Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Awhile ago I spent some time making cupcakes with my dear friend Allysa who is almost exactly like me just a little more crazy. Love that girl :)
She found this recipe on Pinterest from Your Cup of Cake (she's brilliant), we of course had to choose from like 10 of her Pinterest pins and thought this recipe looked best!

I'm glad we did too because these were raved about at work!

Vanilla Cake:

24 Oreos

1 box white cake mix

2 egg whites

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1 Tbl vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped Oreos

Cookies & Cream Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4-5 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup finely crushed Oreos

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tin with liners or spray with pam. 

Twist 24 Oreos and place the cream side up in each cupcake liner, reserving the other plain half for the frosting.

Sift the white cake mix in a small bowl, set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk egg white, two eggs, oil, buttermilk, greek yogurt, and vanilla. Add the sifted cake mix and combine. Fold in the chopped Oreos.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full with batter and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. Make sure a toothpick comes clean through the middle.

For the frosting, mix together the butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla extract. Slowly add the powdered sugar, tasting as you go. Gently mix in your crushed Oreos. If you have a piping bag, fill it with your frosting and pipe on your cooled cupcakes. If you don't, use a plastic gallon freezer bag and snip the end like I had to do... Top with mini Oreos (optional but cute). Leftover crumbs? Sift on top of your icing after piped.

Creamy Spinach Pizza

Mmm, I now love spinach. I am ashamed that I ever thought it was gross, but then again most kids do.  And now I'm obsessed with white pizza.

How have I lived so long not trying white pizza?!

I can only blame myself. But now I will happily enjoy this new found love whenever I please!

This recipe is adapted from smells like home's spinnoccoli pizza

Ingredients:

For the white sauce:
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl flour
3/4 cup milk or heavy cream
1 garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
6 Tbl parmesan cheese

For the pizza:
Pizza dough
olive oil
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
3 oz mozzarella cheese
1 oz parmesan cheese

Directions:
Melt butter over medium-high heat in a saucepan. Whisk in flour constantly for about 1 minute, when it reaches a brown and bubbly state. Whisk in the milk or heavy cream and garlic with the salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Take off heat and mix in the parmesan until smooth. Set aside.

If using a pizza stone, preheat oven to 500 degrees and place stone in the oven. If you do not have a pizza stone and are using a pizza pan, preheat the oven to 400.
Roll pizza dough out and brush the top with olive oil. Spread the white sauce onto the pizza, leaving about an inch on outside of the dough for the crust. Evenly sprinkle the baby spinach leaves next, followed by the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
If transferring pizza to pizza stone, bake for about 10-12 minutes.
If using a pizza pan, bake for about 13-15 minutes or until cheeses and crust are nicely browned.

Let cool, even though it's very difficult, before diving in.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

Hmm, and what could I make with all that pie crust?

Fill it with savory goodness I suppose!

This meal inspired the other two girls in my family to make a pie for their loved ones. What better way to say "I love you" than make pie? At least I was raised that pie equals the greatest love. I mean, pie is served on only the special, family holidays... which is now every holiday... every holiday plus when it sounds really good... who would ever want to limit it to a few days of the year?... we make pie a lot.

That just must mean we love a lot.

Anyway, I adapted this recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything and when I went back to find it again her site was down. I got scared because I love her blog and I hadn't written this recipe down yet! I thought I lost it forever. I waited three days and three nights and checked the site again. It was back up! Yay!! Then I felt reassured and waited until now to type it out... 

Ingredients:

2 unbaked pie crusts, rolled out

1 pound boneless chicken breast halves, cubed

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup AP flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

32 oz carton of organic chicken broth (reserving 1 3/4 cups after boil)

2/3 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Place one of the pie crust in the bottom of pie dish, poke holes in bottom and crimp edges. Bake for about 6 minutes.

In a pot, combine carrots, peas, chicken, celery, and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil and cover for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Reserve 1 3/4 cups chicken broth and drain the rest of the liquid. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the onions, cooking until translucent. Add the flour, salt, and pepper. Slowly stir in the milk and the reserved chicken broth. Stir until thick and creamy on medium-high heat. Add the mixture to your chicken and vegetables. If desired, you can add more chicken broth if you like your pot pies more runny. 

Place your filling in the bottom shell and cover with your other prepared crust. Seal and cut away the excess crust. Poke vents on the top to allow steam to escape. Place in 425 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. 

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

Blue Ribbon Pie Crust

Wow, have I been slacking. My bad, sorry. I could list all of my excuses but it doesn't change the fact that I should have posted something, anything, sooner! Ha, all well. At least now I'm going to put on my mother's deliciously incredible pie crust recipe. Your welcome.

Ingredients:
5 cups AP flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups shortening
1 tsp vinegar
1 egg

Directions: *Prepare ice water first, at least a cup of water  with ice

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter until it resembles cornmeal (this takes a little while and to make good crust you really have to work it). 
In a liquid measuring cup, beat the egg and vinegar. Pour ice water up to the 1 cup mark. Stir and add to flour mixture. Combine just enough to form a ball, it will be soft and sticky.

If you need a pre-baked crust, make vents with a fork at the bottom of crust, preheat oven to 425 and bake for 6 minutes with foil at the bottom. Remove the foil and bake 6 more minutes. 
To save, I wrap in wax paper and either freeze or it can rest in the refrigerator for a couple of days. 

This recipe makes 3-4 pies.

Mango Crepes

A Saturday morning breakfast that brought everyone crawling into the kitchen. Perfect for four people. No doubt we were stuffed and ready to enjoy a walk around town. Delicious mangoes are a must.

What's your favorite brunch item?


Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup AP flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 ripe mangoes, diced
powdered sugar
cinnamon (optional)
fat free vanilla yogurt (optional)
maple syrup (optional)


Directions:
Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and crack eggs in the middle of the well. Beat the eggs in the middle and slowly add the milk, slowly adding the flour into your whisking path. When it forms a smooth batter, no chunks, mix in the chilled melted butter. 
Butter a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of batter into pan and swirl until the batter hits the edges. When edges begin to brown, use a spatula to lift an edge, and flip with your hand. Do not damage the crepe by folding over. Allow to cook for about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Stack crepes on top of each other.
Fill crepes with mango pieces and powdered sugar. You may want to add syrup, cinnamon, or yogurt, depending on your preferences.

Blackened Fish Taco Towers

A favorite around our home?? Mahi Mahi fish tacos.
A meal we like to play around with and make unique every time. Changing up salsas, adding a sour cream sauce, or switching up the marinade... it's a perfect dish to experiment with.
This one ended up being our "taco tower".
The night before we made some delicious Naan flat bread and so I incorporated the leftovers (there surely weren't many...) with our fish. Had some ripe mangoes and.. Ta-da! Blackened mahi mahi with a mango salsa on some yummy Naan.


*makes two tacos


For the salsa:
Ingredients:
1-2 mangoes, preferably not quite ripe, cubed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 chopped small red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
dash of salt, optional


Directions: Toss all ingredients together and refrigerate for an hour to let flavors mingle.


For the fish:
Ingredients:
4-8 oz cut of mahi mahi, thawed
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
0.5 tablespoon Mccormick Smokehouse seasoning
0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
dash of ground oregano
0.5 tablespoon lime juice


1-2 tablespoons olive oil


Directions: Place thawed mahi mahi in a bag and incorporate the next six ingredients in a bowl, mix. Combine the marinade atop the mahi mahi and thoroughly smother the fish in the red mixture. Marinate in fridge for at least 2 hours.
About 10 minutes before you serve, heat olive oil in a skillet until it smokes. Carefully tong the fish into the oil and cook, flipping fish when half of the pink on the fish turns white. When just cooked through, a fish is white, remove from pan and break up into chunks. 


For tacos:
Ingredients:
Black beans, heated
Queso Fresco, crumbled
Green Leaf Lettuce, chopped


On tortilla or Naan, lay down a bed of chopped up green leaf lettuce, then black beans. Cover with your mango salsa, queso fresco crumbles, and blackened mahi mahi. Serve.

Greek Pasta Salad

Coming home from the beach, I was fishing through our fridge for something to whip up for dinner and decided I had enough to do something Greek. Since I recently bought some whole wheat pasta... Pasta salad it was! By the time it was cold and ready to eat, I snapped one picture before my husband snapped the bowl out of my hands and into his mouth. Smiling, he sauntered off with it...


Ingredients:
1 cucumber diced
1 tomato diced
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 cups cooked and cooled whole wheat penne pasta


Dressing:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
dash of nutmeg


Directions:
Cook and cool penne pasta to package directions.
Combine cucumber, tomato, and sun dried tomatoes with the cooled pasta. Add all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk them until smooth. Toss it over the pasta, adding the feta in. Place in fridge for about an hour before serving.