Raspberry Buckle

My only goal when going to pick raspberries this fall with my son was to get enough to make Raspberry Buckle. I've used this same recipe with blueberries and I'm not sure if I could pick a favorite. Using either is divine. I like this desert when it is still hot and I've only made it with fresh raspberries or blueberries (however, you may substitute fresh for frozen). It's more dense than cake - almost like a big, fluffy, soft sugar cookie.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh raspberries (or blueberries)
**
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x9" or 8x8" pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl beat shortening with a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 3/4 cup sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to beaten egg mixture. Beat until smooth after each addition.

3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with berries. In another bowl, combine the 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 3 tablespoons butter. Cut butter into mixture until it is resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle over berries. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden.

Tabasco Shrimp

Yet another recipe found from Cooking Light that I love. The original added chili powder and hot sauce to the sour cream but I usually end up skipping that step to simplify. We serve the shrimp wrapped in a fat burrito using fresh cooked tortillas, rice, beans, Monterrey Jack cheese, sour cream and Herdez Salsa Verde (a must have at all times in our pantry). This is another recipe that I use the frozen shrimp from Costco. We also love the uncooked tortillas that you can make fresh before serving - it makes all the difference in a good burrito. But, I sometimes do skip the tortilla and have a burrito bowl when I'm trying to cut out some fat/calories.

For those of you that are a little wary of spicy - this is probably about medium but it's hard for me to rate since I love spicy. In other words, I skip the shrimp and make a plain burrito for my son because it's too hot for him.

Ingredients:
3/4 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and salt in a large bowl. Add shrimp; toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add shrimp mixture; sauté until done. Stir in hot pepper sauce and juice. Remove from heat.

Low-Fat Strawberry-Cinnamon Muffins

I really wanted to make some kind of strawberry muffin. Out of three recipes that I tried, I had a winner again from Cooking Light. In my opinion, these are AMAZING when warm and just okay when cooled but that is the case 90% of the time with muffins. But, that doesn't stop my husband from loving them a day later.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375º.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 4 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Combine yogurt, butter, milk, and egg in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Place muffin liners in muffin tin (On my second batch, I used foil liners that had a paper liner too which works better than just paper liners). Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each liner. Top each with 1 teaspoon jam. Top evenly with the remaining batter. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375º for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; place on a wire rack.

Caramel-Pecan Rolls

I searched high and low for the perfect recipe for caramel-pecan rolls. My mom makes these delicious rolls but her habit of not baking or cooking according to a recipe made it a little difficult to follow. I finally ran across the Better Homes and Gardens recipe from the 30's. I made a couple of adjustments to the original and now they have become a regular Sunday night indulgence.

I've tried recipes using frozen dough but making the bread from scratch is so much better. The rolls are best when warm out of the oven.

Ingredients:
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup milk (preferably 2% or whole)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup
2/3 cup chopped pecans (I've also used walnuts in a pinch)

1. In mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour and yeast; set aside. In saucepan, heat and stir milk, the 1/3 cup sugar, the 1/3 cup butter and salt just until warm (120-130 degrees, I always use a thermometer!). Add to the flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds (use paddle attachment if using Kitchenaid stand mixer), scraping bowl as needed. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.

(At this point, switch to dough hook attachment if using Kitchenaid stand mixer.) Stir in remaining flour. Knead dough until it is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes). Shape into a ball. Place dough in lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover and let rise in warm place until double (about 1 hour).

Punch down dough. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

In small saucepan heat and stir 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 2 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup until combined. Divide topping between two 9" round baking pans. Sprinkle pecans in pan; set aside.


Roll each dough portion into a 12x8" rectangle. Smear 1 tablespoon of butter per each rectangle portion.


Combine the 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over buttered dough. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting from a long side; seal seam. Cut each into 12 slices. Place in prepared pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double (about 30 minutes).

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden. While baking, place aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Once rolls are done baking, immediately invert baked rolls from pans.

Lemon Basil Shrimp Pasta

This little gem comes from Cooking Light all the way back in Spring of 2007. I actually find it so easy to make that it's become one of our regulars. The only difference from the original recipe is that I don't use the 3 tablespoons of capers it calls for. Not because I don't like capers, it's just that I don't buy capers often and when I do, I never use them all. Add them back in if you like.

I highly recommend using fresh basil. I didn't use fresh the last time I made this (pictured above) and although it was still good - it's just not nearly as light and yummy. My basil plant pooped out right before Spring came and I have yet to replace it.

I'm also going to put in a plug for the frozen bags of shrimp at Costco. It is the best frozen shrimp I've ever used. It easily thaws by running under water for 5 or so minutes. Since they come with the tail shell on, I pull of the shells while they are under the running water.

If you don't like shrimp, this recipe would also be good with a substitute of chicken.

Ingredients:
8 oz. uncooked spaghetti
1 pound peeled and and deveined large shrimp
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 2 Tb dried basil)
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups baby spinach

Bring water to boil in large pot. Add pasta. 3 minutes before pasta is done cooking according to package directions, add shrimp. Cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Drain (do not rinse). Place pasta and shrimp in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix basil, oil, lemon juice and salt. Add to pasta and shrimp. Place spinach on plate or bowl and top with pasta mixture.

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken and Fresh Vegetable Pasta Salad

This is attempt number 2 at documenting a recipe that is stored in my magic brain. Sorry if it is a little vague but this is another recipe that is great because of the ease of making variations.

Most of my staple recipes are based upon items that in bulk (ahem, Costco). I also typically buy a family pack of chicken and grill several breasts all at once on my George Foreman so that I can use the chicken the next night in a different recipe (such as Artichoke-Chicken Penne, Chicken Tetrazzini or Chicken Enchilada Pie). I simply put a little Season-All on the chicken and grill on my trusty George Foreman.


Also, for this recipe I like to use at least three or four different vegetables. I always use tomatoes and cucumbers. I love sweet peppers - orange, yellow or red. If you don't like sweet peppers, try adding carrots. I'm not a big fan of carrots but they would be a good substitute for the peppers. The amounts I've listed in the recipe can certainly be altered to taste. Use your favorite vegetables so you will really enjoy the salad.

If you do use sweet peppers, I usually only use a quarter of each. I think it is the perfect amount.



Ingredients:
16 oz. Rotini pasta
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
other vegetables as desired (sweet peppers, carrots, spinach, etc.)
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup Feta cheese (if you don't like Feta, try Parmesan instead)

Dressing:
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 package of Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix.

Begin by grilling your chicken. While you are grilling, start your water boiling for the pasta. Begin cutting your vegetables and place in a large bowl. Allow the grilled chicken to cool a bit and then chop. Once the pasta is done, drain and rinse.

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and stir. In a small bowl mix ingredients for dressing. Add dressing to salad and toss.

Artichoke-Chicken Penne

This is my first attempt at writing down a recipe that I just have in my head. It evolved from the desire to something similar to a dish I had at Noodles and Co. Forgive me but I'll have to be a little Rachel Ray on this and give approximate measurements. But the great thing about this recipe is that you can easily make variations. Again, the measurements are approximate because I never measure - I just throw it in.

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups artichoke hearts, chopped
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked (grilled or sauteed) and shredded
10 oz. penne pasta, cooked and drained
handful of fresh Spinach, rinsed
2-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4-1/2 cup feta cheese

In a large skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. Cook for one minute.

Add chicken and noodles. Stir and heat through. Add Spinach and cook until spinach is wilted.


Add balsamic vinegar and heat through. Add feta cheese before serving.