Fiesta Breakfast Burrito

This past Sunday I was trying to think of a quick, but delicious breakfast to make. I wanted something with eggs and I also had some garden produce to use up. After searching the fridge I found the idea I was looking for. Breakfast Burritos! These burritos would have a Mexican flair though.

I started out my burrito journey by chopping up some onions, red and yellow, and some red pepper.

I added a tablespoon of butter to a fry pan and turn it on medium high. Once the butter was melted I added the onions and pepper. I sauted them until they were tender. 

In the meantime I whisked up 4 eggs, adding a quick dribble of milk, making sure the milk was whisked into the eggs. I then added some crushed red pepper flakes. If you like it hot add a lot otherwise easy on the pepper flakes.

Once the onions are tender add the egg mixture and cook until done. You will need to gently stir the egg mixture using a spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure you cook the eggs until the eggs are done. You shouldn't see any liquid.

 Once the eggs are cooked I add chopped tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese. Stir these in until the cheese melts. Warm some flour tortillas in the microwave until warm and spoon egg mixture into tortilla. Top with salsa.

Now fold the bottom and sides inward and eat and enjoy! This is one of our favorite recipes and I basically use whatever I have for produce to put in it. You can substitute any kind of pepper for the red pepper you can use any kind of cheese that you like. Be creative and give it a try.

Streusel Peach Pie

I can't believe it's been over a week since I last posted a recipe. Where has the time gone? I've been so busy lately with getting the kids off to college and going back to work and getting my classroom set up that I just haven't had time to post.I've been falling asleep by 9:00/9:30 every night. Who says teachers don't work hard?

I have, however, been doing some cooking. Some of it has been marvelous and some of it I would rather not talk about. In my urge to use all the peaches in a crate of peaches that I bought I have tried to make a couple of peach pies and some peach ice cream. One of the pies was super runny, so that will need a little tweaking before I even try to post the recipe. The peach ice cream failed miserably. I definitely need a new recipe for that one. 

I'm going to share one of my success with you today.Last weekend I was trying to use up the last of the peaches and I came across a yummy looking recipe for streusel peach pie. I decide to give it a try an boy am I glad I did. This pie is super easy and absolutely delicious! If you don't know how to peel the peaches refer back to my previous recipe on Peach sorbet. There is a step by step procedure for removing the skins.

I guess since it's peach season what better way to use peaches then in a pie. I found this recipe in Taste of Home's August/September issue, so give it a try. You can never go wrong with a recipe from Taste of Home.

Streusel Peach Pie
Pastry for single crust pie (9in)
5 cups sliced peeled fresh or frozen peaches, thawed
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C all-purpose flour
Dash ground  nutmeg
1 egg
2 T heavy whipping cream
Topping:
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
3 T cold butter
Whipped cream, optional

Lined a 9 in. pie plate with pastry; trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate and flute edges.
In a large bowl, combine the peaches, sugar, flour and nutmeg. In a small bowl, whisk egg and cream. Pour over peaches; toss to combine. Place in crust. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.
For topping, in a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over outer edges of pie, leaving center uncovered. 
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, covering edges with foil to prevent over browning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Chocolate Fudge Swirl Peanut Butter Ice Cream

My daughter and her boyfriend have an obsession for peanut butter, so it got me thinking about what I could make with peanut butter. I wanted a WOW! factor though, so it had to be good. Brandon had already made Peanut Butter and Jelly cookies this week and they were fabulous! He found the recipe on the Food network. I'm not quite sure what recipe he used, but if I find out I'll share it.

Since it's been extremely warm this past week I decided I would look for an ice cream recipe. A PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM RECIPE! Sound impossible? Well I did find several recipes, but I decide on a recipe I found on the Brown Eyed Baker.

This ice cream recipe is super easy to make. Last year I had a fiasco when making ice cream. It kind of turned me(and my family) off from making ice cream again. The Brown Eyed Baker had rave reviews for this ice cream so I thought I would give it a try. My family (and daughter's boyfriend, he's a foodie at heart) were excited about trying this yummy looking treat.

Well long story short, everyone loved, I mean loved this ice cream.The only thing that I would do differently when making this treat is to double the ice cream amount. The fudge sauce and the peanut butter patties are sufficient, but it lacks the ice cream. We all figured if the ice cream was double it would be perfect. So If you like peanut butter and chocolate give this a try. I think it tastes like a Reese Peanut Butter Cup.

Chocolate Fudge Swirl Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Yield: 1 quart
Prep Time: 30 minutes Chill Time: 8 hours Churn Time: 20 minutes
2 cups half-and-half
¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
½ cup smooth peanut butter
Fudge Ripple (recipe follows)
Peanut Butter Patties (recipe follows)
Fudge Ripple
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
½ cup water
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges. Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator before using. (Fudge Ripple can be stored for up to 2 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.)
Peanut Butter Patties
6 tablespoons peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Mix together the peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Line a dinner plate with plastic wrap. Pinch off small pieces of the peanut butter mixture, about ½ teaspoon each, and drop them onto the dinner plate. Once you’ve used all of the mixture, freeze the patties. (The patties can be stored in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.)
To Make the Ice Cream:
1. Whisk together the half-and-half, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter, stirring until thoroughly blended.
2. Chill mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Fold in the Peanut Butter Patties when it has finished churning. Just before you remove the ice cream from the machine, spoon some of the Fudge Ripple onto the bottom of the storage container. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, layer generous spoonfuls of the sauce between layers of ice cream. Avoid stirring the Fudge Ripple, as it will make the ice cream muddy.
*Note: A tip of sorts – after I made the ice cream mixture, I went ahead and made the Fudge Ripple and Peanut Butter Patties and got them into the refrigerator and freezer, respectively, so all of the “dirty work” was done at once and they would all be sufficiently chilled once I was ready to churn the ice cream. I just made the Fudge Ripple in the same pan as I made the ice cream mixture.
(Recipe from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz)

Bread Pudding

Have you ever had a craving for something so bad that you just have to have it? This was the case for me yesterday. I had this great dinner baking in the oven. An apple marinated turkey breast and roasted potatoes.This was giving off a delightful smell making me think of comfort food. Now the only thing left to make was dessert and I suddenly had the desire to eat bread pudding.

Now bread pudding is not your average pudding. In fact it doesn't look anything like a pudding, but it is oh so good. It has a base of bread with raisins and cinnamon. I have eaten it plain, with cream and with a custard. I don't care what you have with it it is truly amazing.

As I gathered all the ingredients and whipped this together I could almost taste that wonderful warm cinnamon flavor. My daughter even commented on how wonderful it smelled as it baked. Once we were able to eat this delicious treat it was a hit with all. My children poured my caramel coffee creamer over the top of the bread pudding.  Next time I will try and make a custard for it.

The recipe I used is from my mother. She use to make this when I was a little girl and I love just as much today as I did when I was a little girl. So enjoy!
Bread Puddding

2 C milk, scalded
4 C coarse bread crumbs
1/4 C butter, melted
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 t salt
1/2 C raisins
1 t cinnamon or nutmeg

Scalde milk. Put bread crumbs in a large bowl and pour milk over the top and combine. Add butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Add salt, raisins and cinnamon or nutmeg. Mix well. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 qt casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Serve warm.

Banana Nut Brownies

My day started out like most other days. I got up at 7:00, threw on shorts and a t-shirt and took the dogs for their morning walk. Upon arriving back home I went to the kitchen to get my coffee brewing and there it was. Those two over ripe bananas looking me in the face saying, "When are you going to bake me into something?" Now I know that everyone has faced this issue and I'm betting a lot of you just decide to make banana bread or even throw them out. Well gosh I just couldn't make banana bread again and I just wasn't in the mood for any type of banana muffins and the baker in me couldn't throw those bananas away. I decide I needed to search for a recipe that had bananas in it, but something different from the ordinary. I NEED TO SAVE THOSE BANANAS!

My first step was to browse the bookshelf in my kitchen that holds my most beloved cookbooks. After perusing the titles I decided I'd take a look at The Ultimate Cookie Collection by Taste of Home. This book is chock full of various cookies, brownies, and bars. It has a plethora of scrumptious snacks that never fail to make the grade.

Now if you know anything about me you know that I LOVE BROWNIES! It doesn't matter if they are frosted or plain, with or without nuts, Blond brownies or chocolate brownies, I love them any way, shape or form. So it probably comes as no surprise that when I saw the recipe for Banana Nut Brownies I knew instantly that I had to make them. I mean first it was a brownie recipe. Secondly it was chocolate. And lastly it was a great way for me to use those bananas.

Well I baked up this wonderful treat and they are wonderful. As they are baking you can smell a hint of banana and upon tasting one they are delicious. They are moist and oh so airy light. It was hard to eat just one, so I had two. Give this recipe a try and see if you like it as much as me and my daughter did.

Banana Nut Brownies

1/2 C butter, melted and cooled
1 C sugar
3 T baking cocoa
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 T milk
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 C mashed ripe bananas (2-1/2 to 3 medium)
1/2 C chopped walnuts
Confectioners' sugar, optional

1. In a bowl, combine butter, sugar and cocoa. Stir in eggs, milk and vanilla. Blend in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in bananas and nuts.
2. Pour into a greased 9-inch (I used an 8inch) square baking pan. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until the top of brownie springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar if desired. Cut into bars.

Peach Sorbet

Well it's peach time! I love going to the little produce store by my house and seeing and smelling all those luscious peaches. What's even better is they have samples of peaches to taste. Now who can resist buying peaches after trying a sample. I guess that's the reason they have plenty of samples available for their customers. Right now the Colorado peaches are the peach of choice in my area. I like them because their skin is not super fuzzy and they have a wonderful sweet, juice peach flavor. Once you take a bite of these peaches you are going to want more. On my outing to the produce store I picked up 6 nice size Colorado peaches and had plans in mind of making peach sorbet. Now I've never made sorbet before, so I would have to tweak a recipe I had at home. I just replace the fruit in the recipe with peaches. I also had to remove the skins from the peaches in order to make the sorbet and this was something I've never done before. I figured it would be like when I remove the skins from tomatoes when I can them, so I followed the same procedure. So here's my recipe for Peach sorbet and the how to remove the skin part too. The recipe is easy as is removing the skin from the peach. Give it a try and enjoy this yummy treat on one of these hot August days. Everyone in my family gave it a thumbs up.
Removing the skins

1. Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil.
2. Once water comes to a boil turn off burner.
3. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
4. Using a slotted spoon put peach in boiling water for 45 seconds.
5. Using slotted spoon remove from water and put in ice water for 10-15 seconds.
6. Remove peach and skin should peel off easily.
7. Repeat for the rest of the peaches.

Peach Sorbet
3/4 C sugar 
1 1/2 C water
3 C peaches sliced
1/4 C lemon juice

In a small saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Set this aside an let cool. While this is cooling you can remove the skins from the peaches. Follow the instructions above.  Put peach slices in a food processor and puree them. Put puree in a bowl and add cooled sugar water and lemon juice. Stir until well combined. Pour this mixture into an 8x8 pan; cover and freeze for 45min to an hour. Stir and return to the freezer until frozen. Once mixture is frozen use ice cream scoop to scoop out servings. 

NOTE: We also thought that this would have been good in popsicle molds. Maybe we'll try this next time.

Now nothing could be better than chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Well except maybe when someone else bakes it for you and hand delivers it to you. That is exactly what happened to me this Friday night. My daughter's boyfriend is the bearer of this delicious treat. He actually made this cake, along with the butter cream frosting, from scratch. Oh, my heart skips a beat just thinking about it. When I asked him what the occasion was he told me he was bored, so he decided to make a cake. Now you're probably asking yourself where do you find a guy like this that cooks just for the heck of it? Now there  is no way my husband would ever be so bored as to bake a cake. All I gotta say is Honey hang on to this one. Any guy that cooks and bakes for you can't be all that bad. I could even overlook him not doing the dishes as long as he keeps making these delicious creations. So without further delay here is the recipe he used. It is from none other than the Barefoot Contessa.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

nocoupons

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions

Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Cinnamon Caramel Rolls

Well this is my first post for my cooking blog, so I thought I start out by sharing one of my families favorites, Cinnamon Caramel Rolls. These rolls are super easy to make. I simply use the bread machine to make the dough and refrigerate these rolls so all you have to do in the morning is preheat the oven and bake.This recipe is one I found online years ago, but I tweaked it a little bit. I hope you enjoy these rolls as much as my family does. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Caramel Rolls
Dough
7ounces of milk
1egg
3 cups bread flour
4 T sugar
1 1/2 t salt
5 T butter
2 t yeast

Caramel
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vanilla ice cream

Topping
2 T butter
Cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar

Place all dough ingredients in bread machine in order given. Set on "dough" setting and turn on machine. Let the machine do the rest.
Once dough is done it's time to make the caramel.
Melt 1 stick of butter and add 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup of vanilla ice cream in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for a couple of minutes. Pour this into a lightly greased 9x13 inch cake pan.
Remove dough from bread machine and place on a lightly floured board. Pat the dough into a rectangle. Don't be afraid to use a little more flour if it seems sticky and make sure you flour your hands a little too. Once you have it into a rectangle spread the butter on top and sprinkle with cinnamon and the brown sugar. Roll the dough up and seal the edges as best as you can. Cut into 12 pieces and place in prepared pan. If you want to bake these rolls the same day let them rise until double in size. I always put them overnight in the refrigerator and bake in the morning. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. These rolls warm up great in the microwave the next day too.