Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

I saw this recipe and it reminded me of the pork tenderloin from my favorite restaurant Prarie Fire Grille. I knew I had to try it right away! It wasn't the same as PFG, but it was good and SO easy! This is a great weeknight meal. I served this with some jalapeno-jack cheese grits.

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin
(Printable Recipe)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 12 (1-inch) slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add pork to pan; saute for 5 minutes, turning once.

Add wine and rosemary to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 6 minutes. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Remove pork from pan; keep warm. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Serve the pork with sauce.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=521750#

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

I saw this recipe on Southern Living's website and put it on my list to try. I marinated the pork in Dale's for about 30 minutes before I seasoned and wrapped it in bacon. This was simple to make and tasted fantastic. This would be a quick and easy weeknight meal. I am already thinking of variations of this meal - Italian seasoning and prosciutto are on the top of the list.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

(Printable Recipe)

1 (1-lb.) pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon steak seasoning
3 bacon slices, cut in half crosswise

Preheat oven to 425°. Remove silver skin from pork tenderloin, leaving a thin layer of fat covering the pork. Sprinkle seasoning over pork. Wrap pork with bacon slices, and secure with wooden picks. Place pork on a lightly greased wire rack in an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan.

Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155°. Increase oven temperature to broil. Broil 5 inches from heat 3 to 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove from oven; cover pork with foil, and let stand 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 160°.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1723337

Honey Yeast Rolls

I've had these rolls on my "to make list" for a while. I can't believe it took me so long to make them. I absolutely loved them! They were easy to make. I loved the touch of honey in the rolls - they had the perfect amount of sweetness. These are very hearty rolls. You really only need one (or two or three). These would be perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Leftover turkey or ham would be great on these rolls! I had a roast beef sandwich on a roll for lunch. I will be making these again. Try them soon - you won't regret it.

Honey Yeast Rolls
from Annie's Eats
(Printable Recipe)

2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast
1 cup warm water (105°-115° F)
¼ cup honey
3 tbsp. canola oil
1 ¼ tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups bread flour
vegetable cooking spray
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp honey

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and warm water. Add the honey, oil, salt, and egg and mix well. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until it is incorporated into the dough. Switch to the dough hook, and continue kneading on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Punch the dough down and divide into 12 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place into a round, lightly greased baking dish, spacing evenly. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 minutes. Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush lightly over the tops of the rolls. Bake at 400 F for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Coffee Cake

I follow this great blog called StickTo Your Hips Linda has so many fabulous recipes! After looking at all her recipes, I chose this one to try first. WOW! This was so good and extremely easy to make. I loved how the cinnamon topping dropped down into the cake and made little craters of cinnamon goodness! This cake got two thumbs up from us.

Coffee Cake
(Printable Recipe)

Vegetable cooking spray
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8x8 inch baking pan or a 9-inch springform pan with the cooking spray and set aside.

In a small bowl, with a fork, mash together the softened butter, 1/4 cup flour, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. (It will be more creamy instead of dry like a traditional streusel. But this will cause the clumps to fall into the cake instead of sit on top. Yay!)

In a small bowl combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat the egg and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the melted butter, milk, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture all at once and stir together just until incorporated. Don't overmix.

Pour into prepared pan and dot the surface with the brown sugar mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until moist crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted in the middle. Best served toasty warm.

http://sticktoyourhips.blogspot.com/2009/09/wake-up-sleepy-head.html

Meow Monday

Herb & Cheese Focaccia Bread

This is the second recipe I've made from the Smoky Mountain Cafe blog. I love to make homemade focaccia bread on the weekend to go with our chicken and/or pasta. I really liked this recipe. I loved all the herbs in the bread and the cheese and rosemary on top! We didn't use any dipping oil, but I think it would put this bread over the top. This is very simple to make; mix it and forget it.

Herb & Cheese Focaccia Bread
(Printable Recipe)

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 packet active dry yeast (I used instant yeast)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp minced garlic, heaping
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 1/4 cup warm milk, 110-115 degrees
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 Tbps grated parmesan
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzerella cheese

Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a large bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the dough hook attachment, mix together all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, black pepper, sugar, minced garlic, oregano, thyme and basil on low to combine.

Add in milk and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Continue to mix together and knead or knead by hand until dough is smooth and elastic.

Transfer dough reserved bowl with olive oil. Roll dough in bowl to coat with olive oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest and rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.

Punch dough down and place in a greased baking pan. Gently stretch and pat dough into 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Brush the top of the dough with extra virgin olive oil. Pour 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary into the palm of your hand and slightly break up the rosemary and sprinkle over the top of the dough. Now sprinkle the dough with 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese and 1-1/2 cups of shredded mozzerella cheese.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for about 30 minutes.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

http://smokymountaincafe.blogspot.com/2009/05/herb-and-cheese-foccacia.html

Sausage Biscuit Pinwheels

I don't usually eat a traditional breakfast, but lately I've been wanting sausage and biscuits. I don't like to spend a lot of time cooking breakfast (since I don't usually eat it) so I thought I would try these sausage biscuit pinwheels. I've made something similar to this with crescent rolls and I thought it would be even better with buttermilk biscuits! I was right. I really liked these little pinwheels. They were really easy to make, especially since I used canned biscuits! I will be making these again very soon.

Sausage Biscuit Pinwheels
(Printable Recipe)

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1 can buttermilk biscuits
1 pound sausage, uncooked

Seperate biscuits and make two rows of 5 biscuits (biscuits touching each other). Use a rolling pin to create a rectangle. You may need a little flour to make sure the dough doesn't stick.

After the dough is rolled out, top with sausage. Spread the sausage evenly on top of the dough.

Starting with the long edge, roll up. Slice dough into 1" pieces. Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes.

Hot Honey Ham Bites

This is a variation on the Sister Schubert Ham Delights that I love to make. I liked this version a lot better. I liked the individual bites - easy to eat (probably too easy). You could add some cheese to the top of the bites before they bake - I forgot to take my cheese to Auburn so I didn't add it this time. These would be good served with some extra honey mustard or ranch for dipping. I dipped mine in the Tenda Chick sauce that we had at the tailgate (like Guthrie's & Zaxby's).

Hot Honey Ham Bites
(Printable Recipe)

1 cup finely chopped honey ham
1 tsp Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp prepared honey mustard
1 Tbsp prepared ranch dressing
1/3 cup swiss cheese, grated
1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup asiago cheese, grated
1 tsp onion powder
1 can refrigerated pizza dough

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Unroll pizza dough and roll into a 12" by 8" rectangle. Cut dough into 24 squares. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Divide ham mixture evenly between each square. Lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Grab the four corners first and then squeeze the seams shut. Place seam side down in a lightly sprayed mini-muffin pan. Bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes, until light brown.

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

Tadd declared these bars the best dessert I've ever made. I don't know about that, but they are really awesome! They were super easy to make and the flavors went together perfectly. I always say that I don't like pumpkin, but I think I actually do like it because I really enjoyed these bars. I left the white chocolate drizzle off of the bars since I was taking them to a tailgate (didn't want it to melt). These bars would be perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas.







Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars
Recipe by Julia, author Of Dozen Flours
(Printable Recipe)

Snickerdoodle Layer
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Layer
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp nutmeg)
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

Topping
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Drizzle
1 oz white chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan and lay a piece of parchment paper across the pan, so that it extends the pan slightly. The parchment paper is an optional step, but it will make it easier to get the bars out later
To make snickerdoodle layer:
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be thick and cookiebatter-ish.)

To make pumpkin pie filling:

In a mixer bowl (you can use the same one you used to make the snickerdoodle batter) with a paddle attachment, mix together butter and sugar. A dd the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. This layer will be less thick and more pourable. Pour over the snickerdoodle layer, smoothing out the top.
Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake for 33-40 minutes (maybe more depending on your oven) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely (about an hour). They will deflate a bit and remain a bit pie-like on the top layer. The bars that are closer to the edges of the pan will be more firm.

After the bars are completely cool, place the chopped white chocolate into a bowl or zip-lock bag and melt on low power. When it's completely melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and mix (or knead if using a zip lock bag). Use a spoon or cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars and let it cool and harden.
Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and cut into bars. Store in a covered container.

http://dozenflours.com/2008/10/susis-pumpkin-pie-snickerdoodle-bars.html

Meow Monday

Artichoke Bread

A couple of weeks ago Katherine from the Smoky Mountain Cafe blog left me a comment. I went and checked out her blog and she has a ton of fantastic recipes! This was the first one I tried. We had this as a pre-game snack and it was fantastic. I upped the garlic and butter a little bit from Katherine's original recipe. It was nice and garlicy without being too much garlic. It was easy to make and I know it would be a hit at any gathering. I liked this better than our usual artichoke dip.

Artichoke Bread
(Printable Recipe)

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1/3 cup butter
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 French bread loaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the artichoke hearts, Mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and sour cream. Stir to blend. Remove from the heat and cool. Slice the bread lengthwise and scoop out some of the center. Spoon the artichoke mixture evenly into the bread shell and sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Place each half on a baking sheet and cover lightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the cheese melts completely. Cut into slices and serve warm.

http://smokymountaincafe.blogspot.com/2009/04/artichoke-bread.html

Easy Nutella Toffee Pie

This month's Nutella Challenge recipe is an Easy Nutella Pie. This was quick and easy to put together. I loved the toffee bits mixed into the pie. I cheated and used a pre-made graham cracker crust. Another successful Nutella experiment!

Easy Nutella Pie

(Printable Recipe)

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8 oz cream cheese, softened

12 oz cool whip

2/3 cup Nutella

1 cup toffee bits, divided

graham cracker crust

In an electric mixer, mix together cream cheese and Nutella until combined. Add in coolwhip and mix on low until combined. Stir in 3/4 cup toffee bits. Pour mixture into prepared graham cracker crust. Top with remaining toffee bits. Chill for at least 2 hours.

BBQ Pork Tenderloin Sliders

Pete & Ashley came to visit this past weekend. Ashley & I went to Sips N Strokes and painted Aubie, and the boys went to see Widespread Panic Friday night. The Auburn game started at 11:00 on Saturday so I made us a quick and easy lunch. I've been wanting to try the Pampered Chef BBQ Pork Tenderloin sliders for a while and I thought this was the perfect opportunity. I cooked the pork for 8 minutes (could have only done 6 minutes) in the Deep Covered Baker and served the pork on Pretzel Rolls or Hawaiian Rolls. I thought the sandwiches were great! I would definitely make this again. Super easy and tasted great!!

Maple Pancake Muffins

I saw these great little muffins over on the famous Bakerella's blog. I thought these would be great for Saturday morning breakfast. Tadd loved them. I served them with warm syrup. These were so easy to make. I thought they were just as easy as a box mix. I will make these again.

Mini Maple Pancake Muffins
(Printable Recipe)

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk (I used fat-free)
1 egg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk.
In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup and melted butter until just combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined.
Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve a few chips to sprinkle on the tops.
Bake for 8-9 minutes.
Makes 24 mini pancake muffins.

Let cool slightly and remove from the pan. You may need to use a toothpick around the edges to separate the pancake muffins from the pan.
Serve immediately with warmed butter if you like or even just with maple syrup.

http://www.bakerella.com/mini-maple-pancake-muffins/

Meow Monday

M&M Cookies

I saw this recipe over on Cookie Madness and I knew I had to make them for Tadd right away. These were SO good. Probably the best M&M cookie I've ever made. I doubled the recipe so I had enough to share with Anne. I will definitely be making these again! You should make them this weekend for a football party!

M&M Cookies
(Printable Recipe)

8 oz unsalted butter, cool
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour – spoon and sweep
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups plain M&Ms
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Dough requires chilling, so don’t preheat oven yet.

Combine the cool butter and shortening in mixer. Beat until creamy. Add both sugars and continue beating on high for two minutes, scraping bowl. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Continue beating for another minute or until fluffy.

Stir together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add this mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until mixed. Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips. Chill batter for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing 3 inches apart and bake for 12-14 minutes (mine took 9 minutes on Covection Bake). Let cool on cookie sheets for about 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

http://www.cookiemadness.net/?p=4726

Mexican Rice

I served this rice with the Three-Cheese Enchiladas we ate last night. This rice was super easy to put together and tasted great. The flavors were perfect. This was a quick and easy homemade rice-a-roni. I will make this again when we eat Mexican at home.

The second time we made this I added a can of black beans - awesome!

Mexican Style Rice
(Printable Recipe)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2009/09/mexican-rice.html

Three Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

These were really good. The best part about these enchiladas was that it took no time to put together. I cooked the chicken over the weekend and just pulled it out of the refrigerator when I got home from work.

Three Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
(Printable Recipe)

1 1/2 cups shredded jack cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 ounces of cream cheese softened
1 19 ounce can of red enchilada sauce
2 cups of cooked shredded chicken (I used 2 chicken breast, slow cooked in Lawry's Mesquite marinade)

1 Tbsp chipotle powder
8 to 10 flour tortillas

Combine 1 cup of jack cheese, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, cream cheese, 3/4 cup (or so) of enchilada sauce, chipotle powder and chicken. Mix until well combined. Pour about 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into a 9×13 pan and spread it around. Place about 1/4 cup of filling into each tortilla. Roll up and place in pan. Pour remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until heated through.

http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2008/11/three-cheese-chicken-enchiladas.html