Red Velvet Cake Truffles

FOUND IT: At my friend Jay Wagner's North by Northwest blog.

Making truffles is much easier than I expected, and I've tried several recipes lately, but this is the best one.

Ingredients:

1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)

1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)

1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)

After cake is cooked, crumble into large bowl. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. You can use your hands for this, if you don't mind getting messy. It'll be easier if you do it while the cake is still somewhat warm. Then, put the mixture in the fridge and let it cool for an hour or so.

Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50.) Chill for another hour, at least. Overnight wouldn't be the worst thing.

Melt chocolate in microwave, stopping to stir each minute until it's completely melted. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

Layered Enchilada Bake

FOUND IT: At Fab Food Friday, another recipe blog you should be reading. Jody's recipes are great and easy to make - I've never made a Fab Food Friday recipe that I didn't want to make again.

I started off with this recipe as a standby for when company is visiting, but now I make it all the time.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef (you can use turkey or chicken to reduce fat)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix, either from a pouch or a recipe like this one.
6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. shredded cheese, Mexican or Co-Jack

Brown meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add salsa, beans and seasoning mix; mix well.

Arrange 3 of the tortillas in single layer on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of half each of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat all layers. Cover with foil.

Bake covered for 30 min at 400. Remove foil. Bake an additional 10 min. or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

Pasta with Spinach and Blue Cheese

FOUND IT: At the NY Times' Bitten blog, my favorite place to go find new things to try.

This is a nice side, especially if you have really good pasta to use.

Ingredients:

Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound spinach
1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or other pasta
2 tablespoons butter (preferred), or extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound Roquefort, gorgonzola, or other good blue cheese, crumbled

Set large pot of water to boil, and add salt. Remove largest, thickest stems from spinach; roughly chop leaves and remaining stems. Wash thoroughly.

When water comes to boil, add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly tender. When just about done, add spinach. Stir. As soon as spinach wilts completely -- less than 30 seconds -- drain quickly.

Immediately return pasta and spinach to pot, with butter and cheese, over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese and butter melt, all water is absorbed, and pasta is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Bread pudding

FOUND IT: At the NY Times' Bitten blog, which, as I've previously mentioned, is my favorite place to go to find new things to try.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
6 cups white bread, cut or torn into 1-inch chunks (Be picky about the bread - bread that's too heavy will ruin it.)
2 cups half-and-half (I use skim milk)
4 eggs
3/4 cup maple syrup or sugar (Splenda works here, knocking off about 500 calories)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt (I omit this)
(I add about half a cup of chocolate chips, which puts the calories back in from before, but the chocolate adds a lot)

Butter an 8-inch souffle or baking dish, and add bread. Cut remaining butter into bits, and combine with all other ingredients; pour over bread. Submerge bread with weighted plate, and turn oven to 350 degrees.

When oven is hot, remove the plate and bake until pudding is just set, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve with or without whipped cream.

Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce

FOUND IT: On the New York Times' Bitten blog, which I frequently check out when I'm looking to try something new. They post a new recipe almost every day, with varying levels of difficulty. I usually snag the easy ones.
MODIFIED IT: A little.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter or neutral oil, like canola
4 tablespoons minced shallots (I use about 1/4 of an onion)
2 tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar(I use beer)
6 ounces crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese
Pinch of cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 pounds strip or rib-eye steaks, or filet mignon

Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; when butter melts and its foam begins to subside, add shallots and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar, stir, and cook until it is just about evaporated, 1 or 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and stir in cheese, cayenne and a few grindings of pepper. Stir occasionally until cheese melts, then taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm while you grill steaks.

Season steaks well with salt and pepper, then grill or broil about 3 to 4 minutes a side for medium-rare, longer or shorter according to your taste. Serve steaks with 1 or 2 spoonfuls of sauce over each, garnished with parsley or chives if you like.

This recipe makes enough for about four steaks, but I usually make a full batch with two steaks and spoon the remainder over a vegetable or a baked potato.

Lasagna Soup

FOUND IT: On Fab Food Friday, one of my favorite recipe blogs.

This might be my favorite recipe from one of my favorite recipe sites. Jody does a fantastic job of posting recipes that are doable and delicious. If you're reading this blog, you should be reading hers too.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 ounces pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

In a large pot, saute the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

2. Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. Makes about 13 cups.

Black bean meatloaf with mac and cheese filling

FOUND IT: This one is my creation.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground meat (I use venison, beef will work)
1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed
1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

For the mac and cheese:
1/2 lb sharp cheddar, shredded
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup beer
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons of butter, cut into small chunks
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper
Half a box of pasta or so. Probably a little less.

To make the mac and cheese part, warm the milk and beer over low-medium heat, and add all the other ingredients except the cheese and pasta. Once the butter melts, stir it until it starts to thicken, then add cheese. Stir until the sauce is thick and all the cheese has melted, then set it aside. Boil pasta until it's done, strain, and combine.

Combine all the meatloaf ingredients in another bowl. Grease a loaf pan, divide your meat mixture in half and put half into the bottom of the loaf pan. Cover that with the mac and cheese, then shape the remaining meatloaf to cover the mac and cheese. Bake at 350 for half an hour. Let it chill for a few minutes before serving it.

Chocolate crepes with peanut butter and banana filling

FOUND IT: It's loosely based on my homemade manicotti recipe, and the peanut butter part of the filling is from an Ina Garten recipe.

Ingredients:

Crepes:

3 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

(You can also use this recipe to make regular crepes if you remove the cocoa, or use it to make homemade manicotti if you remove the vanilla too and add some italian seasonings.)

Filling:

World Market has an awesome Dark Chocolate spread. Use that if you can get it. If you can't, Nutella should work too.
2 bananas, sliced thin
Peanut butter frosting

Here's the pb frosting recipe:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk, maybe a little less.

To make the crepes, beat the eggs with the milk. Then add all the other ingredients and whisk it until you have no more lumps. Spray a small frying pan over medium-low heat and pour 1/4 cup of the batter into it, tilting the pan around to cover as much space as possible. Cook them about 30-45 seconds on one side, then flip and cook about 15 seconds on the other. Then spray the pan and repeat. Set the crepes aside on a plate. This recipe will make about nine of them.

To make the peanut butter frosting, place the sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in a bowl and mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the milk and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Then, take a crepe, make a stripe of chocolate spread down the middle, place 5 slices of banana on top of that, and some frosting on top of that. Roll them up and enjoy.

Garlic Sweet Potatoes

FOUND IY: Laura tore it out of a copy of Shape magazine.
MODIFIED IT: Only to increase the seasonings

I eat sweet potatoes in several ways, but when I make them at home, this is how I do it.

Ingredients:

Two medium-large sweet potatoes
1 tbsp (or so) olive oil
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel sweet potatoes and chop them into 1/2-3/4 inch cubes. Toss them in the oil, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper. Spread them in a single layer in a baking dish, and bake in a 425 oven for 45 minutes, stirring once around halfway. They'll be tender when they're done.

Brie en Croute

FOUND IT: In an ad in Cooking Light Magazine
MODIFIED IT: Just to replace one thing I didn't have.

I tried this one the other day and was immediately told "You can make this again." It's not all that hard, either.

Ingredients:

1/2 of a 17.3 oz package of puff pastry sheets
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves (I used a pinch of dried rosemary)
1 13.2 ounce Brie cheese round

Leave a puff pastry sheet out around 40 minutes to defrost. If you can't wait that long, try putting it in the microwave on defrost, checking every 30 seconds.

Toast the pecans in a small pan, stirring occasionally. If you can smell them cooking, they're done.

Soften the cherries by leaving them in a cup of hot water for about a minute.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface, and roll out to a 14 inch square (mine was about the right shape already). Mix cherries, honey, rosemary and pecans in a small bowl, then spoon that mixture onto the center of the puff pastry dough. Place the brie on top of that. Fold two sides of the pastry dough over the brie. Cut the remaining two sides to just fit over the cheese. Place the brie in a baking dish (I used a pie plate) seam side down. You can use the trimmings to decorate the top, or just accept the fact that life will never be perfect.

Beat the egg and water together and brush this mixture onto the outside.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 until the pastry is "deep golden brown." Let it cool for 45 minutes before serving.

Homemade Manicotti

FOUND IT: In Rachael Ray's magazine.
ADAPTED IT: A little.

This recipe is quickly becoming a standby. You can easily modify the basic pasta recipe to make crepes, and fill them with anything you like.

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated romano
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (I substitute Italian seasoning)
2 tablespoons milk

Pasta:
3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1 cup water (I use milk)
(I added some italian seasonings here at well)

3 cups pasta sauce
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Beat the eggs with the water (or milk), then mix in the flour, eliminating lumps. Add the seasonings, if you're using them. Spray an 8-inch pan and put it on medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, tilting the pan to spread it around. Allow crepes to cook around 45 seconds on one side, then flip and cook around 15 seconds on the other. Move the finished crepe to a plate, spray the pan again and repeat.

Then, combine all the filling ingredients. You can add some browned italian sausage or pepperoni at this point as well. Pour half the pasta sauce into a 9x13 baking dish. Spoon the cheese mixture down the middle of each crepe, then roll them and place them seam-side down in the dish. Once they're all in there, pour the remaining pasta sauce over the top, top with cheese and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Buttermilk Bran Muffins

WHERE I FOUND IT: On the side of a HyVee brand Raisin Bran Crunch box.

This might be my favorite muffin recipe. It's not unhealthy, it doesn't taste exceptionally healthy and it's pretty easy, as long as you have buttermilk.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups crunchy raisin bran cereal - any brand will do.
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar (I used Splenda, knocking off about 30-40 calories per muffin)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl, then put in the fridge for ten minutes.

While you're waiting, combine the flour, sugar, soda and salt. Once the ten minutes are up, combine the two bowls, stir until moistened. Fill lightly greased muffin tins about 2/3 full (or use silicon liners, like I do), and bake for 17-20 minutes at 375 degrees. Test with a toothpick when done.

Makes 10-12.