Happy Birthday, Mom: Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

We celebrated my mom’s birthday this weekend with a family dinner at our house. My sister, our mom, and I divided up cooking responsibilities, and we all contributed a few dishes that resulted in a Sunday evening feast. We even had three desserts! My mom blew out her birthday candles with the help of my nephew and niece, and then we enjoyed some carrot cupcakes (courtesy of the birthday girl herself), and a few other treats! It was an enjoyable evening spent with a wonderful family and good food! Happy Birthday, Mom!


Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
(Recipe by Ellie Krieger)
Ingredients
¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup canola oil
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup natural applesauce
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups finely shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
4 ounces 1/3-fat cream cheese
¾ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift together the first 6 ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar and eggs until well combined. Whisk in the applesauce, vanilla and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in ¼ cup of the chopped walnuts.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. The cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator.

Sweet, Spicy & Simple: Sweet-Spicy Glazed Salmon

Salmon is one of my favorite fish, and I always keep some frozen fillets in my freezer. I have two go-to recipes for salmon that are quick and use ingredients that I always have in my kitchen.

One recipe is a rub with Cajun seasoning. The other is a sweet and spicy glaze that comes together so quickly (and with very few ingredients!) and always has a great taste. I’ll interchangeably use Chinese-style hot mustard and wasabi (and since I like my food on the spicy side, sometimes I’ll double up and use both!).

Sweet-Spicy Glazed Salmon
(From Cooking Light, August 2003)
Ingredients
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons Chinese-style hot mustard
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Place fish on a foil-lined jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake at 425°F for 12 minutes. Remove from oven.

Preheat broiler.

Brush sugar mixture evenly over salmon; broil 3 inches from heat 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Everything But The Kitchen Sink: Honey Barbecued Salmon

I’m in the middle of another busy week and am still recovering from my baking mishap last week. While my newest batch of chocolate crunch granola bakes in the oven, I’m going to take a few minutes to type up a lengthy recipe that I tried a few weeks ago.

The Main Street Ventures restaurants have their own cookbook on display in a number of restaurants we’ve been frequenting for many years. It is a collection of gourmet recipes from their prized restaurants across the country. I’ve been eyeing the cookbook for quite sometime, but for some reason I never purchased it.

In December my husband and I joined our very good friends (and their darling baby girl) for a fabulous birthday dinner where they generously gave me this cookbook (along and a lovely bottle of wine). Some of our favorite dishes from the restaurants are in this cookbook, and the photographs of the food are beautiful. I’ve already attempted a couple recipes from the book, and the first one that I tried was their Honey Barbecued Salmon.

The ingredient list is lengthy and the recipe has you throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the barbecue sauce. At first it seems like overkill, but all of these ingredients meld into a deliciously sweet and spicy glaze. Mine was particularly spicy, as I used the entire jalapeño. (I recommend only using the jalapeño flesh and discarding the membrane and seeds if you don’t want it too spicy. If you are sensitive to hot peppers, you should also use rubber gloves when handling them). Since it is the middle of winter and our ground outside is still white, I followed their instructions to bake then broil the salmon. As soon as it warms up we’re going to try this on the grill! If you don’t like salmon, try the sauce with with chicken!

Honey Barbecued Salmon
(From Mainstreet Ventures Distinctive Recipes)
For Salmon:
Ingredients
1 ½ lb. Salmon filet, boneless and skinless
1 ½ cup Honey Barbeque Sauce (recipe follows)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F.

Cut salmon filet into 4 equal pieces. Place parchment paper on a 9x12 inch baking sheet pan. Brush both sides of each salmon piece with barbecue sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 6 minutes, then switch oven dial to broil and cook salmon for 3 more minutes until salmon just flakes.

Brush lightly with sauce prior to serving. Transfer the salmon onto plates and serve with more sauce, if desire.

For Honey Barbecue Sauce:
Ingredients
1 cup ketchup
1 cup honey
¼ cup coarse-grained mustard
¼ cup Jalapeño pepper, minced
2/ Tbs. rice vinegar
½ tsp. Tabasco
3 Tbs. light brown sugar
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 tsp. sweet paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. ground black pepper

Directions
In a heavy saucepan, stir together sauce and dry ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Sauce will keep for one week covered and chilled.

Straying from Standard Sides: Sautéed Green Beans & Mushrooms, and Glazed Carrots with Pecans

I took my Christmas tree down while it was still December, but I have yet to finish posting recipes from my Christmas dinner! I’ll finish it off tonight with two sides that I tried. I strayed a bit from traditional sides dishes (think green bean casserole and candied yams), and tried healthier replicas.

For the green beans, I sautéed them in olive oil (versus the traditional casserole recipe that calls for a can of creamy soup). I topped mine with almonds, although you could swap out the almonds and garnish with some French-fried onions, which would be more like the standard version. Instead of baking yams with spices and topping them with pecans and marshmallows, I cooked some carrots with similar spices, and they had the flavor of a pumpkin pie!

Both side dishes were enjoyed by all of us, and also didn’t require any time in the oven. (Oven time is something I’ve learned you have to carefully plan for when you’re turning out multiple dishes and you only have one oven!)

Sautéed Green Beans & Mushrooms
Ingredients
24 oz. frozen green beans, preferably thin French style beans (Kate used Trader Joe's Haricot Verts)
10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and a mushrooms and stir until mushrooms begin to slightly brown. Add green beans, 2 tablespoons of water, and cover. Steam until tender. Season with salt and pepper, top with sliced almonds and serve.



Glazed Carrots with Pecans
(Adapted from Sunset, November, 2009)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups diagonally sliced (1/4 in.) peeled carrots
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon ground clove
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ cups toasted pecan halves

Directions
Heat oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots and cook, stirring frequently, 6 minutes. Stir in spices and sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Add pecans and cook until carrots are tender when pierced and mixture is glazed in sugar, 5-10 minutes.

A Little Chocolate A Day: Chocolate Chrunch Granola

I don’t think I’ve ever had a “sweet-tooth”, but I have definitely have a chocolate tooth. I’ve loved chocolate for as long as I can remember. I usually pass on desserts unless they include chocolate. (In attempting to maintain a healthy lifestyle, a dessert has to be “worth it” for me to indulge. Chocolate is worth it.)

I find that it’s rare for a day to pass without having a little chocolate. This is mainly because I have found innovative ways to get my chocolate fix without eating a piece of cake or a scoop of ice cream. I regularly enjoy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread, but also have found Cooking Light’s Chocolate Crunch to be just what I need. It incorporates oats, dried fruit, and nuts with a little taste of chocolate for a reasonable amount of calories per serving size (168 calories for ½ cup). I’ll take this with me to work or when I’m traveling, and it’s perfect for breakfast or a snack.

Chocolate Crunch
(From Cooking Light, December, 2007)
Ingredients
Cooking spray
3 cups regular oats
1 cup oven-toasted rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa), finely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F.

Cover a jelly-roll pan with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper with cooking spray.

Combine oats, rice cereal, brown sugar, chopped pecans, salt, and ground cinnamon in a large bowl.

Combine honey and canola oil in a small saucepan over low heat; cook 2 minutes or until warm. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and chocolate; stir with a whisk until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture over oat mixture. Lightly coat hands with cooking spray. Gently mix chocolate mixture and oat mixture until combined. Spread oat mixture onto prepared jelly-roll pan. Bake at 300° for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Cool completely on pan; stir in cranberries.

Apple Applications: Baked & Stuffed Apples and Apple Chips

Apples happen to be my husband’s favorite fruit, if not one of his favorite foods. He’ll eat them any which way. He loves apple pie, and I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve only made an apple pie once in my life. I did it a of couple years ago for his birthday. The pie turned out wonderfully, but when you’re cooking healthy meals for two, apple pie doesn’t make it into the regular rotation.


The October, 2009 issue of Cooking Light had a couple ideas of how to be innovative with this well-known fruit. These aren’t your typical apple applications, but they are quite tasty and a lot of fun. They would be a fun treat for kids to try! (Particularly the Apple Chips, which are a bit addictive!)

Apple Chips
Ingredients
* 2 apples
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Use a mandolin to cut paper-thin slices of apple. Arrange apple slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle apples with sugar and cinnamon, and bake at 200°F for 1 ½ hours or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Stuffed and Baked Apples
Ingredients
* 4 apples
* ½ cup brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
* 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small cubes

Directions
Peel top of apple skins, then core, stopping ½ inch before you reach the bottom to keep filling inside. Use a melon baller or spoon to scoop out core, if necessary. Mix brown sugar, walnuts, and butter in a small bowl. Fill apples with brown sugar mixture.

Place apples in an 8-inch square baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until a knife is easily inserted into flesh.

Holiday Hors d'oeuvre: Harvest Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Tarts

I promised myself I would post these before the holidays. If you are looking for something for your guests to nibble on before Thanksgiving dinner is ready – these are it! They are also a perfect hors d’oeuvre for any fall or winter gathering, especially for a holiday party. I think it was my sister who first introduced our family to this recipe several years ago, and it quickly became a permanent fixture for our family holiday gatherings.

The recipe calls for cooked sweet potato. I like to roast mine in the oven. Not only does roasting the sweet potato caramelize it, but it also sends a nice aroma throughout your house. (Prick the sweet potatoes with a knife in several places and bake at 400°F in a small baking pan until very tender, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.) If you’re pressed for time, you could always cook it in the microwave. (Pierce each sweet potato a few times with a fork, place in a pie plate with two tablespoons of water, cover loosely with wax paper, and microwave on high for 5 minutes or until tender.) They are so good!

Harvest Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Tarts
(From Cooking Light, November, 2005)
Ingredients
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white
2 (2.1-ounce) packages mini phyllo shells (such as Athens)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine sweet potato, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt, stirring well.

Combine pecans, brown sugar, syrup, vanilla, and egg white, stirring well.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon sweet potato mixture into each phyllo shell, spreading to edges. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon pecan mixture over sweet potato mixture. Place filled shells on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Apples for Him: Fresh Fruit Crisp

My husband loves apples in all of the forms they can be eaten in. I pack an apple in his lunch everyday, and he’ll gravitate towards an apple dessert whenever it’s on the menu. I don’t make apple desserts for him as much as I should could. While I also enjoy this crisp, juicy fruit in it’s raw form, if I’m going to indulge in dessert, I’d rather do it with chocolate!

This time of year is the perfect time to cook with apples, as they are everywhere! While my husband would probably prefer an apple pie (which I’ve only made for him once ... come on, what are the two of us going to do with a whole apple pie?), I opted to make apple crisp.

My apple crisp recipe is much easier than some other apple desserts (like strudel, turnovers, pies, etc.) because instead of mixing and rolling dough, you make an easy crumbly topping (this is my favorite part of the dish, which we refer to as the “goodness”). Several years ago we gave my sister one of these contraptions from Williams-Sonoma for Christmas. She has gotten a lot of mileage out of it over the past few years and seems to be cranking out homemade applesauce regularly. (Even my two-year-old nephew can help operate this appliance!) This will make your apple desserts come together quite quickly!


I made this crisp recipe with only apples, but you can use any fruit that you want – pears, peaches, etc. My mother suggested adding a couple tablespoons of Grade B Maple Syrup to the apple filling (I didn’t have any at home, but plan to try her recommendation next time.)

Fresh Fruit Crisp
Ingredients
For Fruit Filling:
6 or 7 apples*, sliced and peeled
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice

For “Goodness” Topping:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup butter, at room temperature

Directions
Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place fruit in a 2-quart casserole dish or a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon, water and lemon juice.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients for topping. Using a pastry blender (or a fork) mix until texture is crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

* You can use apples, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, pears, berries, or any combination of them. Use whatever fruit is fresh, and experiment to find your favorite combination!