Pineapple & Vegetarian Enchiladas

My blogger friend, Wendi, gave me the idea to try these by enticing me with the words, "If you like pineapple on your pizza, you'll probably love these." Wendi did not disappoint! These were great! Even better than I had hoped. Served with a previously posted hit, the Black Bean and Avocado Salsa. Mmmmmm....A delight for the senses.
I modified and made some pineapple enchiladas (thanks for the idea Wendi!), from the recipe below. I then had 3 huge burrito tortillas left in the pack, so I made another vegetarian version as well. My husband raved about both kinds!

Pineapple Version
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 c. sour cream
2 c. shredded colby & monterrey jack cheese, divided
1 (10 oz.) can mild enchilada sauce, divided
5 huge flour tortillas

Vegetarian Version
3 flour tortillas
1 c. shredded zucchini
3/4 c. chopped mushrooms
1/2 c. cheese
1/4 c. sour cream
Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl combine pineapple, sour cream, and 1 c. cheese. Pour 1/4 c. enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Fill tortillas with pineapple or vegetarian mixture (or like I did, some of each), roll and place in dish. Pour on remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. I like to let the edges really brown up a bit.

Free Williams Sonoma Gift Certificate Contest!

I love free giveaways - and all you have to do is leave a comment and post on your blog! Enter here. You could be the lucky winner of $50 at Williams-Sonoma!

Looking for Guest Chefs!

I know there are lots of you closet cooks out there! I'm looking to start spotlighting a guest chef each week with their favorite recipes. If anyone is interested, or if you know someone who might like to be in the kitchen spotlight, please leave a comment or email me at heidisrecipes@hotmail.com

Guest Chefs will begin in late April!

Perfect Party Cake - Daring Bakers Challenge #2 Completed

I was supposed to post this Daring Baker challenge on March 30, but was out of town, so better late than never!
I made this cake for Easter. It was yummy - I skipped the buttercream frosting, because I like it a little lighter - so I made frosting with cool whip, crushed pineapple and coconut cream pudding mix.

Perfect Party Cake
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours
makes 12 to 14 servings
Cake
9 oz cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 3/4 fl. oz. buttermilk
4 large egg whites
10 1/2 oz sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Buttercream
7 oz sugar
4 large egg whites
12 oz unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-in pieces
2 1/4 fl. oz. fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For finishing
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or butter two 9" x 2" round cake pans. Line the bottom of each cake pan with a buttered parchment circle.
For the cake: Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk the buttermilk and egg whites together in a separate bowl.
Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a stand mixer bowl and rub together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and smells like the lemon.
Add the butter to the mixer bowl and beat together with the sugar for 3 minutes on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy and light.
Add in the vanilla extract.
Add in the flour and buttermilk mixtures in alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour mixtures. Be sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.
When everything is added beat the batter for an additional 2 minutes.
Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 30 minutes in the oven or until the tops are set and springy, and a cake tester inserted into the centers come out clean.
Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for a few minutes, then flip and unmold the cakes (run a knife around the sides of the cakes if necessary). Peel the parchment off and flip the cakes back over right side up on the wire racks to finish cooling.
The fully cooled cake layers can be wrapped in plastic and kept overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.
For the buttercream: Combine the sugar and egg whites in a medium heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water.
Whisk the sugar mixture constantly over heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and shiny, about 3 minutes.
Remove mixture from heat and pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk on medium speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture has cooled.
Switch to the paddle attachment and with the speed on low, add the butter a few pieces at a time, beating until smooth.
When all the butter has been added, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed for about 6-10 minutes until it is very thick and smooth.
Add in the lemon juice and beat until combined. Add in the vanilla.
The buttercream is ready to be used. Place a piece of plastic wrap against the surface until you are ready to use it to prevent it from drying out.
To assemble the cake: Using a sharp serrated knife, slice each cake layer horizontally in half - Stir the raspberry preserves until it is loose and spreadable.
Place a layer on a cardboard cake round, cut side up. Spread about a third of the raspberry preserves on the cake layer.
Spread a layer of buttercream on top of the preserves. Top with a second cake layer. I found that if you have problems with this, you can spread the buttercream on a second cake layer and flip it over onto the preserve-covered layer - but you have to be very careful doing this or you'll break your cake layer!
Spread preserves and buttercream on the second cake layer as you did with the first. Top with a third cake layer.
Spread preserves and buttercream on the third cake layer as you did with the second. Top with the last cake layer, cut side down.
Use the rest of the buttercream to frost the sides and top of the cake.
Press the coconut over the sides and top of the cake.
The cake is best served a couple of hours after it is assembled to let the flavors develop. You can refrigerate it for up to 2 days, but be sure it is well covered or the cake will dry out. You should also let the cake come to room temperature before you serve it as it does not taste as good cold.

"Em's Cinnamon Rolls"

These are sooooo good! We found it on allrecipes, and modified it a bit.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm milk

2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup butter (slightly salted), melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tsp yeast

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 3/4 TBS ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
Put warm milk and yeast in bowl to bubble for 5 min. Scramble eggs. Place in bowl with remaining ingredients, add yeast mixture. Mix all together, knead well (5-10 min) and let rise in bowl once. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls - we suggest using floss to make 12 equal rolls . Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes - we suggest covering them with tin foil halfway through to prevent overbrowning. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Quiche Lorraine...er...Quiche Krista

Thanks Krista for this yummy concoction of quiche lorraine.

3 eggs
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. dry mustard
dash of paprika
1/2 c. milk
1 c. heavy whipping cream 1/2 c. grated jack cheese
1/4 c. grated swiss cheese
1/2. c grated chedder cheese

*You can add any thing else you like. We like bacon and green chilies in ours. Diced ham, frozen drained spinach, sliced green onion, & mushrooms are good too!*

unbaked deepdish pie shell

Sprinkle cheeses and any extras you like. We ALWAYS use 1/2 lb. bacon and green onions and mushrooms! Be creative. I am sure there are some tasty combinations. Beat remaining ingredients together with a fork and pour into pie shell. Bake until browned at 350 for about 45 minutes. Check with a knife and it comes out clean.

Top O' The Mornin' Bagels

2 c. warm water (110F)
1 TBS. honey
1 TBS. molasses
1 TBS. yeast
2 tsp. salt
5 c. all purpose flour
1 egg white
desired toppings

Let yeast melt into warm water and bubble (about 5-10 min). Add to mixer honey, molasses (or use just all honey or molasses if it's easier for you), salt and flour. Mix on high for 5 minutes. Auto knead for 10 - 12 min. Dough should be heavier than regular bread dough. Let rest and rise in bowl for 45-60 minutes. Take out and cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll into balls. Poke thumb in middle to create hole. Twirl dough around finger until you have a bagel. Let rest on lightly floured surface for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to a boil. Add 3 TBS. sugar. Place bagels in boiling water for 1 minute, flipping once. Place on large cookie sheet with parchment paper, covered with ground cornmeal. Preheat oven to 400. Brush bagels with whipped egg white. Sprinkle with desired toppings. For example...today, St. Patty's, I added cinnamon and green sugar crystals! I also did a few with parmesan cheese. Yum! Bake at 40o F for 20 minutes, or until golden.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Cinnabundt

I forgot to take an "after picture"...they were gone too fast.

20 Rhodes Bake and Serve Rolls, thawed on the counter for about 1.5 hours

1 lb. light brown sugar

2 sticks salted butter

4 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar

8 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)

In a bowl, combine cream cheese with 1/4 cup brown sugar and combine well with spatula. Cover and place in refrigerator.

Lightly coat bottom of bundt pan with cooking spray.

Melt butter, then add remaining brown sugar and stir well. Bring to a light boil to caramelize then pour 1/3 of the butter/brown sugar mix across bottom of bundt pan.

Remove cream cheese mix from refrigerator. Take one roll at a time into your hands and pull outward on sides to increase size slightly. Place approximately 1 Tbsp. of the cream cheese mixture into middle of roll. Fold dough around the mixture, pinch closed, then roll into a tight ball. Evenly place 8 balls across bottom of bundt pan.

Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of sugar/cinnamon.

Pour second 1/3 of the brown sugar/butter mixture over 8 buns.

Repeat process with remaining 12 dough balls for second layer. First the dough balls, 2 Tbsp. sugar/cinnamon and finally the remaining butter/brown sugar mix.Let rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour then bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees F.

You may need to lay a piece of foil over top of pan after 40-45 minutes if buns start looking well done.

Remove from oven then immediately turn over onto large plate. Remove bundt pan. Serve warm or room temperature.

This makes a LOT of caramel sauce, you may want to cut that part in half unless you want them REALLY gooey!

Feta Tomata Tilapia

So I know how to spell tomato, but I like the sound of feta tomata better! This one is a great fish recipe. Yum.

1/3 C. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) Diced tomatoes (Italian flavored)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
4 tilapia fillets (or other white fish)
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

In a saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender (about 15-20 min). Add tomatoes and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper to your liking then broil on high 4-6 in. from heat until they are almost done (about 5 minutes). Remove from oven and top with tomato mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and cook until the meat flakes easily with a fork. Pour balsamic vinegar over the top. Serve warm with fresh steamed veggies.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunkers

Kariann - this one's for you baby! :) We made cookies today while the kiddos played.

After one failed attempt...and a few modifications, here's a good oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe...FYI, it's better with nuts!

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 c. margarine, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. sugar

add:

2 eggs

2 and 3/4 cups flour

2.5 cups oatmeal

then add:

1 tsp. baking soda, dissolved in 1 tsp. hot water

1/2 tsp. baking powder

then add:

1 tsp. vanilla
small bag of milk chocolate chunks

3/4 c, chopped walnuts

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.