Red Velvet Pancakes with Espresso-Infused Maple Syrup, Candied Pecans, and Cream Cheese Frosting

One of the things Steve and I said we were going to miss the most when we left Colorado was our favorite brunch place, Snooze.  They have these amazing red velvet pancakes, and we set out to find a recipe that at least somewhat compared.  Here's what we came up with:

I would recommend making the cream cheese frosting first (you can do this in advance and refrigerate), then the maple syrup. While the syrup is sitting, do the pecans, then the pancakes.

Pancakes:

Ingredients:

1 c all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt (this is different than the course grain stuff that you grind)

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 egg

3/4 c buttermilk (but you want about a cup in case the mixture is too thick and you need to thin it out)

1 c sour cream

1 tbsp red food coloring

1 tsp vanilla extract (or a little more, nothing tastes worse with a little extra vanilla) :)

3 tbsp melted butter, plus a little more for the pan

Instructions:

1. Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well (flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, sugar, cocoa powder).

2. Combine all the wet ingredients except butter in a different bowl and mix well. (egg, buttermilk, sour cream, red food coloring, vanilla).

3.  While whisking the wet ingredients, stream in melted butter.

4.  Combine wet and dry ingredients and whisk until fully combined and not lumpy.

5.  Pour pancakes of desired size into the pan (about 1/4 c. each is normal).  Let it set on one side, then flip and finish the other side.  Repeat until pancake mix is gone.

Just a note, this recipe makes about 8 pancakes, so if you are serving a large group, it would be helpful to double or triple the recipe.

Recipe adapted from: www.kitchenkonfidence.com

Maple Syrup:

Ingredients:

1 c maple syrup

4 tablespoons whole bean dark roast coffee

Recipe adapted from:  cookingclub.com

Instructions:

1. pour out 1 cup of maple syrup into saucepan

2.  Add coffee

3.  Over medium heat, bring to a boil.

4. Remove from heat and let stand for 15-30 minutes.

5. Strain syrup with strainer into bowl to remove beans.

6.  Serve warm.

Candied Pecans:

Ingredients:

Pecan pieces (1 c or however much you want)

butter for the pan (about 1 tablespoon)

1 tsp. sugar

Instruction:

1. Put butter in a small pan over low-medium heat.

2. Let the pan heat for a minute or so and melt the butter.

3. Put in the pecans and stir until covered with butter.

4. After about two minutes of pecans toasting, sprinkle on sugar.  

5.  Remove from heat.  Pecans should be a bit darker brown by the time they are done.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

5 ounces unsalted butter

7 ounces cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla (again, or a bit more) :)

Instructions:

1.  Beat the butter in a standing mixer until smooth.

2.  Beat in the cream cheese with the butter and mix until smooth.

3. Reduce speed to low (because otherwise you will get sugar all over yourself) and mix in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Once mixed a bit, you can increase speed back up to medium.  Beat until smooth.

4.  To decorate your pancakes, put the mixture in a ziplock back and cut of a small corner on the bottom (just one of the corners).  Squeeze the ziplock and the frosting will come up (see melted hearts, above). 

Enjoy!

Shrimp and Veggie Kabobs

Ingredients:
2 green peppers
1 white onion
1 lb. shrimp
8 oz. (1 package) baby bella mushrooms
1 bottle caribbean jerk dressing

Instructions:
1.  Slice onions and peppers to be approximately 1" x 1".
2.  Marinate shrimp, onions, mushrooms, and peppers in any caribbean jerk dressing (approximately 1-2 hours)
3.  For about 1 hour, soak wooden skewers in water
4.  Thread veggies and shrimp onto the skewers, grill and eat!

NOTE: you can use whatever veggies and/or meat you would like.

Steak with Carmelized Onions and Bleu Cheese

Ingredients:
2 fillets (we do approximately 8 oz. of meat per person)
1 can Stubbs beef marinade
Bleu cheese crumbles
1 white or yellow onion

Instructions:
1.  Put the fillets in tupperware or a pan along with Stubbs marinade (fill with marinade until bottom is coated put to 1 cm, but make sure to coat the top with marinade as well).  Marinate at least 1 hour and flip halfway through.  The longer you marinate, the spicier your steak will be.

2.  Chop the onion into strips.  Put in pan and coat with oil or butter.

3.  Cook the steaks on the grill to desired doneness.

4.  Cook the onion on medium-high heat until the onions start to brown and then carmelize, about 15 minutes.

5.  When steaks are done, top with onions and bleu cheese.  You can dip the steak in the leftover, UNUSED marinate (not the stuff that your raw meat sat in) in order to get a little more kick.  Serve and enjoy!

Sea Scallops with Chile-Lime Sauce

Ingredients:
1 lb. sea scallops (serves 2)
2 limes
2 tbsp. butter (1 for the sauce and one for the pan)
1 1/2 tbsp. Asian sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp. Sriracha sauce (hot chili-garlic sauce)
1 tbsp. minced green onion
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. With the medium side of a cheese grater, grate lime peels to make enough shaving to fill 2 teaspoons.  Cut one lime into wedges and reserve.

2.  Mix 1 tbsp. butter (softened), green onion, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha sauce and lime peel in small bowl.  Set aside. NOTE: the original recipe does not call for Sriracha sauce, but someone who had used the recipe previously noted that it was too sweet, so we added some.  You can either add more or even take out this sauce based on whether you like your food spicy or sweet.  We were definitely glad we added this, but we're suckers for spicy food.

3.  Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.  Melt other tablespoon of butter in pan and heat on medium-high.  Once the pan heats up, add scallops and cook until opaque in the center (the time here will vary depending on the size of your scallops, but we did about 5 minutes each side).

4.  Put a large dollop of sauce on each plate and swirl to cover the plate.  Add more as needed.  Set the scallops on top of the sauce.  Squeeze lime juice from lime wedges over each plate and serve.

A quick note about presentation:  We put the sauce on the bottom of the plate and are glad we did.  Scallops are so good just on their own, and the sauce should just be used for dipping or else it becomes overwhelming.

Enjoy!

Adapted from: Bon Appetit Test Kitchen

Spicy Shrimp and Bok Choy Stir Fry

A couple of weeks ago I unsuccessfully attempted to follow the South Beach Diet Phase I for two weeks. I was mainly unsuccessful because the recipes that Steve and I tried for dinner were less than stellar.  And, well, lets face it, I love me some carbs. :)  However, we tried this recipe and have decided to make it a "go-to".  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 scallions
2 minced garlic cloves (I buy the pre-minced stuff from the store and use a teaspoon.  You can never have too much garlic) :)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 lbs. bok choy
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce- aka Sriracha

Instructions


1.  Chop the bok choy crosswise.  Thinly slice the scallions and separate the white and green parts.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, scallion whites (but keep the greens!) and garlic.

3.  In a wok or pan, heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat.  Add shrimp mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through.  Transfer to a large (clean) bowl.

4.  Add bok choy, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly tender.  Drain any liquid from the skillet and add the bok choy to the bowl with the shrimp.

5.  Add soy sauce and chili-garlic sauce to the pan, stir and bring to a boil.  Add shrimp mixture and toss until coated.  You only need to cook the shrimp again until they are reheated.

6.  Stir in scallion greens and serve warm and over rice if desired (but then its not South Beach Friendly).

Attributed to: South Beach Diet iphone app (yes, really)

Cheesy Corn Flake Hashbrowns

In case you needed an easy side dish to take to an Easter pot luck tomorrow, here is a classic!

Ingredients:

1 large bag of frozen hashbrowns (30 oz. is fine)
1 diced white onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 sticks of melted butter
10 oz. (1 1/4 c.) sour cream
12 oz. (1 1/2 c.) grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 c. corn flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Thaw the hashbrowns.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the hashbrowns, onion, cream of chicken soup, 1 stick melted butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

3.  Spread the mixture into a 9x13 pan.

4.  Put the cornflakes in a layer on top of the mixture.  Drizzle remaining butter over the top.

5.  Cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

6.  Serve warm!

Healthier Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:
1 lb. beef stew meat
half package egg noodles
2 cans golden mushroom soup
1/2 c chopped onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c water
1 large dollop sour cream
1/2 package of onion soup mix
1 c sliced mushrooms
salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
1 chicken bullion cube


Instructions:
1.  Combine meat, soup, onion, onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, bullion, and water in the slow cooker.

2.  Cook on low for 5 hours.

3.  About an hour before its done, saute the mushrooms in a pan (we use a tablespoon or so of olive oil).  Then put them in the slow cooker.

4.  About 5 minutes before its done, add a large dollop of sour cream.

5.  Serve over egg noodles.

Grilled Salmon Marinated with Soy Sauce

Ingredients:
2 one pound salmon filets
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs brown sugar
salt
pepper



Instructions:
1. Heat a pan over medium heat

2. Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and rice vinegar until brown sugar dissolves

3. Lightly season salmon with salt and pepper

4. Place salmon in a large plastic zip lock bag

5. Pour soy sauce mix into bag with salmon

6. Marinate for at least 1 hour

7. Grill salmon for 5-7 minutes on each side (depending on thickness)

8. Serve with grilled corn and your favorite beer

Sesame-crusted Seared Ahi Tuna

Ingredients:
2 one pound ahi tuna filets
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs brown sugar
1/4 cup white sesame seeds
1/4 cup black sesame seeds
salt
pepper
avocado
wasabi horseradish (optional)













Instructions:
1. Mix black and white sesame seeds in a bowl

2. Heat a pan over medium heat

3. Heat a separate pan on high

3. In the medium heat pan mix soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, and rice vinegar until brown sugar dissolves

4. Lightly season tuna with salt and pepper

5. Dip the tuna in the sauce mixture (do this quickly, do not let the tuna cook)

6. Coat the tuna with black and white sesame seeds

7. Place the sesame-coated tuna in the pan on high heat (for 90 seconds)

8. Flip the tuna and sear for another 90 seconds

9. Sear the sides and edges of the tuna for 45 seconds each

10. Place the tuna on a cutting board and cut into 1/2 inch slices

11. Lay tuna slices across the dinner plate

12. Thinly slice avocado and place a piece between each tuna slice

13. Lightly spread wasabi horseradish across tuna and avocado slices
14. Serve with rice and edamame

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Truffle Oil

Ingredients:
1/2 pound brussel sprouts
drizzle of truffle oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
grated parmesan cheese
1/4 of a lemon









Instructions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350.

2.  Rinse the sprouts and cut off the brown ends or leaves.  Cut the brussel sprouts into quarters, or may even sixths.

3.  Coat the sprouts in olive oil, about 2 tablespoons.

4.  Roast the brussel sprouts at 350 for 15 minutes.  Then turn the oven to broil and leave the door cracked open.  Broil for about 8 more minutes or until sprouts are turning golden brown.

5.  Remove and put in a bowl.  Squeeze lemon juice on sprouts.  Drizzle with truffle oil.  Sprinkle parmesan on top.

Inspired by: Table 6 Restaurant, Denver

Crockpot Meatballs

Ingredients:
Meatballs
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 minced onion
dash garlic salt
2 1/2 tsp Worchester Sauce
1/3 cup carnation milk
2 eggs
1 tsp liquid smoke
12 halves or 24 square soda crackers, crushed
salt and pepper


Sauce
2 cups chili sauce
2 cups catsup 
1 tsp tobasco 
1 1/2 teaspoon Worchester
1 tsp liquid smoke
dash garlic salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
salt and pepper





Instructions:
1.  Put sauce ingredients into crockpot, stir, and cook on high while preparing the meatballs.


2.  Mix meatball ingredients and form small balls on cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees until brown.  Pour off excess grease.


3.  Put meatballs into sauce.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  Serve and enjoy!

Calamari Fra Diavolo

Ingredients:


1/4 c. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 clove crushed garlic
2 cups chopped canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 c. dry white wine
1 3/4 lb. cleaned squid

NOTE: you need a slow cooker for this recipe

Instructions:


1.  Put oil in a pan and cook onion until softened.  Add garlic and stir a few minutes longer.

2.  Transfer to slow cooker and add tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper, and oregano.

3.  Pour wine in the pan and bring to a boil by turning heat on high.  Reduce by one third (meaning make 1/3 of the wine evaporate).  Add to the crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2-2 hours.

4.  Cut calamari into pieces, about 1/4 thick by 1 1/2 inches long.  When cutting, tilt the knife at an angle so you are not cutting straight down.  Add calamari and continue to cook on low for at least 45 more minutes.

5.  Serve over pasta or with crispy bread.

Adapted from:  Not your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

Steamed Artichokes

Ingredients:


1 artichoke per person
dipping sauce (we use dijon mustard and wasabi-sesame dipping sauce)

NOTE: you need a steamer for this recipe

Instructions:


1.  Fill the bottom of the steamer 1/2-1/3 full with water.

2.  Cut the tips off of the artichokes with a pair of kitchen scissors.  To do this, you take each leaf and cut the top prickly part off by cutting horizontally.

3.  Put the artichokes in the top of the steamer.  Cook for approximately 50 minutes if you have 2 artichokes.

4.  Remove and serve with dipping sauce.  To eat, you pull a leaf out, dip the thick end in the sauce and use your teeth to pull the "meat" off the end.

Green Chili

Ingredients

2 lbs. pork tenderloin (lean lower calorie option) or pork butt or shoulder (better tasting option), cubed
1 cup chopped onion
14 oz. Swanson chicken broth
10 oz can or bottle of green salsa
2 1/2 cups diced green chiles

3 tsp garlic (minced or mashed)
2 ½ Tbsp chicken bouillon (they come in cubes)
1 tsp celery salt
1 Tbsp flour
2 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp cumin
3 Tbsp diced jalapeno pepper
1 Tbsp dried cilantro (Pendries powder or 3 Tbsp fresh finely chopped) 

Green tabasco (optional)

NOTE: We do this in our slow cooker on low, but you can also do it in a big pot if you don't have a slow cooker

Instructions:

1.  Brown pork and drain.

2.  Add the onion and the chicken brother.  Simmer (or cook on low) for 1 hour and stir occasionally.  

3.  Add the garlic, green salsa, chicken buillon, celery salt, flour, oregano, cumin, jalapenos, and cilantro.  Simmer (or cook on low) another hour, stirring occasionally.

4.  Add green chiles and tobasco if you want any.  This recipe is really spicy to begin with, so beware.  Simmer (or cook on low) for another hour or more and then serve.

Adapted from: Gambler's Green Chili by Lauren Ray

Pork Ribs Flavored with Chiles and Beer

Ingredients:


1 12 oz. bottle of beer of your choosing (we use Negro Modelo)
1/8 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard (the powdered kind you find in the spice aisle)
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 c. bbq sauce of your choosing (we use Rufus Teague Touch O Heat)
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. yellow mustard (we buy the cheap stuff)
1/2 orange, cut into 1/4 inch rounds (we take the rind off first)
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 pickled jalapenos, cut into 1/4 inch thick rings (you can get these in a can or a jar)
1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, drained and chopped (these are at King Soopers in Denver)
3 lbs. pork ribs (you want about 1/2 a rack per person, or a full rack if its a big guy who eats a lot)
Sea salt and ground black pepper

NOTE: you need a slow cooker for this recipe

Instructions:


1.  Mix beer, brown sugar, dry mustard and garlic powder in a bowl.

2.  Add bbq sauce, vinegar, yellow mustard and honey and stir until smooth.

3.  Put the orangle, onion, jalapenos and chipotle ppers at the bottom of the slow cooker.

4.  Season the ribs with salt and pepper and put them in the slow cooker.

5.  Pour the sauce on top.  If your ribs do not fit on one layer, then alternate layers (first the ribs, then pour some sauce, then more ribs, then sauce, etc).

6.  Cover and cook on low for 9 hours or more.

7.  Take the ribs out and serve on platter.  You may want to skim the fat off the top of the sauce if you are going to serve it separately, but that hasn't been necessary for us.

Adapted from: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

Steamed Mussels with Bleu Cheese

Ingredients:
2 lbs mussels (for dinner for two)
1 shallot
1 bundle green onions
blue cheese crumbles

NOTE: you need a steamer for this recipe

Instructions: 


1.  Fill bottom of steamer about 1/3-1/2 full of water.  Place mussels in steamer.

2.  Chop the shallot and green onions and sprinkle on the mussels.

3.  Steam the mussels until they are open and firm, about 15 minutes.

4.  Remove and top with bleu cheese crumbles.  Serve.

Steve's Asparagus

Ingredients:

Asparagus

Sea salt

Cracked black pepper

Olive oil

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Cut the ends off of the asparagus (you don't want to see anything white).  Lay out in a baking dish.

3.  Drizzle with olive oil and roll asparagus until coated (You will need less olive oil than you think to do this).

4.  Sprinkle sea salt and pepper over the asparagus and place in oven.

5.  Flip asparagus after about 12 minutes.  Cook another 12 minutes on the other side.

Baked Eggplant

Ingredients:


1 eggplant
1 large hunk of mozzarella cheese (can be bought at the grocery store)
garlic (optional)
1 can of pasta sauce (whatever you prefer)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Instructions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Chop eggplant into 1/2 - 1 inch rounds.  Arrange in baking dish.

3.  Drizzle olive oil over the top of the eggplant.  If you would like, sprinkle or spread some garlic over the eggplant.  Bake until eggplant begins to brown and soften.

4.  Remove eggplant.  Slice mozzarella and lay on top of eggplant slices.  You can stack the eggplant if you want.

5.  Pour the can of pasta sauce over the eggplant and cheese until it is all covered.  Bake until cheese is melted.

6.  Remove and serve.  We like to sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it a little spice.

Adapted from: Katelyn Werner

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

3/4 pound cream cheese
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
Garnish: chocolate shaving and raspberries

Instructions:

1.  Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until blended and fluffy.

2.  Reduce speed and add cocoa a little bit at a time (or else it will go all over the place).  Mix until well blended.

3.  In a separate bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer until peaks form (meaning when you remove your mixer, peaks stick up where you pulled it out).

4.  Slowly fold the cream into the other mixture a little at a time until no white streaks are left. (Folding means to mix without stirring, so its good to use a rubber spoon and slowly fold the mixture over itself until blended).

5.  Spoon into serving cups.  Can garnish with chocolate shavings or strawberries.

Attributed to: Nordstrom Entertaining at Home Cookbook

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients:

1 package of oreo cookies
1 package of cream cheese
3 packages of bakers chocolate of your choice: (I usually do 2 packages of semi-sweet and then use white
chocolate for the drizzle)

Instructions:

1.  Crush oreos with a pestal or hammer.  You can put them in a big bowl or a big ziplock bag, or even try to keep them in the package at first.

2.  Make sure that your cream cheese is soft enough, and then combine with oreos and mix well.

3.  Roll oreo mixture into 1 inch size balls and put on cookie sheet with wax paper.  Place in refrigerator to harden (about 20 minutes).

4. Once the oreos are hardened, remove them from the fridge.  Melt chocolate on low in a pot.

5.  Dip the oreo balls into the chocolate mixture (which for me is semi-sweet usually) one at a time until covered and place back on the pan.  Place back in the refrigerator to harden (about 1 hour)

6.  If you have different colors of chocolate, you can melt the other color (white chocolate) in the pot slowly.  Take a fork and drizzle the other color over the hardened truffles.  Put back in the fridge and let harden.

Attributed to: Nancy Liberman

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

1 tsp. garlic, minced
2 cups fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1-2 chicken breasts
1 dash salt
1 dash pepper
1 package penne pasta

Instructions:

1.  Blend garlic, basil, pine nuts, salt, and pepper in a blender.  Drizzle olive oil once well-blended.

2.  Scrape everything off the sides and add the cheese.  If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon of water.

3.  Chop chicken into 1 inch pieces.  Cook chicken in pan with a tablespoon of olive oil until cooked to desired temperature.

4.  Mix the chicken with the pesto and pour over pasta.

Tasty Teriyaki Chicken with Pineapples

Ingredients:

20 oz. can pineapple chunks
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic
2 tsp. powdered ginger
2 chicken breasts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Combine pineapple juice from the can, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a bowl and mix well.

3.  Place chicken in baking dish (or plastic ziplock) and pour sauce over chicken.  Marinate at least 1 hour.

4.  If not already in baking dish, but chicken in baking dish and add pineapple chunks to sauce.

5.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  I usually serve this with Jasmine rice and the pineapples.

Attributed to: Jeanette Homsher

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:

2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. butter
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and butter in large bowl and stir until well mixed.

2.  Put mixture into lightly greased 9x9 pan (you can use a larger or smaller one, but I find this size works best to get the best thickness).

3.  Melt the chocolate chips however you want.  I usually use the microwave, but you can use a pot or double boiler, just be careful not to burn the chocolate.

4.  Pour chocolate over the peanut butter mixture.  Put in the refrigerator to harden, and viola!