Mini Lemon Cakes

Miles has this great friend from school that makes amazing Flan. She has been making an extra flan for us when she bakes for the last year so it was high time I returned the favor. Her boyfriend said she liked lemon desserts so I was at a loss. As much as I enjoy lemons I am not a big lemon dessert fan. I came across this cake and thought it looked good enough to make and it ended up being good enough to eat as well. This cake also allowed me the opportunity to try out the old soda in bake mix trick...but without the cake mix. There was way to much icing for my liking but my icing was also very thin.

Ingredients:
Cake:

• Cooking spray
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated Splenda
• 1 can diet Sprite
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 
  Icing:
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon lemon rind
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Lemon rind strips (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cake, coat 8 ramekins with cooking spray.
   
3. Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
4. Add granulated Splenda to flour mixture. Mix in sprite, 2 tablespoons lemon rind and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
5. Pour batter into prepared ramekins; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
6. To prepare icing, combine powdered sugar and the remaining ingredients (except lemon rind strips) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread half of icing on top of cake. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining half of icing over top of cake. Garnish with lemon rind strips, if desired. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Makes 3-4 double layer mini cakes - approximately 400 calories per cake.

Chicken Tacos

I wanted to try out the homemade tortillas again because after watching a short youtube video I picked up some tricks I thought would make them better. I didn't change the recipe but I added all of the water this time where as last time I left some of the water out as I didn't think I wanted the tortilla dough to be sticky. I was wrong.

These tacos used TJ chicken that was already seasoned. Other ingredients are listed below.

Ingredients:

• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Onion
• Sour cream
• Avocado
• Tortillas
• Chicken
• Cheese
• Red Pepper

Directions:

1. Make tortillas from the link above - or purchase from a store
2. Grill and shred chicken
3. Grill onions and pepper
4. Slice, chop, to your liking, lettuce, tomato, and avocado
5. Assemble

Banana Carrot Muffins

My fridge is freezing my food. If I turn up the temperature on the fridge then the freezer allows my ice cream to melt. So, I keep the fridge super cold and sometimes I have to deal with frozen produce. This time it was carrots. So with a bunch of frozen carrots and many over ripe bananas in the freezer I decided to make banana carrot "cake" muffins. Using trusty all recipes I knew I would find a recipe I would like and of course I did. This recipe met my needs perfectly. With some tinkering to the ingredients - a standard practice in the Crowder household - I had my banana carrot muffins.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup Splenda
• 1/2 cup egg beaters
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 box raisins

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine apple sauce and sugar. Add egg beaters; mix well. Add bananas, carrots, and raisins. Mix well and allow to sit while preparing step 2.
   
2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and pumpkin pie spice.
   
3. Gradually mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients.
4. Portion equally into a 12 serving muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 servings - calories per serving - 110

Chicken Flautas

Easter Sunday just screams Mexican food doesn't it :). We were telling Elliott about our recent vacation to Cancun and it came up that I have flautas for the first time while were were there. About 6 months ago Elliott said that she would make us flautas but it never happened. So, I decided to try making them myself. I made the filling, the tortillas, everything.

To be honest I didn't roll out the tortillas enough so they were a little thick but they were still yummy. The flautas needed something. I am still not sure what but they were a little bland. I think next time I will use some taco seasoning so spice them up a little. All in all it was a good dinner but not great. Definitely something I will try again with some modifications.

Tortillas Ingredients: Allrecipes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
  
• 3/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the oil with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
2. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

Makes 12 small tortillas - calories per tortilla - 80

Ingredients for Flautas - allrecipes

• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and shredded
• 1/4 (8 ounce) jar picante sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• cooking spray
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl combine the shredded chicken, picante sauce and ground cumin. Mix together.
3. Spray warm tortillas with cooking spray. Put 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and sprinkle some cheese on top. Roll up tortilla and place on a seam side down. Repeat with all of the tortillas until chicken mixture is gone. If there is any cheese left over, sprinkle it over the rolled tortillas.
4. Lightly brush oil over the rolled tortillas. Spray with cooking spray.
   
5. Bake tortillas in the preheated oven for 15 to 25 minutes or until tortillas are a little crispy and golden brown. Check halfway to make sure they tortillas are not drying out too much. If needed add more oil or cooking spray.
   

Makes enough filling for about 8 flautas - calories in filling total - 37s
Calories per flauta with homemade tortillas - 125

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Easter Sunday seemed like the perfect day to make a nice huge brunch. My friend Elliott came over and together we made a fruit salad that was amazing, apple cinnamon muffins - the ones from this blog - scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and these banana oatmeal muffins. I will say that the apple cinnamon muffins are by far my favorite. However, these are nice for something a little different.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tbsp egg beaters
  
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons non fat milk
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons apple sauce
  
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mashed bananas
• Cinnamon

Strudel Topping:

• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp light butter
• 1 tbsp flour

Directions:

1. Combine flour, oats, Spenda, baking powder, soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, apple sauce, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Divide evenly into 6 muffin tins.
3. Mix strudel topping ingredients with a fork. Top the muffins.
   
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes.

Makes 6 muffins - calories per muffin - 140

Chicken Marsala

I love chicken marsala and after being in Cancun for a week and gaining ten pounds I wanted something that was nice, light, and served with lots of veggies. I also read about this meal in a Men's Health magazine my husband got for the plane. I knew that because it was in the beloved Men's Health I would be able to convince Miles that it was a good idea for a meal.

Of course I decided to make this meal on a night when Miles had to get home from school late. I was starving by the time he finally made it home - damn traffic. I almost didn't get pictures because I was dying - literally -to eat. It turned out so great that I made it again 2 day later only in part because I wanted to use the Marsala wine.

Ingredients:

• 0.6 pounds chicken breast - pounded thin
• salt, pepper, paprika
• 2-4 tbsp flour
• Pam cooking spray
• 8-10 mushrooms - I used baby bellas - sliced
  
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1 garlic clove - minced
  

Directions:

1. Pound the chicken until they are about 1/8-1/4 inch thick
2. Salt, Pepper, and Paprika the chicken to your tastes. Sprinkle the flour onto both sides of the chicken, patting it to cover each breast.
3. Spray a heated skillet with Pam cooking spray and cook the chicken for about 1.5 minutes on both sides or until mostly cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet.
4. Add mushrooms and garlic to the skillet with a small amount of the chicken stock. Saute the mushrooms until cooked. Add remaining chicken stock and Marsala wine. Reduce by half and then half again. Add chicken and cook for simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Serve and Enjoy

Serves 2 - calories per serving - 280-300

Garlic Knots

I LOVE Annie of Annie's Eats. These garlic knots are awesome and super easy to make. I will definitely be making these again and I think they might be my go to roll. What is there not to love about a good garlic knot? I mean really, they go with every meal.

I followed Annie's recipe exactly (but cut everything in half). I have posted her recipe below as she has it on her website - linked above. I served these with Chicken Marsala. The entire meal was amazing.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

3 cups bread flour

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 ¼ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup milk

1 cup + 2 tbsp. lukewarm water

For the glaze:

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp. melted butter

½ tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions:

To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the dry ingredients. Add the olive oil, milk and water. Mix until ingredients have formed a dough. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 10 inch long rope and tie into a knot. Take the end lying underneath the knot and bring it over the top, tucking it into the center. Take the end lying over the knot and tuck it underneath and into the center. Transfer shaped rolls to a baking stone, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.

To make the glaze, finely mince the garlic or press it through a garlic press. Mix with the melted butter and Italian seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Brush the glaze onto the shaped rolls. Bake until set and lightly browned, about 15-18 minutes.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

With the combined desire to make muffins and use oats (oats are heart healthy) I decided to make pumpkin oatmeal muffins. I have no idea where I got the basic recipe from. My poor computer decided to crash before I blogged this entry. However, I remember that I changed the recipe a lot and I am not going to add a recipe to this post. I am going to try these again so when I do I will post the recipe I use then.