Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Found here, this is definitely in the top 3 desserts I have ever made. The first time, I only greased the pan with Pam spray like the recipe suggested but it wasn’t enough so the cake stuck & broke apart. It was so moist I was able to push it back together & disguise the mistake with the lemon glaze. No one knew or cared it was so dang good. Second time, I greased it with butter then sprinkled flour all over. Perfection. The picture doesn’t show too much glaze as I was light handed. Next time, I will be more liberal with it. It’s a must to follow the instructions completely, leaving the certain ingredients at room temp where noted. I used fresh blueberries. I also measure my flour in grams with a scale to ensure accuracy but it’s not necessary if you measure it properly and not pack it down. I also used lemon extract instead of zest because I just didn’t feel like zesting however many lemons to get 2 tblsp. I will continue to do so.

2 cups (300 grams fresh) blueberries + 1 tablespoon (8 grams) all-purpose flour

2 and ¾ cups (345 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar

4 large eggs room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

⅓ cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon zest (I used lemon extract)

¼ cup (60 ml) canola or vegetable oil

1 cup (230 grams) full fat sour cream, room temperature

For the lemon glaze:

1 cup (120 grams) confectioners sugar

2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) fresh lemon juice, use as needed

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add the blueberries and 1 tablespoon of flour to a mixing bowl and toss together until all of the blueberries are coated with the flour. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter & sugar for about 4-5 minutes until light & fluffy. Mix in the eggs one a time until well combined, then mix in the vanilla. Slowly mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest & oil. Add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients on low speed. Mix in each addition until just combined, making sure not to over mix the batter. 

There will be quite a bit of batter, so I suggest using a rubber spatula to turn the batter a few times to make sure everything is well combined. Then add the blueberries &  gently fold them into the batter until just combined. Grease & flour the bundt pan. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan & evenly spread it around. Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if needed for the last 5-10 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning. Remove from the oven & cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then invert the cake onto the wire rack to finish cooling.

For the glaze, in a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar & lemon juice until well combined and no lumps remain. If the glaze is too thick, add a little more lemon juice. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar to thicken it up. Pour the glaze on top of the bundt cake and allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes so the glaze can harden.

Chicken Fajita Casserole

This was a nice simple dish to make during the weekday. The recipe from here said to toss the tortillas into the mixture (I used flour instead of corn). Because I wanted a more nacho feel, I did toss a little into the mixture but then purposely tucked most of them in through the top of the casserole with the tops sticking out to get nice & crisp. If you want more of a casserole then toss the mixture very well. As for the chicken, I pan seared them in a little vegetable oil until nice & brown. Use the same pan for the veggies for max flavor.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced

• 1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced

• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced

• 4 teaspoons chili powder

• 2 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 ¼ teaspoons garlic powder

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

• 2 ½ cups sliced cooked skinless, chicken thighs

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, halved and cut into large pieces

• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add red and yellow peppers and onion; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside 1 teaspoon spice mixture and sprinkle the remaining spices over the vegetables. Continue cooking and stirring until softened, about 4 minutes more.

3. Combine cooked chicken and the reserved spice mix in a medium bowl; add to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is warmed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Gently stir in tortilla strips. Sprinkle with cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted, 15 minutes. Broil for 1 minute. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with sour cream and hot sauce.

   
   

   
   
   
   

Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake

I found this recipe on beyondthechickencoop.com and made some minor adjustments. The homemade pepper jack cheese sauce makes this a keeper and it’s flexible so add whatever you do like or take away anything you don’t. I doubled the garlic which is already reflected below. And I marinated my chicken in Italian seasonings, onion & garlic powder, lemon and olive oil for 30 min before grilling or sauteing in  a pan. I also added mushrooms but may not always for the mushroom haters. I didn’t bake it for the 20-30 minutes since everything was cooked through, just added a little parm & mozz on top then broiled. 

 

8 ounces penne pasta (whole wheat penne worked nicely too)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons flour

2-3 clove garlic minced (this is doubled from original recipe)

2 cups milk whole milk (Used 1 or 2% which is fine)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

⅛ teaspoon Italian seasoning

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded, about 2 cups (can add mozzarella too)

¼ cup Parmesan cheese shredded

1 cup Mozzarella (if using in the mixture and on top like I did)

2 cups cooked chicken chopped (breasts or thighs work well)

1 cup canned diced tomatoes 15 oz can, drained

Topping

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley chopped, optional

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. In a sauce pan over medium heat combine oil and flour. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Whisk in milk. Continue cooking over medium low heat, stirring often. Add seasoning. When milk begins to simmer, it will begin to thicken. Do not boil. Turn heat off and whisk in Monterey Jack cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Fold in tomatoes and chicken gently. Add cooked and drained pasta and fold gently until covered with cheese sauce. Spray a 2 quart (8x11") casserole dish with a non-stick spray. Add pasta mixture. Top with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and mozzarella. Bake uncovered in a preheated 400° oven for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Add chopped parsley before serving.

Mississippi Pot Roast

This recipe is all over the net but I found it here specifically. I followed exactly except I did not have pepperoncini on hand & used banana peppers instead. It was absolutely outstanding. Since I didn't have 8 hours to spare before dinner, I started out on high for a few hours then reduced to low for the last couple. But next time, I will go low and slow all the way. There was no way to improve on this recipe and was the most flavorful roast I ever had. Served with mashed taters.

1 (3-4 pounds) chuck roast
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet au jus gravy mix
1/4 cup butter
4-5 pepperoncini peppers
 
Place roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle the top with the ranch dressing mix and the au jus mix. Place peppers on top of the mixes, and add the butter. Cook over low heat for 8 hours. Serve with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Do not add any water or broth to this! It will make enough liquid as it cooks. This tastes delicious with potatoes and carrots! I like to add a few quartered russet potatoes and a large handful of baby carrots to the crockpot when there is about 1-2 hours left of cooking time.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders

Wow, what a treat! These were OUTSTANDING. 4 people gave them a 2 thumbs up. I adapted these from Alyssa Cooley's FB page & made quite a few changes. Her recipe description and picture did not add up at all because she mixed shredded chicken with bacon, ranch & parm and then spread it on the rolls yet the pictures showed a layered scene so I used it as a guide only and went with my cooking intuition. I also decided to cook seasoned chicken thighs which are so much more tender. Just do a search on her page if you want to see original. 

4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder
1 cup Ranch dressing
1 pkg bacon, cooked & torn into large pieces
3-6 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
18 Hawaiian sweet rolls
1- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 baking pan and place the bottom half of the sliced Hawaiian rolls inside. Or use a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. 

In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with garlic powder. 

Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder. Let sit on counter for 1/2 hr. This will allow even cooking. Heat a little olive oil in same pan as the bacon was cooked in. Cook chicken on each side for about 6 min until cooked through. Rough chop/shred.

Place the bacon pieces all over the bottom half of rolls. They should mostly cover every part without overlapping too much. Scatter the shredded parmesan cheese over bacon. Place chicken pieces all over parm. Drizzle ranch with a spoon. I made sure every roll had a nice amount but it was not drenched. 

Then scatter the cheddar cheese. Place the top half of rolls on top. Then brush the garlic butter over the top of the rolls.

Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sliders are heated through.

A little progress pics below.

 

Skirt Steak Marinade

My wonderful neighbor was cooking up some skirt steak & gave us a little to try. It was so good, I asked for the marinade. I don't want to lose this one. It paired perfectly with my Baked Cream Corn Casserole. I don't know the size of juice or soy sauce so the picture is for reference. 

Pineapple Juice
Soy Sauce
Whole head of garlic, crushed
1 red onion
 
Combine all. Submerge steak and marinate overnight for best results. Good for 5lbs of skirt steak.

 

Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna

Hubs found this recipe on a Facebook page called Mimukbangs. It was excellent. You can really do as you wish with amounts of everything. Below yielded 2 layers of ravioli and 2 layers of beef. It could use a 3rd layer but that's personal preference. I bought a 44oz bag ravioli and had plenty leftover but used all of everything else. 

1 bag frozen cheese ravioli 

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 

1 jar (24 oz) of your favorite pasta sauce 

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained (use 2 lbs for extra meatiness) 

Add a thin layer of pasta sauce at the bottom of the crockpot to prevent sticking. Layer the ingredients in the crockpot in the following order: ravioli, browned ground beef, shredded Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and pasta sauce. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of sauce and cheese on top. Cook: Set the crockpot to cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. This allows the ravioli to cook through and the cheese to melt and become bubbly. Servings: 6