Nilla Wafer Yogurt Freeze

Here’s a recipe that happened because another one didn’t. I’m starting to get pretty good at not letting food go to waste when my plans don’t work out. Which is a good thing, since wasting food is a huge pet peeve of mine. I bought a box of Nilla Wafers not too long ago because I’ve been dying to make a cake that’s a twist on a classic dessert (no spoilers here since I still want to make it). I planned on making this cake for a coworker’s birthday, but then luck would have it, I found out she didn’t like one of the main ingredients, so I switched to plan B. That left me with a box of Nilla Wafers. If I opened them, mindless snacking would surely ensue. I’m not going to pretend that still didn’t happen. Right there on the side of the box was a recipe for Nilla Wafer Yogurt Freeze. Three ingredients and no harder than waiting for them to freeze. Sold!

So how’s it taste?

So good! I just whipped them together and thought, “Ok these will be decent for a low calorie snack.” Really had no expectations. Oh yum! I made two flavors, one key lime and one strawberry. Both were really good and so refreshing, but the strawberry had me going “OMG these are incredible!” I think it’s because the strawberry yogurt I used had chunks of real strawberry. These treats would be great with any fruity flavor of yogurt. I think they’d be super tasty with some frozen fruit sprinkled in there, too. You can really have fun with this dessert!

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Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

A few weeks ago I bought a ton of produce. I was convinced this new diet was going to have me eating super healthy and shedding pounds right and left. Um, yeah, that lasted for not even a full day. On closer inspection, the diet was nothing but a ton of raw veggies on salad with little dressing and I knew I was going to hate it before I took the first bite. Those kinds of diets always hook me in when I know I should just stick to what works for me. Fast forward and I’m stuck with all kinds of fresh veggies. Some of those being some beautiful yellow bell peppers. I took inventory of what was already in my pantry and discovered I could whip together a fantastic filling for Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers. I used to think I couldn’t create my own recipes, but I’m slowly proving myself wrong. Kind of fun to experiment in the kitchen and end up with something blog-worthy that isn’t in my Oops category!

So, how’s it taste?

I really surprised myself with this one! I can follow a recipe no problem and make some killer food, but I don’t venture out into original territory too often. Part of the reason is why bother when there’s so many awesome recipes out there, and another part is not knowing if it will taste good. But I take that risk making others’ recipes anyway. I wasn’t in the mood to prowl the internet for the perfect recipe and I wasn’t about to go to the grocery store after spending an insane amount of money on all that produce (side note: it it EXPENSIVE to eat healthy, sheesh!). That’s when I raided my pantry, freezer, and fridge and started to come up with a plan for what I could stuff into these peppers! Rice was easy as the base, then thinking about the corn and beans, I decided on the Southwest spices. The rice, corn, and beans add bulk and are really filling. The onion, garlic, and spices give it such a boost of flavor. The tomato paste is the key as it adds just a bit of sweet and helps to keep the mixture together. Of course, the cheese provides the finishing touch. Ta da!

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Chicken Carbonara

Oh how this pasta dish rocks my world. I first made Chicken Carbonara a few years ago, but it was for a special event (holiday or birthday…I can’t remember!). I didn’t have time to snap pictures, so it never made it on the blog. I’ve had it on my “to blog” list ever since. It’s absolutely sinful. Definitely something to serve for a special occasion, but not too difficult to make for a weeknight if you’re feeling like being spoiled. I made this for my mom on Mother’s Day and we gobbled it up. The best part is that it makes a ton. Giada says it makes six servings, but I beg to differ. I can throw down on some pasta, but there’s no way I can eat that much of this rich dish. So invite some friends over, open a few bottles of wine, and share the pasta love.

So, how’s it taste?

I’ve already mentioned it’s completely sinful. It’s rich, rich, rich. Eight egg yolks and 2 1/2 cups of whipping cream will do that! Not to mention the bacon and that delicious roasted chicken. I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken and that works fine, but you can certainly roast the chicken yourself. My friend Megan from Country Cleaver has a great how-to post on just that. Now that I’ve made this dish twice, I’d like to try it with half-and-half instead of the whipping cream. It would lighten the dish just a tad, but not take away from it’s creaminess. I also used thin spaghetti because I like smaller noodles (I’m a big angel hair fan, but my mom’s not, so we compromise with thin). I also don’t bother toasting the walnuts, but you certainly can. Toasting nuts doesn’t really enhance the flavor to me and I almost always prefer the raw taste anyway, so I don’t bother with the extra step. I love the fresh herbs and touch of lemon in this dish, too. Little specks of green and a hint of freshness from the lemon to cut through the cream. Oh it’s just fantastic! I hope you try it.

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Chocolate Magic Cake

This Magic Cake has been going around Pinterest lately and I was completely intrigued by how it magically forms three layers. I saved it for another day, until I came across a chocolate version. Whoa! Since Mother’s Day was coming up, and my mom loves her chocolate as much as I do, I decided to bake the Chocolate Magic Cake for her special day. There are a lot of steps involved, but looking at the photos from White on Rice Couple’s blog, I couldn’t wait to see if I could make magic happen in my kitchen, too.

So, how’s it taste?

Meh. Not nearly as delicious as their picture looks. You can see from my photos that my “magic” didn’t quite happen so perfectly. I didn’t get three distinct layers, I got four. The top layer is cake-like and mine is a lot thicker than I expected. That beautiful custard center that I was looking forward to ended up in two layers. Not sure what happened there. The top custard layer was good, but the bottom was lighter and quite frankly, weird. The bottom layer is sort of a crust, and didn’t really have much taste to it at all. Overall the cake was tasty. It wasn’t very sweet, but chocolatey enough.

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Arugula Pesto

Pestos are great. Yes, there’s the traditional one with basil and pine nuts, but you really can get quite creative. I’ve made a mint pesto and even a broccoli pesto. The possibilities are endless really. In all of those varieties, I’ve used olive oil. It never occurred to me to make it with anything else, until I discovered this Arugula Pesto. It’s made with vegetable broth and that cuts the calories way, way down, but doesn’t sacrifice any flavor. I didn’t even miss the cheese! (Yep, you read that right.)

So, how’s it taste?

It’s just as delicious as its olive oil cousins. Using arugula gives it a peppery bite that I really liked, even though I’m not a huge fan of a mouthful of the leaves. I think it plays nicely with the garlic and that’s why I enjoyed it so much more as a pesto. The vegetable broth really didn’t add much flavor and acted as the binder to bring it all together. I didn’t miss the olive oil at all. The lemon juice brightened up the dish and the walnuts added just a bit of texture. I was skeptical, but happy this recipe was a winner.

It does need a touch of salt though, so after you blend all the ingredients, I’d add a bit of salt and pepper to your liking. This recipe comes from a pretty strict diet cookbook where salt is pretty much banned, so add it at the end if you think it needs it. You could top your pasta with freshly grated Parmesan and that would add a touch of saltiness, too.

Arugula Pesto

Jumpstart to Skinny by Bob Harper
makes about 2 servings
per serving: 68 calories, 2g protein, 3g carbs, 6g fat, 1g fiber

Ingredients:

2 cups arugula
1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. walnuts
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Using a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Serve over pasta. If too thick, thin with a bit of pasta water to desired consistency.

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Whoopie Pie Cake

Here’s a cake that is off the charts. Seriously, it will never get better than this. I first spied a Whoopie Pie Cake on the Cookies and Cups blog. I think my mouth hung open for a good 5 minutes while I lovingly stared at those delicious pics. What a great idea! One giant whoopie pie! Then of course when I think whoopie pie, I think back to these Cookie Dough Whoopie Pies I made from The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook. If you’ve read that post, you know they rank super high on my list of all-time favorite desserts. So heck yeah I was going to merge these two ideas and make a giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Whoopie Pie Cake!

So, how’s it taste?

Um, it smacked me in the face with it’s fabulousness. I made this cake for another birthday in the office and it took every single ounce of willpower not to dive right in after I made it. I almost texted the birthday boy to ask permission to go ahead and cut a slice. I’m not joking. I mean look at it! Two layers of moist devil’s food cake sandwiching the best filling in the world. The filling tastes just like chocolate chip cookie dough. It’s got a hint of saltiness and is a tad bit grainy from the brown sugar, just like cookie dough.

As if all that wasn’t enough, let’s pour some rich, velvety smooth chocolate ganache over the entire cake. Look at those puddles of chocolate. It’s like they’re reaching out to you, daring you to not take a bite. I could bury my face in this and be happy for a good hour or two trying to eat my way out of it. (I will point out that it’s a lot of ganache. You know I’m a chocolate lover, but it pooled off the sides too much. Next time I make this, I’ll reduce the amount.)

I made this using a 9×13 pan, but you could use two 9-inch round pans if you want it to really look like a giant whoopie pie. I might have to make this again just to see which shape I prefer. All in the name of research, right? If you don’t have two 9×13 pans, don’t worry. I made mine with one pan. Just bake one cake and let it cool a bit in the pan. Finish cooling the first cake on a wire rack while you wash the pan and repeat. It’s ok for the cake batter to wait while the first one bakes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Whoopie Pie Cake

cake, ganache, and concept by Cookies & Cups
filling by The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook by Lindsay Landis

Ingredients:

Cake
1 box devil's food cake mix (prepare per package directions) + 1 extra egg
cocoa powder for dusting the pan

Filling
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. For the cake, preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 9x13 pans and dust with cocoa powder. Tap gently to remove any excess and set aside. If you only have one pan, bake one at at time.

2. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions, adding an extra egg. This makes the cake a bit more sturdy. Split batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely.

3. For the filling, beat together the butter and brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in flour and salt on low speed until incorporated. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. For the ganache, bring heavy cream to almost a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips. Keep stirring until smooth. Cool for about 10 minutes and then pour over top of cake. Use a small offset spatula to spread to the edges. Ganache will get thicker as it cools.

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Tzatziki Sauce

I’m not sure I’ve ever discussed on this blog that I don’t like melon, and I mean anything melon. No watermelon, no canteloupe, and especially no honeydew. Even that Midori stuff gives me the heebie jeebies. I have no explanation for it and what makes it even more weird is that I ate watermelon and canteloupe as a kid. No clue what happened. Cucumbers also fall into this category. They are very melony, if you will. I want to like them, they look so good and fresh. What I’ve discovered about cucumbers is I may not like them by themselves or in huge chunks, but I will totally devour them sliced very thin on a sandwich (like this chicken salad or this Mediterranean sandwich) or diced very small in this Tzatziki Sauce! I had four cucumbers that I needed to use and a big tub of hummus that was about to expire. So you see how my mind went to homemade tzatziki sauce.

So, how’s it taste?

I wasn’t expecting much. I’d had tzatziki sauce many times before and liked it, but it’s just sauce, right? Wrong! Holy mother of freshness did this homemade version blow my mind. You probably already have all the ingredients on hand, which recipes like that make me do a happy dance. It’s fresh, tangy, and just a bit of bite from the garlic. You can grate your garlic if you prefer, but I liked it in this sauce minced. I diced the cucumber very fine, and it was perfect for a dipping sauce. And dip I did!

I polished off this entire batch in two separate stints of me standing in the kitchen, hovered over the bowl, shoveling it in on pita wedges as fast as I could. I have no shame. Eight servings, schmeight servings. You know what else is really freakin’ delicious? Take your pita wedge, first dip it in hummus, then dip that in the tzatziki! You can thank me later.

Tzatziki Sauce

by Liz DellaCroce of The Lemon Bowl
makes 8 (1/2 cup) servings
per serving: 42 calories, 0.1g fat, 4.1g carbs, 0.2g fiber, 6.3g protein

Ingredients:

2 cups plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
2 cups cucumber, very small dice
1/2 cup fresh dill, minced (or 2 tbsp. dried)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add more of any ingredient to adjust to your liking. (I added a tad more salt to mine.)

2. Serve immediately with pita wedges or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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Roasted Potato Wedges

You may look at this post and think it’s too simple and boring, but I’ve been roasting potatoes (and practically any veggie for that matter) for a long time and just never thought to put them on the blog. I seriously make them all the time. Such an easy side to throw together and roasting makes any veggie taste a bajillion times better. I bought a huge bag of red potatoes not too long ago and had a few left that I needed to cook. Instead of chopping them into chunks like I usually do, I thought I’d try wedges. Roasted Potato Wedges were born and I discovered the wedge shape makes them perfect for dipping!

So, how’s it taste?

It’s a potato, so naturally I’m in love with them. Potatoes rock my world in pretty much any form, but roasting them is in my top 3. Why? They get crunchy on the outside, but stay soft in the middle…remind you of fries, maybe?! Now you see why I like them so much. They are incredibly versatile, too. The ones you see pictured have dill and I’ve made them before with rosemary, oregano, basil, cumin, cayenne. The list goes on. It’s so fun to experiment with different herbs and spices. You can also use them as a base for other goodies. Sometimes I melt some cheddar on top or add a dollop of sour cream. I’ve had many meals of just roasted potatoes and nothing else. Last night I ate these for dinner and alternated between dipping them in spicy barbecue sauce and tzatziki sauce (coming up later on the the blog!). Sounds weird I know, but I also have an obsession with condiments so now you see why I like potatoes so much…they’re the vehicle!

You’ll see in the recipe below I don’t have measurements. I eyeball everything because it depends on how many potatoes you use and what spices/herbs you use. You can make a small batch or a huge batch. See how versatile and fantastic they are! This recipe will also work for just about any other veggie. Carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, cauliflower. Broccoli and asparagus are also great roasted, but don’t need as much time to cook.

Roasted Potato Wedges

So, How's It Taste? original

Ingredients:

potatoes, cut into wedges
olive oil (just enough to barely drizzle your batch)
salt & pepper
dried herbs/spices of your choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Cut potatoes into wedges or chunks. Try to make sure they are mostly all the same size. Arrange cut potatoes on a baking sheet with sides. Potatoes should be in one layer, so use multiple baking sheets if you need to.

3. Drizzle the olive oil lightly over the top. The way I gauge it is to use less than what I think I need. You want it to barely coat all the potatoes and a little goes a long way. You'll be tempted to use more, but too much olive oil will make them soggy instead of crispy.

4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I use seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with your choice of dried herbs and spices. Mix with your hands until the potatoes are all coated with the olive oil and spices. Make sure to leave potatoes in one layer.

5. Bake for 30 minutes and use a spatula to mix the potatoes at the 15-minute mark. Some will stick, so make sure you give it a good stir. Potatoes are finished when they're lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve. You can store leftovers in the fridge and reheat using an oven or toaster oven, although they won't be as crispy as the first time you make them.

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Sucre, A Sweet Boutique {Giveaway!}

Imagine coming home after a long day at work and finding a package on your doorstep that you weren’t expecting for a few weeks. And it’s Friday! That was me a week ago today. A fairly decent-sized box waiting patiently for me to get home. Snuggled inside a cooler-type setup was this super cute striped box with a sweet note from Sucre. Sucre is a sweet boutique with two locations in Louisiana. I’ve never been and sure do wish I lived closer. Checking out their web site, they’ve got pretty amazing desserts like macarons, chocolates, marshamallows, chocolate-covered macarons. Um, how quick can I get to New Orleans? Lucky for me, the nice folks at Sucre sent me their 15-Piece Signature Collection Macaron to try.

So, how’s it taste?

I really had good intentions of saving a few of these and sharing them with my coworkers that following Monday. Yeah, that didn’t happen. (Sorry if you’re reading this guys!) I spent the entire weekend sampling and snacking my way through each delicious bite…all by myself. Hey, I’m an only child. I don’t comprehend sharing very well.

Can you blame me? The box is pretty, but look at those macarons. They are almost too pretty to eat…almost. Bite-sized works of art and they taste even better. Check out the flavors: chocolate, hazelnut, almond, pistachio, bananas foster, strawberry, pecan, and salted caramel. Hello!

I had so much fun tasting these beauties. The standouts for me were chocolate (of course!), pecan, and bananas foster. I don’t normally like anything banana, except real bananas, but this one was spot on. I could taste the caramelized bananas. I don’t know how they get that into a macaron. The pecan tasted just like pecan pie. This southern girl was impressed with that one. You can’t go wrong with chocolate in my book and this one was perfect for this chocoholic. My only complaint? There was only one of the chocolate!

Now here’s where I’m learning about sharing. Not only did I get to indulge in a box of macarons, but one lucky reader will, too! My friends at Sucre were kind enough to offer a 15-piece Signature Macaron Collection for one of you!

Mandatory: Visit Sucre’s web site and leave a comment here on this blog telling me what sweet treat makes your mouth water! (Giveaway open to contiguous U.S. residents only.)

Optional entry: For one additional entry, tweet the following: “Win a box of @SucreNewOrleans signature macarons from @SoHowsItTaste! Enter here: http://bit.ly/sucremac” and leave a separate comment that you tweeted.

Contest ends on Friday, May 10th at 5 p.m. central. Please make sure you enter a valid email address as an alternate winner will be chosen if I don’t hear from you within 48 hours. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I was sent the 15-piece signature macaron collection for review. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are solely my own, as always.

Congrats to Sharon on comment #35!
You’ve won your own box of Sucre macarons!
Winner chosen using random.org.

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Generous Helpings Giveaway!

Generous Helpings returns this year on Thursday, May 16, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. at the Nashville Farmers’ Market. It’s an annual event featuring tastings of appetizers, entrees, and desserts from local restaurants, as well as fine wines and beer selections from local distributors. The best part about Generous Helpings is that all proceeds benefit Middle Tennessee’s Table, Second Harvest Food Bank‘s grocery rescue program. The program rescues and redistributes nearly 5 million pounds of food from more than 200 grocery stores annually including produce, dairy, protein, and non-perishable food items. That is a huge amount of food rescued!

Tickets for Generous Helpings are on sale now, $40 in advance and $50 at the door. You can also buy a $150 Patron Ticket which includes an invite to a separate Patron’s Party being held on Monday, May 6th at Flyte World Dining and Wine, a ticket to Generous Helpings, an event t-shirt, and a gift. Check out the restaurants participating so far:

Amerigo Italian Restaurant
Bella Nashville
Caffe Nonna
Chappy’s Seafood Restaurant
fido
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Kickin’ Coffee and Tea
Kohana Japanese Restaurant
Kroger Chef Shoppes
Legato Gelato
Marche Artisan Foods
Margot Café & Bar
Mason’s
Midtown Café
Miel Restaurant
Mirko Pasta
Nashville State Community College
Nothing Bundt Cakes
perl Catering
Pied Piper Creamery
Porta Via Italian Kitchen
Porter Road Butcher
{PUB}licity
Red Pony
Riff’s Fine Street Food
Riviera Provencial Grill
Second Harvest Food Bank Culinary Arts Center
Sol
Something Special
Soy Bistro
Sunset Grill
Soy Bistro
The Bloomy Rind
The Mad Platter
The Turnip Truck
Urban Grub
Yellow Porch

Ready to eat?! It’s a great opportunity to sample food from your favorite restaurants or restaurants you’ve never tried, and you’re helping a great local charity!

For one lucky reader, I’ve got two tickets to this year’s Generous Helpings!

Mandatory Entry: Do one of the following and leave a comment on this post telling me which you did.

1. Join Second Harvest’s email list at secondharvestmidtn.org
2. Like Second Harvest on Facebook.
3. Follow Second Harvest on Twitter.

Optional entry: For one additional entry, tweet the following: “Win tickets to Generous Helpings benefitting @2HarvestMidTN from @SoHowsItTaste! http://bit.ly/ZUFFhE” and leave a separate comment that you tweeted.

Contest ends on Friday, May 10th at 5 p.m. central. Please make sure you enter a valid email address as an alternate winner will be chosen if I don’t hear from you within 48 hours. Good luck!

Congratulations to Sue who left comment #14!
You’ve won two tickets to this year’s Generous Helpings!
Winner chosen using random.org

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