Tagalongs

Bridget and I have been slacking on our posts. We are both still baking/cooking a lot, but we haven't been sharing.  Not because we are like my toddlers and HATE sharing, but because we finally have some reprieve from our awful winter and we are enjoying the summer-ish weather.

I am beyond excited for all of the summer produce to arrive at the Farmer's market, but until that happens, I will continue to survive on food comprised of Peanut Butter and Chocolate, like these amazing homemade tagalongs!

Tagalongs - Recipe from Siriously Delicious

Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

Coating:
6 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
6 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil

With an electric mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and salt. Slowly add sifted ingredients to butter/sugar and mix until combined. Shape dough into a disc, cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Using a small circular cookie cutter (also lightly floured), cut out cookies and place on parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until edges just begin to turn golden. Let cool.

While cookies are cooling, with mixer combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Once cookies have cooled, scoop approx. 1/2 tsp of filling on top of each cookie. Using a knife, place the tip in the middle of the peanut butter, and spread down to the side of cookie. Repeat that motion as you go around the cookie. It should look slightly domed in the middle.

In a double boiler (or place a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bowl), melt all chopped chocolate. Add vegetable oil and stir until you have a glossy chocolate. Using 2 forks, dip cookie into chocolate. Make sure to flip over and cover cookie completely. Lift cookie out of chocolate with one fork, using the other to scrape excess chocolate off the bottom. Repeat with each cookie and place them on foil or parchment paper. Let cookies cool at room temp and then peel off paper or foil.

Pork Chops with Rhubarb Sauce

My neighbor has mutant rhubarb plants. Supposedly she brought them with her when she moved from Colorado, but they are clearly from another planet. It is only May and the plants are bigger than most of the bushes in our yard. Luckily for me, the freaky plants produce so much fruit that my neighbor has been delivering rhubarb to us on a weekly basis. 

I tried this pork recipe last night and it was delicious.  The rhubarb sauce is savory and the cherries add a hint of sweetness.  It is a super healthy way to dress-up a pork chop and it is an easy weeknight meal that you can make for the whole fam. 

Pork Chops with Rhubarb Sauce - Martha Stewart

1/2 cup dried cherries (or any other dried fruit)                    
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
8 to 10 ounces rhubarb, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 pork loin chops, (each 1/2 inch thick and 6 to 8 ounces)

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine cherries with vinegar and 1/4 cup hot water; let stand 10 minutes to soften.

In a small saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

To the saucepan, add cherry mixture, rhubarb, and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until rhubarb has softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Generously season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Cook pork (in two batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding the pan) until browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve topped with warm sauce. ** I grilled the chops on our outdoor grill. 

More delicioso rhubarb recipes here, here & here

Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Truffles

Egg-less cookie dough, covered in chocolate & peanut butter.  How could a small bite like this be more perfect? IT CAN'T.

I found this recipe 2 weeks ago and I am on batch #3. Apparently I missed the memo on the fact that swimsuit season is now HERE.  Ug, I should be doing lunges instead of trying to win the "I'm going to need an entire new wardrobe because I have eaten so many cookie dough truffles" contest.

You can switch up your dough by adding in different flavored chips, dried fruit, nutella - whatever you want.  The possibilities are endless and thankfully for me, so is the stretch in my elastic-waist pants.

Pizza Night - Shaved Asparagus Pizza and Fig-Prosciutto Pizza

I am officially in a recipe rut.  I feel uninspired and like I just make the same-old meals over and over again.  I have a ton of new recipes, but I lack the ambition to try them.  I am going to blame it on the dreary & cold weather.

Bridget sent me these two recipes a few weeks back and I finally worked  up enough will-power to try them for a family pizza night.  The recipes were simple, but the results were amazing. We loved both pizzas, so much so that we will probably make them again this weekend and soon enough they will become another "same-old meal".

Shaved Asparagus Pizza - Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 1 thin crust 12-inch pizza

1 recipe your favorite pizza dough
1/2 pound asparagus
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 pound mozzarella, shredded or cut into small cubes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Several grinds black pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced

Preheat your oven to the hottest temperature it goes, or about 500 in most cases. If you use a pizza stone, have it in there.

Prepare asparagus: No need to snap off ends; they can be your “handles” as you peel the asparagus. Holding a single asparagus spear by its tough end, lay it flat on a cutting board and using a vegetable peeler create long shavings of asparagus by drawing the peeler from the base to the top of the stalk. Repeat with remaining stalks and discard tough ends. Toss peelings with olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Assemble and bake pizza: Roll or stretch out your pizza dough to a 12-inch round. Either transfer to a floured or cornmeal-dusted pizza peel (if using a pizza stone in the oven) or to a floured or cornmeal-dusted tray to bake it on. Sprinkle pizza dough with Parmesan, then mozzarella. Pile asparagus on top. Bake pizza for 10 to 15 minutes, or until edges are browned, the cheese is bubbly and the asparagus might be lightly charred. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with scallions, then slice and eat.

Fig-Prosciutto Pizza with Arugula

Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond

Ingredients:

Your favorite pizza dough

2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
6 to 8 tablespoons fig spread or jam
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
Freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 bunch washed and rinsed arugula
1 cup shaved Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Arrange the oven rack in the lowest position.

Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface as thinly as possible Dough should be roughly 17 by 10 inches. Place on a large baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with the olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Spread the fig spread all over the surface of the dough. Lay the slices of mozzarella all over the surface of the pizza crust. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake the pizza until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and immediately drape the prosciutto slices over the hot pizza. Sprinkle generously with the arugula and Parmesan shavings. Cut into wedges or squares and serve.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Chris and I have fallen in love with these cookies.  They have a little bit of everything, making the cookies and the dough irresistible and giving them the appropriate name, kitchen sink.  I adapted  them from a recipe from the Sono baking company cookbook changing the recipe a couple of times to find the perfect combination. I substituted greek yogurt for (some of the) butter and found that using a combination of bread and all-purpose flour gives them the perfect density.  Substitute pecans, walnuts, white chocolate chips for chocolate chips or butterscotch chips to make your ideal cookie!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup butter unsalted, at room temp
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons greek yogurt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
6 ounces chocolate chips
6 ounces butterscotch chips
1 cup raisins
1 cup old-fashioned oats

In a medium bowl whisk flours, baking soda, salt and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with nonstick silicone baking mats.

In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment beat the butter with brown and granulated sugars on med-high, until light and fluffy. Add 8 tablespoons of greek yogurt and egg, scraping down the side after it is mixed in. Add vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to low, add flour mixture.  Fold in chocolate and butterscotch chips, coconut, raisins and oats.

Using a small ice-cream scoop, scoop dough on to prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating half way through, for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Looking for a coffee cake to go with your easter brunch? You must try this recipe that I found in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.  This coffee cake is buttery and delicious, making it absolutely irresistible and perfect for brunch, dessert or a snack.

Ingredients

Cake
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups blueberries, rinsed and patted dry

Streusel
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted, chilled butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your 8-inch square baking pan, by lining with parchment, and buttering the bottom and sides. Set aside. In a bowl, mix flour cornmeal, baking poser and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer with the paddle attachment beat the butter at room temperature with the sugar until fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Mix in eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl in-between. Add vanilla and zest.  Turn the mixer to lower and mix in 1/3 of flour mixture. Mix in all of the sour cream, and then 1/3 of flour, scraping the sides of the bowl.  Mix the remaining flour mixtures with the blueberries and fold into mixture.

Fill prepared pan with batter, evening out the top using a spatula. Mix streusel topping in a separate bowl mixing well with fork or pastry knife. Sprinkle over top of batter. Bake for 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool and serve at room temperature.

Enjoy your weekend!

Paleo Pancakes

A couple of weekends ago some of my best college friends came out to Colorado to ski. While making our shopping list for the weekend, one of them started raving about Paleo pancakes and said they were a must for skiing. I am not going to lie, I was skeptical. However, Kelly is an Iron Women and even made it to Kona last year so to say she knows a LOT about nutrition is an understatement. I was surprised how much I liked them and how simple they are to make. They are sweet and delicious. And they are perfect way to start your morning!

Ingredients:

1 banana

1 egg

1 tablespoon (or scoop) of almond butter

In a bowl, mix ingredients well. Batter will be a little chunky, but should be well mixed. Cook as you would pancakes. Top with berries or with jam.  Serve and feel energized :)