Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

Guys, this is so, so tasty!  I made it for the first time tonight and the family loves it too, which is saying a lot!

I found this recipe on NYT Cooking.

INGREDIENTS
2 TB corn or canola oil
2 TB butter
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
1 1/2-2 Cups chopped tomatoes (canned are fine)
4 Cups chickpeas (canned are fine, drain and rinse first)
1/2 C raisins or chopped, pitted dates
1/2 vanilla bean
8 chicken thighs
Chopped cilantro or parsley leaves

PREPARATION

1. Put oil and butter in a large skillet or casserole, which can be covered later, and turn heat to medium high. When butter melts, add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, a large pinch of salt and spices. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, raisins and vanilla, and bring to a boil. (If mixture is very dry, add about 1/2 cup water.) Taste, and add salt as necessary.
2. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, and nestle them into sauce. Cover, and 5 minutes later adjust heat so mixture simmers steadily. Cook until chicken is very tender, 45 minutes to an hour. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Then garnish, and serve with couscous.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

Recipe Credit: Baker By Nature

It's our new favorite Birthday Cake

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

prep 1 hour, 1 min

cook 30 mins

total 1 hour, 31 mins

author bakerbynature

Three layers of Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake slathered in homemade Chocolate Frosting. So decadent!

Ingredients

• For the chocolate cake:
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (not packed!)
• 1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil (you may also sub in melted coconut oil)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups hot water
• For the salted caramel chocolate frosting:
• 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks, 16 ounces), VERY soft
• 4 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream (more if needed)
• 2 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
• Garnish:
• 1 and 1/4 cups salted caramel sauce (please see post for more on this)
• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. For the chocolate cake:
2. Preheat oven to 350°(F). Cut out three 9-inch round segments of parchment paper to line your cake pans with. Spray each pan generously - sides and bottom - with nonstick cooking spray, then place the parchment paper cut out in the bottom of the pans and spray again. It's important to make sure every bit of pan and paper are sprayed so your cakes don't get stuck. Set pans aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, combine both sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined. Use your hands to break up any large clumps, if needed. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, egg yolks, sour cream, milk, oil and vanilla extract; mix until completely combined. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and beat on low until just incorporated. Pour in hot water and continue mixing until completely combined; about 1 minute. The batter will quite thin.
4. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool cakes for 10 minutes in the pan before removing from pans and transferring to a cooling rack; cool cakes completely before frosting.
5. For the chocolate frosting:
6. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter on medium-speed until completely smooth; about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer off and sift the powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on the lowest speed and mix until the sugar/cocoa have been absorbed by the butter; about 2 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium; add in vanilla extract, salt, heavy cream and salted caramel; beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting appears a little too thin, add a little more confectioners' sugar; If your frosting needs to be thinner, add additional heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.
7. Assembly:
8. Using a serrated knife, carefully trim the raised top of each cake, making each one an even, level surface. Transfer 1 layer to a large plate or cake stand. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top, then add a 1/2 cup of caramel; top with another cake layer, and repeat, thinly spread it with a layer of frosting, then adding a 1/2 cup of caramel. Top final cake layer and place cake in the fridge to set for 1 hour. Once set, finishing frosting the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slice and serve, or keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Notes

Cake may be baked up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Unfrosted cakes may be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months. For best results, follow the recipe as written. 

Easy Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

(or just use your favorite jar of caramel sauce)

prep 5 mins

cook 15 mins

total 20 mins

author ashley manila

yield 1 cup

This is an easy and foolproof recipe for Salted Caramel Sauce! If you have 20 minutes, you can make this!

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

4 ounces (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Instructions

Whisk together granulated sugar and water in a medium-sized saucepan with tall sides. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes, but maybe a little longer depending on your stove. Add in the butter and bring the mixture to slow boil over medium-heat. Continue cooking until the mixture turns a deep golden brown/copper color, about 9 to 10 minutes, maybe longer depending on your stove. Do not stir during this process! Once the caramel reaches this color, remove from heat and immediately add in the heavy cream. Be very careful during this step - the caramel will hiss and bubble up aggressively! Finally, stir in the vanilla and sea salt. Vigorously whisk the mixture smooth and set aside to cool. Store caramel in the fridge until needed.

Notes

• You may use salted or unsalted butter.
• You may make this caramel sauce up t0 2 weeks in advance. Just be sure to tightly cover it (I love storing mine in mason jars)  and store it in the refrigerator.
• Heavy cream can be found in the diary aisle in most grocery stores. Whipping cream may also be used. Do not use milk!
• All stoves run a little differently, so be sure to watch the caramel as it evolves, and time accordingly. You might need to add an additional 5 or even 10 minutes to the boil time if your stove top runs low.

Sharon's Lasagna

Sharon’s Lasagna

When James was born, a neighbor brought me the most delicious lasagna.  It was a recipe of her friend’s who had passed away.  I love that she strengthened our friendship in memory of a friendship that strengthened her life through serving and sharing Sharon’s delicious food with us.  

1 lb. ground beef/turkey

1 lb. sausage

1 onion

1 cup zucchini/squash

1 cup mushroom

Garlic

16 oz packaged oven ready lasagna noodles

4 eggs

32 oz. ricotta cheese

16 oz. mozzarella cheese

16 oz Italian cheese

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

Preheat oven to 375. Brown ground beef and sausage.  Cut sausage into small pieces.  Saute onion, pepper, zucchini/squash, mushrooms and garlic in saucepan; then add sauce to pan.  Heat sauce. Combine egg, ricotta cheese, and spices in small bowl.  In baking dish, put layer of sauce on bottom of pan to prevent sticking g and layer: noodles, ricotta mixture, sauce and cheeses.  Repeat layers.

Bake 45 minutes at 375 F.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

I have made these a few times, and they are so good. I panicked tonight, when I went looking for the recipe, and could not remember where to find it, so I figured it was time to add it here.  From cookieandkate.com 

Cauliflower

• 1 large head of cauliflower, sliced into bite-sized florets
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Seasoned lentils

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow or white onion
• 2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¾ cup brown lentils, picked over for debris and rinsed
• 2 cups vegetable broth or water

Chipotle sauce

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 to 3 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers) or chipotle hot sauce to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Everything else

• 8 small, round corn tortillas
• ½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves (cilantro haters, substitute some fresh spring greens instead)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To roast the cauliflower: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss cauliflower florets with enough olive oil to cover them in a light, even layer of oil. Season with salt and pepper and arrange the florets in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway, until the florets are deeply golden on the edges.
2. Warm the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic with a dash of salt for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened and turning translucent. Add the tomato paste, cumin and chili powder and sauté for another minute, stirring constantly. Add the lentils and the vegetable broth or water. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes to 45 minutes, until the lentils are tender and cooked through. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, and add more broth or water if the liquid evaporates before the lentils are done. Once the lentils are done cooking, drain off any excess liquid, then cover and set aside.
3. To prepare the chipotle sauce, just whisk together the ingredients and set aside (if you have no choice but to use whole chipotle peppers from the can, use a blender to purée it all).
4. Warm tortillas individually in a pan over medium heat. Stack the warm tortillas and cover them with a tea towel if you won’t be serving the tacos immediately.
5. Once all of your components are ready, you can assemble your tacos! Top each tortilla with the lentil mixture, cauliflower, a drizzle of chipotle sauce and a generous sprinkle of chopped cilantro.

Scalloped Potatoes

I brought these to a family dinner and had requests to post it here. :) The recipe comes from the Food Network Kitchen. Simple, easy (when you have something like my Bosch attachment to slice the potatoes with), and delicious! I multiplied it by 4 and put it in 2 9x13 pans for our large group.

Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tbsp. butter
2 1/4 pounds Yellow Finn potatoes or other waxy-style potato
2 cups half and half
1 tbsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the garlic around the inside of an 8 by 8 by 2-inch casserole dish and let it dry. Reserve the remaining garlic. Rub the butter around the inside of the dish. Reserve the remaining butter. 

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes on a mandoline or vegetable slicer (about 1/8-inch-thick slices). 

In a medium saucepan, combine the garlic, butter, potatoes, half-and-half, salt, pepper to taste, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, until the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish. Shake the pan so the potatoes are distributed evenly. 

Bake the potatoes, basting occasionally, until lightly browned and bubbly, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Banana Yogurt Muffins

I made these for my kids on the first day of school and they loved them!  I found the recipe on a website called Chelsea's Messy Apron.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour or plain white flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup miniature dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup vanilla or plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed
• 1 cup extremely ripe bananas (2-3 bananas)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Generously coat a muffin tin with cooking spray and then dust the cavities with cocoa powder. These muffins stick to muffin liners so I do not recommend using them.
3. Remove 1 tablespoon of the 1 cup of flour.
4. In a small bowl, toss together the remaining flour (after removing 1 tablespoon from the 1 cup), cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and both types of chocolate chips. Stir.
5. Make sure your bananas are at their very ripest (black skins are best; see post to speed up the ripening process if not all the way ripe.) Remove the skins and mash the bananas extremely well.
6. In another bowl, briskly whisk together the egg and Greek yogurt. Stir in the melted coconut oil (slightly cooled, but measure in it's melted state),vanilla extract, brown sugar, and the extremely ripe mashed bananas.
7. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until JUST combined. Over-mixing results in denser muffins.
8. Separate the batter evenly among the 12 cavities or fill up 9-10 for extra large muffins.
9. Bake for 18-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin.
10. Allow to cool and then remove from the muffin tin. (Use a butterknife to cut around the edges and help pull them out!)
11. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
12. When ready to enjoy a muffin, microwave for 15-20 seconds. Spread with peanut butter if desired!

Terri's Clam Chowder

This is the clam chowder we all love every year at the beach.  Yum!  I quadrupled this recipe for 36 people.

Ingredients:

1 C celery
1 C onion
3 C red potatoes diced, or russet potatoes peeled and diced

3/4 C butter
3/4 C flour

1 quart half and half
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
pepper to taste
2 (6 1/2 oz) cans minced clams

Variation: Add  2 Tb wine vinegar or 4-6 strips of bacon crumbled

Instructions:

Dice celery and onions and cube potatoes. Saute them in a smidge of butter for a few minutes.  Drain the clam juice into the pot.  Add just enough water to cover the vegetables.  Simmer vegetables until the potatoes are the proper texture.  While the vegetables are cooking, form a roux with the butter and flour.  Once the roux starts to bubble, cook for an additional minute or two, stirring the whole time.  Add the half and half gradually while whisking to avoid any clumping while thickening the soup.

Once the vegetables are cooked, drain the liquid, saving it in a bowl.  Add the strained vegetables to the pot with the white soup base.  Add salt, sugar, pepper, and clams to the soup.  Add a small amount of the liquid drained from the vegetables to thin the soup to your preferred thickness.