add whipped cream and fold into mixture. Frost over cooled cake.