One of my favorite stores (besides Target!) is Marshall's cuz I always find great deals there. Whenever I'm looking for a new kitchen or home item, I always check them out first cuz I know I can get it for a much better price. The other day I was wandering around the store and found this Square Muffin Pan. What a great idea right? Why do muffins have to be round anyway? For some reason, I thought savory square muffins made more sense so I made some with cheese and black pepper. Cute and yummy!
Ingredients: (12 muffins)
2 c all-purpose flour
1 c (4 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 c buttermilk
1/3 c unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
Prep:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray pan with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, comine the flour, cheese, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper; mix well.
3. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, butter and eggs; blend well. Add to flour mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
I recently started watching Guy's Big Bite and he's got some awesome recipes! I love how energetic he is and he's always got these friends visiting that act just like him! The other day, Guy made some Cuban Pork Chops with Mojo and I knew I had to try them. I didn't used to make pork chops often cuz I always seem to end up with dried out and totally flavorless results. BUT ever since I made Rachael Ray's recipe and Greg gave me such high praises, I've been experimenting with them more. These pork chops were amazing! Marinating them in the orange and lime juices definitely kept them moist. The combination of the cumin, oregano and garlic was just perfect! I haven't had much experience with Cuban food but if this is what it tastes like then I'm definitely a fan! I served the chops over some Turmeric-flavored rice and it was a just a wonderful dinner!
We had some Emeril's Chicken Thighs left over so I thought I'd make some Panini for a quick dinner. OMG they were SO good! I mean, that chicken was already amazing on its own, but add some provolone cheese and tomatoes and you've got the BEST panini ever! What a perfect quick and easy dinner to start off the weekend!
I bought the Chocolate Bar Brownie Pan from William Sonoma last week cuz it was just too cute to pass up! I couldn't wait to to test it out I made brownies for this Friday's treat. While I love baking from scratch, when it comes to brownies, I have no problem using a store-bought mix. I don't just use any old mix though! These are the Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies and I chose to make them fudge style. Aren't they SO cute! Happy Friday!
We had some Moroccan Meatballs left over so I decided to make some Hoagies for a quick dinner. I used a combination of Pepperjack and Muenster cheese and they worked so well together! The Pepperjack gave it just the right amount of kick while the Muenster was just so smooth and creamy. I hollowed out the bread roll a bit to make room for the meatballs and then put it under the broiler for 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Quick and easy and SUPER yummy!
My love for The Food Network began almost 10 years ago and the show that got me hooked was Emeril Live. I'd never been interested in cooking before and thought of it as just some chore you end up with when a woman gets married. Well, Emeril put it in a whole new perspective for me! He made cooking seem fun and exciting! All of a sudden, it wasn't just boiling pasta and slaving over a hot stove, it was "BAM!" and "Kicking it up a notch!" I saw food as more than just a meal, it was an "experience" of flavors. For many years though, I was still intimidated with cooking but grew to love lots of The Food Network shows like 30 Minute Meals and Everyday Italian. I don't know exactly when it all happened but it was some time after moving in with Greg that I started experimenting with cooking myself and absolutely fell in love with it! Now I went back to my roots and made a dish from Emeril, his Braised Chicken Thighs with Button Mushrooms. I can't even began to explain how YUMMY Emeril's Essence is! It gave the chicken thighs just the right amount of kick without being overpowering and added tons of great flavor. I served them over some Near East Roasted Chicken and Garlic Pilaf and it was just PERFECT!
Ok maybe more than 1 bite but these are Martha Stewart's Banana Nut Bread baked in my Petite Loaf Pan. Aren't they cute? Since mini loaves bake a lot quicker than normal breads, I adjusted the temperature down to 325ºF and only baked them for 35 minutes. There's something about banana bread that just seems so comforting and that's why I always have a couple of bananas on hand when the craving hits!
