Getting Sneaky with Onions

What is it about caramelized onions that is just so stinkin' delish!?! I love how they become so sweet, tender, and almost sticky. Whenever I see a recipe with onions as a main ingredient, I usually push it to the side since my husband HATES onions. We just celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary and over the past few years, I must say, I have become quite an expert at "sneaking" onions into things without him even knowing! So I thought I was in the clear when preparing this recipe, since I was planning to have the quiche baked by the time he came home. Plus, the onions are caramelized, which means they typically melt in your mouth and don't have any crunch left to them (which I think is the part about onions he hates the most.) Well, of course he walks in the door when I'm in the middle of assembling the quiche, meanwhile a WHOLE sliced onion is laying on my cutting board! BUSTED! He immediately gives me "the look", as I throw the pile of onion slices into the bacon grease and tell him "don't worry, babe, I'm cooking them in bacon grease. They won't even taste like onions by the time I'm done with them!" So, we ate the quiche for dinner and guess who went back for seconds? Yup, that's right. My onion-hating husband! 

 Caramelized Onion and Bacon Quiche


Ingredients:


1 refrigerated 9" pie crust
1/2 pound bacon
1 medium white onion, sliced
8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
5 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese



Directions:

     1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Allow pie crust to come to room temperature, then place in pie plate, sealing around edges. Poke bottom of crust with a fork (to prevent crust from "puffing up" while baking without any filling.) Bake crust for 10 minutes, then remove from oven.

3. Cut bacon into large, bite-sized pieces. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

4. Add onions to leftover bacon grease and cook over medium heat until caramelized (at least 15 minutes.) Drain onions on paper towels.

5. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

6. Place bacon pieces into partially cooked pie crust. Layer caramelized onions over the bacon and top with small cubes of cream cheese. Pour egg mixture over top. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

7. Bake about 35 minutes until eggs are set and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

If you are going to cook a whole pound of bacon and buy two refrigerated pie crusts, you can also make 6 mini quiches in a muffin pan. Just add 4 additional eggs to the egg mixture and an extra splash of milk. Use a biscuit cutter or bottom of a drinking glass to cut little circles out of the extra pie crust. Assemble the mini quiches the same way and bake for about 20 minutes in a muffin pan.

Too Many Zucchinis

Last year, I dedicated one of my posts to "the curse of the zucchini" since I always end up with millions of them and run out of ideas for recipes. I actually just finished baking a chocolate zucchini cake and my house smells so yummy right now. (If you want the recipe, it's under August 2010 on my blog. It's a great recipe if you have those really big zucchinis that don't taste that great cooked by themselves. Just be sure to scoop the big seeds out first.) This recipe is another good one for those mega zucchinis! Don't be confused by the name. There isn't ANY crabmeat in these little cakes, but you would never know! 

Zucchini "Crab" Cakes


Ingredients:


2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil


Directions:

1. In large bowl, combine zucchini, egg, and butter. Stir in bread crumbs, onion, and seasoning. Mix well. 

2. Shape mixture into patties and dredge in flour. 

3. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Fry cakes in oil until golden brown on both sides.

4. Remove cakes from oil and place on paper towels to soak up excess grease. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

See how many people you can trick into thinking these are real crab cakes! :)

Summer Lovin'?

It's official. I hate summer. Sorry, I just had to say it! Now I feel better. I am definitely a "cold weather person" unlike most people living on the east coast. But even though I hate summer, I love summer food. Picnic foods, pasta salads, deviled eggs, cool desserts, what's not to love? Here's a quick, last minute dessert idea to take to your next picnic or summer event. 

Strawberry Angel Food Trifle


Ingredients:


1 (10 inch) angel food cake
2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, plus 2 Tbsp
1 (8oz) container of whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed
1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced


Directions:


1. Early in the day, slice strawberries and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp sugar and gently stir. Allow to macerate in the fridge for a few hours. (Macerating brings out the natural juices and the berries will form their own "syrup".)

2. Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in bowl until light and fluffy. Fold in whipped topping with a spatula.

3. Cut angel food cake into thin slices. Place a layer of angel food on bottom of a bowl or trifle dish. Layer cream cheese mixture over top with a spatula. Spoon strawberries and their juice over the cream cheese layer. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used. Garnish top with whole berries.

You can find pre-made angel food cake in the grocery store, usually in the bread or baked  goods section.

My kitchen smells so yummy right now. I found a new recipe for vanilla cupcakes and I just took them out of the oven. Stay tuned.......I will be posting the recipe soon!  Stay cool!

Cheese Snob

I like cooking so much that I often do not repeat meals/recipes since I like to try new ones. However, there are a handful of recipes that I make over and over again because they are just THAT good! This is one of those recipes. There is nothing quite like homemade Alfredo sauce and it's so easy to make! Don't be afraid of the price tag on a block of Parmesan cheese. When grated, a little bit goes a long way. Plus, if you wrap it really well, it stores in the fridge for well over a month. There are so many uses for Parmesan cheese if you have a lot leftover. I would use it to grate over a Caesar salad, make fresh pesto to serve with crostini, eat by itself drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar, or serve with fresh fruit and a big glass of wine. One thing's for sure.....once I started using fresh Parmesan, I've never gone back to that fluffy, powdery stuff in the shaker container. If that makes me a cheese snob, then so be it!

Cajun Chicken Alfredo


Ingredients:


3 large chicken breast, tenderized and sliced lengthwise (to make 6 strips total)
Any spicy grill seasoning or rub (I like Pampered Chef Chili Lime rub)
1 box Barilla Campanelle pasta
1/4 cup butter
3 cups half-n-half
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)


Directions:


1. Preheat grill at medium heat. Rub chicken strips with your favorite seasoning or rub. 
Place chicken on grill and close lid.
2. Cook pasta as directed and drain.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add garlic and cook over low heat until translucent, but not browned. Stir in 3 cups half-n-half. Simmer on low for 5 minutes. In the meantime, turn chicken on the grill.
4. Remove sauce from heat and add parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Add pasta to Alfredo sauce. Serve topped with cooked chicken. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired.


Note: This Alfredo sauce does not get super thick like the kind in the jar. However it does slightly thicken as it cools. For leftovers, pour a small amount of milk or half-n-half over pasta before reheating since the noodles absorb a lot of the sauce. Then stir after heating.

Chewy Chewy

I love all things "CHEWY"! Macaroons have always been one of my favorite cookies for that reason. When you bake them, they stay moist and chewy on the inside, but get really crispy and toasted on the outside. Coconut just tastes even better once it's toasted! There are so many recipes out there for coconut macaroons, but this one is my tried and true favorite. One batch is never enough, so I always double it. If you don't have any stoneware pans, you will want to use parchment paper to keep these sticky, ooey-gooey little morsels from sticking to your aluminum baking sheets! Try not to eat some of the batter when you are making these, I dare you!

Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

5 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1/4 tsp salt

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, coconut, and salt. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla using a wooden spoon until well blended. 

3. Drop golf ball size amounts of dough onto baking sheet using a cookie or ice cream scoop.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes until coconut is golden brown and toasted. 

If you need a chocolate fix, try adding mini chocolate chips to the batter! Don't forget to double the recipe if you want these to last more than a day!

Fresh Baked Breakfast

I never make extra time for breakfast, so I always end up eating it in the car. I love the idea of a "breakfast bar", but have never been able to find one that tastes great and isn't over-processed. I love these yummy little bars and they put Nutrigrain bars to shame!!! Plus, they are so healthy, feel free to eat two!

Banana Chocolate Chip Breakfast Bars


Ingredients:


1 very ripe banana
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups quick cooking oats
Optional add-ins: chopped banana chips, raisins, chopped walnuts, cinnamon


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mash the ripe banana with a fork then add canola oil and brown sugar. Mix well until there are no sugar lumps left. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and oats. Mix into wet ingredients and stir in chocolate chips.

4. Pat batter down into a greased square 8-inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until edges are golden. Let cool before cutting into squares. 

A New Spin on Lasagna

I've been neglecting my blog! It's been so long since my last post, but I have lots of new recipes that I'm trying so expect some major deliciousness in the near future. This recipe goes out to all lovers of lasagna and buffalo chicken wings! It's a nice change to classic lasagna and the flavors combine really well. Plus you can make it as spicy or as mild as you like!

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna (altered from Pampered Chef recipe)


Ingredients:


1 large can tomato sauce (or 2 small cans)
1 pound chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
3 Tbsp. hot sauce (or more, to taste)
1 small container ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella, divided
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
9 uncooked no-boil lasagna noodles (I used Barilla)
1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese
Drizzle of olive oil


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in pan and saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic until tender.
3. While onion and pepper are cooking, combine ricotta, 1 1/2 c mozzarella, egg, and salt in a separate bowl. Combine tomato sauce and hot sauce in another bowl.
4. Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish. Spread a small amount of tomato sauce mixture on bottom of dish. Layer all ingredients starting with noodles, then ricotta mixture, then the veggies and chicken. Repeat layers two more times. Top with tomato sauce mixture and sprinkle with 1/2 cup remaining mozzarella.
5. Bake covered for for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, top with 1/2 cup bleu cheese, and bake an additional 15-20 minutes uncovered.