Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Last week I intended to make one recipe of cornbread. This Bacon-Scallion Cornbread to be exact. The smell while it was baking was so intoxicating that I decided to whip up another batch. But this time, I chose to make it’s spicier cousin Cheddar-Jalapeno Cornbread. The base recipe is the same for both and it’s, dare I say, the perfect cornbread. You could also leave out the mix-ins and have regular cornbread…but why would you do that when you can add cheese!
So, how’s it taste?
I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but this one was my favorite. Yep, I just picked something else over bacon. The good news is I don’t have to pick. I’ve got both cornbreads in my freezer right now! This one is definitely spicier. The amount of jalapenos is just enough to give it a kick, but it won’t blow your mouth up and make you regret choosing it. Sharp cheddar. I really can’t say enough about sharp cheddar. Actually most cheeses. Like bacon, cheese makes everything better. Sharp cheddar is not only in the batter, but sprinkled on top. There’s also corn in the batter! I just love the texture and specks of green and orange. The cornbread is slightly sweet, but it pairs so nicely with the jalapeno heat. All this cornbread is definitely fueling my craving for soups, but a big square is pretty fantastic by itself.
Cheddar-Jalapeno Cornbread
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more, room temperature for pan
1 1/2 cups yellow or white cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
6 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fine salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
3/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/3 cup chopped drained pickled jalapenos
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined (do not overmix). Stir 1 1/4 cups grated cheddar, corn kernels, and jalapenos into batter. Transfer batter to pan and smooth top. Top with 1/4 cup grated cheddar.
2. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 15 minutes, before serving.
Monday, November 5, 2012
All I’m craving lately is soups, stews, and chilis. It might have something to do with the massive amounts of cornbread I made last week (see Bacon-Scallion Cornbread) or it’s just that time of year. A big pot of something awesome cooking on the stove and I’m set. I had a lot of green lentils in my pantry, so I slightly altered a recipe using red lentils and came up with Curried Green Lentil Soup. It’s pretty amazing, but won’t win any beauty awards. It will, however, win first place in the comfort food category.
So, how’s it taste?
I had a feeling it would be pretty good, but it really blew me away. It’s probably the ugliest soup, but who cares when it tastes that good?! It starts with finely chopped ginger, shallots, garlic, and carrots. You’ll want to make sure you chop them finely as some will remain in chunks and the rest will get blended. You don’t want a huge chunk of ginger on your spoon. I wanted my soup thicker and chunkier than the original recipe, so I used an immersion blender instead of a regular blender. The regular blender will produce a smoother consistency, but the soup still has chunks for texture. You could blend the entire batch if you wanted a smooth, creamy texture instead.
The starting ingredients are fragrant enough, but once the curry powder hits, I couldn’t wait for it to be ready. Curry powder adds a hint of heat and it’s so buttery and rich to me. The coconut milk didn’t add as much to the overall flavor of the soup as I would have liked, but it’s needed for creaminess. I think you might be able to substitute milk or cream if you didn’t want to bother with it. The end result was fabulous, except for the not-so-appetizing color. I finished my serving with a dollop of sour cream. You could also use yogurt instead. The recipe calls for cilantro, but you’ll notice that’s parsley in my picture. I didn’t pay attention at the grocery store and bought parsley instead. It actually worked really well, so if you’re a cilantro hater, go the parsley route. I’m a cilantro lover, so I imagine this soup would have knocked my socks off even more if I’d learn to read herb labels. 
Curried Green Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. finely chopped peeled ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped (2 tbsp.)
1 large shallot, finely chopped (4 tbsp.)
2 carrots, finely diced (about 1 cup)
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups water
2 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
1 cup green lentils
3 tbsp. cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish (parsley works great too)
sour cream, optional
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, shallot, and carrots and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add salt, coconut milk, water, broth, and the lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until lentils and carrots are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour 2 cups soup through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving solids. Puree strained liquid with remaining soup in a blender until smooth. Reheat after blending. Stir in reserved solids. (I prefer a thicker, chunkier soup, so I used an immersion blender instead of a regular blender.)
3. Reserving some for garnish, stir cilantro into soup, and ladle into bowls. Top with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with more cilantro.
Friday, November 2, 2012
You may have noticed I’m a big fan, make that huge fan, of Goo Goo Clusters. Nashville’s very own chocolate confection that’s been around for 100 years. Last month, Goo Goo celebrated its birthday around Nashville in style. Several restaurants paid tribute to the candy bar by creating their own dessert. While I didn’t get to taste every dessert, I did have a FRIED Goo Goo thanks to Puckett’s. Mark that off the bucket list!
Being a fan, I thought I’d do a little celebrating myself and for those of you that don’t live in Nashville, this is a dessert you can make at home and wish Goo Goo a happy 100th! I present the Ultimate Goo Goo Cluster Sundae! Chocolate chip cookie dough Goo Goo brownies on the bottom, scoops of Publix brand Peanut Goo Goo ice cream, hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, and a cherry on top! Let the sugar coma begin!
So, how’s it taste?
You don’t even have to ask. It’s insane. It’s one of those over-the-top desserts that you can’t resist. It starts with a recipe I’ve made before for chocolate chip cookie dough brownies. That’s pretty perfect itself because you don’t have to choose between a brownie and a cookie. I took it to another level by adding a layer of chopped Goo Goos turning it into a more chocolatey, sticky, gooey peanut version. Publix has Peanut Butter Goo Goo ice cream, which of course you can choose any ice cream flavor you like or make your own. The Publix version is peanut butter and chocolate ice creams with caramel swirls and chocolate covered peanuts. A scoop or two of that over the brownies and whoa! But I didn’t stop there.
This is a celebration! It had to be decadent. Hot fudge sauce and hot caramel flowing over the ice cream and then I decided it need a few more chopped Goo Goos sprinkled on top. Finished with whipped cream and a bright red cherry. Brace yourself and put on some stretchy pants. 
Happy 100th Goo Goo Cluster!
Ultimate Goo Goo Cluster Sundae
Ingredients:
Brownies
1 box Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
5 Goo Goo Clusters, chopped
Sundae
your favorite ice cream (I used Publix Peanut Butter Goo Goo ice cream)
Goo Goo Clusters, chopped
hot fudge topping
caramel topping
whipped cream
maraschino cherries
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom only of 13x9 pan. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using oil, water and 2 eggs. Spread in pan.
2. Sprinkle chopped Goo Goos evenly over brownie batter.
3. Make cookie mix as directed on pouch, using butter and 1 egg. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes. Cut into squares.
5. Top squares with a scoop of your favorite ice cream, hot fudge topping, caramel topping, more chopped Goo Goos, whipped cream, and a cherry.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Bacon. Scallion. Cornbread. I almost feel like that’s all I need to put in this post, along with its picture. I read those three words and I’m already pressing print for the recipe! This time of year, with the weather being cooler, I long for comfort foods and cornbread is one of them. A big bowl of soup and a big square of this Bacon-Scallion Cornbread and I’m more than ready for winter.
So, how’s it taste?
Just like you think it does…amazing! Let’s face it, bacon makes just about everything better. Any recipe calling for almost a pound of bacon gets my attention. I had to cook mine in batches, it was so much! I love the color that the bacon and scallions add. Pale yellow background with bits of red and bright green. It looks as delicious as it tastes. It’s moist and buttery and has a hint of sweetness.
I believe there’s two kinds of cornbread people: sweet and not sweet. I lean towards the sweet side, but I don’t want it to taste like cake. There’s not a cornbread I’d turn down, but some folks are pretty strict about how they like it. This recipe has six tablespoons of sugar, so it’s not heavy sweet, but it leans in that direction on the spectrum. I imagine you could leave out a few tablespoons if you wanted, but I’m not a food scientist so alter at your own risk!
The bacon and scallions help to balance the sugar, so I think just about any cornbread lover would appreciate a slice of this! I used a 9-inch pan and made nine large square servings. Any square pan will work and feel free to cut them as large or as small as you prefer. This recipe would also work well using a muffin pan. Enjoy!
Bacon-Scallion Cornbread
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more, room temperature for pan
1 1/2 cups yellow or white cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
6 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fine salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
3/4 lb. bacon
3/4 cup chopped scallions
Directions:
1. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain, let cool, then finely dice.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan. In a large bowl, stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until combined (do not overmix). Stir bacon and scallions into batter. Transfer batter to pan and smooth top.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 15 minutes, before serving.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
When I think of pesto, I think of the traditional version with basil (or another kind of herb like this mint version). It never dawned on me that you can really make all kinds of pesto…like broccoli pesto! This was so new to me that I had to try Pasta & White Beans with Broccoli Pesto. Anything with white beans makes my ears perk up, so I was excited to taste how this interesting combination would come together.
So, how’s it taste?
It was really good! It’s great for a meal when you want something filling, but not heavy. The broccoli pesto had a lot of flavor, which surprised me. I like broccoli, but compared to an herb in pesto, I wasn’t expecting much. It made a great base and plays well with the Parmesan, lemon, garlic, and parsley. The color is beautiful. I loved the pale green, with flecks of dark green. Be sure you save the two cups of cooking water. I used almost all of it making the sauce creamy. It really soaks it up!
The leftovers were ok, but kind of boring compared to how good it tasted fresh. I took a cue from how I used my mint pesto and added turkey meatballs. You can make your own or for a really quick meal, use frozen. That extra boost of flavor from the meatballs really jazzed up the leftovers. They went from boring to me not being able to get enough of it. It makes the dish really hearty, but you’ll eat less per serving and it’ll stretch the recipe! Budget bonus!
Pasta & White Beans with Broccoli Pesto
Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
10 oz. short pasta, such as fusilli
5 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (1/4 cup), plus more for serving (optional)
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
1/2 small garlic clove
1 can (15.5 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook broccoli until tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to a food processor. Return water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
2. To food processor, add oil, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, parsley, and garlic. Puree until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down side as needed. Transfer pesto to pot with pasta. Stir to coat, adding enough reserved pasta water to make a creamy sauce. Stir in beans and heat over medium until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.
Monday, October 22, 2012
I was such a ball of nerves making this recipe. Which is kind of ridiculous since I find cooking so therapeutic. I’ve been burned before with a pumpkin mac & cheese recipe, so I feared this Sweet Potato Chile Mac dish might lead me down the same path. I’m happy to report it was love at first bite. More like love at first smell. Such an unexpected twist of flavors on mac & cheese that really work together.
So, how’s it taste?
It’s so beautifully simple, yet layers and layers of flavor. Surprisingly, it’s not all that cheesy, but the creamy texture of the sweet potatoes fools you into thinking it has more cheese. It’s still ooey and gooey with a hint of Monterey Jack. The sweet potatoes naturally make it slightly sweet, but it’s countered with smokey chipotles and chorizo. I used a tablespoon of chipotle and it had a good bit of spice kick to it. So use less or more depending on your heat level preference. The chorizo on top is genius. It’s only three ounces crumbled, but it packs some major flavor. The directions instruct you to use a tablespoon of oil to cook the chorizo, but I think you could use a lot less or none. It was a bit on the greasy side with that much oil.
As the almost finished product sat under the broiler, I was really giddy. That’s when it became love at first smell. The chorizo got a bit more crispy and the sweet and spicy smell became intoxicating.
What really made this dish a standout is the final touch of cilantro and green onion. As I was chopping and mixing them together, I thought “they should make a cilantro and green onion candle.” Then I came to my senses and realized an onion candle would have zero sales. Well, except for me, because I never realized the awesomeness of those two garnishes together. Spicy, sweet, smokey, creamy, vibrant…this won’t be last time I make this version of mac & cheese!
Sweet Potato Chile Mac
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 cup fat-free milk
1 1/2 to 2 tbsp. chopped chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
3/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup packed)
8 oz. uncooked whole-wheat macaroni or penne pasta
1 tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Pierce potatoes several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425F for 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly; peel and mash in a large bowl. Stir in milk and next 4 ingredients (through cheese).
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Add pasta to sweet potato mixture; set aside.
4. Preheat broiler to high.
5. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add chorizo to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Place chorizo in a small bowl. Wipe pan clean. Spoon sweet potato mixture into pan; sprinkle evenly with chorizo. Broil 2 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Sprinkle with onions and cilantro.
Friday, October 19, 2012
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned my love affair with pecans before. They are in my top five list of food weaknesses. If I’m using them in a recipe, you can count on me eating a fair amount of them while I’m baking. I’ve also been known to buy a bag of pecans just to munch on! So any dessert that’s full of pecans is screaming my name. I jumped at the chance to make German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars. It’s a merging of those flavors you love in German Chocolate desserts and Pecan Pie!
So, how’s it taste?
Oh gosh where do I start? For a pecan-lover like me, they are amazing. These bars have so many pecans in each bite! I like how some are pecan halves and some are bits and pieces. Pecans everywhere! The combination of the ooey gooey middle with crunchy pecans and sweet coconut. It’s that classic German chocolate trio. But wait, there’s more! Underneath the ooey gooey is a layer of chocolate. One and half cups of chocolate morsels are melted over the crust. That’s a lot of chocolate folks. The crust is similar to a chocolate shortbread, and I’m not a fan of shortbread, but it works here. The crust is kind of plain, but that’s ok with all the richness happening on top of it.
I added an optional kick of whiskey to my bars. The recipe calls for bourbon, but I usually use Jack Daniel’s Whiskey instead. Jack didn’t really work in this recipe. It added kind of a funny taste, instead of a yummy whiskey accent. I think a nice bourbon would have worked much, much better…or leaving out the alcohol would be great too. The mixture does get a bit thin adding in the extra liquid. My bars were more gooier.
Baking the crust threw me off a little, too. When you put the crust mixture into the pan, it’s loose and it doesn’t come together. I thought no way would this bake into a crust. But all that butter throughout it makes it come together. Only in a small part on the edge did I have some powdery areas.
A million thumbs up to this recipe! The flavors are perfect for Fall baking and a nice twist on pecan pie.
German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients:
3 cups pecan halves and pieces
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup bourbon, optional*
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
2. Line bottom and sides of a 13x9-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides. Lightly grease foil.
3. Pulse flour and next 3 ingredients in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture on bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of prepared pan.
4. Bake crust at 350F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle chocolate morsels over crust. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).
5. Whisk together brown sugar and next 3 ingredients until smooth. Stir in coconut and toasted pecans, and spoon into prepared crust.
6. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and set. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Chill 1 hour. Lift baked bars from pan, using foil sides as handles. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into bars.
*If adding the optional bourbon, whisk it into the brown sugar mixture in step 5.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Apple pie. What’s more classic than apple pie? Funny thing is I usually gravitate away from apple desserts…unless it’s apple pie. I love the stuff! It’s so simple and so decadent. This Easy Skillet Apple Pie is no exception from that description. It seriously is easy, aside from peeling and slicing apples. It’s crazy decadent, too. Plus I like the added touch of baking it in a cast iron skillet.
So, how’s it taste?
It’s pretty amazing. I had a feeling it would be since under the pie crust is an entire stick of butter and 3/4 cup of brown sugar! As it bakes, a little of that goodness oozes out over the sides. I totally didn’t mind because I actually planned for this and put a baking pan underneath to catch the drippings and also because it made it feel like I was baking something completely sinful. If you want to make your own crust, go right ahead. I happen to really like store-bought crust and really hate making my own pie crust, so making this pie was a cinch. The most time-consuming part is peeling and slicing the apples, but it’s well worth the effort. The recipe calls for half Granny Smith and half Braeburn. I’ve made several pies using Granny Smith and liked them, but the ones I bought were a little too tart this time. The Braeburn apples have a slight hint of tart, but not too much, so I wish I had used all Braeburn. Both held up really well to baking and didn’t turn to mush. The simplicity of the cinnamon and sugar over the apple slices balanced well with the thick layer of brown sugar and butter underneath. It did make the bottom crust slightly soggy, but not in a bad way. Plus the top crust and sides make up for it. After I took out the first slice, I spooned the juice over the top!
I will warn you that if you take a slice or two out and refrigerate the leftovers, you’ll see a gross film of hardened butter on the top of the sauce. Yeah, it’s not figure-friendly folks! Just skim that off and discard it or heat it up and forget you ever saw it. This pie is definitely a scene-stealer when served in the cast iron skillet. Bookmark this recipe for your upcoming holiday feasts!
Easy Skillet Apple Pie
Ingredients:
2 lbs. Granny Smith apples
2 lbs. Braeburn apples
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 (14.1 oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 egg white
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Peel apples, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.
2. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over piecrust, and top with remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.
3. Bake at 350F for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. You'll want to place a pan underneath the skillet in case the sugar mixture spills over. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Recently, Progresso sent me one of each of their new Recipe Starter cooking sauces to try. I was pretty excited about finding some new recipes to use with them. My first try using them was with the creamy three cheese and it was a complete disaster. Not because of the sauce, but the awful recipe. I’m going to buy another of the cheese sauce and give it another shot. But of course after that, I wasn’t exactly jumping for joy to try the rest. One recipe had me intrigued though. You know how I like weird combination of ingredients, so next I chose Easy Mole Tacos using the Fire Roasted Tomato cooking sauce. It’s a savory dish…with chocolate AND peanut butter. I told ya it was weird!
So, how’s it taste?
This was my first try making mole. Yeah, yeah, I had a helper using the sauce, but boy was it good! I lived on the edge and used crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy, but you couldn’t tell since the taco shells are so crunchy. This stuff was super good. A bit unusual because I could taste the peanut butter just a little, but I loved it covered in all my toppings. You can’t taste the chocolate, but it makes the meat mixture really rich. It’s like a more decadent version than just using a taco seasoning packet. Which I’m not knocking that method, I eat that stuff, too. I’d like to add even more taco seasoning to my next batch of these mole tacos. I’d like to taste more of it and two tablespoons wasn’t quite enough. It also needed a bit of salt in finished product.
I topped my tacos in shredded lettuce, Mexican four-blend cheese, avocados, and tomatoes. I cannot believe I forgot sour cream! I wish I had bought a stronger cheese like sharp Cheddar or Monterey Jack. The Mexican four-blend was too subtle for the rich taco meat. I was licking my fingers and scraping every last morsel off my plate from these tacos. Two sticky thumbs up!
Stay tuned as I slowly make my way through the other Recipe Starter cooking sauces.
Easy Mole Tacos
Ingredients:
Tacos
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (18 oz.) Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ fire roasted tomato cooking sauce
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp. taco seasoning mix (from 1 oz. package)
12 taco shells
Optional toppings
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Avocado
Tomato
Directions:
1. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.
2. Add cooking sauce, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and taco seasoning mix. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, heat taco shells as directed on package. Serve taco shells with beef mixture and toppings of your choice.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Neener, neener, neener! My neighborhood has Blue Velvet Cupcakes! I’m so excited to tell you about Blue Velvet Cupcakes. I know Nashville has a lot of great places to buy cupcakes, and one in particular is a favorite of mine, but they aren’t exactly close. You can imagine my glee when Blue Velvet Cupcakes came to my side of town. Yep, that’s right. Antioch has an awesome cupcake place! When I saw the sign, I had to do a double-take. Antioch doesn’t get a lot of love in Nashville because it may not seem as cool as other areas, but I dig it. And I dig it even more now that I can satisfy my sweet tooth with a short drive from my home.
So, how’s it taste?
Every time I try a new cupcake place, I immediately compare it to my favorite. Most do not stack up and I end up disappointed. Not Blue Velvet Cupcakes. Their cupcakes are pretty amazing. I bought a sampler of six and took them to work for a “sampling party.” We tried the (clockwise from top left) Italian Stallion, Chocolate Sundae, Strawberry Deluxe, Double Chocolate, German Chocolate, and Red Velvet. The Italian Stallion was my instant favorite. It’s like Italian cream cake and it’s fabulous. All the cupcakes were super moist and decadent. The German Chocolate was another standout in this group. It’s gooey and complete heaven.
On another visit, we tried (clockwise from top left) Strawberry, Strawberry Lemonade, Royal Wedding, and Orange Dream. The Orange Dream was my favorite of the four. It’s super citrusy, but won’t give you a pucker. It’s like a creamsicle in cupcake form almost.
My neighbor surprised me with more cupcakes and I got to try the namesake Blue Velvet and the Strawberry Milkshake. Once again, they did not disappoint. I liked them both, but I will say beware of the Blue Velvet. There’s A LOT of blue food coloring in it and I’ll spare you from further details.
Blue Velvet Cupcakes has tons of other flavors that I can’t wait to try. Tiramisu, S’mores, MAPLE BACON, and Pineapple Express are just a few. They also have cobblers, cookies, and donuts. Some times they take their buttercream and smear it between two cookies THEN dip it in chocolate! This place is a wonderful addition to Antioch and for those of you not in the neighborhood, well worth a visit. Their hours are very convenient, too. Your sweet tooth will thank you!
Blue Velvet Cupcakes
795 Bell Road
Antioch, TN 37013
(615) 942-8516
Hours:
Monday-Saturday 11am-8pm
Sunday Noon-6pm
Share
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Subscribe via Email
Follow Me on Twitter
Like Me on Facebook
Follow Me on Pinterest
