Peanut Butter Mousse Pie (No-Bake)

We all LOVED this pie. I was looking for a recipe for this pie ever since tasting a similar one at Mo's Seafood Restaurant in Seaside, OR last summer. Four of us shared one slice of Mo's giant pie after our meal and it was SO GOOD!! It took me awhile to find and make this recipe, but I'm so glad I finally did. It was really similar to Mo's and pretty easy to make. This recipe is no-bake. You do have to use the stove to melt butter and later, chocolate. 

Peanut Butter Mousse Pie (No-Bake) 

adapted from Crowded Kitchen

Crust:

22 oreos
5 tbsp melted butter

Mousse:
12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 ½ cups smooth peanut butter
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ cups heavy cream, cold

Ganache:
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup heavy cream
Peanut butter cups, for topping (optional)

1. To the mixing bowl of a food processor, add the chocolate sandwich cookies and the melted butter. Pulse repeatedly, until a fine crumb forms. Using your fingers first, and then the bottom of a measuring cup, smooth and compress the cookie and butter mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a pie tin. Move the prepared tin to the refrigerator while you make the mousse filling.

2. To a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt, and beat on medium speed for another minute. Add in the heavy cream and beat until the mixture is super light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3. Pour the mousse mixture into the prepared pie tin and use an offset spatula or another long, flat tool to smooth it out. Move to the refrigerator and chill until the mousse firms up, about 2 to 3 hours.

4. On the stove, heat the ½ cup of heavy cream until it's steaming hot, but not boiling. To a small mixing bowl, add the chocolate. Pour the heated heavy cream over the chocolate, and let the mixture sit for 1-2 minutes, then whisk the mixture until the chocolate is fully melted and evenly incorporated into the heavy cream.

5. Pour the ganache over the top of the pie and use an offset spatula or another long, flat tool to smooth out the ganache. Optionally, top with halved or quartered peanut butter cups along the edges of the pie. Move to the fridge and chill until set, about 30 to 60 minutes.

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Lemon-Ginger Shots

My family and I love these Lemon-Ginger shots. We were buying store-bought ones but they are a little expensive. I found the recipe on the Hungry Healthy Happy Blog via Facebook and I was so glad to find it! I bought the ingredients right away and my husband whipped it up using our Vitamix blender. My 14-year-old son loves these the most, I think. 

Note: I bought an 8-pack of 2-oz, wide-mouthed "juice shot bottles" on Amazon and they work well. This recipe makes a bit too much for the 8 jars, so we just store the leftover in another small jar in the fridge. 

Lemon-Ginger Shots 

adapted from Hungry Healthy Happy

100 g (3.5 oz) Fresh ginger - peeled and finely chopped

5 Lemons - juice only

250 ml (1 cups) Water
2 tablespoon Honey

1. Pour the juice of 5 Lemons into a blender jug. Add 250 ml Water, 2 tablespoon Honey and 100 g Fresh ginger. Blend until the ginger is as fine as possible. Place a nut milk bag (or muslin or cheesecloth) over a jug and empty the ginger mixture into it.

2. Squeeze the bag to extract as much juice as possible. Use a funnel to pour the juice into individual shot bottles. Store in the refrigerator. 

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

Buona Pasqua!!! My family and I love this granola. I made it about 5 times after I first made it a few weeks ago. I even made it when I had post-cold congestion and couldn't taste or smell anything, lol. This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

2 cups (200 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (100 g) quick oats
½ cup (135 g) peanut butter, natural or regular
¼ cup (80 g) pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons (42 g) coconut oil
1 tablespoon (13 g) brown sugar or coconut sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (135 g) roasted peanuts, optional
1 to 1 ½ cups (170-255 g) dark chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss the old-fashioned oats and quick oats together. In a small microwave-safe bowl or liquid measuring cup, add the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Microwave for 30 to 45 seconds until the peanut butter and coconut oil are melted and the ingredients can easily be whisked together into a smooth mixture (don't overheat). (I just melt everything together in a small saucepan on the stove- I don't like using the microwave for stuff like this.)

3. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oats and stir until evenly combined. Add the peanuts, if using, and toss until evenly combined. Spread the granola evenly on the prepared sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. Stir. Bake another 10 minutes.

4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips across the top of the granola and give a quick stir to combine them into the granola. Return to the oven for 1 minute.

5. Out of the oven, DO NOT STIR- if you want granola clusters. I don't care, so I stir here, because I don't need the clusters. Let the granola cool completely on the sheet pan.

6. When cooled, stir or scrape the granola into pieces and store in a covered container. The granola keeps well at cool, room temperature for several weeks.

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Pistachio Cookie Cups

These pistachio cookie cups are SOOOOO good. They're a great use for pistachio paste, which is widely available here in Italy, and something I often send friends and family back in the States. You need a mini muffin tin for this, plus the pistachio paste and some other ingredients you may have to specially buy. But these are worth it! They are delicious and also very impressive-looking. 

PS: Happy Pi Day! I made these a few weeks ago, not for Pi Day, but one could make them for Pi Day since they kind of look like little pies. Lol. 

Pistachio Cookie Cups

adapted from Food and Wine

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped white chocolate (from 1 [4.4-ounce] bar)
1/4 cup chopped salted roasted pistachios, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate (about 70% cacao), divided (from 1 [3.5-oz.] bar)
1/2 cup pistachio cream paste/spread 

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is foamy and milk solids at the bottom of saucepan turn brown, about 5 minutes. (You're making browned butter here.) Immediately pour into a small heatproof bowl; cover and refrigerate until solidified, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together flour, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. Beat chilled browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer (if working with a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat on medium speed until well combined, about 15 seconds. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined, about 1 minute. Fold in chopped white chocolate, chopped pistachios, and 1/4 cup of the chopped dark chocolate until evenly distributed. Portion dough into 24 pieces, about 1 tablespoon each; roll dough into 1-inch balls and place in a 24-cup non-stick mini muffin tray. (I used a cookie scoop for this part- if there is still leftover dough after filling the tray, just divide the rest of the dough between the existing dough balls.)

4. Bake in preheated oven until edges are set, but centers are still slightly soft, 8 to 12 minutes. (May need more time- my oven bakes very fast.) Using a rounded 1-teaspoon measuring spoon, press down center of each cookie to create a well. Let cool in muffin tray on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife and carefully remove cookie cups from muffin tray. Let cool completely on wire rack, 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Microwave remaining 1/4 cup dark chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl on HIGH until chocolate is mostly melted, 45 to 55 seconds, and stir until chocolate is completely melted. (I just melt on a small pan on the stove, or in a double boiler.) Set aside. Spoon pistachio cream into cooled cookie cups, about 1 teaspoon each. Drizzle melted chocolate over filled cookie cups. Sprinkle with pistachios. Refrigerate, uncovered, until chocolate is set, about 5 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

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Greek White Bean Soup- Fasolada

I loved this soup- and so did my husband and son. I made it three times in three weeks, I think. It's vegan if made with veggie broth- which I did.  (But the feta garnish makes it non-vegan, obviously.) You could also use chicken stock. I used small white beans for this (navy beans, I think), but I think white cannelini beans would be better for this. I bought some so I have them on hand for next time. I made this No-Knead Bread with it; you do most of the work the night before. The two recipes go very well together. 

Greek White Bean Soup- Fasolada

adapted from By the Forkful

1 white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
600g white beans (2 cans, drained a bit)
400g (1 can) chopped/diced tomatoes
1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Feta to top (½ cup/125g)

Lemon juice, optional
Parsley, to garnish

Extra virgin olive oil, optional 

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the onion and garlic. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the onions have softened and then add in the diced carrot and celery and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the dried oregano, salt, and pepper, then stir in the tomato paste and cook it down for a minute or two until the sauce begins to turn fragrant. Add the tomatoes and the white beans, followed by the vegetable stock.  Add the bay leaves and then let the soup simmer for 20 minutes. (I put the lid on here.) 

2. For a thicker consistency, remove 2-3 ladles of the soup and blend it, then add it back into the soup for a creamier sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. (I've never done this, but it would be good.) Top the soup with crumbled feta, diced parsley, optional lemon juice, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

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Pumpkin/Butternut Squash Butter Chicken

This curry was so delicious! This recipe is made with either butternut squash chunks or pumpkin puree. I made it both ways and both ways were delicious. The first pic, above, is with canned pumpkin puree. The second pic is with no pumpkin puree, and I used butternut squash chunks instead. (I used the same amount of chicken in both.) The squash/pumpkin added a delicious hint of sweetness to the curry. In the version with the puree, it also thickened the sauce very nicely. 

Pumpkin/Butternut Squash Butter Chicken

adapted from Closet Cooking

For the chicken marinade:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon garlic, grated/minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated/minced (I used purchashed ginger/garlic paste here)
1 tablespoon garam masala 
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite sized pieces

For the butter chicken:
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, grated/minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated/minced  (I used purchashed ginger/garlic paste here)
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth 
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (or 1 cup heavy/whipping cream)
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed OR 1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
salt to taste

1.  For the chicken marinade: Marinate the chicken in the mixture of the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and salt for 20 minutes to overnight.

2.  For the butter chicken: Melt the butter in a large pan (or saucepan) over medium heat, and cook the onion and chicken, about 10 minutes. (I included all the marinade and just cooked it with the chicken here.) Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, coriander, and tomato paste, mix, and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

3.  Add the broth, coconut milk OR cream, and butter nut squash (OR pumpkin puree), bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the squash/chicken is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add the fenugreek leaves and butter, mix, season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

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Creamy Sausage Pumpkin Pasta

I really loved this recipe and made it twice lately. The first time, I used radiatore pasta, shown in these pics. I just made it again tonight and used a rigatoni-like pasta. I liked both ways. The flavor of the pumpkin plus the sausage is really good in here, and cream cheese makes it creamy. I modified the recipe to use one full can of pumpkin puree so I don't have any leftover. 

We had this with roast broccoli both times. (An easy way to roast broccoli is to preheat your oven to around 400 F, and pour 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil into a baking/roasting pan. Let the pan/oil heat up in the oven. Then dump a bag of frozen broccoli florets onto the hot pan, quickly season with spices and salt, and put back in the oven. Roast until it's done to your liking.) 

Creamy Sausage Pumpkin Pasta

adapted from The Tipsy Housewife

1 pound of ziti, rigatoni, or radiatore pasta (16 ounces)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small sweet onion

1 lb. Italian sausage

fresh sage leaves, 6-8, chopped

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

1 8-oz package of Neufchatel or cream cheese

2 1/2 cups water

1 heaping tablespoon of beef bouillon paste (ex: Better than Bouillon)

black papper, to taste 

dried parsley

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

salt, to taste

1.  Boil the pasta according to the package direction, drain, and reserve one cup of the pasta water in case it is needed.

2.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep sided skillet. (I use a large non-stick stock pot.) Finely chop the onion. Add to the pot/pan and sauté the onion until tender. Add all of the sausage to the skillet. Cook fully, until golden brown, breaking up the meat into a fine crumble as you cook it. Season with black pepper to taste. Add the fresh sage to the skillet. If you do not have fresh sage, add about 2 teaspoons of dried. Taste and add as much as you like. Sauté the sage for a minute or two with the sausage/onion.

3.  Add the bouillon to the skillet and the 2.5 cups of water. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and simmer on very low 20 minutes. Cut up the cream cheese into small cubes and let soften for a few minutes while the skillet simmers. After the 20 minutes, add the canned pumpkin and the cream cheese to the pot/pan. Whisk until the cream cheese and the pumpkin are incorporated into the broth. Bring to a simmer again, whisk here and there, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. The sauce should reduce down a bit but will still be more liquid than thick. Add a few pinches of the dried parsley.

4.  Add the pasta to the skillet, toss the pasta to coat, and simmer about 3-5 minutes. Let the pasta absorb some of the sauce. This will thicken as it cools. Add the Parmesan cheese, and stir until the cheese is melted. Taste now, and add salt if needed. I needed about 1/2 teaspoon. Also, at this point, you can add some reserved pasta water if the sauce is not creamy enough. Top with parsley flakes, if desired, and serve. 

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Slow Cooker Cuban Pork

This pork was so good! We had it twice in two weeks. I just made the marinade the night before for an easier workday morning. To serve, we just used regular canned black beans and plain white rice (made in the rice cooker). You could totally use a seasoned black bean recipe and cilantro-lime rice, though. We spooned the flavorful sauce over the plain rice and beans and it was plenty of flavor for them. After shredding the pork, instead of broiling it, we sauteed it in a large non-stick skillet on the stove. It got some nice crispy edges that way. 

Slow Cooker Cuban Pork 

adapted from Valerie's Kitchen 

3-4 pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt roast)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divide

3/4 bunch fresh cilantro (save some for garnish)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ or 1 whole jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped into big pieces, optional

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

⅓ cup orange juice

¼ cup lime juice

Optional, for serving

fresh cilantro

lime wedges

steamed white rice

black beans, warmed

1. Place the pork into the crockpot. Place all of the other ingredients (up to the optional ones) in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour the mojo sauce over the pork in the slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours, until the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork. Right in the crock pot, shred the pork with 2 forks. Remove any large pieces of fat. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle with some olive oil. Place some pork on the skillet and sear, turning occasionally to get some crusty edges. Drizzle with the sauce from the crockpot. Remove from heat. 

3. Serve the pork with warmed black beans and and cooked white rice garnished with cilantro leaves and lime wedges, if desired. Use the remaining sauce from the crockpot to drizzle over the meat, rice and beans. Enjoy!

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Biscoff White Chocolate Bars

Wow- these bars were one of the yummiest things I've made recently. I wasn't expecting them to be SO good- I just was wanting an easy recipe to use up some biscoff that I'd had open for awhile. I bought a giant jar of it and we weren't going through it fast enough. This was the perfect use for it. (I did use my kitchen scale to meausure out 14 oz.) These bars were gone way too fast and there are only 4 of us here. I want to make them again soon.

Biscoff White Chocolate Bars

from Cooking with Karli

1 cup salted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
14 oz creamy biscoff spread

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (180·C). Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light in color and fluffy in texture. This will take about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add in the egg and vanilla. Mix until well combined.

3. Next, add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt). Mix until incorporated and add the white chocolate chips. Once a soft dough has formed, you will press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Using a spatula or spoon, spread the Biscoff cookie butter on top of the cookie dough in the pan. (I put the biscoff in a bowl first and microwaved it about 20-30 seconds to soften it slightly. This made it easier to spread. If you do this, watch it as my microwave is very weak and you may need less time.) 

4. On top of the biscoff layer, crumble the remaining cookie dough and press it in slightly. (This part is really hard because the dough is sticky. I didn't get it perfect edge-to-edge because as it bakes it spreads and fills in a bit. So try not to stress. It doesn't need to be perfect.) Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15-17 minutes. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

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Easy Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

I love this recipe. I've made it about 3 times, and am about to make it again soon. It's different from other slow cooker Indian food recipes I've made because you chop the raw chicken first, not shred it after cooking. I love the ease of those shredding recipes but I like the taste and texture of this recipe more. It's still an easy and low-work recipe. If you don't want to chop chicken, you can buy it pre-chopped in some stores. I double this recipe when I make it so we have leftovers for lunch. I don't always double the chicken, but just increase it a little bit. I also don't double the butter, but just increase it to 5 or 6 tablespoons.

Easy Slow Cooker Butter Chicken 

adapted from An Edible Mosaic

15 ounce can tomato puree
6 to 8 large cloves garlic peeled and crushed*
1 tablespoon freshly-grated ginger* (can use ginger-garlic paste in place of garlic and ginger*)
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar or light brown sugar
4 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces (I use chicken tenderloins or breasts)
1 large onion, finely diced (about 2 to 2 1/2 cups finely diced)
8 cardamom pods, cracked open
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek optional (I used 1/2 tsp fenugreek leaves from Amazon)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Optional Garnish Suggestions

Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Fresh lime wedges for garnish
Prepared basmati rice
Naan

1.  Add the tomato puree, garlic, ginger, coconut sugar, garam masala, salt, smoked sweet paprika, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to a slow cooker, and whisk to combine. Add the chicken, onion, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaf, and stir to coat the chicken, spreading it out evenly. Scatter the butter pieces on top.

2.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours or on LOW for 4 to 5 hours. At the end of cooking, stir in the fenugreek, cream, and lemon juice. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and lime wedges, along with prepared basmati rice and/or naan if desired.

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Syrian Ouzi Beef Rice

I love this recipe from An Edible Mosaic and so did my family, especially my 18-year old son, who keeps asking for it. The recipe is supposed to be made with ground lamb, but I can never find it here, so I finally just made it with ground beef. I was glad I did. If I ever do find ground lamb, I'll try it, but it's so good with beef. I made my own spice mix for this, from the same blog/cookbook, and I'll list that recipe here too. We always have this with roasted cauliflower- so good. I've used Northwoods Fire or Garlic Salt from Penzey's on the cauliflower. The original recipe cooks the meat first, then the rice. When I make this, I start the rice first, since it takes longer. Then start the meat, and hopefully, they are done at about the same time. 

Syrian Ouzi Beef Rice  

adapted from An Edible Mosaic 

Topping/Garnish:

1/2 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
6 tablespoons blanched almonds or pine nuts
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, optional

Rice:

3 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 1/2 cups basmati rice soaked in water for 10-15 minutes, then rinsed under cool running water in a fine mesh sieve and drained well
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
4 pods cardamom cracked open
2 whole cloves
1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots (I just use the whole 12-oz bag now. It's prob a little more than 2 cups)
1 tablespoon 7-spice mix, see below

1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3 cups chicken stock 

Plain yogurt, for serving

Lamb (Or Beef):

1 pound ground lamb or 85% lean ground beef; if you use leaner meat, add 1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
4 large cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon 7-spice mix, see below
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

For the Topping: Preheat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the ghee/oil; once melted, stir in the nuts. Cook until the nuts are golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes, stirring often. They can burn easily. Remove the nuts from the heat and transfer them from the skillet to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.

For the Rice:Preheat a 4 to 5-quart non-stick pot over medium heat. Add the ghee/oil; once melted, add the onion. Cook until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rice and cook 1 minute, and then stir in the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and cloves, and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the peas and carrots, 7-spice mix, salt, Aleppo pepper, and turmeric. Add the chicken stock, and stir it briefly (try for just one stir!). Let it come up to a gentle boil. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes (don’t open the lid during this time). Remove from the heat, let the rice sit (covered) for 10 minutes, and then fluff it with a fork.

For the Lamb: Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb/beef (and oil/ghee if using) and use a wooden spoon to break up the meat in the skillet. Stir in the onion. Cook until the meat is browned and the onion is softened, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break the meat into smaller crumbles. Turn the heat down to medium, stir in the garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the 7-spice mix, salt, and Aleppo pepper, and remove from the heat. Cover the skillet and set it aside for now.

To Serve:If the meat cooled too much, reheat it for a couple minutes on the stovetop. Transfer the fluffed rice to a large serving platter and top with the meat, nuts, and parsley. Serve. (I just put both pots on the table/counter and let everyone dish up rice, then meat on their own plates.) 

7-Spice Mix 

adapted from An Edible Mosaic

1/2 tablespoon black pepper 

1/2 tablespoon allspice 

1 teaspoon sweet paprika 

3/4 teaspoon coriander 

3/4 teaspoon cumin 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Mix all spices together and store in a spice container. (Pictured below.)

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Original Chex Mix (Savory)

I usually make the sweet PB-Choc Chex Mix for my fam (muddy buddies), but they wanted to try this one again. I hadn't made it for a long time. I also don't have Muddy Buddies on my blog yet, I think, so next time we make that I'll have to put it up. It is easy to find online, too. 

Original Chex Mix   

adapted from Chex

3 cups Corn Chex™ cereal
3 cups Rice Chex™ cereal (I only use Rice Chex- 9 cups total)
3 cups Wheat Chex™ cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels OR cheese crackers
1 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons butter 
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Pre-heat oven to 250°. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Place mixture into ungreased roasting pan and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool in the pan. 

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Lemon-Glazed Pound Cake

Growing up, my mom had a Mrs. Fields Cookie book. I think it was this one. My mom, myself and my sister made a lot of the recipes in that book in the 90's. I loved that book! Later, in about 2000, I got my own book, but an updated version of it, with more recipes. It still included my old faves. One of the ones I used to make frequently was this Lemon Pound Cake. I loved this cake! I recently made it again twice; once, in mini bundts for the Fourth of July (no pics) and again, just in a big bundt for my fam to enjoy. It has the typical crusty pound cake crust and a refined crumb. The lemon flavor really shines through, too.

((Awkward- I just realized I posted this exact recipe back in 2009!! Oh well. So good, it needs repeating. Lol.))

Lemon-Glazed Pound Cake 

adapted from Mrs. Fields Best Ever Cookie Book, 1997 

Cake:

3 cups cake flour, sifted

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 sticks (1.5 cups) salted butter, room temp

1/3 buttermilk, room temp

6 large eggs

2 teaspoons lemon extract

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Glaze: 

1/4 freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Topping:

powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 3-quart bundt pan.

2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed, blend flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add butter, buttermilk, and 3 eggs. Beat on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.

3. Add lemon extract and lemon zest, and blend at medium speed. Add the remaining 3 eggs, one at a time, beating on high speed for 30 seconds after each addition. 

4. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Check often at the end- do not overbake.

5. While pound cake is baking, prepare lemon glaze. In a small saucepan, heat lemon juice and sugar over low heat. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves.

6. When cake is done, remove from oven and leave cake in pan. With a toothpick, poke holes in the surface of the cake, and pour half the glaze over it. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then invert on a cooling rack or cake plate. Brush top of cake with remaining lemon glaze. Cool to room temperature, then dust with powdered sugar. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Butterscotch Monster Bars

These bars are so tasty, and super easy to make. I've made them twice now. Once, using half peanut butter and half almond butter. Just today, I made them using all almond butter. Use whatever you have on hand. They look ordinary but are really good! Especially with that butterscotch flavor.

Butterscotch Monster Bars

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

½ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (255 g) creamy peanut butter OR almond butter
⅔ cup (141 g) light brown sugar

⅔ cup (141 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups (125 g) quick oats
1 ¼ cups (125 g) old-fashioned oats
1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips
1 cup (170 g) butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips or more chocolate chips

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter, almond or peanut butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt together until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well-combined. Add the quick oats, old-fashioned oats, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips and mix until evenly combined.

3.  Spread the dough evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are lightly golden – don’t overbake or the bars might be dry and crumbly. (The middle may not be set all the way.) Cool the bars in the pan before cutting into squares.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **