Frozen Brownie Sundaes

Okay, so this post is up a bit late today, but it is NOT too late to make these for your Independence Day celebration tomorrow. And trust me, after being in the scorching sun all day, you are going to WANT something cold and sweet. And this IS your answer. Brownie, Skor bar, ice cream, and strawberry. Seriously, all this in one dessert.

Orange Jello Salad

Yup, it's a classic creamy jello salad. The one that you always laugh about, but when it presents itself at a party always gets gobbled up quickly. If you want to make it look a little fancier go ahead and put some cut fruit on top right before it finishes setting. Yesterday, I decided to make one for my Book Club later in the evening to add to a tropical themed buffet table. I hoped everyone would love it...

Baba Ganoush

I decided to work from home this morning because I want to share this with you. I want you to know that I really like Middle Eastern food. Give me a platter of hummus, baba ganoush, cucumber salad, kebabs, rice with vermicelli, and the delectable banana pudding with honey and pistachios from Layla's in Old Town Alexandria (which is really amazing because I normally loathe anything with bananas), and I lose all self control. Even when you can clearly see my stomach expanding, I can't stop myself. It's just. That. Good.

Shredded Chicken and Black Bean Quesadilla

"A quesadilla" you say, isn't that kids food? Well, I would say yes if it is full of an overwhelming amount of yellow cheese. But add some shredded chicken, some veggies, and beans and you have yourself dinner. And let's admit, there is something refreshing about eating your dinner with your hands. Really you only get to do that on rare occasion, like the other night when my husband and I ate a juicy hamburger at Five Guys Burgers, which was delicious, but very messy. So juicy and messy in fact that I had to scrub my ring with soap when I got home from all the grease that ran down my hand and solidified on my ring (yes it was gross, yes it was delicious, and yes that grease also solidified in my stomach that night giving me a slight stomach ache, but I'd do it again).

Stuffed Mushrooms

One of the great things about this blog is that I am constantly trying new recipes. Another great thing is that people always feel like they have to go out of their way when having us over for dinner, which is nice, but also a curse because I don't want people to feel stressed about having us over for dinner. Even more so I don't want to not receive an invitation for a dinner because someone thinks their cooking isn't up to snuff. Because the truth of the matter is we have plenty of very simple meals at our house, occasionally I even resort to frozen pizza.

Guacamole (The Best Guacamole)

Yes, this is a guacamole recipe. And yes, I imagine you already have a guacamole recipe. But if you don't have this one, you are missing out. Kelly and I made this recipe together and had to stop ourselves from eating all of it because we had made it to serve it st her going away party that evening. I was able to sneak a little more at the party before it was gone, but it went fast. The combination of flavors is perfect. The addition of the tomatoes gives it a little more texture, and if you are like me you like a little texture to your guacamole. (I prefer chunky guac to smooth guac.)

Seriously I should have posted this one in time for Cinco de Mayo, but as I actually had my baby that day, it just didn't happen. But it is still May, so whip up a batch of this, get a pinata, and have a party!

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Where I live it seems like Red Velvet Cake is all the rage. I see it being advertised, I see cakes and cupcakes being sold everywhere from the grocery store to cafes and restaurants. Of course I have been wondering what all the fuss is about, and I have also been wondering what is a red velvet cake? Well, from what I understand Red Velvet cake is a Southern specialty, and anyone that has seen the movie Steel Magnolias can't forget the red armadillo cake. Basically it is a very moist chocolate cake; but it is more than that - it is red for one thing, it really is velvety, and unlike other cake recipes this one calls for vinegar. It also calls for buttermilk which isn't too unusual in baking, but generally not in a cake recipe.

Coq au Vin Rosettes

Fancy looking, rich and creamy, full of fat, simply wonderful; best of all - easy to make.

Coq au Vin is a classic French dish of chicken cooked in wine often along with garlic and mushrooms. What you will notice is that this recipe is an adaptation on such a classic chicken recipe. You will also notice that you will not find wine - drinking or cooking - in the ingredient list here. The recipe originally called for cooking wine, but I substituted it with chicken broth. Now, I often use cooking wine when making a savory dish, but I am currently pregnant and didn't want to risk that all the alcohol not cooking off. So, if you want you can use a cooking wine instead, but the chicken broth worked marvelously.

I started off this post stating that this was a fancy looking, rich, full of fat recipe, which indeed it is. But notice I also put easy to make, which it is and which makes this a great recipe for entertaining guests. These little rosettes look great on the plate and will impress your guests with their shape and more importantly their taste. Just make sure that your guests like cheese, because indeed these are loaded with four kinds of cheese: cream cheese, cottage cheese, Mozzarella cheese, and Muenster cheese. Because of this I would suggest serving these rosettes alongside a nice green salad.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Really there is hardly a fresher fragrance than fresh limes and cilantro. Add a bit of garlic, a few spices and oil and you have yourself a deliciously fragrant marinade...in this case for shrimp. I was at the grocery store the other day and saw some cilantro-lime shrimp for sale - it looked delicious. But I thought, hey, I could make something like that at home and for much less money; this recipe is what I came up with.

We had the shrimp as a light lunch with the yogurt dipping sauce I made, but this recipe could be very versatile. I think these shrimp and the marinade would make an excellent sauce for an angel hair pasta drizzled in olive oil and perhaps some browned butter. Or, they would make a lovely hors d'oeuvres for your next book club or bridal shower. The beuty is you could very easily double the recipe to make more and keep the leftovers for a mid-afternoon snack. Either way, you won't regret squeezing lime juice and cutting cilantro in your kitchen to remind you that it isn't winter yet.

Ricotta Mushroom Phyllo Bites

Here is an easy appetizer to make for your next get together. From start time to serve time was only about 30 minutes. Now I admit I did use a vegetable chopper (one of my newest favorite tools) which made chopping the mushrooms a breeze (see picture below).

These phyllos bites are just that, they are bite size, making them the perfect size to just pick up and pop in your mouth.  In fact, when I took a couple over to my husband to try, he did just that, picked up 2 or 3 off the plate and popped them straight into his mouth. (Shortly afterwards I found him making his way into the kitchen to pop a few more in his mouth; I guess he liked them.)

Now, if you have never worked with phyllo dough, here are a couple of tips. Make sure it is completely thawed, or it will crack on you. If you are using a large amount of it, (which you won't for this recipe but will when making baklava), keep them covered with a dampened paper towel. And once you have opened a package of it, use it within a few days, otherwise it becomes dehydrated and becomes very fragile. What you have probably deduced is that phyllo dough, while tasty, is a fragile medium to work with, but if you treat it well, it will treat your taste buds well.

Graham Cracker Crumb Tarts

These little babies are basically minature cheesecakes and they are awesome. They are quite easy to make, but take a little time. Mostly just the graham crust takes time to smash all the grahams and mix and mash. I acutally put a few crackers in a blender at a time and mixed them up; this worked quite well.

    

                                 

Also be aware that these soften quickly once pulled out of the freezer. I would suggest that you pull them out about 10 minutes before you are ready to serve them. Top with fresh or frozen berries and enjoy...yes you will enjoy these, I guarantee it...

Midweek Margherita Pizza with Artichokes

This is an easy, midweek lunch, and it is good. The aromatic fragrances of fresh basil make it seem gourmet. And the blend of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, artichokes, and basil are a refreshing combination of flavors for a midweek lunch. This pizza is easy enough to make any day, especially if you use premade dough like I did, but looks and tastes complex enough to serve at a baby shower or brunch with the ladies. If you want to make it even a little more unique, try making it with a whole wheat crust, or sprinkling the top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Or keep it simple like I did, and make everyone’s lunch a little tastier today.

Stuffed Zucchini (Mushrooms or Peppers)

These little babies are tasty and fun. They work as an excellent appetizer or would be great on a buffet table at a friendly gathering...and what do you know - they are quite healthy. Loaded with veggies and roasted to goodness.

I found this recipe in a book called The Occasional Vegetarian by Karen Lee with Diane Porter and wanted to try it, however, it looked quite complicated. So Kelly and I decided to simplify the recipe, remove a couple of ingredients, and give it to you. We choose to stuff zucchini, figuring they would be quicker and easier than traditional stuffed mushrooms. However, because we had a bit of stuffing left over, we grabbed a couple mushrooms and a red pepper and stuffed those as well. Overall, I think I preferred the zucchinis, but the others were also delicious. In the future, I think I would stuff all three vegetables to provide a variety of taste and textures.

Stuffed Zucchini (Mushrooms and Peppers)
Recipe by Two Little Chefs
Pictures by Caroline

4 medium zucchinis to stuff (or mushrooms, red, or yellow peppers)

Stuffing:
½ cup chopped red or yellow pepper
½ cup dried bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped white mushrooms
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions:
1. Cut the zucchini into 1-inch pieces and scoop out with a spoon. Try to scoop just over half of the center of the zucchini out as it will make more space for the filling, which you will appreciate in the end. Place the zucchini on a lightly grease cookie sheet. **If you are using mushrooms or peppers do the following: Pop the stems of the mushrooms off and cut a thin slice off the top of the mushroom so that it will sit flat – like a little cup. Brush the hollow of the mushroom with olive oil. For the peppers, cut lengthwise into 4 pieces and remove any seeds; then cut those quarters in half.
2. For the stuffing, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until they soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and the peppers and continue to sauté until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Combine the mushroom mixture with the bread crumbs, egg, cheese, and parsley. Stuff the zucchini (mushrooms or peppers) with the mushroom mixture; be sure to pack the mixture in tightly. (If you want, you can brush the top of each stuffed vegetable with a little bit of olive oil.)
4. Preheat the broiler. Broil 6 inches for the heat until well browned, 7 to 10 minutes, but watch closely. Remove the stuffed veggies and serve warm or at room temperature.

ps...if you are looking for a sauce to pair these with, I think that the Buttermilk Dipping Sauce included with our Fried Green Tomatoes would be fab. Try it and let us know how it works.

Cheese Ball

As I was making these balls of goodness last night, my husband asked why we only eat cheese balls at Christmas time. I had no answer for him. All I know is that my mom only makes one once a year, and my husband's family eagerly awaits (and then fights over) the annual Walker cheese ball. I personally think we should have them year round...but being as you're eating straight cheese that never seems to fill you up (am I the only one who looks down to find half the cheese ball consumed and my hand and cracker about to dig back in?) it might be better to keep it as a once-a-year holiday treat.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

I love cranberries and cake - this is a great combination of the two. One thing that I especially like about this cake is that when the sugar cooks on the bottom of the pan, and becomes the top of the cake, it caramelizes here and there, leaving you with occasional caramelized pieces of goodness.

This would be a great cake to serve at a luncheon, a baby or bridal shower, or as a lighter dessert. It is not too heavy, it is both sweet and tart, and the red of the cranberries makes it very colorful.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Recipe from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
Pictures by Caroline

8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 3/4 cups cranberries
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Sweetened whipped cream (for serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F., with a rack in center. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
2. In a small bowl whisk together ½ cup of the sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan; arrange the cranberries in a single layer on top.
3. With an electric mixer, cream the remaining 6 tablespoons butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.
4. Spoon the batter over the cranberries in the pan, and smooth the top. Place the pan on a baking sheet; bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake; invert onto a rimmed platter. Serve with whipped cream on the side, if desired.

Sweetened whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (this is my personal addition to this recipe, you can leave the vanilla out if you prefer)

1. In a deep mixing bowl, combine cream and vanilla. Beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
2. Sprinkle the sugar over the cream; beat until soft peaks return. Do not over beat.

24-Hour Fruit Salad

This recipe was submitted to us from one of our readers, Jessie. It is a delicious variation on fruit salad, and will make a great summer desert. The recipe calls for pineapple, bananas, mandarin oranges, and grapes. However, I would suggest that you could use almost any type of fruit that you have in your refrigerator. The custard is simple to make, not overly sweet, and very...for lack of better words, fluffy. A great treat to have in the fridge on a warm summer day.

*As a warning, Jessie warns that her husband could probably eat the entire fruit salad in one sitting, so make sure you get your share before you divvy it up to anyone else!

24-Hour Fruit Salad
Recipe submitted by twolittlechef's reader Jessie
Picture by Caroline

3 eggs
3 T flour
12/ t salt
1/4 dry mustard
6 T sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water

1 cup whipping cream

2 cups diced pineapple
4 1/2 sliced bananas
4 cups mandarin oranges
2 cups grapes

1. Beat eggs and add dry ingredients, then add lemon juice and water.
2. In a small to medium pot over low heat, cook slowly and stir constantly until very thick dressing forms. Beat 2 minutes; let cool in refrigerator.
3. Whip cream in a frozen bowl until peaks are stiff (the stiffer the peaks the better) Combine custard and cream in a large bowl (add some reserved pineapple juice here to make the cream the consistency that you want, and a bit sweeter).
4. Gently mix fruit into cream dressing. Refrigerate overnight or at least a few hours. The longer it rests the better.

Contest Winner - Chocolate Turtle Cookies

After MUCH deliberation, we have finally picked a winner for our 100th Post Contest. There were recipes of all sorts and sizes from appetizers to desserts to dinner and breakfast submitted. Many of them were very good, making this a very tough decision for us, but we finally picked the winner.

We picked these cookies because they are first and foremost delicious. In addition to the taste they are unique and aesthetically original. So congratulations to our loyal reader and commenter, Jessie who submitted this recipe for Chocolate Turtle Cookies. She will be receiving The Essential Baker: The Comprehensive Guide to Baking with Chocolate, Fruit, Nuts, Spices, and Other Ingredients by CCP Carole Bloom.

Chocolate Turtle Cookies
Recipe submitted by Two Little Chefs reader Jessie
Picture by Caroline
Yield: approximately 2 dozen

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white
2 T milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped fine
14 soft caramel candies**
3 T heavy cream

1. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on med-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment (hint from twolittlechefs: you need to line your tray or spray with a non-stick spray, otherwise the egg whites will firmly attach to your baking sheet). Whisk egg whites in bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl. One at a time, roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball. Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently press existing indentation again with teaspoon measure. Fill each with 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

**Note: the only adaption I would make to this recipe would be to add more caramel, and I would suggest making your own caramel, which will have a stronger flavor - mixing equal parts of brown sugar, butter, and a tablespoon or two of milk.

Chocolate-Craisin Biscotti

Looking for something to dip into your glass of milk, hot chocolate or tea? These are perfect. If you have never had biscotti, let me tell you a little bit about them. They are a hard, dry, cookie made for dipping. They orginate from Italy; today you will often find them decoratively displayed in a glass jar at your favorite cafe. You will often see almond flavored biscotti, vanilla biscotti dipped in chocolate, or chocolate biscotti with almonds. Really the options are endless. Here I combined the sweetness of chocolate with the tartness of craisins (dried cranberries). These are great to serve guests, give as gifts, or as a late night treat.

Chocolate-Craisin Biscotti
Pictures by Caroline
Recipe by Caroline
Yield: about 24 cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 ¼ cups white all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup craisins

Directions:
1. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until blended and creamy. Add the eggs and the vanilla, blend. In another mixing bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; stir together. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well combined; your dough will be quite thick. Add craisins to dough mixture and stir with a wooden spoon.
3. Divide dough into two pieces. Shape each half into a 10-inch long roll. Place rolls on the prepared cookie sheet (you can flatten them slightly with your hand if you want thinner slices). Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool rolls on the cookie sheet for about 30 minutes.
4. Cut each roll diagonally into ½ inch slices. Place slices close together, cut side down, on the cookie sheet. Put back in the oven for about 8 minutes; remove from oven, flip each slice over and cook another 8 minutes (watch carefully so that you don’t overcook them). Remove from oven and let cool on a wire cooling rack. (Keep these in a sealed bag or jar so that they don't dry out, or you can freeze them.)

Chicken Lime Fettuccine

I am not going to lie, this recipe is a bit more complicated than some that we have posted on Two Little Chefs. It isn't hard, it just has a few more steps and uses three pans, but it is good. And it is full of butter and cream, which make it so tasty.
In the recipe I suggest using a spinach fettuccine. You can use a plain fettuccine, but I think that the flavor of the spinach fettuccine adds to the overall combination. You should be able to find flavored pastas at your grocery store, but you may have to look around a bit for it, and it tends to be a bit pricey as compared to regular dry pastas. Also, the pasta that I buy, which is pictured above, is thiner, more delicate, and not as "dried" out as your regular brand, in fact it cooks in only three minutes. Regardless of what pasta you use though, this is sure to be a crowd pleasier aka great for dinner guests. Enjoy!

Chicken Lime Fettuccine
Recipe by Caroline
Pictures by Caroline
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 dry fettuccine, preferably spinach flavored
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons jalapeño, minced (remove seeds and veins for less heat)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup chicken stock
2 limes, freshly squeezed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 chicken breasts, diced into ¾ inch cubes
¼ medium red onion, sliced thinly
1 ½ medium red, yellow, or green peppers, thinly sliced (use one type or a variety)
1 ½ cups heavy cream

Directions:
1. Pour soy sauce over chicken in a bowl and let set for 5-10 minutes.
2. Prepare rapidly boiling water to cook pasta; cook according to package directions. Drain.
3. Cook 1/3 cup cilantro, garlic, jalapeño in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes in a small saucepan. Add chicken stock and lime juice. Bring to a boil, turn down, and let simmer until reduced to a paste like consistency, 6-7 minutes.
4. In a large sauce pan, heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add onion and peppers and let sauté until just very slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Push the peppers to the outsides of the pan, forming an opening in the middle of the pan. Pour chicken and soy sauce into the middle of the pan and let cook about 3 minutes. Add the reserved lime-garlic paste and the heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil; boil until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened slightly.
5. When sauce is done, toss with the cooked pasta and reserved 2 tablespoons cilantro.

Chicken and Cabbage Salad

For most of my life, I thought I hated cabbage. And then one day I tried these fish tacos with cabbage and realized it wasn't half bad. I actually liked it. A lot. But the thing about cabbage is that there's always way to much in 1 head of cabbage for just one recipe. Since I hate throwing food out, this presents a problem: how do I use all the cabbage in 1 head without making the same dish several times in a row? Here's the solution! A delicious, healthy, easy salad (the only complicated thing you have to do is chop vegetables) with cabbage as the main ingredient. I made this salad as my main course for dinner last night. You could also serve it as a side (perhaps omitting the chicken) and it would make a great dish to share at a potluck.


Chicken and Cabbage Salad
Recipe by Kelly
Picture by Kelly

Dressing
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup canned unsalted chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons minced jalapeño chili (optional)

Salad
6-7 cups cups sliced green or red cabbage (or a mixture of the two)
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped green onions
4 ounces snow peas
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or cut into chunks

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for dressing. Whisk well.
2. In a small saucepan, bring some water to boil. Add the snow peas and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the peas begin to puff out. Remove from heat and drain. Trim and cut in half.
3. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, onions, peas and chicken. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately or chilled, up to 6 hours later.