A Cooking Bird

Lemon Cream Cake: A Cooking Bird Original

2010-07-08T12:09:00.006-04:00

Number 12 on my 30 Before 30 list is to bake a cake from scratch. Well, I shocked even myself by not only baking a cake from scratch, but by creating the recipe myself! Also, it was delicious!

I know. I just passed out, too.

This Lemon Cream Cake is super easy and is the result of many hours of research learning what ingredients are necessary to make a cake, well, a cake.

If you make this, please let me know what you think.

Ingredients

For Lemon Cream Cake

6 oz cream cheese (funny story: that's all I had left of an 8 oz block, so 6 ounces it was!)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, a.k.a. 1 1/2 sticks (you don't want to know how much I had to research to find out that unsalted butter is what is typically used in recipes. I am a baking idiot.)

1 cup sugar

2 whole eggs

1 tsp vanilla (though I may have "accidentally" tipped a little more in)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (this means you sift the flour into your measuring cups - I know, I didn't know there was a difference between "sifted flour" and "flour, sifted" either)

Zest from two large lemons

pinch of salt

Butter flavored cooking spray + a little all-purpose flour

Optional blueberry topping (delicious, but unnecessary)

1 cup blueberries

1 tsp cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar (yep, it's a lot!)

splash of vanilla

lemon zest to taste (I did about 1/2 a lemon)

2 T water

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375º F. Start the blueberry topping (if you want to use the topping). In a small bowl, coat the blueberries with the vanilla, lemon zest, cornstarch, and sugar. Put this aside so the berries can soak up the flavors.

Sample one or two while you are making the cake mix. For quality control purposes, of course.

Create the cake mix: in a large mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar using a hand mixer, unless you are super strong and want to do it by hand (the mixture should be very smooth). Then beat in the eggs, vanilla and lemon zest until smooth - make sure there are no random ingredients hanging onto the inside of the bowl by continually scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Then using a spatula, gently mix in the sifted flour, baking powder and salt until it is just combined, but not too lumpy. (I wish I had a photo!) Spray a 9" round metallic cake pan lightly with butter flavored cooking spray. Throw some flour on top of the cooking spray, but flip the pan over (do this over a trash can or sink!) and tap the bottom firmly to remove the excess flour. This spray+flour combo will stop the cake from sticking (I'm sure you already knew this).

Apparently cake mix is delicate, and it needs to be placed in the oven as soon as you finish mixing it. So, place the cake pan on the middle rack (important for even baking) of your oven and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Mine took exactly 33 minutes.

While the cake is baking, place the blueberry mixture + 2 Tablespoons of water in a small saucepan on super low heat to make the mixture syrupy without breaking down the blueberries too much. Just keep an eye on it.

Once the cake is done, place the cake pan on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes and turn off the blueberry syrup mixture. Then carefully remove the cake from the pan and continue to cool it on the wire rack.

Cut yourself a generous piece and spoon the blueberry topping on the cake (or not!) and enjoy.

I LOVED this cake. It was like a mix between a crumble cake and a cream cake with a super buttery exterior. Not sure what that really makes it, but I will be baking this again!

Yum!

The Pioneer Woman's Fresh Corn Casserole

2010-07-02T14:14:00.011-04:00

Last night, we hosted Amy and Allan at our house. This entailed moving a ton of still-boxed-up wedding presents into one of our guests rooms (I am slowly managing to box up all of the old stuff and replace it with the new stuff; it is actually a daunting task, but a lovely one to have), vacuuming, dusting, and cooking. Cam helped with the cooking. I appreciate this as he was working all day and he took time to slice, dice, bash, mix and grill.

Anyways.

On the menu last night was Tequila Lime Chicken (Cam), Fresh Corn Casserole (Me), Pico de Gallo and Guacamole with Tostitos with a hint of lime (Cam, because I can't chop onions or I cry. A lot.), fresh peach cobbler (Me), and mango margaritas (Cam).

This post is about the corn casserole, but the entire meal was fantastic, and I want to give props to my hubby for all his hard work. I will post about the peach cobbler next.

Gratuitous shot of my hubby chopping away. And yes, I realize this has nothing do with the corn casserole.

The Fresh Corn Casserole is sweet with just the right amount of texture from the firm corn kernels and creamy sauce.

(From The Pioneer Woman website with my modifications in parantheses)

Ingredients
8 ears of corn still on the husk (I used 6)
2/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream (even with 6 ears of corn, I still used 2/3 cup - wee!)
3 Tablespoons salted butter (even with 6 ears of corn, I still used 3 tablespoons of butter - wee, again!)
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste (I threw in a large pinch - the butter is salted so be careful)
Fresh ground pepper, to taste (I used LOTS)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º F. Husk the corn and then slice the corn from the cob. Use a large, deep bowl as corn bits and corn milk will fly everywhere! I used the back of a dinner knife to press and scrape the cob to remove all the bits of kernel and creamy milk inside - use A LOT of pressure and I found that it is best to run it up and down the cob to get all of the meaty and milky goodness out.

This is what the corn should look like after you cut and scrap it off the cob. See all that delicious creamy, milky goodness mixed in with the firm kernels.

Add the heavy whipping cream, salt to taste, a generous amount of ground pepper and butter. Mix well and pour the mixture into an ungreased 8" x 8" baking dish.

Bake at 350ºF for 30 to 45 minutes (I did 40 minutes and it was perfect) until thoroughly warmed through.

Corn casserole hanging out with a piece of tequila lime chicken.

Seriously delicious stuff and so easy to make.

Cocoa Ricotta Creme

2010-06-19T13:19:00.004-04:00

I recently lost some weight. A decent amount of weight actually - nearly 25 pounds. I did it using the South Beach Diet principles. I have found this lifestyle to be easy and delicious. While I have read that most people have a lot of trouble sticking to Phase 1 because of how strict it is, I found it very easy, especially knowing it was only supposed to last two weeks. Well, I did it for a month and a half and I didn't cheat once. Now, I eat pretty much what I want, but the thing is, I don't crave any of the processed foods that helped me pack on the pounds in the first place.

Here is a favorite, super-duper easy dessert for Phase 1. And if I'm perfectly honest, I use it as a super light lunch - though I don't recommend eating it alone as there is little nutritional value, and you want to fuel your body, not just appease your sweet tooth). OK. Stepping down from my pulpit now.

Also, there are no pictures because, truthfully, I was really hungry. :)

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (we got ours on our honeymoon, but regular vanilla extract is fine)
- 1 package sugar substitute (I used generic Sweet n' Low)
- a dash of Chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Directions
(i) Mix together the ricotta, cocoa powder, vanilla, sugar substitute and chocolate sprinkles in a dessert bowl - I just use a spoon, though I imagine a mixer would smooth out the texture of the ricotta. (ii) Serve chilled.

I highly suggest using a dash of sprinkles (or even a few mini chocolate chips) because it adds a much-needed crunch to the some times odd texture of ricotta. Enjoy!

The world's best key lime pie

2009-04-02T19:13:00.004-04:00

Key lime pie is my absolute favorite dessert. And this was the EASIEST recipe to make. And honestly, not to toot my own horn, but it's the best key lime pie I've ever had.

Ingredients

9-inch graham cracker pie crust (Deep-dish if you can find it or 10-inch pie crust)

Four eggs (you will just use the yolks)

2 (14-ounce) cans condensed milk

1 cup of key lime juice (you could probably use regular lime juice, but the key lime is what made the flavor for me! We found ours at the local Harry's Farmers Market)

Sour cream

Powdered sugar

One lime for zesting (optional)

Old photo collage, but I used the same recipe.

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the condensed milk, key lime juice and egg yolks. Whisk until well blended and place the filling in the pie shell. We had so much mixture left over the first time I made this that we put them in tiny bunt cakes (please see photo above). Bake for 30-35 minutes and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Yay! A new photo!

Once chilled, combine about a cup of sour cream to three+ tablespoons powdered sugar (do it to your taste) and use to dollop on the top. Some people spread the topping over the whole thing before serving, but I like to give people the option, though I personally love the sour cream/powdered sugar mixture. Cuts the tartness of the pie. Then freshly zest lime over the top of the sour cream as a garnish and serve chilled.

And enjoyed best with friends.

Knorr Spinach Dip

2009-03-17T12:32:00.004-04:00

Knorr’s Spinach Dip is Cam and my go-to recipe for potluck events. It's really easy to make and absolutely delicious! (A photo is forthcoming; it's just on Cam's camera)

Ingredients

1 package (10 oz.) baby spinach, chopped or 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (we always use frozen)

1 package Knorr Vegetable recipe mix

1 16 oz. container of sour cream (we use fat free)

1 cup mayonnaise

1 8 oz. can of water chestnuts, chopped (optional - we always use them!)

3 green onions, chopped (optional - we always use them!)

Directions
Combine all ingredients and chill at least 2 hours. Serve with your favorite dippers. We use Wheat Thins (Kole got me hooked on them!).

Sun-Dried-Tomato and Pesto Risotto with Sweet Italian Sausage

2009-03-09T10:30:00.006-04:00

Risotto is one of my absolute favorite dishes, so I decided that I should learn how to make it. Now, cooking risotto is a meticulous process, but the result is WELL worth the effort. In fact, Cam said that this is his favorite dish that I have cooked. And it doesn't even have bacon, butter or mayonnaise in it!

And you have to remain vigilant while cooking risotto because if you stop stirring for even a moment, the rice will stick to the bottom of the saucepan and ruin the dish. As a funny aside, while I was making this the power went out at Cam's house, so the poor man held a flashlight over me so I could see what I was cooking! Thank goodness for great boyfriends and gas stoves!

Thanks to Food & Wine for the recipe. I made some changes and I will make note of those in parentheses. And the website said that the below recipe serves four people. Cam and I ate it as a main dish and it could have easily served six to eight people. And when it says to use a large saucepan, bust out the largest one you have!

Servings: 4 (actually, more like 8)

Ingredients:

5 cups canned low-sodium (make sure it is low-sodium!) chicken broth or homemade stock (I used 6 cups)

1 cup water (I used 2)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped, about one cup (I recommend finely chopping the onion)

2 cups arborio rice (I used Rice Select Arborio Rice that we found at The Fresh Market. As a side note, you can also use Carnaroli Rice, which we saw at The Fresh Market)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/4 teaspoons salt (you could actually leave this out as the dish is quite salty)

1/2 cup dry-packed or oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (I used oil-packed)

1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

3 tablespoons store-bought or homemade pesto (I used Classico Traditional Basil Pesto)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (I used Digiorno shredded Pecorino Romano cheese)

3/4 lb of Sweet Italian Sausage (We got our sausage at The Fresh Market)

Directions
In a medium pot, bring the broth and water to a simmer. In a large saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the rice to the pot and stir until it begins to turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until all the wine has been absorbed.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes and about a ladle of the simmering broth to the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the broth has been completely absorbed. The rice and broth should bubble gently; adjust the heat as needed. Continue cooking the rice, adding a ladle at a time and allowing the rice to absorb the broth before adding the next ladle-full. Cook the rice in this way until tender, 25 to 30 minutes in all (yeah, it took about 45 minutes). The broth that hasn"t been absorbed should be thickened by the starch from the rice. You may not need to use all of the liquid, or you may need more broth or some water.

Stir in the pepper, pesto and cheese.

For the Sausage:
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, meat crumbled, and cook over high heat, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the sausage to the risotto.

Serve the risotto with additional cheese (we totally didn't do this as it was rich enough).

Cam sautéed some asparagus to go along with the risotto. It was an amazing meal. I will be making it again and again.

Brownies, for the record

2009-03-05T14:25:00.002-05:00

So, for the record, I didn't skip cooking a meal last week, I made brownies. BUT they were from a box. So, I'm not going to post a recipe. But I highly recommend Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate Decadence brownies.

Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

2009-02-25T11:34:00.005-05:00

So, I found this craptastic Chicken with Black Bean Sauce recipe on the Epicurious site (great site, crappy recipe!). It is from Bon Appétit magazine's December 1990 issue. And that is where it should have stayed.

I can't tell you how disappointed I was that this recipe did not taste good. So bland. And it combined some of my favorite ingredients! In fact, the only thing it was good for was helping me practice my onion chopping skills.

Mmmmm...onions.

You can find the black bean sauce necessary for this recipe in the oriental section of your supermarket. Not that I am suggesting you actually make this recipe.

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch strips

Pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons purchased oriental black bean sauce

Steamed rice

Directions:
Combine teriyaki sauce and garlic in medium bowl. Add chicken and season generously with pepper. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Heat oil in wok or heavy large skillet over high heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook until onion is almost tender, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes. Add chicken with marinade and black bean sauce. Stir until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Serve over steamed rice.

It looks good, doesn't it? Don't be deceived!

Has anyone ever made a good Chicken with Black Bean Sauce? I'd love the recipe!

Overnight French Toast

2009-02-20T13:26:00.005-05:00

I have made this Overnight French Toast a couple of times. The first time, I followed the recipe below exactly and it was amazing. The second time, I pretty much halved the recipe because it was for less people, and it was still amazing. So, the photos are for the halved-version of the recipe, but the ingredients and directions are for the full recipe.

Ingredients:

18 slices of regular bread (flavor of your choosing) OR 12 slices of Texas Toast-style (1" thick slice) bread (I used Kroger Texas Toast style bread)

1 cup of Sugar

1 Tablespoon of cinnamon

7 eggs

8 oz of cream cheese, softened

1 stick of butter, softened

2 cups of milk (I used skim)

Powdered sugar (optional)

Syrup (optional)

Directions:
Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Place six slices of bread on the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. If doing three layers, sprinkle 1/3 cup of sugar/cinnamon mixture on bread, if doing two layers (with Texas Toast bread) sprinkle 1/2 cup of sugar/cinnamon mixture on bread layer. Repeat for next two (regular bread) or one (Texas Toast bread) layers.

Using a hand mixer, cream (blend or beat to the soft and smooth consistency of cream) softened cream cheese and softened butter together (please make sure they are both softened!). Beat in eggs and milk and pour over layered bread. Don't worry if you see chunks of cream cheese/butter in the dish. It will cook down smooth. Refrigerate overnight, covered.

The next morning...
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes and sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional), syrup or topping of your choice. Would work well with a jelly/jam/preserve topping.

We served it with eggs over easy and crispy bacon. And because the layers are already sectioned, this cuts and presents beautifully. You are going to LOVE this recipe!

* A special thank you to Kole for getting this recipe from her aunt!

Banana Spice Pie

2009-02-14T17:39:00.009-05:00

Monday night we had girls' night at my friend Amy's house, so Sunday night I made Banana Spice Pie. While Key Lime Pie is my absolute favorite pie (at the moment), this Banana Spice Pie is a close second. Thank you to Kraft Foods for the recipe. They call it Banana Caramel Spice Pie, but I don't use the caramel, so it is just Banana Spice Pie.

It's super-duper easy, and with a few low-fat/fat-free modifications, it isn't THAT bad for you.

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 4 hr 10 min
Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 large ripe banana, sliced (make sure the banana is fairly ripe, but not super mushy ripe)

1 6 oz. OREO Pie Crust

2 cups cold milk (I used skim milk, even though Cam says that is not real milk. The boy also likes pimento cheese, so what does he really know about food?)

2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O White Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling (Make sure the boxes are instant! White Chocolate JELL-O pudding mix is also available in fat-free, though I have a hard time just finding the regular version.)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed (I used low-fat Kroger brand - it's cheaper and tastes the same. And try to use it thawed - it makes the pie much fluffier.)

1 cup caramel ice cream topping (optional - I don't use this, but I bet it tastes really good)

Directions:

Place banana slices on bottom of crust. Blend dry pudding mixes and cinnamon in a large bowl. Pour in cold milk and beat with a wire whisk 2 minutes (it feels like forever!) or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Optionally, serve topped with caramel topping. Store leftover pie in refrigerator. Though I can almost promise you there will be no leftovers.

So delicious and creamy!

Chicken Parisienne

2009-02-07T23:35:00.008-05:00

My friend, Amy, made chicken parisienne in a crock pot for me and some friends a couple of weeks ago, and it was so good I had to try and make it. This is an unbelievably easy and tasty slow cooker recipe.

Ingredients (Serves about 4)

1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts (mine was frozen)

1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper and paprika

1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (I used 98% fat free mushroom)

2 4oz cans of sliced mushrooms - do not drain (I used Giorgio Chunky Style Portabella)

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Banrock Station 2006 Chardonnay)

1 cup sour cream (I used fat free)

Egg noodles or rice (I used No Yolks Dumplings)

Put all ingredients (yes, you really can use frozen chicken breast), except the sour cream, in the crock pot and turn on low. Cook 7.5 hours, add the sour cream, and then cook on low for another 1/2 hour. Keep warm until served. Begin cooking rice or egg noodles as directed on their package about 1/2 hour before serving food. Serve chicken parisienne over rice or egg noodles.

The chicken was so moist and tender. It just fell apart in the slow cooker. This had a wonderful flavor and it is a great comfort food good for cold evenings. I served this with a salad of mixed greens, broccolini and Asian Vinaigrette. Cam and I each had a glass of the Banrock Station 2006 Chardonnay. It was delicious and the perfect complement to the chicken parisienne.

White Bean & Chicken Chili Recipe

2009-01-30T18:01:00.006-05:00

My fabulous, older sister Steph made me some amazing white bean & chicken chili a while back and then sent me the link to the recipe. Since it has been chilly lately, I was craving some nice, hearty soup, so last night I made a big batch. I can't tell you exactly many people it will feed, but I think Cam and I will be having it for a few days. And although the prep and cook time are loooong, the end result is totally worth it.

Ingredients:

3 15 oz. cans white beans, drained (or you may cook your own)

6 cups chicken broth

2 medium chopped peeled onions, divided

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 4 oz. cans whole green chiles (they kind of fall apart, but next time I might try the chopped chiles)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp crushed dried oregano

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Optional:

Bread bowl (I just bought two, small round loafs of bread and cut out a plug in the top and pulled out bread until I made a bread bowl - how very sophisticated, eh?)

Sour Cream (we used fat free - I can't taste a difference, though I am sure Cam did!)

Shredded cheese (we used Kraft natural shredded Mexican cheddar jack cheese with jalapeno peppers)

Salsa (we didn't use any)

Directions:
Place beans, chicken broth and half the onions in a large pot; bring to a boil (this takes a while). Reduce heat and simmer. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and, when hot but not smoking (be careful or it will taste burnt!), add onions and sauté until tender (they will begin to look translucent).

Stir in chicken and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked. Add green chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.

Transfer mixture to bean pot, return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, or until flavors are well blended. Add more water or stock, if needed. Serve warm, garnished with sour cream, cheddar cheese and salsa, if desired.

Absolutely delicious and not very spicy. I totally ate the inside of the soup-soaked bread bowl once I finished my two helpings. We were going to serve it with a lovely side salad of spring mix, gorgonzola cheese, pecans and Asian vinaigrette dressing, but we just ate soup instead. It was that good.

Mimi's Western Baked Beans

2009-01-26T11:44:00.007-05:00

Cam and I went to our friend Josh's birthday party on Saturday and I needed to whip up a very quick and tasty side dish. Or as Josh put it, a heavy hor d'oeuvre. It was a hit.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs ground beef (we used lean and it worked great!)

1 packet onion soup mix

1 20 oz. bottle of ketchup (or 2.5 cups of ketchup)

2 heaping tablespoons mustard (we used spicy)

1 large can Van Camp's Pork & Beans

Crackers (we used Wheatables)

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Brown the beef in a skillet. Once the beef is brown, turn the flame down to low and add the onion soup mix, ketchup and mustard. Stir until mixed well. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish and then mix in the Pork & Beans. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

I served this dish with crackers as it has the consistency of thick chili, but people at the party also just ate it off their plate sans crackers. This recipe would also work well as a meal on rice with some veggies on the side.

* A big thank you to Cameron's grandma ("Mimi") for the quick and easy recipe.

Cameron's Veggie Sandwich with Bacon

2009-01-20T22:40:00.001-05:00

Ingredients (for two people):

Two portobello mushroom caps

One hass avocado

Six strips of bacon

Cheese (we used crumbled goat cheese)

One red onion

Cilantro

Green leaf lettuce

Focaccia bread (We used Margherita Focaccia)

Soy sauce

Olive oil

Sandwich spread (We used All Natural Nasoya Dijon Style Nayonaise Spread - very tasty!)

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Thinly coat a skillet in oil and let it heat up in preparation for the mushrooms. Begin cooking bacon on another hot skillet and wash all vegetables while the bacon is cooking. Cut the portobello mushrooms into thick slices and place on olive-oil coated hot skillet. Coat the top of the mushrooms in soy sauce and saute for about five minutes, occasionally moving the mushrooms until all or most of the soy sauce is absorbed. While the mushrooms and bacon cook, shock lettuce leaves in ice water (keeps them crisp); cut the avocado into medium slices; coarsely chop the cilantro (as much as you want to use) and very thinly slice some red onion (as much as you want to use). NOTE: Red onion is very strong, so a little goes a long way.

Cut the focaccia bread in half and then cut again length-wise, covering the two bottom halves in cheese. Place the bread on a foil-covered baking sheet and then into the oven to bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown (we put the top half of the focaccia bread in the oven, too, so it would be nice and crispy). Once the bread/cheese is browned and the bacon & mushrooms are done, begin assembling your sandwich - layering all the ingredients any way you like. Slather the non-cheese covered top half of your sandwiches with sandwich spread, put the sandwich together and cut in half. Just so you can pick up the monstrous thing. Prepare to enjoy one of the best, if not the best, sandwiches you have ever had.

Delicious and so easy.