Made By Melissa

For my first ever blog challenge, I chose this one, created by Nikki over at Crazy Delicious. The rules are pretty simple- she picks an ingredient and you bake whatever you want, as long as it contains that ingredient. She even picked an easy ingredient for the first round, cinnamon.

Sounds easy, right? Well, I decided to challenge myself a little more and choose another ingredient that I had not worked with to much, filo dough. I found a fabulous recipe for an apple strudel using filo, bought my ingredients and was ready to go. A large blob of apple-pecan-filo slop later, I had to change my plan. I am not sure what went wrong, and I plan to find another recipe to make with my remaining filo dough, but just could not handle attempting that damn strudel again.

Still wanting to make something I had never made before, I came across this recipe for cinnamon biscotti from Cooking Light. Success! The biscotti were light, crispy and perfect for dipping into my warm cup of tea. I plan to take the remainder of the biscotti into work with a bag of Dunkin Donuts Vanilla Spice coffee for my co-workers. I think the two together will be a very nice treat.

Be sure to visit the Master Baker Blog to see what everyone else bakes up!

Cinnamon Biscotti

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons stick margarine, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine eggs, margarine, and vanilla; stir with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 10 times. Shape dough into a 16-inch-long roll. Place roll on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; flatten to a 3/4-inch thickness. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over dough.

Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Remove roll from baking sheet; let cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut roll diagonally into 24 (1/2-inch) slices. Place, cut sides down, on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake an additional 10 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet; let cool completely on a wire rack.

I happened to be wandering around Whats Cooking? board last week when there was a post about this guy, Blake and he was giving away this stuff that he makes. Peanut Butter Dulce de Leche, to be more specific. Blake was doing a Dulce give-a-way that night, and I just happened to score a sample.

One taste and I knew I had to make something special with my little jar of peanut-caramely goodness. Hmmm, what to make…… cheesecake! So I adapted this recipe to make 2 small cheesecakes in ramekins, with a Dulce de Leche swirl. These little cheesecakes were fabulous! I heated the Dulce to make it easier to swirl, but as soon as I dropped it in to the batter, it hardened slightly, so my swirls aren’t as pretty as I would like. If I happened *winking at Blake* to come across a larger container of Dulce de Leche, I think it would work better in a large cheesecake. Honestly though, this stuff would be good on anything. Make sure you visit Blake’s website and sign up to be a Sooper Hero- then maybe you can have your very own little jar of PBDDL.

Peanut Butter Dulce de Leche Swirl Cheesecake

• 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 3 ingredients to make graham cracker crust. Press into ramekins, bake for 4-5 minutes for crust to harden slightly. Remove from oven and let cool.

Put a pot of water on to simmer for the water bath. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in sugar and vanilla. Beat in egg,  just until well blended. Pour filling into the prepared crust.  Heat the PBDDL in the microwave for about 5 seconds. Put little dollops of PBDDL all over the cheesecake, then swirl in with a toothpick. I used all of my little jar of Dulce for my 2 ramekins.

Set the ramekins in a pan. Put the pan with the cheesecake on the oven rack then slowly add boiling water to the larger pan to a depth of about 2 inches. Bake the cheesecakes for 25-30 minutes, until the middle is almost completely set. Remove from oven and let sit in the water bath for another 15 minutes to cool. Remove from water bath and cool on a rack for 45 minutes - 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator for another 2-3 hours.

When ready to serve, run a knife around the edge of the cheesecakes to loosen, invert onto a plate, then onto  the plate you want to serve them on. Garnish with peanuts.

I was looking for something low-fat to do with pork-chops, so I wandered over to the Cooking Light website to see what they had to offer. I came across this recipe, and had most of the ingredients already, so this was our dinner. These pork-chops were pretty good, I may have over cooked them a bit as they were somewhat dry. But overall a good meal, we had these with roasted broccoli and whole grain rice.

Oven-Fried Pork Chops

• 4 (5-ounce) lean center-cut loin pork chops (1/2-inch thick)
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened pineapple juice (I used the juice from a snack pack of pineapple)
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika (Omitted- did not have any)
• Cooking spray

Trim fat from chops; set chops aside. Combine next 5 ingredients in a shallow bowl; stir with a wire whisk. Combine breadcrumbs and paprika in a shallow bowl. Dip each chop into egg white mixture, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place chops on a rack coated with cooking spray; place rack in a shallow roasting pan. Back at 350 degrees for 25 minutes on each side or until done. I baked them for about 15 minutes on 1 side, then 10 on the other and they were still a little over-done.

So I have never made roasted broccoli before. I just started making roasted asparagus about a month ago, I know, where have I been! This broccoli was delicious and so simple! I can’t figure out why I was afraid to make roasted broccoli, but it will become a staple in my house from now on. I didn’t follow any particular recipe, just sort of tossed everything together and through it in the oven with my pork chops. I think I may have over-cooked it slightly, but it was delicious!

Roasted Broccoli

• 1 Head of broccoli, washed and stems removed
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Pepper

Toss broccoli and garlic with enough oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake in pre-heated oven. I baked them at 350 for about 25 minutes, since that was the temp my pork chops were at, but would probably bake them at a higher temp for less time next time. **Update** I have since made this several times and baked at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and it is perfect!

Nate LOVES Angel food cake, he requests one every year for his Birthday. He also loves all things raspberry. Typically, I either use a store-bought, or box mix angel food cake and serve it with fresh raspberries. For some reason, Angel food cake from scratch has always intimidated me, but this year I was up for the challenge. I chose this recipe from allrecipes.com. I think the key with this cake is patience, making sure the egg whites are whipped for long enough, and also taking your time to carefully fold in the dry ingredients.

Originally, I wanted to fill the cake with raspberry filling and frost it with a light frosting. However, Nate adamantly objected to a frosted Angel food cake. So I ended up cutting the cake in half, filling with the raspberry filling and replacing the top, but it just didn’t look like enough raspberry. So I thinned the filling with a little water and spread it over the top of the cake. It was not as pretty as I had hoped, but it was delicious! The raspberry filling is from wilton.com and is the same one I used in the raspberry filled cupcakes, as well as the raspberry and almond thumbprints.

Angel Food Cake

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 12 egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract ( I used 1 teaspoon)
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract ( I love the taste of almond and raspberry together)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Be sure that your 10 inch tube pan is clean and dry. Any amount of oil or residue could deflate the egg whites. Sift together the flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar, set aside.

In a large bowl, whip the egg whites along with the vanilla/almond extract, cream of tarter and salt, to medium stiff peaks. Gradually add the remaining sugar while continuing to whip to stiff peaks. When the egg white mixture has reached its maximum volume, fold in the sifted ingredients gradually, one third at a time. Do not over-mix. Put the batter into the tube pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake springs back when touched. I checked the cake after 30 minutes, and it was done. Balance the tube pan upside down on the top of a bottle to prevent decompression while cooling. When cool, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert on to a plate.

Raspberry Filling

• 1 package (16 oz.) frozen raspberries packed in sugar, thawed (I could not find this size package or raspberries packed in sugar, so I measured out 2 very full cups of plain frozen raspberries and thawed with 1/4 cup of sugar)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Drain raspberries, reserving liquid. Add enough water to liquid to equal 1 1/4 cups. In large saucepan, combine liquid, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice; mix well. Heat and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Cool completely. Stir thawed raspberries into cooled mixture.Makes about 2 cups.

I had saved the recipe for the meatballs from Amber’s Blog when she first made them last year, but honestly forgotten all about them until they made a come-back on the What’s Cooking? board recently. I thought that they would pair perfectly with Chelley’s homemade spaghetti sauce. Original meatball recipe is from Rachel Ray. I made the meatballs like Amber and baked them in the oven, but added them to the sauce for the last 5 minutes. I also added a can of drained, diced tomatoes to the sauce since I like to have a chunky sauce. We had the meatballs over spaghetti, with a salad and garlic bread. I don’t know what it is about Italian food, but I cannot eat it without garlic bread!

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

• 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup milk (or water)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh, flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese (cut into 20 - 1/2″ cubes)  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in the milk.
Add the beef, garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese, egg and 1 tsp salt to the soaked breadcrumbs and stir with a fork until combined.
Place about 2 tablespoons of mixture in your hand and press a mozzarella cube into the center. Shape the meat around the cheese, forming a ball. Repeat with remaining mozzarella.
Cook at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Chelley’s Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 28-oz. can tomato puree
• 1 28-oz. can tomato sauce
• 2.5 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• Water from rinsing extra sauce and puree from inside of cans
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 14.5-oz can chopped tomatoes, drained

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, parsley, basil, water, salt, and sugar.

Stir and lower heat to a slow simmer. This best if it’s left to simmer for at least 2 hours. This made a little to much sauce for the amount of meatballs, so I set aside about 2 cups to freeze.

These classic cookies are courtesy of the Quaker Oatmeal container. They always come out perfect- dense and chewy with just the right amount of raisins.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flower
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 cup raisins

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat margarine/butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes (I baked mine for exactly 9 minutes) or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Not quite as easy as throw-ingredients-in-crock-pot and go, there is a bit of prep work, but these pork-chops are very good. We have made this a couple times now, the first time I over cooked them and the “sauce” burnt to the bottom of my crock-pot, so I now double the sauce ingredients and have not had a problem. This recipe comes from southernfood.about.com, Carrie also has a similar recipe in her blog.

Super Easy Pork Chops

• 4 pork chops, about 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I increase to 2, but double the ingredients for a total of 4)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water to make smooth paste

Season pork chops with salt and pepper to taste. In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add pork chops and sear until nicely browned on both sides. Transfer pork chops to crock-pot. Add garlic to pan droppings and sauté until it begins to brown; stir in soy sauce, broth, sugar, and cayenne pepper.

Stir to blend; bring just to a boil. Pour sauce over the chops. Cover and cook on low until pork chops are tender, about 6 to 7 hours. My crock-pot tends to run hot, so I cook it on “warm” if it is going to be 6-7 hrs, otherwise “low” for only about 4 hours. Stir in cornstarch and water mixture until well blended. Cover and cook about 20 minutes longer. I usually just transfer the sauce to a small pot and reduce on the stove for a couple minutes until it thickens.

I was asked to make this dip for a party we were having for a co-worker who was leaving at work. This dip could not be any simpler and it is always a hit. I know there are about a million variations on Mexican layer dips out there, but this is how I make mine, based on what I like of course.

I realize the pic is not very good, but I didn’t think my co-workers would appreciate me bringing in something from home with a big scoop missing, and I did not want to take a picture at work. So you get a lovely picture of lettuce, tomato and cheese.

Mexican Layer Dip

• 1 can fat free refried beans
• 1 (16 oz) container sour cream
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 cups shredded cheese- “Mexican” blend or cheddar or colby jack
• lettuce- chopped
• tomato- chopped
• black olives- I left these off this time

Heat the beans over medium heat, season with garlic and onion powder to taste. Spread over the bottom of a 9×13 glass dish. Mix sour cream with 3/4 to entire packet of taco seasoning, depending on how “spicy” you want it. Spread sour cream over beans. Sprinkle 1 cup of the Mexican cheese over sour cream. Top with lettuce, tomato, remaining cheese and olives. Refrigerate for at least a couple hours before serving. However, if it is going to be several hours before serving, remove the seeds from the tomato to help prevent the dip from getting soggy.

Serve with tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole on the side.

This recipe is a variation off of Cooking Light’s chicken and asparagus in white wine sauce. That recipe was very similar to the chicken francaise recipe in my blog, so I made a few changes. The end result was a very good chicken dish that I will certainly be making again.

Chicken and Asparagus in Creamy White Wine Sauce

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (I increased to 1 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I increased to 4 cloves)
• 1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed (or green beans/hericots verts)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (Omitted)
• 2 tablespoons low free 1/2 and 1/2

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add wine, broth, and garlic to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes. Add asparagus; cover and cook 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender (this took more like 6 minutes for me). Remove asparagus, keep warm. Increase heat to high and simmer liquid until slightly thickened, add 1/2 and 1/2 and simmer for 2 more minutes. Return chicken to pan, stir in parsley. Serve with asparagus.