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Daring Bakers Challenge- Lavish Crackers and Fruit Salsa

September 27, 2008 By Steph 18 Comments

So…I had this challenge in the bag.  I had done a beautiful photo shoot with my beautiful food. The pictures were perfection.  I was so excited to post them for you all to see.  You would have wanted to eat the computer screen!  And than…last night I was attempting to upload the pictures from my beautiful, expensive camera on to my computer.  I was going to have the post all ready to appear at midnight.  And as I was sitting there very frustrated in front of my computer waiting very patiently for the photo’s to upload…they wouldn’t. Yup, something is wrong with my camera.  I had to take it back to the store today to figure out what was wrong with it and I got the very bad news that they have to send my camera back to the manufacture to get it fixed.  I will now be without my most prized possession for 3-4 weeks.  Yah, I’m pretty distraught at the moment. Bummed.  Devastated. And although I could go out and buy something to get the pictures off the card that was in my camera, the pictures that I took with great care, I really can’t spend the money right now.  So I had to come home and use my old point and shoot and re-do the pictures.  They are not good at all, and I apologize.  They do not give my food justice.  But, it is what it is and I can’t do anything about it right now.  So please bear with me for the next 3-4 weeks, as I will be using my old camera for my photo shoots.  I’m sure you will notice when I get my beautiful camera back.  Now onto the challenge!

This month’s Daring Bakers Challenge comes to us from Natalie from Gluten A Go Go and Shel of Musings From the Fishbowl. And for a special addition, we have gone vegan!  It was a lot of fun trying something new, and it turned out to be absolutely delicious. The recipe was for Lavish Crackers, a snappy Armenian style cracker, with a Vegan dip/relish/salsa of your choice. I chose to make my Lavish Crackers covered in cinnamon and sugar.  And for my dip, I made a fruit salsa. This was such a sweet treat, but since I’m a fan of sweet, if worked out perfectly for me.  The salsa gets better everyday, because it marinades in all the sweetness and the flavor becomes something out of this world.  The crackers were very simple to make in my opinion, and worth the time it took for them to rise (3 hours).  The recipe stated it would take 90 minutes, but for some reason in my house it always takes twice the amount of time that it is supposed to. And that is even placing it my warm laundry room with the dryer running.  But the dough came out beautiful.  The trick is to roll it out paper thin, and than the crackers turn out perfectly crispy. For the Lavish Cracker recipe go here. Be sure to check out the other Daring Baker’s crackers here. My recipe for Fruit Salsa is below. Have a great weekend everyone!

Fruit Salsa
by Stephanie

2 small kiwis, diced
2 small apples, diced
1 medium peach, diced
1 cup strawberries, diced
1/4 cup raspberry preserves
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
dash of ground cinnamon¨
fresh mint, if desired

1. Mix all of the ingredients together and let sit for at least 1 hour before serving.

Filed Under: appetizers, daring bakers challenge, desserts

Ranch Chicken Crescent Pizza

September 24, 2008 By Steph 20 Comments

It’s Thursday. I’ve never been more ready for the end of Friday. Having a sick husband, a bored 3 year old, an 18 month with double ear infections and a sensitive black lab wanting a walk very badly, I am so ready for this week to be over. I feel like I’ve been through a tornado. My house is a mess and I haven’t had a spare second to clean it. I’m one of those people who must have the toys picked up around the house as soon as the kids hit their pillows. I must have the dishes done before I head off to bed. The bed must be made before I actually crawl into it. I have to be organized for the next day before I can close my eyes. It’s not obsessive compulsive or anything, it’s just my thing. All of those things have been thrown out the window when the house was shut down for temporary malfunction. So I’m ready to start a new week, one with smiling children and a happy hubby. I know I have to wait a few more days, but I’m sitting here more ready than ever!

I made this dish before the shinanigins started. It was delicious. I’ve been seeing all of these recipes lately using Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, and so I thought I’d give a little pizza a try. You know, mix it up a little bit. Get a little crazy. So I got my little tube of rolls and start un-peeling them and piecing them together to make one solid pizza dough. And than I get on my computer this morning to read my ‘daily reads’. Deborah from Taste and Tell says that there are some new Pillsbury Crescent sheets that have just come out, so I would definitely use those for this particular dish. The whole thing is so simple. But just one tip – After you have the dough all nicely fitted in the cookie sheet, bake it in the oven before you add all of your toppings. It will come out nice and crisp instead of nice and soggy. Take my word for it. The taste is sensational. Hope you like it! Happy Thursday!

Ranch Chicken Crescent Pizza

1 roll Pillsbury Crescent Rolls or a Sheet
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (I use leftovers from a Rotisserie Chicken)
enough ranch dressing to coat the chicken to your liking
2 cups mozzerella cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
italian herbs
dried parsley

1. Spray a small cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Spread the dough evenly across the pan and up the sides. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes or until dough is just barely cooked through.
2. In a small bowl, mix the chicken with the ranch dressing and the garlic powder until evenly coated. Evenly distribute the chicken over the crust.
3. Sprinkle cheese over the chicken. Top with a sprinkle of Italian herbs and dried parsley.
4. Place back in the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Filed Under: chicken, main dishes, pizza

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

September 21, 2008 By Steph 13 Comments

Happy Sunday!  I have been meaning to post since Thursday, but somehow the time just slips by without me even noticing.  I swear I blinked and 4 days came and went.  And now, here it is, Sunday.  My hubby woke up with the flu early this morning, so there will not be much cooking or baking here for a couple of days.  Just lots of chicken noodle soup and saltine crackers.  I did manage to make this delicious dip yesterday.  This is my absolute favorite dip in the world.  It is so addicting, I could eat the whole bowl.  It’s filled with artichoke hearts, spinach, onions and lots of yummy cheese.   Seriously, what could be better?  I here a bell ringing, so I better go take care of the poor little bunny.  Watch that video that I linked, you will laugh off your chair!  Have a great week!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons butter
1 10 ounce box of frozen chopped spinach
1 8 ounce jar artichoke hearts, chopped
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. In a small skillet, cook onions in butter until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Cook spinach in the microwave, covered for about 5 minutes.  Place in a cloth and squeeze out excess liquid.  Place in a medium bowl.  Add onions, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.  Mix until well combined.
3. Place in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.  Serve with crackers.

Filed Under: appetizers, side dishes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

September 16, 2008 By Steph 26 Comments

I think someone has cast a spell on me.  No, really.  Every time I step foot in the kitchen, something bad happens.  I have been trying and trying and trying countless numbers of recipes in my beloved kitchen, and almost nothing has worked out.  My cakes won’t rise.  My cookies flatten like pancakes.  My chocolate refuses to be smooth.  My brownies burn. What is wrong with me? I can’t seem to get out of this horrible kitchen nightmare. Ideas are swarming in my head, and in my head they turn out perfectly every time.  But in reality, my mojo is gone.  Gone. Sad.  Did I do something wrong?  Did I offend my stove?  Or maybe someone is playing a cruel joke on me.  Whatever it is, I’m praying that it leaves very soon and I am able to at least make a simple batch of cookies again.  If you have been wondering where my posts have been, blame it on my kitchen and the evil kitchen Goddesses who have me on their hate list.  In the meantime, enjoy some nice Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles…

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles
recipe by Stephanie
makes about 30 small truffles
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 cups chocolate chips (milk or semisweet)
1 tablespoon shortening
1. In a mixer, cream the butter and peanut butter until smooth.  Slowly add confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth.  Refrigerate until hardened, about 1 or 2 hours.
2. Melt chocolate and shortening and mix until smooth and creamy.
3. Using a toothpick, roll peanut butter mixture into 1 inch balls and dip in chocolate.  Place on parchment paper and refrigerate until set.

Filed Under: candy, chocolate

Garden Zucchini and Italian Sausage Penne

September 12, 2008 By Steph 11 Comments

If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you will notice that my weaknesses in life are; number 1- sweets of all kinds.  And number two- pasta.  If I’m not baking up something wickedly delicious, I am making pasta of all shapes and sizes.  I should have been born and raised in Italy.  I adore pasta.  It doesn’t matter what you put in it, on it, and around it, I will gobble it up no questions asked.  Nothing beats the real deal in the land of Italy of course, but I think I do a pretty good job.  This one is no exception.  I’ve never been a fan of Italian sausage, but I decided to add it to my pasta one night a couple of months ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since.  This pasta dish is loaded with garden fresh zucchini and Italian sausage.  For an extra special treat, pour this into a casserole dish, cover it in sliced, fresh mozzarella and put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes.  Yum!  That is my absolute favorite thing in the world.  This recipe is so simple, it will take you no time at all. Have a great weekend friends!

Garden Zucchini and Italian Sausage Penne
1 pound pasta of your choice, cooked to al dente
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 pound Italian sausage
2 cups zucchini, chopped
Parmesan cheese
1. Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet.  Add zucchini and cook until soft. Pour pasta sauce over the sausage.  Cook until sauce comes to a low boil.  Add cooked pasta to the skillet and mix well.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Filed Under: pasta
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