Bacon Quiche Tarts

Today I'm Making... Bacon Quiche Tarts

I feel like my breakfast menu is limited, I really only have a few go to things that I make over and over again. I decided this morning to expand my horizons. I combined my recipe for biscuits with this tart recipe making it even better.

Here's how I did it:

Ingredients: (6 Tarts)

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• 3 slices bacon
• 4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 a package)
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped red onions
• 1/2 (10 ounce) can refrigerated flaky biscuit dough or make your own (which is cheaper and tastier)
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• Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Grease half a muffin pan (6 of the openings)
3. Cook the bacon (I bake it on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil at 375 for 10-15 minutes- then drain)
4. Mix the cream cheese, milk, and egg in a medium bowl. Stir in Swiss cheese and green onion, and set aside.
5. Separate biscuit dough into 6 portions (* See Below for recipe) Press into the bottom and sides of each muffin cup, forming little cups. Sprinkle the bacon into the bottoms of the dough-lined muffin cups. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into each cup.
6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until filling is set and rims of the tarts are golden brown. Serve Warm.

*Biscuit Recipe:

1. In a bowl mix: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon white sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt
2. Pour: 1/4 cup (1/2 a stick) melted butter and 1/2 cup milk into the dry mixture. Mix it all together into a dough.

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Review:

These were easy to make (even if my husband can't read instructions properly) the biscuits really set them apart from other recipes I have tried. They would be great for a brunch or morning party and made for an excellent fancy Saturday breakfast. I think next time I might add a bit of seasoning- maybe rosemary or at least pepper. This is an easy recipe to modify, you can substitute: Sausage, mushrooms, spinach, different cheeses, jalapenos, garlic, green peppers as just a few examples to cater to different tastes.

Biscuits

Today I'm Making... Biscuits

I am currently reading a book where the main character is a baker. It has given me an insatiable need for all things baked. These biscuits are the third baked good that I have made this week alone. Now I love biscuits, but I do not like all the processed things put into every single brand of biscuits in my local grocery store so I don't get to eat them very often. Today after making a black bean soup I decided to try my hand at making my own. This was one of the only versions I could find that didn't require lard or shortening, neither of which I keep on hand. They turned out super good which excites me because they are SO easy to make.

Here's how I did it:

Ingredients: (Makes 12 biscuits)

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• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 cup milk
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Recipe:

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees (make sure you do this early- you will get the best rise out of the biscuits if you put them in the oven as soon as possible after mixing the wet and dry ingredients)
2. In a large bowl mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 2 teaspoons of white sugar and 1/4 teaspoons of salt. Mix all the dry ingredients together really well.
3. Add 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 cup of milk. Stir as little as possible to mix it together- it should be kinda chunky but with no dry bits.
4. Spoon them into 12 even balls on a lightly greased baking sheet. (at this point I sprinkled cheddar cheese on top of each one- you could also sprinkle cinnamon/ sugar for a sweet version or just leave them plain)
5. Bake them for 8-12 minutes until they start to brown- try not to let the bottoms burn.

Review:

These biscuits were shockingly good. They were so easy that you could easily throw them together if at the last minute you realized that you didn't have a carb to serve with a meal. I admit they were so good that I had three with dinner. I will be making them again for sure- hopefully I can hold off and not make them again this week.

Berry Cobbler

Today I'm Making... Berry Cobbler

Earlier in the spring our family went strawberry picking, we ate what we could and ended up freezing the rest. I have been looking for something interesting to do with the leftovers. I have never made a cobbler before so I thought I would try an easy version for my first shot.

Here's how I did it:

Ingredients: (1 - 9 inch circular baking dish)

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• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 cups of fresh or frozen berries (I used frozen- don't thaw them, you could also use peaches)
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Recipe:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Put the 3 tablespoons of butter in the baking dish (I used glass) and put it in the oven until melted, then take the dish out. Make sure the butter is spread evenly over the bottom.
3. In a separate bowl mix together 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 3/4 cups of milk until it resembles pancake batter. Pour the mixture over the melted butter in the baking dish.
4. Pour the 3 cups of berries evenly over the dough. You do not need to thaw them if they are frozen. I used 2 cups of strawberries and 1 cup of frozen mixed berries.
5. Put it back in the oven for 50 minutes at 375 degrees. Take it out when it's all bubbly.

Review:

This tasted so good and it was easy to make. It's great for a dinner party because you can throw it in the oven as everyone sits down to eat dinner and it will be out in time for dessert. It isn't as pretty as other cobblers I have seen but honestly if you serve it up with some ice cream it looks so tasty no one will even notice that it's isn't very Martha Stewartesque. I will certainly be making this again and honestly I can't even think of any tweaks I would make. My son who normally doesn't like whole berries was even willing to eat it! Notice in the picture that a lot of it is already eaten... that's how good it was.

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Today I'm Making... Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

The thing about parenthood is that each stage of them growing up brings new challenges (and of course new joys). Lately since my baby has become mobile and my 3 year old has just turned out to be TROUBLE it has been really hard to experiment in the kitchen. Last week I went to the store and there was a sale on pork tenderloin, since I don't actually know any recipes for it off the top of my head I had to figure one out, a perfect excuse to do a little experimentation in the kitchen! I wasn't even thinking about this blog, but my husband said it was one of the favorite things I have ever made so I thought I should keep a record of how I did it. It's really easy:

Here's how I did it:

Ingredients: (for 2-3 pounds of tenderloin)

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• 2 tablespoons steak seasoning rub (I used McCormick less sodium version)
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (Make sure it is fairly good quality since you are using a lot)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2-3 pounds boneless pork loin roast

Recipe:

1. In a large resealable plastic bag mix the 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar and 1/2 cup Olive Oil and the Steak Seasoning
2. Add the Pork Tenderloin to the bag and seal it up.
3. Let it Marinate for at least 2 hours- I did it for 5 and it was perfect- you can do it as long as overnight.
4. Cook in a glass pan (I use Pyrex) at 350 Degrees for about an hour- mine was 50 minutes- you want the internal temperature to be at least 145 degrees.
5. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it to make sure the juices all reabsorb.

Review:

I love this recipe for a few reasons, first of all it's really easy. It is also really good and juicy. The vinegar taste was a lot more mild then I thought it was be. I liked the fact (especially with two children) that you can make it ahead of time (nap) and then throw it in the oven an hour before you want to eat. My husband loved it and is already trying to plan when I can make it again. I give it two thumbs up- I recommend serving it with some simple roasted veggies and rice.

Apple Pumpkin Muffins

Today I'm Making... Apple Pumpkin Muffins

As I have mentioned before I have a child that is SUPER picky when it comes to food. It's not that he only likes bland food, or white food (pasta, bread, milk etc) both of which I have heard are common with kids. His favorite food is cottage cheese but he will eat peanut butter, eggs, smoothies, prunes, muffins and waffles. I don't know how he decides what he will eat but I don't have much choice in the matter, I have to work around it. Smoothies and muffins are great places to hide fruits and veggies. I decided to branch out and try this recipe for muffins because it has both a healthy fruit and a healthy veggie. Here's how I did it:

Ingredients: (Makes about 18 muffins)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 lightly beaten eggs

1- 15 oz can of pureed pumpkin (NOT the sweetened stuff called pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups peeled/ chopped apples (it was about 2 apples worth)

Recipe:

1. Mix the dry ingredients together (2 1/2 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon spice, 1 teaspoon bakings soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt)
2. Add in the beaten eggs, 1 can pureed pumpkin, 1/2 cup vegetable oil- mix until JUST combined
3. Fold in the 2 cups apples.
4. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Review:

These are great and because of the apples less oil is needed then in a lot of other recipes. If you wanted to make them healthier you could use substitute one cup of white flour for one cup whole wheat. My son was willing to eat these which is a huge plus in my book. For the apples- chop them as finely as you prefer- if you want chunks of cooked apple when you bite in then leave them a little bigger- if you don't like that chop it really small- i suppose you could even puree them to make it smoother. I had the pieces about the size of my pinky nail and I really liked it that way.

Microwave Chocolate Cake

Today I'm Making... Microwave Chocolate Cake

Let me start off by saying I have had a super bad week. Both kids sick, one got so bad we ended up at the ER until 2am. Well today is Super Bowl Sunday and we ordered pizza. I know, I have a food blog, I should have made something... but it wasn't going to happen after the badness of this week. Anyway, after eating the pizza I realized we didn't have dessert and I wasn't in the mood to make anything that would take too long but I NEEDED chocolate. Cake in the microwave? Yes please. Here's how I did it:

Ingredients: (makes 4 servings)

3 Tablespoons softened butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

(optional) 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (you could also do walnuts or really anything)

Recipe:

I'm going to make this easy.

1. Mix all the ingredients in the order I have listed into a microwave safe bowl (mine was a 1.5 liter Pyrex glass bowl).
2. Put it in the microwave and cook it 2 1/2 minutes until it's spongy. Let it sit 2 minutes then flip in onto a plate. Tada. Top it with ice cream or whipped cream for even more goodness.

Review:

This was a lot better then I thought it was going to be. Serve it hot, it can't be saved because it starts to harden. This is a great last minute dessert using what you have on hand. I will certainly be making this again.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I'm Making... Chocolate Chip Cookies

My husband had a boys night tonight, and I was left at home with my two babies. This doesn't happen often and I decided after making sure they were both tucked in to make cookies. What is better then a glass of red wine and some chocolate chip cookies (and of course a chick flick)? I decided since I hadn't tried chocolate chip cookies since starting this blog that I would to see if I could come up with the perfect recipe.

Ingredients: (Makes 12 bigger sized cookies)

• 1/2 cup soften butter

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon hot water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
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• Recipe:
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix together Butter and the brown sugar and white sugar until they are all creamed together.
3. Mix One beaten egg into the mixture. Add Vanilla.
4. Dissolve the baking soda into the hot water add it to the batter along with the salt.
5. Stir in the flour (be patient it might seem too dry at first), before that is finished mixing pour in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
6. Roll the dough into cookie sized balls, then mush them into the shape you want them to be- these cookies don't spread out well so you can make them exactly like you want them at this point. Put them on an un-greased cookie sheet.
7. Cook for 13 minutes. These are crunchy on the outside with the inside still chewy so that's what you are looking for before you take them out.

Review:

I have made some bad chocolate chip cookies in my time, these on the other hand are excellent. They have a wonderful texture, usually when I make cookies they are too cakey for my taste but these are chewy on the inside with a bit of crunch on the outside. I have finally found a keeper of a recipe for chocolate chip cookies!

*On a side note, I have changed the format of the recipes to have ingredients listed above the actual recipe. Leave me a comment if you hate it and I will go back to the old way- If I don't hear anything I'm keeping it.

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Spinach Salad

Today I'm Making... Spinach Salad

I had a birthday brunch last weekend, my mother brought LOTS of food to make sure we had enough. I barreling through lots of it, it was a major hardship eating cafe latte cupcakes, quiche and fresh squeezed OJ :), but midweek I took a look at everything that was left.. mainly eggs, bacon and spinach (and lemons but I couldn't fit them into this particular recipe). The obvious choice was spinach salad, and since it is one of those recipes I order at restaurants because I had it in my head it was going to be too hard to make at home, I thought I would challenge myself and make it happen. I'm glad I did, it tasted just like the restaurant version and I could enjoy it in the comfort of my own home (meaning wearing PJ's instead of nice clothes).

Ingredients:

• 3 salad bowls worth of spinach
• 2 large eggs
• 5 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 4 white mushrooms
• 1/4 red onion

Recipe: (Makes 3 salads)

1. Take the stems off enough spinach (I used baby spinach) to fill up about 3 bowls, makes sure it's washed and dried then put it all into one big bowl.
2. Cut up 4 white mushrooms, and 1/4 of a red onion (make sure to slice the onion really thin since it is eaten raw). Add them to the big bowl of spinach.
3. Make 2 hard boiled eggs, thinly slice them and put them aside (after cooking them shock them in ice cold water to make them easier to peel).
4. Fry 5 strips of bacon- you need the real stuff- turkey bacon won't produce enough oil that will be needed for the dressing. I used a peppered bacon and it was amazing. You also need to cook it stove top so you can collect all the oil (Don't microwave). When the bacon is cooked, set it aside on paper towels but save all the "drippings"
5. In a small sauce pan on medium low heat combine 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease, 3 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon Sugar, whisk it all together then turn down the heat until ready to use.
6. Add the dressing (the contents of the small sauce pan) to the big bowl of spinach also add the cooked bacon either crumbled or chopped), mix it all together well.
7. Divide the salad into the serving portions, add the sliced egg on top and serve.

Review:

Yeah this was great, just like the restaurants make and you can customize it to your taste (without worrying about a waiter spitting in your food for being difficult). I wouldn't change anything about the way I made it. My husband said I should throw a dinner party to show off the recipe. I'm convinced if I had doubled the recipe he would have just continued eating until it was gone. To top it all off, I didn't even have to go out and buy anything to make it. I would say this is a winning first recipe of 2011.