recipes
Zucchini basil soup
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 | recipes | No Comments
In my quest for creative ways to use up the zucchini before it goes bad, I came across an easy zucchini soup that I’ve adapted and made three times now.
1 onion
1 tbsp olive oil (to saute onion)
zucchini
beef broth
fresh basil
salt & pepper
Cut zucchini into chunks and add enough broth to cover. Saute the onion and once caramelized, add to the zucchini. Simmer until zucchini is falling apart. Tear basil by hand and add to the mixture. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once cool, puree until smooth.
I prefer it served lukewarm. Add a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of basil if you’re looking to pretty it up 
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
Thursday, July 8th, 2010 | recipes | 1 Comment
1 1/2 cups (360 mL) brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) melted butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) apple sauce
3 eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
1/2 cup (120 mL) buttermilk (i make sour milk using 1/2 cup milk and a tbsp vinegar)
2 cups (480 mL) grated zucchini
1 cup (240 mL) chocolate chips
2 cups (480 mL) unbleached flour
1 cup (240 mL) cocoa, sifted
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt
2 tsp (10 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) allspice
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) cinnamon
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease large muffin pans and line with muffin cups.
In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, butter and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well Incorporated. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, zucchini and chocolate chips.
In a separate bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Spoon batter into large muffin pans. Bake in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes.
Yields 9 large cupcakes or 20 standard cupcakes.
Icebox Banana Cheesecake
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 | recipes | No Comments
A friend sent me the recipe for icebox banana cheesecake; think it needs to be made.
Lemon Whippersnaps
Thursday, December 24th, 2009 | recipes | No Comments
1 package (17 1/4 oz) Pillsbury Lemon cake mix
2 cups (4.5 oz carton) frozen whipped topping
1 egg
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheets.
Combine cake mix, topping and egg. Will be extremely sticky. Drop by tsp into sugar. Roll to coat. Place 1.5″ apart. Bake 10-15 minutes.
And for my next baking feat: Lace Cookies
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 | recipes | No Comments
Cara send me the recipe for Lace Cookies so I think I’ll try these tonight and see how they turn out. It’s dangerous I’m in a baking mood.
Set oven to 380
1 stick margarine
1 beaten egg
1tbsp and 1 tsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
(beat until creamy)
add 1 cup oatmeal and 1 cup finely chopped pecans to above mixture and mix together.
Drop small spoons of dough on release foil and leave a couple inches appart because they spread thin. Bake for 8-9 minutes until golden. Once you remove them from the oven pull the foil sheets off the pan and allow to cool 1-2 minutes then pull them off foil and put them in air tight canister/tin. If they aren’t done long enough they are too chewy and don’t pull off the foil easy.
Forgotten Cookies
Thursday, December 10th, 2009 | recipes | 1 Comment
There are a few things that really remind me of the holidays, and one of those is definitely forgotten cookies. My mom would make those and sand tarts around the holidays. So when a friend of ours decided to have a cookie swap party this weekend, they were the first things that came to mind. I’ll make them tonight or tomorrow night and talk mom into making the sand tarts with me when I’m at her house.
The thing about forgotten cookies is that they’re perfect for the impatient like me… very few ingredients and not much time commitment.
Preheat oven to 350
Beat 2 egg whites until foamy. Add 2/3 cup sugar & beat until stiff. Sitr in a pinch of salt, 1 cup chopped nuts and 1 cup chocolate chips. Drop on foil on oven rack. Turn oven off. Leave in oven over night (6-8 hours).
Makes 2 dozen.
*** NOTE: I did make these and the first batch turned out super ugly and sticky. Same thing happened to Cara so here is the trick — After you add the sugar it’s really important you beat the mixture until it’s stiff. And by stiff think cool whip; it should stay formed as the beater goes through it.
Zerr Farm Dill Pickles
Thursday, August 13th, 2009 | recipes | 1 Comment
I hope my friend who is part of the Zerr family doesn’t mind me sharing this dill pickle recipe. With the influx of three different varieties of cucumbers in the garden I’ve been able to play with a few refrigerator recipes, but now I think I’m ready to move the the big league with sterilizing and all that business.
Brine:
7 cups water
3 ½-4 cups white vinegar
3/4 cups canning salt
2 Tblsp Alum
Bring all to boil and pour over filled jars and seal (Note from Jess: I use inversion method to get a good seal–right after filling, turn the jars over and cover with a cloth. After jars have cooled, turn them upright again. You should notice the lid has no give/pop to it.)
Fill jars with:
cucumbers, dill (a whole stalk–just stuff it in), 1-2 broken red chili peppers, 1-2 toes garlic and ½ teaspoon pickling spices. (Note from Jess: and a couple of whole green beans are pretty good in there, too.)
Grilled Zucchini Rolls with Herbs and Cheese
Friday, July 10th, 2009 | recipes | No Comments
This recipe was in the Easton Farmer’s Market newsletter and sounds like a good way to use up some of the lovely zucchini growing in my garden.
3 zucchini (about ½ pound each), sliced lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
⅛ teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1½ ounces soft goat’s cheese or other soft cheese
1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley leaves
½ teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups baby spinach leaves
⅓ cup basil leaves
Discard the outermost slices of zucchini and brush the rest of the slices with the oil on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated grill or grill pan for about 4 minutes on each side, or until tender.
In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, parsley leaves and lemon juice, mashing with a fork.
Put ½ teaspoon of the cheese mixture about ½-inch from the end of a zucchini slice. Top with a few spinach leaves and 1 small, or half of a large basil leaf. Roll up and place seam side down on a platter. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini slices.
Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas
Thursday, March 19th, 2009 | recipes | No Comments
This is a recipe I’ve adapted over time from ground turkey and red sauce to chicken with green sauce. These are generally quick and easy to make and also freeze well. They’re easy to adjust the proportions to use what you have on hand.
- Flour tortillas (I use the Mission brand 96% Fat Free Heart Healthy ones)
- 1 can enchilada verde sauce
- boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- fresh mushrooms, sliced or chopped
- fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 8 oz block cream cheese (I use either fat free or Neufchatel 1/3 Less Fat)
- grated cheese (I currently use the Weight Watcher mexican blend)
Saute chopped onion and shredded chicken in olive oil (if you really want to lighten it up, use the Pam olive oil spray). Season onion with Tony’s Creole Seasoning or your own blend of salt, red and black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder. Add mushrooms once chicken and onions are almost done.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted and blended through. Add fresh spinach and stir until spinach is wilted.
Spoon mixture into tortillas and roll tightly placing in glass baking dish.
Pour sauce over entire pan and sprinkle top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
Mardi Gras Mambo
Monday, February 23rd, 2009 | recipes | No Comments
It wasn’t until later this afternoon I realized why I’ve been such a crank ass today– tomorrow’s fat tuesday and I haven’t had any king cake yet. So i remedied that this evening by making two reduced fat Apple and Cream Cheese filled King Cakes. I’m sure there is something wrong with making them reduced fat, but it makes me feel better about eating it so it’ll do. I’m sure mine taste better than the two sad ones in the bakery at Giant this evening.
I have this one on the cake pedestal I bought for $10 at the “garage sale” at Suzie’s Bakery this weekend.
My Tweets
- courtneyb: @FrostDavis and no one even realized she was in my lap. Score one for my good baby.
- courtneyb: In airport with infant. Everyone smiles, asks how old, then hopes their seat is not near ours.
- courtneyb: Lady A sounded great in concert last night, just disappointed at the brevity. Thanks Allentown fair.
- courtneyb: The babe slept in my lap through an amazing dinner at Amada in Philly. I can't get enough of that place.
- courtneyb: @snappity yeah Willa! but are you ready for her to be mobile?