1 Potato, 2 Potato, 3 Potato, Crash!

Raise your hand if you've at least heard of these awesome babies....Crash Hot Potatoes

One....two...three...four....ya, quit a lot of you. Which doesn't surprise me since they are sooooo good! The first time I heard about them was a little over a year ago in one of the discussion forums over at BakeSpace. BobtheDude (actually, Bob is one of his cat's name...thats just the screen name he uses in BakeSpace) from CookingStuff was talking about them and how "wicked good" they are. He had heard about them from The Pioneer Woman / Cooking

Well...with that kind of review, I knew they were a must try!

And you know? I was not disappointed. In. The. Least! They are amazingly good... flexible in flavors and just way too much fun to make and eat.

I'm sure there are lots of posts about these potato wonders....but I have a fun, simple twist at the end...so stay tuned. I don't think you'll be sorry you did.

Get several potatoes....try and use ones that are about the same size

I usually use those yummy little red potatoes but this time I had some nice yukon golds that I found on sale.

Boil them in salted water until they are fork tender....how long? shoot, I didn't pay attention. Just keep an eye on them. But don't over do it. You don't want mush

Get out some goodies....olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic

Maybe even some bacon bits and onions

What ever you wanna see on your tater

Line them up on a well oiled cookie sheet

Then get out your potato masher or you can use the bottom of a glass and crash them taters

Oh ya....make a mess. A controlled mess cuz you wanna keep them as individual servings...but in a messy way

Now get out those goodies and season your crashed potatoes. Oil or butter, salt and pepper....etc

Btw...now is not the time to add sour cream. Cheese maybe but I didn't do that this time

Put them in a very hot 450' oven for about 20 or so minutes....until you have crispy edges and the taters are golden grown

And you end up with the loveliest, most tasty mess that just promises to satisfy any potato carb craving you could possibly have.

And when you make them I HIGHLY (I cannot stress "highly" enough) recommend that you make extra (and maybe hide them so they don't disappear) cuz you know what?

These Crash Hot Potatoes are awesome for breakfast

Reheated

With a scrambled egg tossed on top

Now thats a breakfast I really look forward to.

Although I have to apologize for the horrible color in this picture....I had the camera on the wrong setting.

That'll teach me to take pictures before my morning coffee.

Printable Version (as seen in BobtheDude's BakeSpace Kitchen): Crash Hot Potatoes

Nigella's Chocolate Fudge Cake

Mmmmmm....chocolate

And strawberries.

One of my most favorite flavor combos.

Earlier this month is was my oldest daughters 20th birthday.

Holy CRAP! 20?! When did that happen?!!!

20! The first time I said 20, I almost choked. 16, 17, 18, even 19 sounded O.K. I mean, the kids are getting older but it still had that "teen" on the end. 20 is a reality check for me.....my baby isn't a teenager anymore.

breathe deeply.......inhale, exhale....repeat as necessary

Whew...(deep breath) Ok...so, I asked her what kind of cake she wanted.  She hemmed and hawed and finally sent me a text message informing me that she wanted a Chocolate Fudge Cake.

I searched.

I found.

Nigella's recipe for Chocolate Fudge Cake

I didn't change her recipe. But once I started putting it together, I decided to add....sliced strawberries in between the layers.

I'll give you the recipe here just for convenience sake and I have kept the pictures to a minimum,....but let me tell ya, the cake was moist and good and all but I wish it had been more chocolatey. But that's just me.

The icing on the other hand.....HOLY MOLY!!! It. Was. To. Diiiiiiiie for!

Cake:
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream (no wonder its so moist)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (finally! someone who's not afraid to use some vanilla!)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup corn oil
1 1/3 cup chilled water

Fudge Icing:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate (if you can find it, use a minimum 70% cocoa...I could only find 62%)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

My addition:
2 pints of strawberries, sliced in half

Preheat your oven to 350'. Butter and line the bottom (with parchment paper) of 2 8" cake pans.

Just to warn ya....you're gonna need a few bowls

In one large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.

In another bowl....with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) beat together the melted butter and corn oil until just blended then beat in the water.....

Hmmm.....the butter re-hardened and didn't mix with the water. Even a wooden spoon didn't help. Well....we'll just have to forge on and hope it doesn't matter, right?

Ok, now you're suppose to add all the dry ingredients all at once and mix together on a low setting....add the egg mixture, and mix some more until its all blended together.

Pour your batter into the prepared cake pans

Looks like the hardened butter issue wasn't an issue after all.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the toothpick tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their little pans, on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing

And once again, I'm dealing with the San Andreas fault....but we'll pretend it's not there but making that the bottom or something.

Anyways, allow the cakes to cool completely before even thinking about icing them.

But you can at least make the icing. mmmmmmm.....icing!

Melt the chocolate, either using a double boiler (or bowl over a small sauce pan) or in the microwave...which ever works best for you.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter until its....well....creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat some more...and now it's fluffy, right? Add the vanilla and chocolate and mix together until it's all nice and smooth and oooooh so sinful looking

Spread some icing on the bottom layer part of the cake....and top it with some strawberries

These were some frozen strawberries that I had...I figured they'd be a little sweeter than the ones at the store right now since it's not quiet strawberry season yet.

And well...now its time to add the second layer and ice away. If you have some chocolate leftover then shave some off using a potato peeler, and sprinkle on top

And you'll find yourself in the presence of a cake worthy of your oldest child's 20th Birthday.

Printable version: Nigella's Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chicken Piccata

I remember the first time I had Chicken Piccata. Sir Sportsalot and I had gone out to dinner at a nice local steak house. I had never heard of the dish and didn't even know what the heck a caper was. I even asked the waitress what it was to make sure it wasn't fish. (I'm allergic to fish...all fish).

Well, come on now....doesn't "caper" sound like it could be the name of a fish? Like cod, snapper, scallop....those are all really weird names too, ya know...

Anyways...once I had been assured that there was nothing in this dish that was a fish....and that it was delish....I decided I'd give it a try. (sorry, couldn't resist the rhyme)

Now for me, that's a huge thing. I mean, when I go out for dinner, I'm a little picky. Once I find something I like, I pretty much stick to that. I have my favorites at each restaurant we go to. I hate trying new stuff and being disappointed. There's nothing worse than going out to dinner and not enjoying your meal.

Am I alone here? Are my expectations too high?

Anyways...bottom line is...I absolutely LOVED IT!!!

Sad part is....this was a special dish for a special occasion. I hate when that happens. This particular restaurant puts out a special menu for New Years (as many places do) and Chicken Piccata isn't on their regular menu.

I've seen it on the menus at other places but there's always something different...

I don't want different. I want it how I like it.

Thank you very much!

And so I make it myself.

The family loves it. Friends love it.

I love it.

It really is a simple dish.....packed with lots of flavor.

2 chicken breasts, halved (butterfly style) and pounded down to about 1/4 " 

1/2 flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4 tsp paprika (I forgot it this time)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 - 2 tablespoons capers

lemon slices to garnish

Tip: When flattening your breasts, put them inside a zip lock baggy to avoid splattering all over everything.

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper and paprika and dredge your chicken through it

Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet. Saute the chicken in batches if needed, until browned (and cooked through) and set aside

Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping to loosen all those tasty browned bits that are stuck on the bottom (a.k.a. deglazing the skillet)

Add the lemon juice and return the chicken to the skillet. Heat until the sauce reduces by about 1/2. Add capers and lemon slices

And serve over pasta. Some places serve it over rice or potatoes. I've never tried it that way so I can't vouch for it...I personally like the pasta. And the tangy sauce that gets poured all over the place. I love the flavor the capers have....almost like horseradish, but not.

Yep....this is one of my all time favorite meals.

What's yours?

Printable: Chicken Piccata

Whole Wheat Chocolate Goodies

I was really looking forward to this HBin5 assignment.

Chocolate? How could I not?

But I started hearing through other members about its lack of being "sweet". You see, the rest of our assignment was to make Chocolate Espresso Whole Wheat Bread and Chocolate Tangerine Bars from the Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.

Something chocolate thats not sweet? ooooh noooo.....we can't let that happen!

So let me tell you what I did to make these....

Chocolate Espresso Whole Wheat Muffins filled with Nutella Frosting.

Now you're talking!

They were still "wheaty" but good. Moist and tasty. Not too sweet (as if thats even a possibility) but enough to where you feel like you're having a treat.

I started off by following the recipe in the book (can't tell ya how that works or I'll have to.....well, you know how the saying goes)...

Yes....They were in the shape of the Valentine icon

Did I mention that I sprinkled the top with quit a bit of white sugar? I needed sweet!

Earlier in the day I had made a simple icing which consisted of

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of butter
1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

(you're see a chocolate version of this icing in a later post)

Cream the butter, add the sugar and mix until smooth...then mix in the vanilla.

The icing was for some cupcakes my daughter was making for her boyfriend so I borrowed about 1/3 cup and mixed it with 1/3 cup of Nutella. Filled up a zip-lock baggy with an icing tip fitted over a trimmed corner

From the bottom of each muffin, I then hallowed out the centers and filled it in

I then took the "core" of the muffin and trimmed it a bit and used that to plug up the hole

Good stuff....let me tell you!

I did find the dough a bit on the wet side. It was a little harder to work with...but it seemed to rise well. I just have to keep in mind that my kitchen is cooler in the winter (even though I'm in SoCal) and my counter tops are always cool...so I have to let the dough rise longer.

Now....with the same chocolate espresso dough, per the instructions, I added chopped bittersweet chocolate, craisins and tangerine zest

Have you ever tasted a craisin?

I had tasted a specific name brand kind from the grocery store several months ago and wasn't very impressed. I couldn't figure out what all the hype was about....but I figured to each his own, right?

I got this batch of craisins from a health food store.....scooped them out of a bin and got as many as I wanted.

WOW!!! Huge....I mean HUGE difference in flavor. They were wonderful. Tasty little morsels that burst all sorts of contrasting flavor in your mouth....sweet, tart, tangy, dry, moist, sour.....YUM!

Ok, now I'm excited about these "tangerine bars". But I wasn't feeling it. I mean...the "bars" part. We're still dealing with whole wheat here and as much as these would probably resemble brownies, I knew my taste buds would be disappointed. No matter how much I knew intellectually that they'd be "wheat" my taste buds just wouldn't be able to wrap themselves around the wheat.

Once again...I needed SWEET!!!

I don't know how I came up with this....but it totally worked and was totally awesome....

Biscotti!

Chocolate, Espresso, Tangerine, Craisin Biscotti

I formed this oblong rectangle-ish free form, super wet, super sticky loaf and let it bake for about 25 minutes (that was after it rose, not so much, for about 2 hours). I allowed the dough to cool a bit before slicing

I then popped them back into the oven (about 325' F) for 12 minutes on each side. Once they were cool I filled a drinking glass with some melted semi-sweet chocolate chips (added a tablespoon of crisco to make it more melty) and started dipping

Let me just say.....total success. Sweet, tart....and ooooh so chocolatey.

I think there's one small end left. I'll be fighting off the pack tomorrow morning so I can have that last morsel with my cup of coffee.

Please head on over to Michelle's at Big Black Dog so see everyone elses incredible versions of this months goodies

Southwestern Lasagna

Do you like nachos? Those ones that are fully loaded with the works?

Ya, me too. We had that for dinner about 2 weeks ago and it was good.

Last night we had it again, sorta. Only it was more organized. Less messy and oh em gee good!

I've made this a few times in the past....but it's been a while. So long ago that Sir Sportsalot didn't even remember ever having it.

I knew everyone liked it back then, but you know how tastes change? Things change? I was afraid no one would like it anymore.

Ya I know....my insecurities are showing.

Anyways, let me just say this.....Sir Sportsalot refuses to eat leftovers. Even if he didn't eat the dinner the first time around, he won't eat it the next day. (wtf? to him they aren't really leftovers, are they?). But today he said....he would eat more of this if we had any left. Which we didn't...but still!!

Think taco....and you pretty much have the ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, seasoned with mexican seasoning or salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, cumin, paprika
• 1 zucchini, sliced or chopped
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped jalapeno (or to taste)
• 2 avocados, sliced thin
• 8 corn tortillas cut into 4ths, like a pie
• 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained
• 1 15 oz jar of salsa
• 6 oz Cheddar cheese (or to taste)
• 6 oz mozzarella or jack cheese (or to taste)

Preheat your oven to 425' F

Season your chicken. I used a chicken seasoning that I got from the Mexican market. 

It has great flavor....but it also has MSG....so I rarely use it.

Saute your chicken in a hot skillet until cooked through. Remove from the pan and let cool. Once it's cooled off, slice it thin.

Toss the zucchini into the pan and let it cook until its crsip / tender.

Combine the cilantro, green onions, jalapeno and zucchini

Now I think you're ready to assemble. Oh wait....spray or oil an 8"x 8" casserole dish. 

This is going to be a two layer dish....so use half of everything as follows:

Line the bottom of the dish with tortillas, beans, chicken, zucchini mixture....

Mmmmm...it's starting to look pretty darn good and we still have more stuff to add.... avocado, you're favorite salsa and cheese

Oh man...i wish I had some Ranchero, Queso Fresco!!! But noooOOOOoooo, I had to be out of it. 

Ok....add your second layer on...you might have to smash it down a bit cuz it's gonna get full. 

Cover Tent the dish with tin foil.....set on a cookie sheet and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking for another 15 - 20 minutes. You want the cheese to be all melty and bubbly and even a bit brown in some spots......(drool)

Let it cool for about 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy

If you'd like a printable version of this recipe, you can go here: 

Southwestern Lasagna Printable Recipe

Beauty and The Beets

Beets....Yes, this bun was made with fresh beets. From what I understand, beets are extremely good for you. They're full of all sorts of stuff....Potassium, Iron, Manganese (have to look that one up and see what it does for a body), Phosphorus, Copper, Vitamin C, Folate and Betaine. There are lots more nutrients, in small amounts, found in beets. Even with all these good for you things....I've never liked them.

Soooo...what's my problem? How come? 

Was it because I was forced to eat them as a child? 

And if I don't like beets, why on earth would I make Red Beet Buns? 

Curiosity. Duh! 

It all began when Michelle from Big Black Dogs made it known that Red Beet Buns were one of the February assignments for the HBin5 Bread Braid.

My first mental response was....naaaaaaaa. I aint doin it. 

But people got to talking. Some said it hardly tasted like beets at all. And to be honest, the idea of a red bun for Valentines Day intrigued me. 

So I caved. 

I wish I could give you the recipe, but I can't. Its in the Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day cookbook. Im sure eventually someone will post the recipe somewhere on the internet....

But I can show you what the ingredients are....

Btw....have you ever peeled a beet? And seen how pretty it is on the inside?

I have to say....this is one beautiful vegetable

For this recipe I used fresh beets, peeled them and then put them through my food processor to shred

Gorgeous stuff!! I mean...I just love that color. So rich and deep. But you know what? They smell exactly how I remember them from...I dunno....25? 30 yrs ago? (I think that was the last time I gagged down a beet)

Anyways...the recipe called for some onions. hmmm...that sounds good. Well heck...why not add a garlic clove or two as well? I mean...seriously....it can't hurt, right?

Now THAT smells awesome!!!

So I mixed all the ingredients (including something I had never heard of...and had to do a little searching for....spelt flour). I let it rise on the counter for the said "2 hours"

Lookie at what I have!!! PINK DOUGH!! COOOOOOL!!!

I ended up not being able to bake my buns for a few more days...so the dough sat in the fridge for 3 days before I got busy. 1 lb of dough divided into 8ths...and formed into little mini buns

I'm totally loving the color here! (yes...I'm one of those gals who likes pink. I don't decorate my house with it, I rarely wear it....but I like it).

The buns rose for a little longer than recommended. Partly because I forgot....but mostly because the fridge I store my dough in is super cold....so I think in order to rise properly, it needs to sit a bit longer, otherwise the dough would still be cool when I placed it in the oven and I don't think it would rise to it's full potential that way. (you gotta love a run on sentence. and no....I did not stop for a breath as I said all that).

After about 20 minutes in the oven, this is what came out

Gorgeous red buns. Perfect for Valentines Day, wouldn't you say?

And.....they totally tasted like beets. 

No matter how pretty they are, they're still beetsy. And apparently after all these years, I still don't like beets. 

I tried. Honestly. I swear I did!!

But I can't do it.

So I took them to work for our potluck and prayed that someone there would be a beet lover. And there was....several actually. And they liked the buns!! 

Soo...the moral of the story is. Beet Buns are good. 

But only if you like beets.