Black and White Pinwheel Cookies

I have had a huge sweet tooth the past few days. Pretty sure I can blame it on the fact that is it almost Halloween and there is candy around every single corner. I also want to make tons of pumpkin bread, cookies, and/or muffins. You know what though? There are times when you have to indulge, otherwise you would feel miserable and unsatisfied. I find myself indulging a lot though. ;) Shh don't tell my calorie budget for the day. 

I realize now I put both powdered and regular sugar out when all you need is powdered! Opps

Dental floss is your friend when slicing soft dough. 

I wasn't expecting the chocolate to puff up like that, but I love the way these came out! So cute, and yummy!

I made these for someone awesome across the ocean! 

Black and White Pinwheel Cookies
adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
Vanilla Dough:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons ice water

Chocolate Dough:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons ice water

Directions:

1. To prepare vanilla dough, combine carefully measured 1 1/4 cups flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk. Place 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 egg yolk in a medium bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons ice water over surface of dough while mixer is on; beat just until moist. (Dough will be slightly crumbly.) Press dough into a 4 in. circle on plastic wrap; cover and chill 1 hour or until firm.
2. To prepare chocolate dough, combine carefully measured 3/4 cup flour, cocoa, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk. Place 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 egg yolk in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually add cocoa mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Sprinkle 2 tablespoon ice water over surface of dough while mixer is on; beat until just moist. Press dough into a 4 in. circle on plast ic wrap; cover and chill 1 hour or until firm. 
3. Lay plastic wrap on a damp surface. Unwrap and place chilled vanilla dough on plastic wrap. Roll into 12x8in. rectangle. Do the same with the chocolate dough. Place on top of vanilla dough; roll up tightly starting with a long side. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill until very firm. 
4. Preheat oven to 375º.
5. Using unscented floss, cut the chilled log into 1/2 slices. Place slices on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375º for 10 minutes. Cool on pan for 5 minutes, then move to wire racks to cool completely. 

Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

As much as I love cooking at home, I love going out to eat. Those nights when we get dressed up and have a nice meal with a glass of wine. Of course, I could do all that at home but it's not the same! I even like those lazy days when we just go to our favorite burrito or sub sandwich place. Just the fact that I don't have to cook sometimes, but I still get a delicious meal.

This recipe is from one of my favorite restaurants in downtown Seattle. We went for dinner on New Years Eve a few years ago and we ordered this plate by recommendation. Now I love spicy foods, and I was not expecting this dish to have such a kick. It didn't kill the flavor of the pasta, but really enhanced it. When I found this recipe I just had to make it. It has been a long time since I have been to this restaurant, and I didn't see going anytime in the near future. Of course it wasn't exactly the same, although surprisingly the recipe was really close to the restaurants dish. I did make a few alterations to "slim" it down a little, but it did bring back great memories of delicious times at one of my favorite food places!
 



If you want a little less of a kick, feel free to use the red pepper flakes to your taste.



The recipe called for more oil, but I took it down a little. I think there could have been less oil either way. Next time I will probably use a few tablespoons less than what I put in.

Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

adapted from Buca Di Pepos

Ingredients:
1/4 cup oil
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes, plus additional for garnish
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
6 oz chicken, sliced
1 1/2 cup three cheese marinara sauce
1/4 cup peas
1 lbs rigatoni pasta, cooked according to package and drained

Directions:

1. In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper, and garlic; saute just long enough for garlic to caramelize and red pepper to release flavor in oil. Add sliced chicken and saute briefly to coat in spices and garlic. 
2. Add sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce thickens slightly and chicken is throughly cooked. Turn off heat, add peas and incorporate into sauce.
3. Drop cooked pasta in boiling water for 3 seconds. Let drain for 15 seconds. Toss with sauce. Place pasta and sauce in serving bowl, reserving the majority of the chicken to be placed on top of the pasta. Using a spatula, scrape any remaining sauce from the pan to the pasta. Garnish with crushed red pepper and serve.

Serves 8.
Nutrition: Calories 408; Fat 18g; Carb 47g; Cholesterol 30mg; Protein 15g; Fiber 3g

Quick & Healthy Stuffed Crescent Rolls

Today is a perfect fall day. The rain and clouds have come back to the Pacific Northwest and the trees are a beautiful orange and red. Days like this make me want to stay home and not leave. Just grab a steaming cup of apple cider and a book. This recipe is a great leftovers recipe. You could really put just about anything into this. I had some meatballs left over from the Guilt Free Spaghetti and Meatballs dinner I made a few nights before. Then I found a canister of crescent rolls. That was when my hungry mind had to get creative. I thought this would make for a quick and tasty dinner. 

If you don't have leftover meatballs just sitting in your fridge, just do a little digging for anything that looks good. Throw in as much cheese, veggies, deli meat...whatever you want. This is a great quick weeknight dinner or fall day meal when you just don't want to leave the house. :)

These were my chosen ingredients for the filling. I used meatballs I made a few days before and just a few other things I found in my kitchen. You could really use just about anything!

They do make crescent rolls without the seams, but this was all I had. If you get this kind, make sure to pinch the seams shut after you roll it up. 

Stuffed Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

1 can pre-made crescent rolls

Your choice of filling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Take out crescent rolls keeping two triangles attached, so you have two rectangles. Using a little bit of flour, roll out each rectangle to 1/2in. thick. 
3. Place each rectangle on a lined baking sheet top with your choice of toppings. (I used meatballs, onions, and cheese. You could use ham, turkey, cheese, peppers, etc) Carefully roll dough, pinching together any seams that may break.
4. Bake according to package directions; about 10-11 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Serves 2

Southwest Lasagna Rolls

Oh man this week has been a tough one. I have been feeling some kind of sick almost everyday and it lead to three full days of fever, stuffy nose, and nausea. Yesterday was our first year wedding anniversary and I was laying in bed all day with a pile of tissue on my night stand; and nothing but soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As much as I would have loved to have my husband home, I'm happy he didn't have to see me in all my glorified sickness. Not the prettiest thing in the world I'm sure. Being sick also keeps me from the kitchen. Which is not good when all I want to do is bake lots of muffins and cookies; all with pumpkin in them of course. I can not wait to get over this sickness, whatever it is, and get back to making delicious fall comfort food. 

This recipe was simple and so delicious. It had a warm, not too spicy, flavor with the perfect blend of cheese, chilies, and beans. Definitely something that can be made ahead of time and baked when ready to eat!

Southwest Lasagna Rolls
from tasteofhome Guilt Free Cooking

Ingredients:
1 can (15oz) fat-free vegetarian chili
1 carton (15 oz) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa

Direction:

1. In a large bowl, combine the chili, cheeses, chilies, taco seasoning and salt. Spread about 1/2 cup on each noodle; carefully roll up. Place seam side down in a 13inx9inx2in baking dish coated with cooking spray. 
2. Cover and bake at 350º for 25 minutes. Uncover; top with salsa. Bake 10 minutes longer or until heated through. 

Serves 8

Nutrition: (1 roll) Calories 259; Fat 6g; Cholesterol 23mg; Carb 31mg; Fiber 6g; Protein 15g

Grilled Peaches with Frozen Yogurt

I have always wanted to do a grilled fruit recipe. One day near the end of summer I couldn't take it anymore and just had to grill up some peaches. It was a little chilly that day so I pulled out my cast iron grill pan. In just a few minutes I had some beautifully caramelized peaches that were tender and juicy. The frozen yogurt instantly starts to melt from the heat of the peaches and the toasted coconut adds a sweet texture to each bite. While toasting the coconut my house smelled so good! If I could toast those babies every night I would. This is definitely something everyone has to try. Even if it's snowing outside, pull out a grill pan and get grilling! Totally worth it. :)

Grilled Peaches with Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:

3 peaches, cut in half

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes

1 1/2 cups frozen yogurt

1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat grill to high.
2. Brush peaches with oil. Grill until tender. 
3. Plate 2 halves with a scoop of frozen yogurt and garnish with coconut flakes.

Serves 3.

Nutrition: (2 peach halves and 1/2 cup frozen yogurt) Calories 154; Fat 4g; Carb 28g; Cholesterol 0mg; Protein 4g; Fiber 2g

Guilt Free Spaghetti and Meatballs

I have been hesitant to make meatballs for this blog because I know someone that can make the best ones ever. My husband is good at looking at what we have in the kitchen and just throwing things together. One day we wanted meatballs and he just threw in spices that we had with some bread crumbs and eggs. They were juicy and spicy! So yummy. For some reason we didn't write down what he threw into the mixture, so I was left to either make up my own or just try a brand new recipe. I found this recipe in one of my many cookbooks and I decided to give it a go. The one part I was interested in was the bread chunks. I am familier with meatballs recipes that include bread crumbs, but this recipe was calling for chunks of moist whole wheat bread. That was a little odd to me, but hey I'm up to trying new things. The only thing I would have done different was to remove the crusts before soaking the bread in the water. There were large chunks of crust that I ended up removing while I was mixing in the beef (which took a good amount of time), so it would have been a lot easier if I had just removed them before soaking. 

Another thing I was looking forward to with this recipe was the sauce. I really enjoyed this sauce when it was all done. So flavorful and it really has that homemade touch, it's worth the extra time to make your own. I will definitely pull this sauce out for so many other recipes!

When I try new recipes it really is a lot of trial and error. There was only one thing I would change with this recipe, but now that I know I will be happy to make these for someone awesome when he comes home and compare them to his version.  

Spaghetti and Meatballs
from tasteofhome Guilt Free Cooking

Ingredients:
Sauce:
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can (28 oz) Italian crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Meatballs:
4 slices white bread, torn into pieces
1/2 cup water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound lean ground beef
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 package (16 oz) spaghetti

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak bread in water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, Parmesan cheese, garlic, basil, parsley, salt and bread. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls.
3. In a large nonstick skillet coast with cooking spray, brown meatballs in a batches in oil over medium heat. Add meatballs to sauce; uncovered, for 30 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink.
4. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Serve spaghetti with meatballs and sauce. 

Serves 10

Nutrition: Calories 368; Fat 9g; Cholesterol 73mg; Carb 50g; Protein 20g; Fiber 3g

Spicy Steak Marinade

It's Sunday, and that means football right? Well, that could also mean that you pull the grill out one last time. I know, I know...it's fall, but if you are up here in the Pacific Northwest you are looking at clear blue skies and 70º weather. I say that would be a great day to heat up that grill before it starts to rain for 100 days in a row. 

One day I was craving something spicy, but I was also in the mood for a grilled steak. Then it hit, spicy marinaded steak! I spent my day looking up marinade recipes but I couldn't find one that would help with my craving. So when I got home that night I looked around in my fridge and just pulled out the ingredients that I liked. You can change up the measurements to fit your taste if you want to. I like things with a kick, but you don't have to beat up your taste buds like I do with mine. :)

A great way to marinade meat. Just place your marinade and meat in a ziplock bag. I place the bag in a baking dish to eliminate any spillage in the fridge. Marinade the steaks for at least 5 hours or all night. 

Spicy Steak Marinade

Ingredients:
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/4 onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/8 cup worcestershire sauce
1/8 red wine vinegar

Direction:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisking until well mixed. Pour over desired steak, marinade at least 5 hours.