Super Easy/Fast Baked Potato Soup

I first had baked potato soup at a Black Angus restaurant near my office close to 20 years ago.  The restaurant has been gone for some time, but the memory of that soup has remained- it was THAT good!  Smooth, velvety potato soup, topped with typical baked potato toppings- yummm!  No wonder I craved it during my pregnancy with my son (who is now almost 19- yikes, where did the time go?!)   The concept is simple:  baked potatoes turned into soup, with chicken broth and cream/milk, and don't forget the toppings- cheese, sour cream, bacon, chives, herbs, the works.  Not the healthiest soup in the world, but certainly one of the tastiest!

The other night I was tired, my hubby and I had not eaten, and were both getting cranky.   A survey of the pantry turned up 3 russet potatoes that were not yet too soft to throw away, but a few days away from it.  So, I scrubbed them and threw them in the microwave.  Soup followed, and let me tell you, it did not taste like a last-ditch-before-tossing-the-potatoes soup!  It was creamy, hearty, and delicious.  And, did I mention, easy??  Oh yes, it was!  I just had to share it here.  This was about a 30 minute total, from start to finish.  Doesn't get easier than that!

Baked Potato Soup, With Toppings

Soup:
3 slices bacon, chopped
3 medium size russet potatoes
3-4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half

Toppings:
Bacon bits
Shredded cheese
Sour Cream
Chives or chopped green onions

Scrub potatoes and dry.  Prick several times with a knife or fork.  Place on a plate in microwave,  Microwave for about 10 minutes.  Check after 10 minutes and cook for additional time if needed, until potatoes are soft.  Remove from microwave and allow to cool slightly.

 Meanwhile, heat chopped bacon in a pot on medium high heat.  Cook and stir until crispy.  Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.  Drain fat from the pot and return to stove.

Slit the skins of the potatoes open and scoop potato flesh out with a spoon and add to the pot.  Discard skins.  Add chicken broth and heat on medium-high to a simmer.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Use a potato masher to mash potatoes in the broth until no large hunks remain.  Bring back up to a simmer, then add half and half, stirring in to incorporate.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with toppings as desired.

Oatmeal Pancakes With Honeyed Yogurt and Fruit

Looking back, I guess I have not posted many breakfast recipes on this blog!  I guess that's because I do breakfast pretty simply- boxed cereal, toast, or eggs, nothing too fancy. Once in awhile I'll break out the skillet to make pancakes, which are a favorite of my kids.  They are not all that healthy or nutritious, however, so we don't make them often.  Back when they were little, we established a tradition of having "breakfast for dinner" on Friday evenings.  I had toyed with an oatmeal pancake recipe back then, but never really found one that all of us liked a lot.  Recently, I started thinking about it again, so started doing some searches, and ran across a Cooking Light recipe from a few years ago that got great reviews.  I have only made it once (with some tweaks) and am already a fan!

Now, if you are looking for light, fluffy pancakes to soak up real maple syrup like little pillows of sweetness, this is not the recipe for you.  If that's what you want, then we're back to the once in awhile treat of real buttermilk pancakes.  However, if you are looking for a hearty, filling, nutritious alternative and are willing to keep an open mind, give these a try. They are denser than traditional pancakes, but not the hockey pucks that I experimented with a few years ago.  The oatmeal gives them plenty of substance, while the buttermilk helps to lighten the texture.  The original recipe is here, and my version follows.  I prefer honey as a sweetener, so have subbed half of the sugar for honey.  I also reduced the butter, and added 1/2 tsp. of vanilla, because, why not- vanilla is great in pancakes!  The yogurt/fruit topping was my own idea, and I love it- it's just sweet enough without being overly sweet, and deliciously creamy.  Use whatever fruit you like- I used thawed frozen cherries on mine.

Oatmeal Pancakes With Honeyed Yogurt and Fruit

1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tsp sugar
1.5 tsp honey
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup reduced or non-fat buttermilk
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tbsp melted butter

1. Combine all dry ingredients into a medium bowl.

2. In a small bowl, combine egg, buttermilk and butter.

3. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined.

4. Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Spoon batter onto heated skillet.  Cook pancakes about 2 minutes per side or until golden.  Remove to a plate.

Honeyed Yogurt

For each serving of pancakes, combine:

1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tsp honey

Stir together until well incorporated.

Serve pancakes topped with honeyed yogurt and fruit of choice.

Thai Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin is one of those foods that I've always thought was just ok.  I don't mind the obligatory slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but apart from a Cooking Light recipe for delicious chocolate chip pumpkin bread, I really don't cook with pumpkin much.    This time of year, pumpkin is everywhere- in lattes at every coffee shop, in muffins at the bakery, in pasta dishes, and soups.  I've tried pumpkin soup before, and it was....ok.  Nothing that I would go out of my way to have again. One thing I've seen before and never thought it sounded good was pumpkin curry.  Not sure why, but those two things just don't seem to go together.  Well, someone probably once thought that chocolate and peanut butter didn't either, but as we all know, that is the most fantastic food combination on the planet!  Since autumn is upon us, soup weather is here (or almost here), and I have an upcoming soup potluck at work, I thought I would revisit the idea of pumpkin soup.  I wanted something different though- nothing spiced with cinnamon, or that in any way reminded me of pie.  To get some ideas, I turned to one of my favorite food websites, FoodGawker.  It's like Pinterest, only JUST for food- gorgeous pictures, and everything links back to a blog or other website where you can usually find the recipe.  FoodGawker is full of pumpkin dishes right now, so there was a lot to peruse.  I saw a number of pumpkin curry soups, but one with a Thai twist caught my attention.  Thai curry is a lot different than Indian curry, and I was curious how it would pair with the pumpkin.

As it usually happens, I reviewed several recipes, but no one recipe was "it" for me, so I took components from different ones and combined them with some of my own ideas.  The result is very  flavorful and has a nice kick to it from Thai red curry paste.  I have a totally different take on pumpkin soups now, and this is one that I will make again and again!

Thai Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

Serves: About 4-6

1 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. Thai red curry paste or to taste- more if you like it spicier
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken)
2 cups pumpkin, canned or fresh roasted and mashed
1/2 cup coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Heat oil in pot and add onions, carrots and red bell pepper.  Cook 5-7 minutes until vegetables begin to soften and most liquids have evaporated.

2.  Add garlic and ginger, cook and stir one minute.  Add curry paste and stir to incorporate.  Add broth, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are completely soft.

3.  Add pumpkin and mix in well.  Puree in batches in a blender or food processor, or in the pot with an immersion blender, until smooth.

4.  Simmer 15 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in coconut milk.

This is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day, after the ingredients have had a chance to meld together.  If you make it ahead of time, add just half of the coconut milk.  Then when you reheat it, add the rest just before serving and swirl in with a spoon, for a pretty presentation.

Healthy Broccoli, Mushroom, and Cheese Potato "Skins"

In case you haven't noticed, fall is upon us, and that means football season.  I am not a football fan myself- the only football I have watched in the last couple of decades was the local high school's, and only because my son was in the marching band!  But I know that football season means football parties, and that means appetizers!  One of the most popular appetizers around is the potato skin...baked potatoes with the flesh scooped out, filled with butter, cheese, bacon, and topped with sour cream.  Holy cow, my arteries just clogged up typing that!  I have made a lazy version of this for years, in which I bake potatoes and then slice into rounds, which I then top with the typical toppings, and broil to complete.  They make great finger foods- nice little potato rounds full of everything you want on them!  Just...not very healthy, in fact, very UNhealthy.

So, I started thinking about this.  Could I use the same concept but decrease the unhealthy ingredients and up the healthier ones?  In thinking about potatoes, lots comes to mind: mostly, they are served fried, mashed with lots of fatty dairy ingredients, or topped with umpteen unhealthy toppings.  Maybe I could adjust a bit, keep some of the tasty stuff, but substitute something a bit less artery-clogging.  There are a ton of baked potato varieties out there- everything from meat lovers to vegetarian.  I have always enjoyed a broccoli-cheese topping on baked potatoes, and wondered if I could sort of twist this concept to what I had in mind.

There is a delicate balance to consider, so I couldn't omit the fat completely.  But I did reduce it quite a bit, and the result was very tasty!  This is a nice appetizer that would be great for any occasion.  Once the potatoes are baked, you just have to make the topping, and that can be made ahead of time if necessary.  There is some stove time involved, so factor that in, but it is worth it.  This is a nice, tasty, and WAY less fat-filled and greasy version of the traditional potato skin.  I would have no problem bringing this to a football party, or anywhere else for that matter.  The cheddar cheese compliments the potato and provides a bit of creamy goodness, while the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese give it a good bit of crispy/crunchy quality, as well as flavor.  If you're gluten free, go ahead and omit the bread crumbs- there will still be a tiny bit of crunch from the browned parmesan cheese.

Healthy Broccoli, Mushroom, and Cheese Potato "Skins"

The "skins" is in quotation marks because it's not just the skins.  Baked potatoes are cooled and sliced, then topped with yummy ingredients.

2 medium russet potatoes
Olive oil cooking spray
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup diced onion
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped small
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped small
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. shredded good-quality parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

1. Prick potatoes with a fork and either bake in the oven, or microwave until tender.  Set aside and cool completely.

2. Heat a skillet on medium-high with 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Add onions, cook 5 minutes until translucent.  Add broccoli and cook another 5 minutes, until just tender.  Add mushrooms and cook 3 minutes.  Add garlic, salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute.  Set aside.

3. Spray a 9x9 square pan with olive oil cooking spray.  Preheat broiler in oven.

4. Slice potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds.  Place in a single layer in prepared square pan.  Spray top of potato rounds with olive oil spray.  Broil about 5 minutes.

5.Sprinkle cheddar cheese atop potato slices evenly.  Broil about 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and barely bubbling.

6.  Top potatoes and cheese with broccoli mixture in an even layer.  Combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and sprinkle over broccoli mixture.

7.  Broil 1-2 minutes until cheese browns on top.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Hummus

Hummus is one of my favorite snack foods.  I don't remember the first time I ever tried it, but it was as an adult, probably in my 30s.  When I bought my first food processor, the very first thing I made in it was hummus- in fact, wanting to make hummus at home was the reason for buying my first food processor!  I used the recipe out of the Moosewood Cookbook, and in time, developed my own way of making it. I prefer making my own to buying hummus at the store- while there are some good brands out there, it seems like they always put cumin into it, and I really do not like cumin in hummus.  Not to toot my own horn too loudly, but I get a lot of compliments on my hummus.  My kids love it- my daughter would happily live on it if I let her.  In fact, as I have been typing this, she walked into the kitchen and asked if I would make more today, since she just finished off what was in the refrigerator.

Mine is a pretty simple recipe.  After many years of making it, I can do it without measuring anything.  It comes together pretty quickly in the food processor, and it's best to make it with time to let it sit in the fridge a few hours or overnight before serving, to let the flavors meld.  I have added other ingredients in the past- roasted red pepper, green onions, spinach, but really like the simplicity of the plain, unadorned hummus.

Hummus

2 cans garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and rinsed well
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 heaping tablespoon sesame tahini
The juice of one lemon
About 3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Water, as needed to thin

1.  Place drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, tahini and garlic in food processor.  Pulse to chop into a coarse crumble.

2.  Turn processor on low and drizzle in lemon juice and olive oil a little at a time.  Use a spatula to scrape mixture down into the bowl of the processor as necessary.

3. Taste, and add more lemon juice if necessary (if one lemon does not yield enough juice, I  supplement with bottled lemon juice)

4.  Thin with water as needed, until mixture attains a creamy consistency.

5.  Add salt and pepper and process to incorporate.  Taste and add more if necessary.

6.  Refrigerate at least a couple of hours before serving; overnight is best.  Serve with pita bread, pita chips, crackers, raw vegetables, etc.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole- Two Ways

Recently I was looking over my past entries in this blog, and I realized that I have posted a lot of pasta recipes!  Pasta is great- it's delicious, filling, fast, and if you use whole grain pasta, pretty healthy.  However, not everyone can eat pasta- those on low-carb diets, or those who are on a gluten-free diet.  We like pasta just fine at my house, though it is not the most figure-friendly food on the planet, but as I said, it's quick and easy, so ends up making an appearance at dinner frequently.

I've seen a lot about using spaghetti squash as an alternative to pasta, and my past attempts were not always that successful.  It's a texture thing- while it may LOOK like spaghetti noodles, and are fairly mild-flavored, the texture is NOTHING like pasta.  I learned early on that when cooking with spaghetti squash, it's best to use it in dishes where you are not expecting the texture of spaghetti.  Therefore, something like, say, spaghetti, is out of the question.  I have had pretty good luck with casseroles, though.  The spaghetti squash is lighter than pasta, but has enough heft and substance to provide a good structure to a casserole.  My first experiment was a casserole in which the spaghetti squash strands were mixed with ricotta and parmesan cheeses, an egg, and some sauteed veggies, mixed together, and baked.  It was tasty!  This weekend, I tried a different casserole, not one, but two ways.  I didn't plan it that way- I just ended up with more ingredients than I could use for one casserole, so whipped up a second "lazy" version with the rest!

This is a take on lasagna, and though I used ground beef, ground turkey or chicken would be equally good, and would lighten the dish even further.  I used a jarred spaghetti sauce, though a lot of the recipes I researched call for using canned or fresh tomatoes and making your own quick sauce.  I had jars of sauce in my pantry, so in the interest of time, used it.  I used what veggies I had on hand, which included zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and onion, but you can use other veggies as well.  Eggplant would be good, as would broccoli or asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, etc.  In the first version, I started with a layer of cooked spaghetti squash strands on the bottom of a 9x9 pan, then spread on a layer of ricotta/cottage cheese mixed with an egg, then topped with my sauce, which included the beef and veggies.  In the second version, everything was mixed together and plopped into the pan and baked.  Both are tasty, and next time, I might do a hybrid of these, where I mix the spaghetti squash strands with a bit of the cheese and sauce for the bottom layer, then layer as described above.

This recipe makes a lot- I probably could have done one large (9x13) pan, but did two smaller ones instead.  If you just want one smaller pan, just use half of a spaghetti squash and cut the rest of the ingredients in half.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole, Two Ways

1 average-sized spaghetti squash

1.25 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
Olive oil
1/2 of a large onion
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1/2 of a red bell pepper
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I used a roasted garlic and onion one)
1 15 oz. container of part skim ricotta cheese
About 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1 egg
About 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Optional: shredded mozzarella for top

(Side note and funny story: I did not have any mozzarella, but did have some string cheese.  I decided to slice a few of them up and sprinkle on top of the casserole, figuring they would melt together.  Um, nope!  They maintained their shape and rather rubbery texture, so I had a polka-dotted casserole top!  Hence not having any photos of this dish.  Next time I make it, I'll take photos.)

Method 1:

1.  Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray and place squash halves cut sides down.  Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes until soft.   Cool, then use a fork to shred the strands of squash out of the skins.  Set aside.

2.  Dice the onion, pepper, zucchini and yellow squash into uniformly sized pieces.  Heat a couple tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet and add vegetables.  Sautee until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Remove vegetables to a plate and set aside.

3.  Add ground beef to pan and cook, breaking it up to crumble as it cooks.  Drain excess fat and liquids.  When completely cooked, add vegetables back to pan and heat through.

4.  Add spaghetti sauce and heat through.

5.  Meanwhile, mix ricotta and cottage cheeses together in a bowl with one egg, until egg is well incorporated.

6.  Spray a 9x13 pan or two 9x9 pans with cooking spray.  Add spaghetti squash strands in an even layer about 1/2 to 1 inch thick.

7.  Spread cheese mixture over spaghetti squash.  Top with sauce.

8.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, until sauce is bubbly.  Sprinkle with parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese and bake 5 minutes more, until cheese is melted.

Method 2:

1.  Follow steps 1 through 5 above and prepare pan(s) with cooking spray.

2.  Mix spaghetti squash, cheese, and sauce together in a bowl and pour into pan.

3.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, until sauce is bubbly.  Sprinkle with parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese and bake 5 minutes more, until cheese is melted.

Open-Faced Fried Egg and Tomato Sandwich

I love tomatoes- as long as they are ripe!  Now is the perfect time for using fresh tomatoes in cooking- they just don't get better than they are right now.  This is a delicious breakfast, lunch, or light dinner, and comes together very quickly and easily.  Sometimes I add a slice of bacon and sometimes I leave it off.  Spinach or other tender greens are also good on this.

Open-Faced Fried Egg and Tomato Sandwich
Serves: 1

1 slice sourdough bread, lightly toasted and buttered
1 egg
1 slice sharp cheddar cheese
1 small ripe tomato, sliced
1 slice crisp bacon (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Heat a small frying pan and spray with cooking spray.  When hot, crack egg into pan, salt and pepper to taste, and cook to desired doneness.  Add cheese to top of egg.

2.  Place egg on top of buttered toast.  Top with bacon (if using) and tomato slices.  Salt and pepper tomato slices to taste.

Skillet Greek Chicken and Vegetables Over Couscous

It's no secret that I love Greek or Mediterranean-inspired cooking- many of the dishes I've shared here have that theme.  The flavors are so bright and vibrant- pungent garlic and onion, tangy lemon, rich tomato, briny olive, and the sharp tang of Feta cheese, when combined, make such a complex set of flavors!  This past week, I had some boneless skinless chicken breasts that I had defrosted and had some left after grilling the rest.  I decided to try a skillet dish and use all of my favorite Greek ingredients.  The result was SO tasty and delicious, I know I will be making this again and again! I used what I had on hand at the time, but when I make this again, plan to add more fresh vegetables, such as zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper and more spinach.  This would be good over rice or quinoa instead of the couscous, but I liked the couscous because it cooks so quickly- just 5 minutes.

Skillet Greek Chicken and Vegetables Over Couscous
Serves: 2-3

1 box couscous, prepared according to package directions (I used the Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil flavor from Near East)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved crosswise and cut into 2 inch pieces
Salt/pepper
Italian seasoning, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (or 1 cup fresh diced tomatoes)
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained well (water-packed, not marinated)
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese


1. Cook couscous according to directions, set aside.

2. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. 

3.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and brown on both sides.  Remove from pan and set aside.

4. Reduce heat to medium.  Add onion and garlic to pan, stir and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add chicken broth and turn heat back up to medium-high; reduce slightly.

5.  Add tomatoes and artichoke hearts and continue to cook, about 3-4 minutes.  Add chicken and heat through.

6. Add olives, spinach and additional Italian seasoning, if desired.  Toss to incorporate and heat through about 1 minute.

7.  Serve over couscous, garnished with crumbled feta cheese.

Note: If adding additional vegetables, I would use about 2 cups of uniform bite-sized, and would cook them in a bit of olive oil after removing the chicken from the pan. Then move on to step 3, adding the garlic and onion to the vegetable mixture.

Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad

Summer again, and salads abound!  This one is a nice deviation from the typical chicken-topped salad, since the other main ingredient is strawberries, something you do not normally think of pairing with chicken!  It really is delicious though.  Salad dressing does double duty here as a marinade and salad topper.  Just a few salad ingredients, but very flavorful.

Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad
Serves: 2

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, halved crosswise
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp finely minced fresh mint (optional)
4 cups torn Romaine lettuce
2 cups baby spinach leaves
Red onion slices, to taste
1 cup hulled and halved strawberries
1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Combine balsamic vinegar, water, oil, garlic, honey, and mint and whisk together.  Place 1/2 of mixture in a large ZipLock bag and add chicken; toss to coat, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.  Reserve the remainder.  After 30 to 60 minutes, remove chicken from marinade and grill.  Cool and slice into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine Romaine lettuce, spinach, onion, and strawberries.  Drizzle reserved dressing and toss gently.  Add chicken and sprinkle with Feta cheese.

Kale and Vegetable Chopped Salad With Chicken

It's almost New Year's, and you know what that means...all those well-meaning resolutions like exercising and eating healthy.  Yes, I'd love to lose a few (or more) pounds myself, and eating healthy is a lot easier than resolving to exercise more, which I hate to do!  This is a salad that I whipped up today, and it turned out to be really delicious in addition to super healthy.  I found this bag of Lacinato Tuscan kale at Safeway this week and had to try it.  Lately, I've been seeing a lot of leafy greens made more available in the stores, and that is great to see!  I sometimes buy a big bag of baby kale at Costco, but there is so much in the bag that I always end up throwing some away.  Safeway now has smaller bags of different kind of greens- I saw collards, mustard greens, and chard in addition to the kale.  I will be trying the others soon, but decided to start with the kale since I am familiar with it.

This is a good "clean out the crisper" salad- you can use whatever veggies you have available.  I used what I had, which included broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, carrots and radishes, but just about any veggie that you would eat raw would be good here.  I actually grilled the onions and zucchini, since I was grilling the chicken anyway, but they'd be fine in the salad uncooked.  You can use chicken that is left over from last night's dinner, or even canned chicken or tuna instead of grilled chicken, but I like to grill a few chicken breasts to use in salad for the next few days.

Here's to eating healthy in the New Year!

Kale and Vegetable Chopped Salad With Chicken

4 cups greens (kale, spinach, chard, etc.), washed and roughly chopped
About 3 cups chopped vegetables of your choice.  I used: carrots, radishes, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, green onions, and orange bell pepper.  I chopped mine to about 1/2 pieces.
1 cup or so of diced cooked chicken (lightly marinated in Italian salad dressing for about 10 minutes prior to grilling)
About 3-4 tbsp light/low-cal salad dressing (I used Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinegar dressing)
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

Combine greens, vegetables, and chicken.  Drizzle on dressing and toss well to incorporate.  Sprinkle with feta cheese.

This salad can be made ahead when you use hardy greens like kale or chard, because they stand up well to the dressing and don't wilt like lettuce does.  Just make sure to use a variety of kale that is tender- some, like the standard curly variety that can be found in the bulk greens section of the grocery store, are a bit tough for salads.  Baby kale or lacinato are crisp but still tender.

Serves: About 4 large or 6 small servings

Grilled Tomato, Arugula and Goat Cheese Sandwich

I am bad...yes, I know.  Apparently I am on an every 6 months posting schedule here.  It was my intention to get back into posting my recipes on a regular basis, but life has been busy, so what can I say?  Maybe someday I will have more than a few short minutes when dashing off a quick dinner before having to haul a kid to dance class or a friend's house or whatever.  I've come to the conclusion, since I have two teenagers in the house, that that won't be any time soon.  So, I'm letting   myself off the hook, giving myself permission to just do what I can do, post when I can post.

An entire season has come and gone since I last posted- summer officially ended yesterday, and today is the first day of fall.  That is apparent when I look outside, and see overcast skies, the wind in the trees, and the leaves beginning to color and fall.  But we're in that in-between stage, when summer isn't really gone yet- I can still go out and walk the dog without a sweater on, still need my sunglasses when I leave the house, and summer produce is still in abundance at the farmer's market.  Actually, the tomatoes are JUST now getting good- they didn't even appear at the markets until mid-August or so.  I have not always been a fan of tomatoes.  As a kid, they made me gag, literally, and I was made to eat them in salads daily.  As I grew up, I discovered that some tomatoes are better than others, namely, those that grow locally and are ripened on the vine.  There is no comparison between these tomatoes and their imported supermarket half-cousins.  I have come to a point in my life where I don't care to eat mediocre foods if I can help it. Therefore, I strive for those that are local, and in season.  Right now, tomatoes fit both of those categories, and I enjoy them while I can..  They are plentiful at the farmer's markets, produce stands, and the back yards of home gardeners.  Sadly, that is not me this year. I did not get my act together enough to get to the nursery in the spring to buy young plants to put in my back yard garden. That would require weeding first, which is such a job that I could not fit it into the schedule in the spring.  So, I have had to rely on markets, stands, and the odd donation from a gardening friend.  Recently, I lucked out- a friend from work had a plethora of tomatoes, and brought me a small bag.  I enjoyed a couple as slicers, raw with salt and pepper only, or broiled slightly with a bit of cheese on top.  Both are delicious ways to enjoy a fresh summer tomato.  But I had visions of a sandwich, and once conceived, I had to make it happen.  I was not disappointed, and you won't be either.  Trust me: MAKE THIS SANDWICH.  It is the essence of summer on a plate.

This time of year, basil is also plentiful, and if you have enough, you can make your own pesto from scratch.  I have yet to grow a basil plant that is not devoured by some unknown insect, so I buy my pesto already made at Costco.  It is very reasonably priced, and delicious, but if you have your own homemade, use that.  Goat cheese can also be found at Costco- I buy mine in two logs that come packaged together, also very reasonably priced.  I love Costco..except when I have to actually be there shopping, lol.

Grilled Tomato and Goat Cheese Sandwich

I am the only one in my house who will eat tomatoes.  Therefore, this recipe is for one sandwich.  Feel free to increase ingredients as needed to make more.

Ingredients:

2 slices sourdough bread
2 tsp prepared pesto
1/8 cup soft goat cheese
1 small (racquet ball size) fresh ripe tomato, sliced
Several arugula leaves (or spinach, if you can't find arugula)
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil cooking spray

1.  Spray skillet with a thick coat of olive oil cooking spray, and heat on medium-high heat.

2.  Spread each bread slice with 1 tsp of pesto.

3.  Microwave goat cheese for about 15-20 seconds to soften. When soft and spreadable, spread half onto each bread slice, over the pesto.

4.  On one bread slice, lay tomato slices in an even layer.  Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

5.  On the other bread slice, lay arugula/spinach evenly.

6.  Put sandwich together.  When pan is hot, lay in heated pan.  Grill until golden brown, then turn, adding more cooking spray if necessary.  Grill until golden brown on second side.

Pureed Roasted Vegetable Soup

Two posts in a week- well, since I've been absent for the last 7 months, it's the least I can do!  I mentioned in my last post that I had a lot of veggies to use up, and had made two pans of roasted vegetables with some of them. I love roasted veggies- roasting brings out their flavor in a way that no other cooking method does, really concentrates it, and seems to make it richer somehow.  Believe it or not, roasted broccoli is one of my 12 year old daughter's favorite foods- yes, no joke!  It is so easy to roast vegetables too...just toss in oil, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, and roast at a high temperature until barely tender and beginning to brown. They are so versatile too- they can be eaten as-is for a side dish, tossed in salads, or, as is the case with this recipe,made into a lovely pureed soup.

I wish that I could take credit for this soup, or even the idea for it, but I can't.  I belong to a wonderful community of working mothers, and one of my friends there posted this on the cooking forum there a few years ago.  It's not really a specific recipe, but more of a guide.  Roasted vegetables are simmered in broth until tender, then pureed and seasoned, and voila- soup!  It really is that simple- however, as I have found, the vegetables used do matter in the end product.  Pureeing vegetables does not necessarily produce an attractive result- the more green vegetables used, the more muddy and putrid the color of the soup, and however delicious the taste, it may not be so appealing to eat.  So keep that in mind when roasting your veggies, if you are doing so with a mind to use the leftovers for this soup.  Another thing I have found is that it is absolutely necessary to have tomatoes in the mix.  Fortunately I did this time- I had purchased some baby heirlooms at Trader Joe's a couple weeks back and needed to use them up, and they were a delicious addition.  Good tomatoes are not that plentiful this time of year though, so if you can't find good fresh ones, use some canned diced or stewed tomatoes, drained of course.  Add them to the broth with the roasted veggies, and they will provide a tangy zing that you wouldn't get otherwise in the soup.  One last thing- beans!  In this soup, I included some leftover roasted garbanzo beans that I had in the fridge, but you can use whatever you have- they provide protein and fiber, not to mention a nice creamy consistency.  I also like to throw in a couple of cloves or garlic.  The flavor mellows when it's simmered in the soup, but provides a nice flavor in the final product.  Salt and pepper are really the only seasoning necessary, but feel free to add fresh herbs of your choice for additional flavor.

For my soup, my roasted veggies consisted of: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, asparagus, brussels sprouts, and baby heirloom tomatoes.  I went heavier on the carrots and cauliflower than the green veggies, so that the color would not be unappealing.  Use vegetables that will roast well together- you don't necessarily want to use something like zucchini here, as it will cook much faster than the rest of the veggies.  For serving, I like to make homemade croutons with thin slices of french baguette brushed with a little olive oil, broiled until just toasted, and then add some fresh grated parmigiano reggiano and broil until just melted.  Serve the soup with a couple of croutons and extra bread for mopping up the last dregs in the bowl.  It is THAT good.

Pureed Roasted Vegetable Soup
Serves 4-6

4 cups roasted vegetables
4 cups chicken broth
1-2 cups water
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt/pepper to taste

Parmesan croutons:

French baguette slices
Olive oil
Grated fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1.  In a large pot, combine veggies, broth, water and garlic.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until vegetables are tender enough to puree.

2.  Using a stick blender, or in batches in a food processor, puree soup until smooth.

3.  For croutons, brush baguette slices with olive oil and broil until they barely begin to brown.

4.  Top with cheese and and broil about 1 minute longer until cheese melts and begins to brown.

5.  Serve soup with croutons.

Finally Back! Shaved Root Vegetable Salad With Scallions

I'm back- yes, it has been a long time since I last posted in August!  The only excuse/explanation I have is that life got busy with kids gearing up to start school, then the holidays, and the next thing I know, here we are, 7 months later and halfway through the school year!  I know I never did finish my 3-part series on zucchini, and it's just as well- there I got tired of it myself, and besides that, I already posted my favorites here.  So, I am trying to get back on the bandwagon.  Cooking, yes, and documenting.  Call it a late New Year's resolution.

So, it's March, and this part of the world is only just beginning to wake up from the dead of winter.  I was out for a walk yesterday, and the promise of spring is out there- buds on trees, bulb shoots sprouting from the cold ground, and warmer (if only slightly) temperatures.  Here in Oregon, it will be another month at least until spring can be declared officially arrived, and it will be awhile yet after that before we see the results of that on the grocery store shelves.  Whatever faint signs we see of spring now, we are still deep in winter when it comes to available produce.  This last month has been difficult, as prices for most foods have increased sharply, and I have felt it the hardest in the produce department.  Broccoli, which I usually buy for between $1.79 and $1.99 per pound, is up to $2.79 per pound.  Even celery, usually a good, cheap staple, was twice as much last time I was at the store than it usually is!  Don't even get me started on lettuce....no way can I fathom paying $2.59 for a skinny head of romaine lettuce.  As such, salads are NOT happening much at my house these days!  Well, not green salads, anyway.  I have a nice winter salad to share today that is all at once seasonal, tasty, and economical, as well as a little bit different.

 

 

This salad is adapted from this Shaved Rutabega and Turnip Salad with Scallions from Fine Cooking magazine, posted on the Bitten Word blog a few weeks ago.  I love these guys!  They cook recipes they find in cooking magazines and then blog about them, giving honest reviews and occasionally suggestions on how to make them better.  After seeing that blog post, I picked up a turnip on impulse one day at the grocery store, but nixed the rutabega because, well, I don't know why.  Except maybe because turnips are prettier.  They taste fairly similar to me, and I didn't want a glut of them, so just got the one turnip.  And there it sat in my fridge, until clean-out day came this past weekend.  I had gone to Costco and the grocery store and loaded up on goodies, so took out all of my produce and spread it out on the counter to see what needed to be used most urgently before it went bad.  That'll teach me to shop more carefully- turns out that I had a TON of broccoli!  I bought ahead, fearing another price hike, then hit a big sale where it was actually back down to its regular price, so bought more at that price, and ended up with way too much.  So I made a broccoli soup and two pans of roasted veggies, some of which I used in a nice couscous salad.  But I digress. There was this turnip, staring me in the face as if to say "you've had me for nearly a month- when is it going to be MY TURN???"  Remembering the salad from the BW blog, I set about to make a similar salad with what I had.  I found a largeish carrot and a handful of big radishes, and figured I'd make a take-off of the Fine Cooking recipe.  I used a vegetable peeler to shave paper-thin slices of the turnip and carrot, and a regular knife to slice the radishes as thinly as possible.  The rest of the salad came together very easily: a simple dressing of mustard, rice wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of chopped scallions.  The result is a delicately crunchy raw vegetable salad with a bright, tangy flavor, a nice departure from the typical heavier taste of braised or roasted vegetables.

The only thing I would do differently again is to do a better job measuring my ingredients.  I tend to eyeball things, and as such, sometimes get it wrong.  I substituted stone-ground mustard for the dijon that the recipe called for, and that was fine...but I used too much.  I also added too much of the chopped scallions, which were very  strong to begin with. The delicate flavors of the root vegetables were a bit overpowered by both the mustard and scallions.  I still enjoyed this salad, but now that I know what a delicate balance it is between the vegetables and dressing, I will more carefully measure next time.

 

 

Shaved Root Vegetable Salad With Scallions

Adapted from Fine Cooking, via the Bitten Word Blog

1 medium turnip, peeled
1 large carrot, peeled
About 6-8 large radishes
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp stone ground mustard
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Slice turnip in half.  Use vegetable peeler or mandoline to shave paper-thin slices from the cut ends.  When you reach the point when you can't shave any more without also shaving off your fingertips, place the turnip piece on the cut edge on a cutting board and continue to shave slices off until you have sliced as much of the turnip as possible.  Use a knife to thinly slice the remainder.

2.  Shave thin strips from the carrot in about 2 inch sections.

3.  Slice radishes in half and then slice as thinly as possible with a knife.

4.  Combine shaved vegetables in a large bowl.

5.  Whisk together vinegar, mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Pour over vegetables.  Add sliced scallions and toss to incorporate well.

6.  Serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold.

Zucchini Part 3: Rosemary Zucchini Soup

Yes, it's another soup recipe.  Yes, I'm aware that it's now August.  Sorry!  But you know, soup is good any time of year, really.  It doesn't have to be piping hot to be good.  And this soup- is GOOD.  I got this recipe from Epicurious several years ago, when I had way too much zucchini going on in the garden.  It was something different, and I appreciated that, and still do!  This soup is good enough to make even if you are not overrun by zucchini.  It is light and simple and very flavorful.  Summer in a bowl, this is.

Rosemary Zucchini Soup, Adapted from Epicuirious.com

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium-large zucchini, diced
1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 quart chicken broth, plus water if necessary
salt/pepper to taste

1.  Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

2.  Add garlic and rosemary and continue to cook about 1 minute more.

3.  Add chicken stock and potato and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and add zucchini.  Simmer until tender, 10-15 minutes, adding water if necessary.

4.  Blend with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor, and return to pot.  Heat to a simmer, and add water, if necessary, and salt and pepper to taste.

The original Epicurious recipe has some croutons and fried zucchini as a garnish, but I usually do not bother with that- I don't have time.  Honestly, this soup is quite flavorful as it is, and though it is yummy with the additions (which I have tried before), it doesn't need them to be good.

So, have we had enough zucchini recipes yet???  I still have a couple more!  I'm on vacation for the next week, so I'll see what I come up with after that.  But in the meantime, if anyone has a burning desire to make baked zucchini fritters or a Greek-style chopped salad with zucchini, let me know- I think I can help!

Zucchini, Part II- Italian Turkey Meatloaf

Well, this post was supposed to be a salad recipe, but my husband decided to take my camera on a day trip to Mt. Hood with the kids, so I can't shoot any photos of it!  Arghhh!  Well, lucky that I already have some pics of the lovely Italian turkey meatloaf that I made yesterday- I *might* forgive him in the next week (or 2)!

I love meatloaf- grew up with it, probably ate it at least once a week for many years.  However, in this day and age, I don't cook with ground beef too much- I have substituted ground turkey or chicken for a lot of dishes that I once made with ground beef.  Meatloaf, though, has been an exception....it has been difficult to make a turkey meatloaf that meets the standards of a regular beef one in terms of not only flavor, but also texture.  Recently, I was browsing the Foodgawker site, and happend to see a turkey meatball recipe that caught my eye, because it contained ricotta cheese.  The recipe promised a moist, tender texture to the meatballs, so I figured, why not try it with meatloaf?  The verdict:  GREAT idea!  It really helps the turkey to retain moisture and tenderness, without compromising the stability of the meat.  I will definitely use this again!

This is kind of a standard meatloaf recipe, other than the fact that it uses ground turkey instead of ground beef.  I used 93% lean ground turkey, rather than the ground turkey breast (which is 99 % lean) because, well, this is meatloaf.  It needs some fat.  I went with an Italian theme, because as previously noted, I have lots of zucchini to get rid of, and this was a good use of it.  And honestly, you don't even notice it in this dish.  I have made Italian meatloaves before, and usually in those, I use jarred spagetti sauce in place of ketchup.  Here, instead, I used tomato paste, along with the usual Italian spices, to balance the moisture brought by the ricotta.  You only want to go so far with moisture in a meatloaf- otherwise, you have meatmush.  This produces a tender, moist, flavorful, and light meatloaf.  You can always play with the herbs and spices to change it up a bit, if you want.

Italian Meatloaf

Serves about 8

1/2 onion, chopped
1 package ground lean turkey (93% lean)
1 zucchini, shredded, pressed through a strainer/colander to remove water
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 cup jarred spaghetti sauce


1.  Sautee onion in 1 tbsp. vegetable oil until soft.

2. Place ground turkey in a mixing bowl.  Add zucchini, ricotta, 1/4 cup parmsean, onion (cooled), and egg, and mix to incorporate.  Add seasonings, tomato paste, and bread crumbs and mix well.

3. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.  Place meat mixture on sheet and form into a loaf.

4.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 180 degrees at deepest point.

5.  Pour spaghetti sauce over the top of the meatloaf.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  Bake for additional 5-10 minutes.

6.  Remove from oven and cool.  Slice and serve.

Zucchini, Zucchini Everywhere, Part 1

I have a garden.  It's a rather messy garden, because while I like the part where you plant stuff and harvest it, I'm not a big fan of what comes in between- namely, the weeding.  With the warm, wet beginning of summer that we had, it's like a jungle out there!  Part of me had given up- I was feeling a bit dejected because less than half of the green bean seeds I planted came up, so I haven't even bothered to go out there and check things out much.  I finally started seeing some color on the tomato plants though, so late last week, I ventured out there to pick a few of the little orange cherry tomatoes that had suddenly ripened.  I was pretty surprised to see a fully grown zucchini on the nearest zucchini plant, ready to be picked!  I planted two zucchini plants and one yellow squash, and the zucchini plants have really grown fast.  The yellow squash plant does not get as much sun, so it is slower going there.  So I've had this one zucchini on my counter for a couple of days, and finally this morning I diced and cooked it up with some onion to have with breakfast alongside my fried egg and toast.  Whew, I thought- so glad to have used that up before it went bad!

Then I stepped outside to water the garden, and to my astonishment, there were 5 MORE zucchini ready for picking!  Funny how it happens all at once, isn't it?!  So my challenge today was to use as much of the zucchini as I could, so that I was not faced with the task of trying to cook that much zucchini during the week.  I managed to use 3 of them, so that's not too bad!

So what did I do with these lovelies?

Well, I did several things, and as such, it is going to take me more than one post to document it all!  So this is Zucchini, Part 1.  Stay tuned for more later!

Italian Egg Bake

This was SO easy.  I managed to clean out my crisper a bit for this dish too, and used up some random onion pieces and a few mushrooms that were nearing their use-by date.  This is so simple to make, I won't even bother with a recipe- just a method of putting it all together.  This is so yummy, and bursting with fresh veggies and Italian flavors.

1.  Shred one zucchini.  Put in a colander over a bowl and salt liberally, tossing to mix in the salt.  Leave for 20 minutes or so.  Press water out of the zucchini through the colander and set aside.

2.  Sautee some chopped onions and mushrooms in a bit of oil or butter until soft.  Add zucchini for the last couple of minutes of cooking, tossing to incorporate all the veggies.

3.  In a bowl, crack 6 eggs and beat.  Stir in 1/2 lowfat cottage cheese and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, a few fresh basil leaves chopped, and a clove of garlic, finely minced.  Add cooled veggies and stir to incorporate.  Pour into a 9x9 square pan sprayed with nonstick baking spray.

4.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with a tablespoon or 2 more parmesan cheese and put back into oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before cutting into 3x3 squares.

This crustless quiche is really tender and flavorful, and omitting the crust makes it a lot healthier too!  You could reduce the fat by replacing half of the whole eggs with 2 egg whites for each whole egg.  I know the cottage cheese may seem like a strange ingredient, but trust me- it melts right into the dish and you don't even know it's there, and it contributes to the tender, delicate texture of this dish.  Garnish with fresh basil if you want- mine was fresh right out of my garden!

Stay tuned for Part 2, and possibly Part 3 as well- I have no idea what other lengths I will have to go to to use up all this squash!

Summer Chicken and Grilled Corn Chowder

Ok.  I know.  Soup...in JULY??  Especially when most of the country has been dealing with 100+ degree temps for the last week plus??

Yeah, sorry.  Here in the Pacific NW, the summer has not been so harsh.  (Yet.)  Don't quote me, because in a couple of weeks I will probably be cursing myself for being so smug.  Yes, our warmest day so far was yesterday, which was about 90.  Really not so bad, by comparison.  I grew up where it routinely got to be 105 or more in the summer...with no central A/C.  So, yeah, this is still pretty livable (so far.)

Anyway.  Last week was the Fourth of July.  We spent the holiday with friends barbequing, hanging out, and doing fireworks in their cul-de-sac.  We potluck most years to their house, and this year I got off easy- a veggie tray with dip, some soda, and a dessert.  So I went to the store on the 4th for the veggies.  Holy cow, was it busy!!  While strolling through the produce section, I noticed the 6/$1 corn sale.  I had no plans to bring corn to the barbeque, but we all like corn, so I took advantage and bought 6 ears for $1.  I grilled some of it over this past weekend for dinner, but was left with 3 ears after that, just languishing in my kitchen.  Yesterday (Sunday) was fridge clean-out day, and I was faced with what to do with these last 3 ears of corn.  I decided to throw them on the grill, and figure out the rest later.

Later came today.  It's Monday...back to work, and I'm too tired to make a complicated dinner night.  Hubby took the kids out to grab dinner and a movie, and I pondered the grilled corn, as well as some other stray fridge ingredients, wondering if I could conjur up something out of them into something special...or at the very least, edible.  The answer, it turns out, was surprisingly simple.  This soup showcases fresh grilled corn, with a backdrop of creamy potatoes and a subtle hint of chicken.  The chicken is not the centerpiece here- that belongs to the corn, as it rightly deserves.  The chicken is just barely there, to provide a little structure and substance to an otherwise light, summery soup, making it seem more like a meal than a snack.  The flavor that comes from the grilled corn cannot be faked, so don't even think about substituting frozen or canned corn here- you will not get the same delicious results.  This is a light, yet substantial soup that delivers the essence of summer, right to your tastebuds.

To grill corn on the cob, remove husks and corn silk.  Wrap in foil and grill over a medium flame, turning occasionally, for 20 minutes.  Unwrap and cool, then cut corn from cobs.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Summer Chicken and Grilled Corn Chowder

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
 About 3 cups grilled fresh corn, cut from cob
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 carton (32 oz) chicken broth
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste
chopped chives for garnish (optional)

1.  Heat vegetable oil in a large pot.  Add onions and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.

2.  Add corn and heat through.  Move vegetables to the side, and add chicken to the middle of the pot.  Brown chicken on one side, then turn and brown on the other.

3.  Add chicken broth and potatoes.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

4.  Remove chicken from soup and set aside.  Using a hand-held blender, blend soup for just a few seconds at a time.  You don't want to puree the soup, just blend it a bit so that there are still whole pieces of corn and potatoes. 

5.  Shred chicken with a fork, and return to the soup and stir in.

6.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in half and half.

7.  Serve in bowls topped with chopped chives.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

 Well, I was not going to post this on this blog, because honestly, there's nothing healthy, easy, or particularly "common sense" about it.  However, not everything in life has to be, right?  And your son only turns 16 years old once, and if he happens to share your affinity for chocolate/peanut butter desserts, you are well-justified in making something like this (and blogging about it) once in awhile.

And also, my friend Jill asked me to share the recipe after I posted pictures on Facebook.  So, this is for you, Jill!

 I researched a ton for this cake.  I knew exactly what I had in mind for it, and I couldn't find any one recipe that was "it" for me.  So, as I usually do with these things, I combined elements from different recipes to make what I wanted it to be.  I also did not make the cake from scratch- I went for convenience, and used a boxed cake mix.  It was still really darned good!  This cake is incredibly rich.  It was so heavy, I had to weigh it, and it was over 6 pounds!  Make sure to cut thin slices of this to serve.  I gave generous slices of this to three teenaged boys, and they all complained that they could hardly finish them.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Birthday Cake

Cake:
1 box devil's food cake mix and ingredients included on package directions
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Mix cake mix according to package directions.  Stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips.

2. Bake according to package directions in two 9" round cake pans.

3.  Cool 10 minutes in pans, then remove cake from pans and allow to cool completely on wire racks.  (I refrigerated mine to speed up the cooling process.)

Filling:
1.5 cup creamy good quality peanut butter, NOT natural or reduced fat
4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup heavy cream (plus more if necessary)

4.  Mix peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer in a large bowl until it resembles coarse crumbs.

5.  Add cream and mix until it is a thick, fudgy consistency.

6.  Spray a 9" round cake pan with nonstick spray.  Press peanut butter mixture into the bottom of the pan, smoothing to the edge of the pan bottom .

7.  Freeze for 30 minutes.

Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature (softened)
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tbsp heavy cream, or enough to achieved desired consistency

8. In a large bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and confectioner's sugar.  Mix with an electric mixer until it resembles coarse crumbs.

9.  Add 1 tbsp of cream at a time and continue to mix, until frosting is soft and creamy and at the desired consistency.

Chocolate Ganache:
4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

10.  Place chips in a heatproof bowl and set aside.

11.  Heat cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer.

12.  Remove from heat and immediately pour over chocolate chips in the bowl.  Allow to sit for 1 minute.

13.  Whisk mixture with a wire whisk until smoothe.

Topping:
15 mini Reese's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, coarsly chopped
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Cake Assembly:

14.  Place one cake round on cake platter upside down.

15.  Remove pan of peanut butter filling from freezer.  Add about 1 inch of warm water to a shallow pan, and put pan of peanut butter filling in it.  Allow to sit about 1 minute to loosen the filling.

16.  Run a knife or rubber spatula around the edge of the filling to loosen from pan, and pry up gently to pop it out of the pan in once piece.

17.  Place filling on cake layer, then add the other cake layer on top of the filling, right side up.

18.  Frost cake with peanut butter frosting.

19.  Prepare ganache.  Pour over the top of the frosted cake.  Use a rubber spatula to gently spread the ganache to the edges of the cake so that it drips down over the sides.

20.  Sprinkle chopped peanut butter cups and chips over the top.