Chocolate Coffee Cake Martini

For One Martini:

.5 oz Cake Vodka
.5 oz Kahlua
.5 oz Creme de Cocao
2 oz Milk
1 tsp Chocolate Syrup

 

Broccoli & Mushrooms – A Perfect Match!

I made this as a side dish for dinner last night without even realizing how perfect broccoli and mushrooms are together! Broccoli is a “super food” by itself (seriously, it’s like the perfect vegetable), but combined with mushrooms, it just goes straight to the head of the class!

Mushrooms are packed with Vitamin D, and broccoli helps aid in the absorption of Vitamin D. They’re both way low in calories, too! I steamed the broccoli, but I did saute the mushrooms lightly in butter. But I won’t lower my head in shame for that! Everything in moderation.

I did a semi-homemade thing and plated them over the top of packaged herb & butter noodles to go with chicken breast tenderloins. The most unhealthy part of the dish had to be the fresh-baked French bread, which I sliced and sauteed until golden in olive oil, butter, Kosher salt, and garlic powder. Had I not been in a hurry, I would have minced my own garlic, too. I didn’t want to risk burning the garlic, though. Another time!

The Plate

 

Peppermint Bark with Mint Creme Center

I’m not a huge fan of white chocolate, but the soft, mint ganache center won me over! The key to making each layer work is patience and quick spreading!

INGREDIENTS:

2 packages of Ghirardelli white chocolate chips
1 package of Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
20-30 peppermint candies, crushed (depending on how much you like)
6 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp Wilton peppermint candy flavoring (peppermint extract will also do)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line a 9×12 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Melt one package of white chocolate in double boiler over simmering water (not full boil), stirring frequently. Spread into prepared pan. Sprinkle about 1/4 of the crushed mints over the top. Pop in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

3. After about 10 minutes, start melting the semi-sweet chocolate, heavy cream, and peppermint flavoring in double boiler. Quickly pour and spread over the first layer of white chocolate. Pop back in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

4. After about 15 minutes, start melting the second package of white chocolate. Spread quickly and delicately over the second layer of chocolate (it will still be a bit soft). If you don’t keep a delicate touch, you will get a lot of dark chocolate melting through to the white. Sprinkle the rest of the mints (or desired amount) on top. Press mints lightly into top layer. Pop into freezer once more for about 20 minutes.

5. Remove from pan by lifting parchment paper. Set on cutting board and quickly and firmly cut into small pieces. This can be tricky, and don’t expect perfection because it will likely crumble a bit.

NOTE: I put a few drops of green food coloring on the top layer and swirled before topping with mints.

 

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Preheat oven to 350° F

COOKIE INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup quick cooking oats

PEANUT BUTTER CREAM INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 1/2 tbsp heavy whipping cream

—————————————————————————

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and bat well.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

3. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture until blended. Add oatmeal and stir.

4. Drop by teaspoons onto foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes, or until they begin to brown at the edges.

5. Make filling: Cream 3 tablespoons butter with confectioners sugar, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, and cream. Spread filling onto bottom side of half the cookies and top with the other half to make sandwiches.

Makes about 20 sandwich cookies.

 

General Tso’s Chicken & Rice with Broccoli

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth saying again… I love my rice cooker! Ever since I got it, I haven’t made that nasty minute rice at all. It has a vegetable steamer, but that’s tricky. I like my fresh veggies barely steamed – just enough to liven up the color and bring up the temperature but also leave them crisp and fresh. If I put them in at the beginning, they get a little too soft (still better than frozen). If I add them near the end, I let steam escape. I think I’ll try to sneak them in real fast once to see if it works.

To wash it down … a nice cold brew choice that brings memories of “home” (St. Louis)!

 

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

It’s been a while since we’ve been to Corner Star where we saw this new restaurant “coming soon”, but we saw that Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is finally open now. I went for the frozen custard because I was still pretty satisfied from lunch, but Miranda had burned off lunch at the pool all afternoon, and Greg was hungry too. Ali got fries and a chocolate malt.

If you’re looking for a think, juicy burger, keep on driving to the next parking lot and hit Five Guys Burgers & Fries because steakburgers are thin! Even when doubled up, they aren’t the same. But, oh! I haven’t had shoestring fries this good since Steak ‘n Shake! What a perfect pairing (mooched fries off the family) to eat with my frozen custard.

Not so healthy looking, but so soooo good!

Seriously, there aren’t a lot of healthy options at this place. They do offer grilled chicken and veggie burgers. You can skip the cheese and sauce to shave more calories and unnecessary fats and sugars. If you’re more hard core than that, skip the bun too. Honestly, though, if I had to go through all that, I’d rather just stay home and cook my own food. But if you’re out with a group, getting creative is always an option.

This won’t be a frequent stop for us, but it was fun to try!

 

Famous Dave’s BBQ

I had never been to Famous Dave’s before so I thought I’d check it out today with Miranda. She, of course, opted for a simple cheeseburger and fries, but I went for the Georgia Chopped Pork entree. It comes with a cornbread muffin, corn on the cob, and your choice of two sides. My choices were baked beans and slaw.

Newcomers get a tour of the BBQ sauces on the table. The wait person (being politcally correct here) explains each one and squirts about a half-dollar size amount on a plate for you to dip a finger into and taste. We got a kick out of the hottest one’s name: Devil’s Spit!

The slaw is chopped, not sliced on a mandolin, and is more sweet than sour. I prefer the slaw at Jim ‘n Nick’s. The beans weren’t too spicy. I actually liked them. The corn on the cob had been sitting in the pot way too long, which I think is standard operating procedure at all restaurants. Nothing beats fresh, crisp, homemade corn on the cob. All you need to do is bring the temperature up with a quick boil and they’re done. Don’t murder the corn! The cornbread was tasty and just on the brink of being too dry.

The pork, what I could eat of the mound on my platter, was good. The rest of it was slimy fat that makes me want to vomit. Serious gag-ability there! The meat is served over a lightly buttered slice of Texas toast.

The pickles came with Miranda’s burger, but they are sweet (not too sweet, though). She prefers dill.

The most comfortable, laid-back place to sit at a restaurant…

 

The sauce tour…

 

Clean up!

I would give it another chance for sure – mainly because the atmosphere is great! This is the kind of place I feel comfortable in. You can just chill and have a good time here. It kind of reminds me of “home” (St. Louis). No need to get dressed up and be all prim & proper. There’s a time and place for that, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. I enjoy it on occasion, but I’m not a fan of stuffy and seemingly pretentious places.

 

Rock Bottom Bar & Grill + Red Mango

I had “grown up” mac & cheese today from Rock Bottom Bar & Grill!

LOBSTER & SHRIMP MAC N CHEESE
The twist on the classic Mac N’ Cheese includes sautéed lobster and shrimp tossed in a creamy Parmesan-Havarti cheese sauce with cavatappi pasta.

This was followed up with some frozen yogurt from Red Mango, where you serve yourself, add your own toppings, then pay by weight. I mixed black cherry and blueberry and topped with a scoop of fresh blueberries. YUMMM!

 

Brownies

Oh. My. YUM! I had a sweet tooth last night and didn’t know what to make. Once again, I plugged in some ingredients on Allrecipes.com to get some ideas. I think I’ll call this Recipe Roulette! Naturally, I couldn’t wait as long as recommended once these brownies came out of the oven. I had to get the first one out myself to make it easier on the next person. You all know how hard it is to get that first brownie out of the pan neatly, right? So you understand that this simply had to be done. So I sat down with that warm brownie and <sigh> let me just say that it will be a long time before I make box mix brownies again. These didn’t take that much longer to whip up even!

INGREDIENTS

4 one ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Microwave chocolate and butter (or margarine) in large bowl at HIGH for 2 minutes or until butter is melted.

3. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and nuts.

4. Spread in greased 13×9 inch pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

5. Eating that first brownie while still warm is HIGHLY recommended!

 

Pasta House Salad

Pasta House is a restaurant in St. Louis, MO. Unfortunately, there are none in Colorado. So I have the recipe for their house salad & dressing. I’ve made it as a “bring a dish” item out here, and people love it. Here’s how you can make it, too:

INGREDIENTS

Salad:
1/2 head Iceberg lettuce
1/2 head Romaine lettuce
1 15 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained (not marinated)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 whole medium red onion sliced thin – this depends on your taste for onions
1/2 of 1 oz jar pimentos, drained

Toss all together. I’m picky about the artichokes and make sure the tougher outer segments are removed.

Dressing:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced (I use a garlic press)
1/2 of 1 oz jar pimentos
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2  medium red onion, grated (watch your fingers!)

I measure and shake this all together in my old faithful Tupperware shaker. Pour over salad, toss, and serve immediately.

Excellent with Italian dishes! Serves 8-12 as a side salad and about 4 as a lunch salad served with soup and/or breadsticks or rolls.