Homemade Protein Bars

My Venture into Protein Bars
There are times when I am in a hurry and I don't have time to sit down for a proper breakfast or lunch. Meal-replacement bars are a great way to get a bite to eat without resorting to fast food. To me, however, most commercially sold protein bars, cereal bars, and energy bars are little more than glorified candy bars that are loaded with empty carbs, high-fructose corn syrup, and overly processed ingredients.

Over the years, I've gone through phases when I've purchased protein bars by the bag full. They are SO outrageously expensive. On top of that, some protein bars are so hard to chew that I practically pull out my teeth trying to take a bite out of one. Finally, I said enough is enough and I set out to formulate my own protein bar.

I wanted a bar that was high in protein, had a good amount of fiber, was not overly sweet nor carby, and had heart-healthy fats. I wanted to make a bar made with wholesome ingredients that I could pronounce that would not leave me feeling guilty about eating later on. I also wanted a bar that would keep me full and not leave me feeling deprived like many store-bought bars do. Most of all, I wanted the bar to TASTE GOOD and not taste like I've just taken a bite out of the business section of the telephone book. Is this too much to ask for a meal-replacement bar?

These bars are very high in protein and will keep you full for hours. The fiber will keep your blood sugar from spiking too fast. Every ingredient in these bars have health value – even the cinnamon and salt. Yes, salt. Salt, after all, is a nutrient and is only bad when it is over-consumed. I actually feel like I'm being HEALTHY when I eat one of these great-tasting bars. I never miss fast food when I make these babies. They also make great snacks when you're in the mood for something a little sweet.

These bars are not baked and can be thrown together in less than 10 minutes. You can prepare them the night before so the family can grab them as they're heading out the door in the morning. You could eat one on the way to work while listening to a CD of Cher's greatest hits or while riding the bus next to some guy with a mohawk, pierced lips, and tattooed eyeliner. They are so easy to make, ask your kids to help you make them. I store them in the fridge for those times I need a quick meal or a healthy snack. Do you have teenagers who never have time for breakfast or a husband who thinks a Pop Tart is part of a well-balanced meal? If so, these bars are perfect! You can even throw some in your kids' book bags if they get a little hungry at school. Give these bars a try and see how you like them. I hope you like them as much as I do. Trust me – healthy eating never tasted so good! Enjoy – and happy barring!

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Homemade Protein Bars
(Printable Version)

3/4 c old-fashioned oats
½ c oat flour
1/2 tsp table salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/2 c non-fat dry milk
2 TBSP flaxseeds, finely ground
2 TBSP sunflower seeds
1/3 c peanut butter (natural peanut butter works great!)
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c water
1/4 c honey or to taste
1/2 c nuts (as pictured, I used almonds, pistachios, and cashews)
1/2 c dried fruit (as pictured, I used dried cherries, dried cranberries, and dried apricots)

Line an 8x8" dish with foil leaving a few inches of extra foil extending over edges of the dish. You will use this extra foil to grab onto when you remove the bars from the dish later on. Very lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, oat flour, salt, cinnamon, protein powder, dry milk powder, and seeds. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, vanilla, water, and honey. Microwave for about 45 seconds. Whisk then combine the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The mixture will be quite thick. Add the nuts and dried fruit and stir to combine. Roughly spread the mixture into the foil-lined dish. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the "dough" and compress the mixture evenly in the dish. Leave the plastic wrap on and place in the fridge for an hour or until firm. After an hour, remove and discard the plastic wrap. Use the foil to lift the mixture out of the dish. Slide the mixture off of the foil and cut the block into 8 bars. Place the bars in a sealable container. Since this mixture contains no preservatives, I recommend keeping them refrigerated.

Notes:
1) I have never used instant oats with this recipe so I do not know if they will work as well.
2) Whole flaxseeds are not readily digestible so it is best to grind them in a spice grinder or a mini food processor. If you do not have a way to grind them, just make sure you chew the bars well to better ensure the flaxseeds will be absorbed and release their healthy goodness.
3) These bars can be made gluten-free if you buy the right brand of oats and protein powder.
4) Do you have teenage sons participating in sports? Consider increasing the protein powder by another scoop.
5) On a low-salt diet? Reduce or eliminate the salt.
6) Watching your blood sugar or carbs? Reduce the amount of honey (or substitute sugar-free maple syrup for the honey) and reduce the amount of dried fruit.
7) Watching your fat intake? Reduce the amount of peanut butter and/or nuts.
7.5) Watching your salt, carbs, AND fat intake? Skip this recipe and eat the wrapper off of a ding dong.

Breakfast Enchiladas

My Venture into Breakfast Food
I could eat breakfast foods at every meal. By far, breakfast is my FAVORITE meal of the day. Bacon. Eggs. Sausage. Hashbrowns. Pancakes. No wonder my thighs rub together when I'm walking down the hall. Today's recipe can be made full-flavored (which is the nice way of saying "fattening") or it can be made more figure-friendly. I certainly love the high octane version but the lighter alternative is actually quite tasty as well.

You'll notice in the recipe below, there are quite a few ingredients. Although it is not difficult to make, you would not normally make this for a normal weekday breakfast unless you like getting up at 5:00 a.m. This would be perfect for Sunday brunch, Christmas morning, or even a Saturday night card game with the guys. I tried to incorporate several short-cuts to help everything come together faster (although I don't normally use those short-cuts when I make it myself).

I was not sure if this recipe would be "blog worthy" so I made it, took quick pictures, and drove to my mother's house with the breakfast enchiladas in-hand. My mother loathes sausage so I assumed she would hate this recipe. My teenage nephew and middle-aged sister were also visiting so it was a good chance to get input from different people. Would they like this concept? Would they think it was too spicy? Would they think it was too heavy? Would they run screaming from the house and vomit uncontrollably in my mother's front yard…again? To my surprise, they all loved it! It's always hard to please people when it comes to spiciness level. Mom thought it was just a hair too spicy for her (she thinks water is spicy). My sister, who also doesn't like spicy food, thought it could be spicier. My nephew thought it was perfect. They all agreed it would be blog worthy and cannot wait for me to make these breakfast enchiladas for them again.

You'll have to forgive my uninspired pictures. I baked the enchiladas at my place because I hate cooking at my mother's house. I normally would have plated a couple of enchiladas and made them pretty for you all but that would have taken too long and they would have gotten cold before I got to my mother's house. So, I opted to take the easy way out and photograph them while they were still in the dish. It's not as pretty this way and you don't get a sense of what they look like but my mother comes first! You know, Mother's Day IS coming up and Mother's Day is not so much a DAY in my family as it is a SEASON.

These breakfast enchiladas are meaty and creamy on the inside. They're very filling. The cheese sauce on top is to-die-for. Very cheesilicious! I hope you enjoy my latest creation. Enjoy – and happy eating!

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Breakfast Enchiladas
(Printable Version)

Filling:
1 TBSP oil
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz breakfast sausage or chorizo
1 1/4 c cooked cubed potatoes or hashbrowns (I use Simply Potatoes® from the refrigerated section of
my grocery store)
Scrambled Eggs (recipe follows)
1 2-oz jar chopped pimentos, drained
1 4.5-oz can green chiles, drained
4 oz (1 cup) freshly grated cheese such as sharp cheddar, monterrey jack, or pepper jack (or a
combination of cheeses)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Scrambled Eggs:
1 TBSP butter
5 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

Chipotle Cheese Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (3/4 tsp table salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBSP adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce (plus 1 minced chipotle pepper if you are living on the wild side)
8 oz (2 cups) freshly grated sharp cheddar, monterrey jack, or pepper jack (or a combination of cheeses)

Other Ingredients:
8 fajita-size flour tortillas (about 6")
4 oz (1 cup) freshly grated cheese such as sharp cheddar, monterrey jack, or pepper jack for topping
Optional garnishes such as finely diced red bell pepper, chopped tomatoes, chopped scallions, or chopped cilantro

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 TBSP oil. When hot, add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the sausage and cook until brown – breaking the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Add the cooked potatoes and heat for 2 minutes to warm the potatoes through. Drain off any excess oil and transfer the sausage to a medium bowl. Set the mixture aside to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.

To make the Chipotle Cheese Sauce, heat a sauce pan over medium heat with the butter. When the butter has melted and the foaming has subsided, add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, whisking often. Slowing add in the milk while whisking the sauce. Add the salt, pepper, adobo sauce, and whisk in. Heat the sauce until it barely simmers then very lightly simmer for 2 minutes longer. Turn the heat to low. Add the cheese in small amounts, whisking between each addition. Whisk until the cheese has completed melted and the sauce is smooth.

While the sauce is heating, scramble the eggs. To scramble the eggs, heat a skillet over medium heat with the butter (I use the same skillet I cook the sausage in). Once the butter has melted and the foaming has subsided, add the beaten eggs and some salt and pepper. Scramble the eggs until they are firm. Transfer the eggs to the bowl with the sausage mixture.

To the sausage and egg mixture, add the remaining filling ingredients including the cilantro (if using), pimentos, green chiles, and 4 ounces of cheese. Stir to combine. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed. Gently fold in 1 cup of the Chipotle Cheese Sauce.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the filling into the center of a tortilla. Roll it up and place it seam-side down into a 9x13" dish that has been coated with cooking spray. You should place the enchilada lengthwise in the dish so that you can get 2 enchiladas in each row running the length of the dish. Repeat with the rest of the filling. You may have a little of the filling leftover. If so, refrigerate it and use it for leftovers. Pour the remaining cheese sauce all over the enchiladas – making sure they are completely coated with the sauce. Top with 1 cup of cheese and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Garnish with chopped red bell pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, and/or scallions.

NOTES:
1) With 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce (and no chipotles), you will have a subtle background kick in the sauce. My sister, who doesn't like spicy food, says it could be spicier. My mother thought it was spicy but not too much. My teenage nephew didn' t think it was spicy. If you are very sensitive to spicy things, I recommend decreasing the amount of adobo sauce. If you really want a kick, throw in a minced chipotle.
2) To lighten the recipe, use 2% cheddar, 2% milk, fat-free tortillas, and reduced-fat sausage. You could also use egg whites instead of whole eggs.

Barbecue-Stuffed Corn Muffins

My Venture into Stuffed Corn Muffins
Anybody who regularly reads my blog knows the joy I get from cooking comes from making new recipes. I rarely make a recipe in its original form because I normally have lots of ideas of how I'd like to change it. Every so often, I come across a recipe that I just cannot think of a way to change. Today's recipe is like that.

I found today's recipe on Food Wishes – a video cooking blog that I love to frequent. I think this recipe is innovative and easy and I'm kicking myself in the rear for not having thought of it myself! I made a couple of very small changes to Chef John's recipe but they are hardly worth mentioning. He adds more milk than I do and his filling is drier. He also adds cheese on top (which I wasn't excited about) and he used muffin liners and I didn't.

This recipe is kind of the like the American version of cha shao bao (char siu bao for you Cantonese speakers). Cha shao bao is a Chinese steamed bun that is stuffed with Chinese-style barbecue pork. Very tasty. My backside bears many dimples caused by eating too many cha shao bao over the years.

Do you ever get in one of those moods when you JUST don't want to cook? I'm in one of those moods. That's why I like today's recipe. It can be put together and baked in just minutes. It's painfully simple and it's a great way to use up leftover barbecue meat. If you don't have any leftover barbecue, just go to your favorite BBQ restaurant and pick some up. I hope you like today's recipe as much as I do. Enjoy – and happy stuffing!

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Barbecue-Stuffed Corn Muffins
(Printable Version)

1 egg
1/4 c milk
1/2 c freshly grated cheddar, monterrey jack, or pepper jack cheese
1 8.5-oz box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (or a similar brand)
1/2 to 3/4 c leftover barbecue pork, rib meat, or brisket (cut into small pieces)
Barbecue sauce to taste

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a small bowl, add the leftover barbecue pork, rib meat, or brisket that has been cut into pieces. Add enough barbecue sauce to make the meat nice and wet but not swimming in sauce. Set aside. Butter or spray 6 wells of a muffin tin. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Fold in the cheese and corn muffin mix until the mixture is well combined.

Add approximately 2 tablespoons of batter to each of the six wells (I use a cookie scoop). This should use up half the batter. Spoon about 1 tablespoon or so of the barbecue meat on top of the batter in the wells – making sure to keep the meat from touching the sides of the pan. The meat needs to be somewhat piled up in the center. Evenly add the remaining batter to the top of the meat in the wells. Bake about 13 to 16 minutes or until the muffins have browned on top. Allow the muffins to cool for several minutes before attempting to remove them from the muffin tins. Makes 6.

Oven-Roasted Potatoes

My Venture into Red Potatoes
Potatoes and I have a strange relationship. I'll go months without cooking any and then, suddenly, I'm hit with a craving for spuds and I can't get enough of them – as you can probably see from my recent post for Ham and Potato Soup.

For a while, eggs were considered unhealthy so I stopped eating them. Then pasta was evil so I stopped eating it. Then potatoes became the wicked food du jour. So I was relegated to eating unflavored rice cakes – until eating rice became as heinous as chowing down on bald eagles. So, after giving up all of the food I loved, I became bitter and angry and didn't lose a pound – which, in turn, made me more bitter and angry. Today, I eat eggs in moderation. I cook whole wheat pasta (which I really like!). At home, I rarely eat white rice because it really has very little nutritional value. Potatoes are NOT in the same class as white rice and all-purpose flour. Potatoes, with the peels on, are high in vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and fiber. And they taste really good – especially with lots of butter, sour cream, and bacon on top … or deep-fried for french fries.

All joking aside, it is not the potato that's unhealthy – it's what we add to them! If you left out the cheese, this recipe is fairly healthful (aside from the sodium level in the onion soup and ranch packets). You could even cut back a bit on the olive oil without significantly sacrificing flavor. I decided to add some cheese when I took the above picture just because I think it photographed better with the contrasting colors. I used 2% sharp cheddar and it tasted great! However, normally, I don't add any cheese at all if I want a simple side dish.

This recipe is also incredibly EASY-to-make. My inspiration came from the recipe for onion-roasted potatoes on the back of the onion soup box. I have only one complaint with that recipe. It's BLAAAAND. That's why I decided to bump up the flavor. If, after making my recipe the first time, you think it's too salty, add a couple of extra potatoes the next time you make it. If it is not salty enough, don't use as many potatoes. Play with it until you get it the way YOU like it.

I have a confession to make. The major reason I made this recipe today is because I had an "incident" at the grocery store. I wanted to buy a couple of red potatoes to add to a different recipe I was making. The red potatoes were beautifully stacked in a pyramid shape. Well, stupid me, decided to take one of the potatoes on the bottom of the pyramid and I caused the whole thing to collapse – sending red potatoes and various other vegetables all over the floor. I picked up, like, two dozen potatoes, six red bell peppers, and a yellow onion. I think the onion was already on the floor but I picked it up anyway since I was already on my hands and knees. Did I mention it was a BIG pyramid of potatoes? Anyway, I didn't want to put them back onto the shelf since they were probably all bruised from dropping on the floor. That, and because an old lady was standing nearby and gave me the look of death like "You BETTER not put those back on the shelf or I'm gonna smack you with this English cucumber." So, I have LOTS of red potatoes to use up. Enjoy – and happy roasting!

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Oven-Roasted Potatoes
(Printable Version)

3 lbs small red potatoes (skins on) –each approximately 2" in diameter
1/3 cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
1-1 oz packet onion soup mix
1-1 oz packet ranch dip mix
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 c freshly grated parmesan cheese or sharp cheddar (optional)
Chopped scallions or parsley for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Mix the olive oil, onion soup mix, ranch dip mix, garlic powder, and pepper. Set aside while you prepare the potatoes.

Cut each potato in half and then each half into quarters. Add the potatoes to a medium bowl. Stir the olive oil mixture and pour it on to the potatoes. Toss to evenly coat. Spread the potatoes onto a sided sheet pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure that one of the cut sides of potatoes is touching the bottom of the sheet pan (so that it browns nicely). Cover the sheet pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the aluminum foil. Do not stir. Bake another 20 minutes (uncovered), stirring after 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and, if desired, toss with your choice of cheese. Garnish with chopped scallions or parsley.

Ham and Potato Soup

My Venture into Simplicity
Aaaaah. Spring is my favorite season. The days are longer. Flowers are blooming and the birds are singing. Spring has always been a time of renewal and rebirth. I have been getting tired of the look of my blog so, in the spirit of spring, I decided to freshen it up a bit.

You'll notice a new header at the top of my blog. I've also added a navigation bar at the top so you can more easily search for ingredients or recipes by clicking in the search field in the upper-left part of the page. I've made my blog about 20% wider so there is less dead space in the left and right margins and the background color is no longer white but rather a greyish blue. I'm not into "busy" webpages that have a lot of extraneous images and patterns. As with my cooking and recipes, I appreciate simplicity the most.

Today's recipe is so quick and easy-to-make but tastes SO GOOD. Isn't it interesting that the simpliest of ingredients can make the best tasting food? Ham and potato soup is really inexpensive to make. I used leftover ham and the rest of the ingredients I either had on-hand or were very inexpensive to buy. Simple, wholesome, inexpensive, and great-tasting. That's my kind of cooking!

Leave a comment and let me know how you like the new look my blog. Enjoy the Ham and Potato Soup – and enjoy the beauty of spring!

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Ham and Potato Soup
(Printable Version)

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
6 TBSP butter, divided use
1 1/2 bunches scallions (white and light green parts), chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 c diced cooked ham
3 1/2 c water
2 TBSP chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 TBSP flour
2 c half-n-half
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnishes: Freshly grated cheddar cheese, scallion tops, and cooked bacon pieces

Heat a dutch oven over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of butter. When melted, add the scallions, garlic, and ham. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, water, bouillon, and pepper. Cover and crank up the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. When boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

While the potatoes are simmering, in a separate saucepan, melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When melted, add the flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the half-n-half. Once the mixture comes to a simmer, cook about 3 minutes, whisking often.

When the potatoes are tender, add the half-n-half mixture to the dutch oven and stir. Allow the mixture to return to a simmer then cook 2 minutes longer. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water. If it is too thin, cook a few minutes longer.

Ladle the soup into a bowl and top with any optional garnishes such as freshly grated cheddar cheese, scallion tops, and cooked bacon pieces.

Fried Asparagus

My Venture into Fried Asparagus
Just a short post this week. My inspiration for this recipe comes from the fried green beans (and fried pickles) from a local bar called Larry Bud's. I'm not a huge pickle fan but their fried green beans are really addictive. The reason I made this recipe is simple: I had asparagus I needed to get used up and I wanted to throw out the oil from the Southwestern Eggrolls I made a while back. I rarely deep fry and I know you can strain the oil and save it for later use. However, because it could be MONTHS before I fried something else, there's no way I am going to use oil that I used once before that I've been storing for the last 1 or 2 years. That's just totally gross. The spears of asparagus are coated in bread crumbs, which really dirties the oil when they're fried. So, I fried a batch and then recycled the oil.

The real reason my post is so short this week is because I have a cold. I keep coughing and coughing and I just don't feel like doing squat. When I was growing up and my mother had a cold, she still cooked and cleaned, did laundry, got us ready for school, and more. When my father had a cold, he whined a lot and my mother had to take care of him like he was on his deathbed. You know, I'm beginning to speculate that men are just babies when they get sick. Hmmmm. Surely, there is another plausible explanation.

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Fried Asparagus
(Printable Version)

1 lb asparagus (thin stalks)
1 1/2 c dry seasoned breadcrumbs
1 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
4 eggs, beaten
Oil for frying

Wash and dry the asparagus. Snap or cut the fibrous root ends off and discard. Thin stalks work best for this recipe since thicker stalks are too fibrous.

In a shallow dish, combine the seasoned breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasoned salt and mix well to combine. Set aside. In another shallow dish, beat the eggs and set aside. Place a rack in a sheet pan and set aside. Start preheating the oven to 200F.

Dip a few stalk of the asparagus on the eggs and allow some of the egg to drip off. Coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Re-dip the asparagus in the egg and the breadcrumbs to add a thicker layer of coating. Place the breaded asparagus on a sheet pan (not the sheet pan that has the rack in it). Repeat this process with the remaining stalks of asparagus.

If you have a fryer that is big enough to hold the entire length of the asparagus, you may deep fry the asparagus a few stalks at a time. Otherwise, you may shallow fry the asparagus in 1/2" of oil (preferably peanut oil). If using a fryer, heat the oil to 350F. If shallow frying, heat about 1" of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until it is shimmering. When the oil is hot, fry the asparagus until golden brown, which should only take a minute or so. They cook fast! Transfer to the sheet pan equipped with a rack and place the pan in the oven to keep warm will you fry the remaining stalks of asparagus. Serve with your preferred dipping sauce (I prefer ranch dip).

White Chocolate Easter Eggs

White Chocolate Easter Eggs
First things first. Thank you to everybody who gave me recommendations on counter stools in my last post! I know it was hard to give me advice since you don't know my décor but I appreciate the effort. I'm still sorting through the responses to see if any particular stool was recommended more than others. Even more importantly, I want to announce the winner of the Sunbeam Stand Mixer giveaway! The winner was selected at random from all of my blog buddies who left comments about the counter stools. …And the lucky winner is:

Dana B.

Dana said, "I like the TMS 24" Double Cross Back Bar Stool in Black - 17524BLK. Just came across your site by way of Tasty Kitchen and I'm already making one of your recipes tonight =)"

Congratulations Dana! Please e-mail (cookingventures at gmail dot com) to make arrangements to have the mixer sent to you. May this be the first of many cooking ventures for you! Thank you Allbarstools.com and CSN Stores for making this giveaway possible.

Now for today's post. Easter is quickly approaching and I wanted to do a special post. Originally, I thought about doing leg of lamb (a personal favorite) but I didn't think that would have universal appeal. After giving it some thought, I decided to make some White Chocolate Easter Eggs.

Some of you may be familiar with White Trash Candy. White Trash is made a million different ways but it's usually cereals (such as Chex, Cherrios, etc), pretzels, nuts, etc that have been doused in white chocolate. White Trash is not my invention nor my choice of names. However, it is what it is. Today's post is nothing but White Trash that I've stuffed into plastic Easter eggs then unmolded. I originally planned to call them "White Trash Easter Eggs" but a couple of friends at work weren't fond of the name so I switched it to White Chocolate Easter Eggs.

I, personally, like seeing the pretty colors of the cereals and sweets used to make the eggs. Using less white chocolate makes the coating thinner so you can see the colors. This, unfortunately, is at the expense of not having smooth "egg shells" in the final product. If you bump up the amount of white chocolate, the egg shells are filled in and smoother but it's harder to see the trash on the inside. Oh, the decisions!

Anyway, congratulations again Dana! I hope whichever of my recipes you made turned out well. If you hated the recipe, blame my mother. That's what I do.

Enjoy – and Happy Easter!

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White Chocolate Easter Eggs
(Printable Version)

1/2 c Cheerios
1/2 c Captain Crunch Cereal
1/2 c Fruit Loops Cereal
1/2 c plain M&M's (in Easter colors)
1/2 c dried cherries
1/2 c salted cashew pieces
1 12-oz package white chocolate chips
Plastic Easter eggs, washed and dried
Cooking spray

Pull apart the eggs into halves and place them open-side-up in a mini muffin tin (to make it easier to fill them). Very lightly spray the inside of each egg with cooking spray.

Add the cereals, M&M's, dried cherries, and cashew pieces to a medium bowl. Gently stir to mix together. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler per the package instructions. Pour the melted chocolate over the ingredients in the bowl and gently stir until the chocolate has been evenly incorporated.

Working quickly, spoon some of the candy mixture into the halved eggs (going right up to the rim of each egg half). As you are filling the eggs, ask helpers to close the eggs together – using a little muscle if necessary to get the eggs to close tightly. It's a little messy but the egg halves will come together with a little effort. Allow the eggs to completely cool and set up before attempting to remove them from the plastic eggs. It can take a little work to pop the plastic off the candy but be patient and take your time. Store the finished eggs in a sealed container.

Notes:
1) Plastic eggs come in different sizes. The number of eggs you will be able to make is dependent upon the size of the plastic eggs you buy.
2) I don't make this recipe the same way twice. Sometimes I add pretzels or peanuts instead of cashews. Sometimes I had soft sour balls. Sometimes I use Rice Crispies, Chex, or other cereals. The goal is to use a total of 3 cups of dry ingredients per bag of white chocolate.
3) As you can see from the picture, the mixture is dry enough that you can see some knooks and crannies in the eggs. I don't mind that. However, if want those spaces to be more filled in, you need to use more white chocolate. I recommend using another half bag (or whole bag!) of white chocolate to increase the white chocolate to dry mixture ratio.
4) Try using some semi-sweet chocolate (that you've tempered) instead of white chocolate to make brown Easter eggs.

Easter Nests
1 1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar
4 TBSP butter
1 TBSP corn syrup
1/2 c milk
Pinch of salt
4 c chow mein noodles
Butter for lubricating bowls
Cooking spray

Butter some heat-resistant bowls or containers that you plan to use as molds for the nests. Trust me – you need to butter them well! This recipe makes three nests that are each about 7" in diameter. Depending on the size of your bowls, you may get additional (or fewer) nests.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, milk, and salt. Bring to a boil. Heat the mixture to 240F, stirring often. Turn off the heat and add the chow mein noodles and stir to coat. Immediately add some of the noodles to each of the bowls. Working quickly, use the back of a large spoon (sprayed with cooking spray) to help shape the bowls into something that resembles nests. They set up fast so you may want to enlist the assistance of a helper to shape the bowls before the sugar begins to harden. Allow the nests to complete cool before removing them from the bowls. Store in air-tight containers. These are best when used within 24 hours of making.

March Giveaway!

Hello blog buddies! I can't believe that I've now posted over 80 recipes. My blog is a lot more work than I ever anticipated but I'm having a great time doing it. Thank you all for the kind e-mails that you've sent me over the last few months. You might be surprised to hear that I've also been sent hate mail…and a few pictures of older ladies in various stages of undress. Grandma – tell your friends to stop sending me those!!!

Many of you faithfully read my blog. As a big thank you to all of my blog buddies, I'm doing a giveaway! I was approached by CSN Stores to help sponsor a giveaway. Over 200 online outlets make up the CSN Stores so you can find ANYTHING you could ever want. I'm actually in the market for some new counter stools and I found some great ones on their website. Take a few minutes and check out their great selection of Counter Stools.

When I was growing up, my mother had a Sunbeam Stand Mixer. It was a workhorse. That mixer lasted years before it gasped its last breath while mixing a batch of thick peppernut dough. When I was browsing around the CSN Stores, I noticed that they also had a bunch of kitchen stuff – including Sunbeam Stand Mixers like my mom had when I was growing up. Check this one out:

I'm feeling rather nostalgic so I thought I would give away a Sunbeam Stand Mixer! Here are the rules:

1) You have to live in the U.S. (for shipping reasons). Sorry international blog buddies! Don't worry – I'll have another giveaway soon that you can enter.

2) To enter, leave a comment at the bottom of this webpage and include the name of the counter stool you like best from Allbarstools.com. Just let me know which one you'd get for your own home! This will help me narrow down my choices.

3) In your comment, please be sure to leave your first name and last initial (such as "Aretha F."). After all, I have to know who's entering!

4) You may leave ONE comment only to enter this contest. Be honest now! Your entry must be received by 5:00 pm (CDT) on Wednesday, March 24.

5) The winner will be chosen at random. You have to then return to my blog on Thursday, March 25 to see if you won. I will then ask the winner to send me an e-mail with their complete name and mailing address for shipping.

Good luck – and thank you CSN Stores for helping to sponsor this wonderful giveaway!

Southwestern Eggrolls

My Venture into Unconventional Eggrolls

My friend Denise got me hooked on Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls many years ago. They are SO good! I have to admit, these taste a LOT like the real thing (with a couple of twists of my own).

The ONLY reason I fixed them this week is because I'm experimenting with a completely separate recipe that requires frying. Because I rarely fry anything, I hate to throw out the oil after using it only once or twice. So, since I had the oil for the other recipe, I thought I would go ahead and share my recipe for Southwestern Eggrolls.

When I was a vegetarian, I fixed these often but baked them in the oven. I left the chicken out, of course, and bumped up the veggies. This is a GREAT way to get your kids to eat their vegetables…and there are a lot of them in this recipe! Vegetables, that is…not kids. Feel free to play around with the filling as you see fit. Try using cheddar instead of pepper jack. Try adding a little salsa. Try chorizo instead of chicken. Do whatever you want. This is more of a method than a recipe.

Before any of you ask, I've never tried reproducing Chili's Avocado Dipping Sauce. It's wonderful but I've never taken the time to replicate that recipe because I prefer to dip these in spicy ranch dressing instead. Yes, I know. I need help.

I fully planned to cut one of them open and taken a picture so you can see the inside. With the black beans and spinach, they look a little sinister but I don't mind. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera gave out in the middle of taking pictures. I think I said something like "Gosh, darn it! These stupid rechargeable batteries give out at the most inconvenient dang times! " That's kind of paraphrased. Let's put it this way, if I were on TV, I probably would have been bleeped. Anyway, the eggrolls were getting cold and I was hungry so I ate 'em! Then the guilt set in… Oy. I should not be eating fried foods.

I hope you guys try this recipe. They're tasty! Next week, I'm doing a give-away!!! You're going to love the prize. Enjoy – and happy eggrolling!

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Southwestern Eggrolls
(Printable Version)

1 TBSP oil
1 1/2 bunches scallions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 of a cooked chicken breast, roughly chopped
3 TBSP heated frozen spinach, drained
1 small handful of fresh cilantro
1/4 c water (or more, if needed)
1 tsp kosher salt (1/2 tsp table salt)
Black pepper to taste
2 TBSP frozen corn
2 TBSP red bell pepper
2 c pepper jack cheese, freshly grated
8 7" flour tortillas
Oil for frying

Heat a skillet over medium heat with one tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the scallions and minced garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the scallions are soft. Add the cumin, chili powder, and cayenne (if using) and stir to combine. Cook one minute longer then scrape the mixture into a food processor.

To the scallion mixture in the food processor, add the drained and rinsed black beans, chicken breast, spinach, water, salt, and some pepper. Pulse a few times until the mixture is roughly chopped. Set aside.

Wipe out the skillet you cooked the scallions in, add a little more oil, and set the pan over medium heat. Cook the corn and red bell pepper for a couple of minutes then dump in the bean mixture from the food processor. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. The mixture should be thick but if it seems rather dry, add another tablespoon or two of water. I usually end up adding more cumin and chili powder (and sometimes a little more salt) because I like my filling to have a rather robust flavor. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes. After the mixture has cooled, add the pepper jack cheese and stir to combine.

Warm the tortillas per the package instructions. Spoon the filling into a 1/3 measuring cup and gently pack the filling. Dump the filling onto a warm tortilla and mold the filling slightly into an oblong shape. Fold in the sides and roll it up as if you were rolling a burrito. Insert a toothpick to keep the eggroll closed. Repeat until you have used up all of the filling.

Begin heating about 3" of oil (peanut oil works great) in a deep sauce pan. Begin preheating the oven to 200F. Insert a wire rack into a sheet pan and set aside.

Once the oil reaches 350F, add 2 or 3 eggrolls (depending on the size of your pan) and fry for about 5 minutes – turning often. The eggrolls are done when the outside is brown and crispy. Transfer the eggrolls to the rack in the sheet pan and place in the oven to keep warm while you are frying the rest of the eggrolls. When finished, serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Note:
Feel free to bake them. Check out my Oven-Baked Chimichangas for instructions on baking.

Lemon-Garlic Chicken Wings

My Venture into Airplane Wings
Back in the 1980's, I was flying from south Asia to the U.S. on an airline I've flown many times. I don't want to negatively influence your opinion about this lovely airline so, for this particular post, I'm going to refer to it as Acme Air. To get back to the U.S., I had to connect in Europe before heading home. During this era, there were still a few airlines that permitted smoking during the flight. Some international airlines, including this one, bent over backwards to accommodate smokers since smoking was more commonplace than it is today. They always reserved a certain number of rows in the back of the aircraft for smokers. When needed, some of the last rows of non-smoking would suddenly become smoking if there were more smokers than average for a particular flight. On that segment, I happened to be in the last row of non-smoking and the airline needed additional rows for smokers so I was not amused to discover after I boarded that the smoking section had, at the last minute, grown to include my row of seats. And, for the cherry on the cake of my day, I was in… a middle seat. Good times.

We got belted in and, almost immediately, a Polish lady seated to my left started talking – and didn't shut up until the plane landed hours later. I'm guessing she had just come from a garlic-eating contest because her breath was so bad it could have melted plastic. She kept griping about not being able to light up a cigarette or get a glass of scotch until after we got in the air. I couldn't help her with those things but I really wanted to give her an onion to chew on to make her breath smell better. She told me her name but I can't remember it because 1) I didn't care, and 2) I was looking for something to slit my wrists with.

To get a breath of fresh air, I turned to the 400-year old lady to my right and said "hi." She looked up from reading the dinner menu and dryly said "No English." I was suspicious she was lying since the dinner menu was printed in English. Anyway, I was thankful to not have gabbers on both sides of me. I was kicking myself for not using the "No English" excuse when the Polish lady started talking to me. Since that flight, I have to admit that I've used the "No English" excuse on SEVERAL occasions. No more having to sound interested when somebody is telling me about their collection of dried egg shells or how they got so many scars.

Right before takeoff, the flight attendant approached our row and handed me a dry washcloth. I asked her what it was for and she pointed up and said, "There's a leak above your seat." She then turned and walked away. I leaned over toward the old lady and jokingly asked, "What? Are we expecting rain or something?" She just looked up and said, "NO ENGLISH!" Sigh.

After take-off, I felt something drip down on my head. I'm not sure what it was. It was probably something unimportant. You know, like, hydraulic fluid or something. Anyway, I held the washcloth above my head while the Polish lady was telling me her life story – and she was only up to age 3. When one arm got tired, I switched to other arm. After an hour of this, I was sick of constantly having one arm in the air so I just laid the wash cloth on the top of head and stared at the back of the seat in front of me while the Polish lady rambled on and on. Drip. Gab, gab, gab. Drip. Gab, gab, gab. Drip. Oy! Every so often, a flight attendant would take the wet wash cloth and carefully place a dry one back on top of my head.

When it was time to serve dinner, my mood improved considerably. The flight attendant asked if I wanted chicken or fish and I opted for the chicken. Guess what cut of chicken they served? Chicken wings! Yes, chicken wings! See what classy meals people get served in steerage? I'm sure the people in First Class were getting their choice of prime rib or cornish hen with beluga caviar on bellinis. Those of us in the Hooters section of the plane got wings and fish sticks. How does one gracefully eat chicken wings with tiny sets of silverware? I looked around and saw other people using their hands so I decided to do the same. Luckily, I had a damp washcloth resting on the top of my head which I could occasionally reach up and wipe my fingers on.

One bite into that chicken and I felt like I was in First Class. It was lemony but not too tart. It was garlicky but not like my neighbor's breath. It was moist. It was soft. I was succulent. It was GOOD! Unfortunately, they gave me only 2 wings. I sucked the meat off those puppies! I'm glad they only gave me two because I could have eaten a dozen.

When I got home, I tried and tried to recreate those WONDERFUL wings I got on Acme Air. After several attempts, I finally came up with a reasonable facsimile of their lemon-garlic chicken wings. You HAVE to try them! Oh, and by the way, the next time you complain about a bad flight you've had, trying being a non-smoker in the smoking section in a middle seat in Economy Class next to a woman with bad breath while you're being waterboarded by the airline! Enjoy – and happy flying!

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Lemon-Garlic Chicken Wings
(Printable Version)

2 1/2 lbs chicken wings, separated into flats and drumettes
2 tsp kosher salt (1 tsp table salt) or to taste
1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
2 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 TBSP flour

Lemon Glaze
1/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice from about 2 lemons)
2 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp honey
2 cloves garlic, finely minced (I usually add 4!)
Pinch of kosher salt
Pepper to taste

1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

Adjust your oven rack to the middle position. Set your oven to BROIL at 425F. If your oven does not allow you to specify a temperature for broiling, bake at 425F instead (the results will be different but still good). Make sure the oven door is closed while the broiler is preheating.

If needed, cut the wings to separate the tip, flat, and drumette sections. Discard the tips or freeze them for the next time you make chicken stock. My supermarket does not sell chicken wings that are already cut up for me. Therefore, I have to buy 3 pounds of chicken wings to end up with 2 1/2 pounds of useable wings since I use the tips for chicken stock later.

While the broiler is heating, add the chicken, salt, lemon pepper, olive oil, and flour to a medium bowl – tossing very thoroughly after the addition of each ingredient. Insert a rack into a foil-lined sheet pan. Place the wings on the rack in one layer, leaving at little room between the pieces.

Also while the broiler is heating, mince the garlic with a good pinch of kosher salt. Use the blade of the knife to really smash and pulverize the garlic – getting it to an almost paste-like consistency. Place the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and some pepper in a good size bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. Later, you will be tossing the chicken in this bowl so make sure it is large enough.

Add the chicken to the oven and broil for 20 minutes (with the oven door closed). It's not going to get very brown but don't worry. After 20 minutes, flip the chicken and broil 20 minutes longer (with the oven door closed). Remove the wings from the oven and move the oven rack to the second-highest position. Turn up the heat to full broil (around 500F on many stoves) and close the oven door while you are getting the wings ready for the next phase.

Whisk the glaze then immediately add the hot wings and toss to coat. Wait about 10 seconds and toss again. Continue doing this for about 2 minutes or until most of the glaze has been absorbed by the wings. Using tongs, transfer the chicken back to the rack in the sheet pan. If there is any liquid or garlic left in the bowl, spoon it on top of the chicken. Place the sheet pan in the oven and broil about 5 minutes WITH THE OVEN DOOR OPEN. You want to get some color on those wings. Flip the wings over and broil about 5 minutes longer (with the oven door open). Transfer the wings to a serving dish and top with chopped parsley. Serve piping hot.

Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

My Venture into Unconventional Cinnamon Rolls
Many of you have read on my blog that I'm not a big chocolate lover. My blog buddy, Valerie, sent me some WONDERFUL chocolate from Belgium for Christmas. Some friends have suggested that, it's not that I don't like chocolate, it's just that I've never had GOOD chocolate. After eating that rich and creamy chocolate from Belgium, they may be right.

Years ago, I had a bad experience that reinforced my negative thoughts about chocolate. My friend Jenifer and I used to be roommates and she had a wonderful dog named Malcolm. I loved that dog! Whenever I was cooking…or cleaning…or sleeping…or going to the bathroom, Malcolm was right by my side. Jenifer was out-of-town for a few days and I had to make a Brooklyn Blackout Cake for a friend's birthday. If you've never made a Brooklyn Blackout Cake before, it's a chocolate cake that is a layered with a chocolate custard and coated on the outside with chocolate cake crumbs. It's absolutely disgusting. Anyway, Malcolm was napping at my feet on the kitchen floor as I was frosting the cake. Until the custard sets up, the layers of this particular kind of cake are very unstable. When I finished the cake, I picked up the cake plate and turned to go to the fridge when, all of the sudden, the top two layers of the cake flew off and landed right on Malcolm's head. You can imagine your reaction if somebody dropped a cake on YOUR head while you were soundly sleeping and dreaming of an all-you-can-eat buffet of snausages, pig ears, and beef bones.

With my mouth gaping wide open, I looked down and there was a huge mound of cake right on top of that poor dog's head . Malcolm jumped up and shook his head – sending chocolate cake and pudding flying everywhere. He then realized that the cake might be edible so he started sniffing some on the floor. Having read that chocolate is dangerous for dogs, I screamed, "NO!!!" I scared that poor thing half to death and he started running away. I took after him in pursuit, cake plate still in hand, screaming, "Don't eat the chocolate! DON'T EAT THE CHOCOLATE!!!" Both Malcolm and I had stepped in the cake on the kitchen floor so we were leaving chocolate footprints EVERYWHERE. Clods of chocolate kept falling off of his head as he was trying to flee the crazy man wielding a cake plate screaming at the top of his lungs. I finally got a hold of him and immediately got him into the tub so I could wash off the chocolate. When I got him spic and span, I put him outside until I could get the house cleaned up. I couldn't decide which smelled worse – the strong smell of the chocolate wafting throughout my house or the lovely odor of wet dog. After putting him outside, I then turned and gazed upon a sea of chocolate everywhere. It looked like Willy Wonka was brutally murdered in my living room.

I was sure that Malcolm didn't have a chance to eat any of the cake but I called the vet anyway and he assured me that we would not need to pump Malcolm's stomach or call the nearest Poison Control Center as I had suggested he do. I then called a carpet-cleaning company and they immediately came to my house. When the cleaning guy arrived and saw all of the mess, the only thing he could say was "What the…what on earth happened in here?!" The only thing I could muster was "There was…an incident." After washing a dog, paying $157 to get my carpets cleaned, and baking TWO Brooklyn Blackout Cakes, everything was as it should be. Can you not see why I hate chocolate?

I may have forgotten to mention this little incident to Jenifer since no harm was done and I didn't want her to worry every time she left me alone with Malcolm. The guilt of not telling her has plagued me for years. If you're reading this Jenifer, sorry!!! I know I should have told you that I almost killed Malkie with chocolate when you were in Chicago that one time! Malcolm is no longer with us but his memory lives on every time I make something with chocolate. I hope he's in doggy heaven right now eating all of the chocolate he wants.

Did you notice in the picture that I put a paltry amount of frosting on the cinnamon rolls? That was to give you all the illusion that I have some degree of restraint. After I took the picture, I really loaded on the cream cheese frosting and ate two of those puppies with my fingers. The chocolate in the center had melted and was all gooey and cinnamony. The rolls were still really warm so the frosting was beginning to thin and was dripping onto the plate. I had chocolate and cream cheese on both sides of my mouth and dripping from my fingers. Heaven. For just one moment, I really liked chocolate. Enjoy – and happy baking!

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Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
(Printable Version)

Dough
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c butter (4 TBSP)
1/4 c warm water (110F)
1 .25 oz package active dry yeast
1/3 c cocoa powder
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

Filling
6 TBSP butter, melted
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c chocolate chips (preferably Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips)
1/2 c finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Frosting
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 TBSP butter, room temperature
1/2 lb powdered sugar (roughly 2 cups)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP milk
Chocolate shavings from a semi-sweet chocolate bar for garnish

Take the egg out of the refrigerator and crack it into a bowl so that the egg will warm up some before adding it to the dough. Over medium heat in a small sauce pan, scald the milk, sugar, and salt. Remove from the heat and skim off any skin that has developed on the surface. Add the butter and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.

While the milk is cooling, combine the warm water and yeast. In a mixing bowl, whisk the cocoa powder and flour together.

Add the lukewarm milk mixture, yeast mixture, and egg to the flour. Use a mixer equipped with a paddle to get the ingredients completely combined then shut off the mixer for 4 minutes. This rest period will allow the liquid to more readily absorbed so you do not end up adding too much flour. After 4 minutes of resting, switch to a dough hook. Mix the dough for about 3 to 4 minutes. This dough will be a little stickier than many kinds of dough that you may have worked with before. For the most part, the dough should not be sticking to the sides of the bowl as it is mixing. If it is really sticking, add a little more flour. If it looks pretty dry, add a teaspoon or so of water.

Spray a bowl with cooking spray. Form the dough into a ball and add it to the sprayed bowl. Spray the top of the dough lightly with cooking spray then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size – about 60 to 75 minutes.

Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a 12" x 9" rectangle (with one of the longer sides closest to your tummy). The dough should be very soft and easy to work with.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, white sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Brush the bottom and sides of two 8" cake pans with some of the melted butter.

Brush half of the remaining butter on top of the dough. Make sure to leave a 1" edge on the top and bottom that is completely free of butter, sugar, nuts, and chocolate. Sprinkle the butter with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Drizzle the remaining butter all over the sugar mixture. Add the chocolate chips on top of the sugar. I use about 1/2 cup or so. You could certain use more or less. If using nuts, sprinkle some on now. Lightly press the chocolate and sugar mixture to make it easier to roll. Lightly brush the 1" strip of dough at the top with a little water so, after you roll up the dough, the seam will seal better. Starting from the side closest to your tummy, carefully roll up the dough – trying to keep as much of the filling inside as possible. You should end up with a log roughly 12" in length. Pinch the lightly moistened seam tightly to seal. Cut the roll into 10 slices.

Place 5 rolls in each pan (4 around the outside and 1 in the center) – leaving as much space as possible between each roll and the sides of the pan. Cover and let rise until doubled – about 45 to 60 minutes. About 15 minutes before the rolls have fully risen, preheat the oven to 350F. When doubled in size, uncover the rolls and bake about 15 minutes.

While the rolls are baking, make the frosting. Using a mixer equipped with a whisk attachment, whisk the cream cheese and butter together. Add the powdered sugar and use the mixer to slowly whisk it in. Add the vanilla and milk. Whisk for about 2 - 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Too thick for you? Add another 1/2 tablespoon of milk at a time until you have reached the desired consistency.

When the rolls are done, allow them to cool in the pans for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove a roll from one of the pans and place it on a serving plate. Top with some frosting and some shaved chocolate from a chocolate bar. The frosting will start to melt and everything will get gooey and messy. Unapologetically eat the rolls with your fingers. Remember – everything in excess. I mean moderation. Yeah, yeah. Moderation.

Note:
1) Regular chocolate chips contain stabilizers that inhibit melting. The Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips melt beautifully and are flat disks which makes them easier to roll up inside the cinnamon rolls. The chocolate flavor is also great. I'm not getting paid to say this either!
2) The amount of liquid in the dough and the rising times are estimates.
3) I do not recommend using a 9x13" dish to bake these in. I don’t think they cook evenly in a larger pan which is why I recommend using 2 eight-inch cake pans instead.

Clone of Taco Bell Baja Sauce

My Venture into Cloning
As I've written before, I really enjoy creating new recipes. I also love the challenge of reproducing the secret recipes of foods from some of America's most popular restaurants. I normally do not share my clone recipes because, invariably, there are people out there who will complain that the food doesn't taste exactly the same as the original or is lacking the same texture. Unless you are a food chemist, you will not have access to the enzymes, acids, emulsifiers, and additives that are commonplace in processed foods. Those additives are put in to give foods their unique flavors or textural profiles that most of us would not be able to reproduce with the ingredients available to us at home. I, personally, have no problem if my clone recipes have a slightly imperfect texture or flavor if I can add more natural ingredients that I can actually pronounce.

When developing a clone recipe, I always try to use most, if not all, of the major ingredients in the original recipe (except for the artificial additives, chemicals, and preservatives, of course). Before I ever step foot in the kitchen, I always research the ingredients in the food I'm trying to reproduce. In this case, I went to Taco Bell's website to get the ingredient list for, what most of us call, Baja Sauce. At Taco Bell, Baja Sauce is actually officially called Pepper Jack Sauce. Yes – Pepper Jack Sauce! If you've ever had a Chalupa or Gordita at Taco Bell, this is the tasty sauce that they drizzle on top. Very yummy. The following is the list of ingredients in their sauce as published on their website:

Sauce, Pepper Jack
Soybean Oil, Buttermilk, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Egg Yolk, Jalapeno Peppers, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Granular Monterey Jack, Parmesan, and Semisoft Cheeses (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Salt, Buttermilk*, Bell Pepper*, Xanthan Gum, Whey, Mustard Seed, Garlic*, Onion*, Natural Flavor, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate Added as Preservatives, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Spice, Proplene Glycol Alginate, Calcium Disodium EDTA Added To Protect Flavor. *Dehydrated

Note the following:
1) Many of the first ingredients are used in the making of mayonnaise.
2) Monterrey Jack cheese is used as well as bell pepper and jalapenos . It goes without saying that pepper jack cheese is nothing but Monterrey Jack with bell peppers and jalapenos mixed in.
3) If you taste Baja Sauce, you will notice that is fairly acidic/tart with a hint of sweetness. That acidity is reproduced with buttermilk and vinegar (and, to some degree, with lactic and citric acids). I completely agree with Taco Bell in making the sauce acidic. You need an acidic condiment to help break up the heavy flavor of fried or oily foods. That's why ketchup goes great with french fries and why steak sauce has such an acidic kick to it. Acidity is critical here.
4) They use a lot of dehydrated stuff (such as the buttermilk, garlic, onion, etc.).
5) If you tasted the sauce by itself, you'll definitely notice that it has a spicy kick to it. I like that.
6) The sauce is not too thick (like some mayonnaise-based sauces can be). In addition, the sauce is exceedingly smooth with no shreds of cheese in it.

I also found several clones of this sauce on the web. Annoyingly, many of the clones did not contain many of the same major ingredients as the original recipe. Several of the recipes contained sour cream which is not in the original recipe in any way. In addition, those recipes have no cheese in them – in a condiment officially named Pepper Jack Sauce!

Although I try to use the same ingredients as the original when possible, sometimes I have to compromise since I'm not using chemical emulsifiers at home. Since their sauce is so smooth, they have to melt the cheese in some way before mixing the sauce. After a LOT of experimenting, I decided to go with a technique used in making fondue. With fondue, wine ( an acidic liquid) is added to milk or cream and heated to boiling. Cheese, which has been coated in a little cornstarch, is added to the hot liquid off the burner. This makes an exceptionally smooth fondue sauce when finished. To make my clone, I use evaporated milk, vinegar, and dried buttermilk to form the acidic base for the cheese. This acidity assures that the cheese does not get stringy when melted. Early on, I tried using fresh buttermilk but it broke so easily when heated that I gave up using it. I compromised and used dried buttermilk instead. Dried buttermilk has the same flavor profile but provides the stability I needed. I tried making this recipe several times with Miracle Whip and it was just too sweet. It's far sweeter than the original recipe so I opted to use regular mayo instead (I always use light mayo).

After experimenting with this recipe no less than 25 times, I finally got it fairly close to the original. At first, I tried using LOTS of cheese. Cheese tastes good so the more cheese, the better – right? Not in this case. I could not reproduce the same flavors with lots of cheese. I played with the amount of dried buttermilk and vinegar. I added and subtracted jalapeno. I added and subtracted corn syrup. You name it, I played with it to get it just right. Over a period of several months, I regularly went to Taco Bell and ordered a Gordita with baja sauce on the side just so I could have the original sauce for a taste comparison. If you saw my big patootie, you'd exhibit no surprise. Each time, I tasted my sauce and the Taco Bell Baja Sauce side-by-side. It's now as close to the original as I can get. I'm happy with the result. Hopefully, you will be too.

I wish Sonic Drive-in was still selling their Spicy Southwest Burgers or Southwest Breakfast Burritos. They were served with a chipotle sauce that was really good that I'd really like to reproduce. Oh, well! If you would like me to post a clone recipe of one your favorite foods, leave a comment and let me know what you'd like. I can't promise I will make it but I might surprise you someday. Enjoy – and happy saucing!

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Clone of Taco Bell® Baja Sauce
(Printable Version)

1/3 c pepper jack cheese, freshly grated
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, freshly grated very finely
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt (1/8 tsp table salt)
2 tsp corn syrup
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 jalapeno (seeds and ribs removed), finely diced
1 TBSP dry buttermilk (sold in the baking aisle)
1/2 c evaporated milk
4 TBSP vinegar, divided use
1 TBSP drained pimentos
1/16 tsp (just a small pinch) cayenne (optional)
3/4 cup mayonnaise

Combine the cheeses and cornstarch in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside. Sargento® Limited Edition Pepper Jack Cheese (in slices) works exceptionally well in this recipe. If you use that brand, you will need two slices (cut finely) to equal 1/3 cup.

In a small saucepan, whisk together the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, corn syrup, mustard, jalapeno, dry buttermilk, evaporated milk, and only 3 tablespoons of the vinegar. Whisk the mixture until the buttermilk powder has dissolved. Turn on the heat to medium and whisk often while the mixture is heating. Bring the mixture to a good simmer and, VERY IMPORTANTLY, remove the sauce pan completely from the heat and slowly whisk in the cheeses. Briskly whisk for at least 1 minute – making sure the cheeses have completely melted. I cannot stress the importance of not adding the cheeses when the pan is on the burner. If you did, you will cause the proteins in the cheeses to form small gritty balls that will ruin the texture of the finished product.

Add the cheese mixture to a blender with the pimentos. Whiz the mixture until the jalapenos and pimentos are very finely chopped and the mixture is smooth. Scope the mixture into a sealable bowl and allow it to come to room temperature on your kitchen counter.

When the cheese mixture has cooled completely, add the remaining tablespoon of vinegar, the cayenne pepper(if using), and the mayonnaise then stir to combine. Seal and put the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to meld.

Ravioli Italiani

My Venture into Ravioli
Italian food and I go way back. Pizza. Lasagna. Prosciutto. Pasta. Who doesn't love Italian food? I have not eaten an Italian food I didn't like.

Italian foods are always so flavorful. This dish is no exception. The bulk of the flavor comes from the pesto. If you've never made pesto, it's a cinch to make. It's nothing but fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and a little salt. Pesto is best when it's not overly heated – which can both dull the flavor and color. That's one reason why I always try to make my own. The brands that you can buy in the refrigerated section of your local supermarket are not bad. However, I have never found any pesto that is sold in a jar (near the jars of spaghetti sauce) that is worth eating. The canning process, to me, destroys the fresh taste of the basil which is why I think the refrigerated brands are better.

A few years ago, I got tired of spending a fortune on little containers of fresh basil so I decided to plant my own. I had a huge pot in which I had planted some potatoes the previous year. I live in an apartment with huge, south-facing windows so plants thrive – even during the winter. Since the pot was huge, I figured I could throw in some extra seed. I mean, who has ever had too much basil, right? It took a few months but the plants grew and grew – giving me all of the fresh basil I ever needed. I must have purchased mutant basil seeds because the plants kept growing and growing and growing. It got to the point where I could no longer reach the tops of the plants to cut off the leaves. To use up the basil, I was putting it in EVERYTHING. I froze the extra basil. I froze pesto. I made pesto for my mother. I still could not use enough. The more I trimmed, the thicker it grew back. My apartment was permanently shadowed by that stupid, mutant basil plant that blocked most of the sunlight from that window. Finally, I was so sick of basil that I tossed the plant. After I pitched it, the storm clouds parted. My mood improved. Life was good without the fear of being eaten alive by that evil basil plant.

It took a long time but I started craving basil again. When I had to buy enough basil to make pesto several months ago, I remembered why I planted basil seed in the first place. I thought I was going to have to sell a kidney to be able to afford the basil. Not that I'm bitter.

As you know from previous posts, I have several pet peeves. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I hear somebody say "EYE-talian". It's so annoying. I mean, you wouldn't say EYE-taly, would you? I could hear it now. "Yes, I've been to Venice, EYE-taly and ate EYE-talian food and met some really nice EYE-talians." If I heard somebody say that, my ears would bleed!

Anyway, this recipe is so quick and easy to make. It's perfect even for a weeknight dinner. It's great for your vegetarian friends and family members. If you wanted, you could add some cooked chicken or some extra veggies. I fixed this recently for my mother and sister and asked them if this recipe would be blog-worthy. They loved it and encouraged me to post the recipe. I told my mom that sometimes, I like to make the recipe per the instructions below then add 1/3 of it to a casserole dish and top it with some freshly grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese. I then add 2 additional layers of the ravioli and cheeses and bake it at 425F until the cheeses have fully melted and started to brown. Now THAT'S a very nice EYE-talian treat. Enjoy – and happy ravioling!

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Ravioli Italiani
(Printed Version)

1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp sugar
1 20-oz package fresh cheese ravioli
7 oz tub refrigerated pesto
2 oz jar chopped pimentos, drained
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of one lemon
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Chop the onion and garlic. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. On another burner over high heat, start heating a large pot with enough water to cook the ravioli.

When the skillet is hot, add the onions, a pinch of salt, and the sugar. Cover and stir periodically while waiting for the water to boil. The goal is to get the onions really soft but not to overly brown them. If the onions start to brown too much, reduce the heat a little and add a little water to the skillet.

When the water comes to a rapid boil, add a good amount of salt to the water. Add the ravioli and stir. Cook the ravioli per the instructions on the package. Don't forget to stir the onions now and then.

While the onions are softening and the ravioli is cooking, add the pesto, pimentos, olive oil, lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper to a medium bowl. Stir to combine.

Two minutes before the pasta is done, add the garlic to the onions and cook 1 minute. Stir to combine (leave uncovered for the remaining cooking time). After one minute, stir in the pesto mixture and stir to combine. Cook for about a minute to warm the pesto mixture.

Use a spider or strainer to remove the ravioli from the water and add it immediately into the skillet with the pesto. It's OK if some water gets in the skillet. In fact, that's a good thing. If desired, add some salt and pepper to the ravioli then gently fold the pesto over the ravioli and immediately take the skillet off the heat. Sprinkle a good amount of parmesan into the ravioli and stir.

Spoon some ravioli onto a serving plate and top with more parmesan. Serve with garlic bread.