Quick Beer Bread

Need a hearty bread to make with a warm, comforting stew this Fall?  Try a quick beer bread!!

Beer bread is commonly known as "3-ingredient" beer bread, but mine is not.  It could be, if I had some self-rising flour, but I don't; I made do by adding a leavening agent (baking powder).

Quick Beer Bread

Beer bread is soooo easy.  You can use any type of beer you like.  I used a Coors Banquet Beer because it's what I had in the house.  Wanna give it a go?  Here's what you'll need:

Quick Beer Bread

3 C flour**
3t baking powder**
1 1/2  t salt**

3 T sugar
12 oz beer (1 can)

**You can replace these ingredients with 3 cups self-rising flour if you have it in your pantry**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients, add beer.

Combine well.

Bake in a bread pan for approximately 50 minutes.

PRINTABLE RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS!

Beef Barbacoa

Oh. My. Yum.  I looooove, love, love, love this Mexican style beef barbecue!!  Through slow cooking the beef with all the earthy seasonings, these bad boys are full in flavor, and in HEAT!

I'm a big fan of the beef barbacoa at Chipotle, so I just knew I had to try making it at home.  After perusing the internet for a few weeks hours, I decided to play with the flavors that most beef barbacoa recipes tend to have.  This is my second time making it, so I made a few slight changes to my liking (or to what I had in my kitchen!!)

Trust me when I say, YOU  MUST MAKE THESE NOW!!  

Beef Barbacoa (Source)

I found most recipes required you to slow cook your beef in a cast iron pot, turning once every hour.  I took my chances and cooked it in a slow cooker like a pot roast, and ta-da!!!  I served mine on a bed of rice and black beans with fire roasted tomatoes.

Beef Barbacoa

Yuh-um!  Here's what you'll need:

Beef Barbacoa

1/3 C Apple Cider Vinegar
4 T fresh lime juice
1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
6 cloves garlic, peeled
3T + 1t cumin
2t oregano
1 1/2 t salt
1 t black pepper
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
3-4 T canola oil
3 lbs beef roast (I used chuck)
2 cups chicken broth

Printable Recipe & Instructions!

Happy Sunday Monday Funday!!

Frangelico Cream

This neat, rich dessert is a favorite of mine.  I follow the recipe provided from an amazing restaurant called Tippecanoe Place.  I don't know why, but for some reason mine is even richer than theirs, even though it is their recipe.  It's deliciously rich.  I would recommend you serve it with a cup of black coffee after dinner...

 

Frangelico Cream

Frangelico Cream

1 1/2 cups superfine baker's sugar

3 egg yolks

1 t pure vanilla extract

24 oz cream cheese, room temperature

2 T Frangelico Hazelnut Liquer

1 pint (16oz) heavy whipping cream

PRINTABLE RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS!

Beat the sugar, egg yolks and vanilla until light and fluffy.

(Save the egg whites for a healthy breakfast!)

Sugar + Yolks + Vanilla

Blend in softened cream cheese and Frangelico

Cream Cheese Mixture

In a separate bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff.

Fold whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture

Whipping Cream and Cream Cheese Mixture Before Folding

Spoon into dessert cups or martini glasses and chill for

3 or more hours.

ENJOY!!

Dunskees

Happy Sunday Funday!!

Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Italian Sausage

Today was a simple Sunday Funday!  One of my best gal pals and fellow foodie, Kellie, sent me a picture of a butternut squash soup that she and I had been talking about for a couple weeks.  Like myself, Kellie has been trying new recipes with ingredients she doesn't usually cook with, and has been especially interested in soups, too!  (Must be the cold weather in these midwest states!!)

In previous discussions about soup recipes, Kel and I have been trying to come up with ways to thicken our soups without adding all the fat and calories.  I've pureed rice in soup, added a small amount of flour and lowfat milk, or simply pureed an entire soup.  In approaching this recipe, Kellie decided to completely eliminate the original recipe's request of heavy cream and just enjoy her soup with a thinner texture.  I haven't personally tried this soup, but if Kellie made it and raved about it's delicious flavors, I believe her!!  I can't wait to make this one myself!!

Kellie's Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Italian Sausage

Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Italian Sausage

adapted from Emeril Lagasse's Food Network Recipe

1 large butternut squash, about 3 pounds, halved, seeds removed
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus 12 whole leaves
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons butter

PRINTABLE RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS!

Pumpkin Soup with (Turkey) Italian Sausage

I have officially made the best pumpkin soup!  I've never had another pumpkin soup, but this one is sooo incredibly delicious, I'm sure it's the best!  Problem is, we ate it all up before I had a chance to shoot a photo of it.  I intended to make the soup again today because I need pictures it was so delicious, but with the recent pumpkin shortage, I'm having a hard time find more pie pumpkins!  Luckily this recipe was adapted from A Mom Not a Pro, so here is a picture of her soup.  Mine looked identical, though the ingredients and methods were slightly altered by yours truly.

Pumpkin Soup with Turkey Italian Sausage (SOURCE)

I kid you not, this soup is fantastic.  I was shared this recipe with a friend and her husband; he loved it so much he said that if I opened a soup kitchen, he'd eat there every day (he's also had my homemade chicken noodle soup, which is coming soon).  Open a soup kitchen?  Gladly!!  Just provide the financial backing and the health insurance to replace my current job and I'M ON IT!  No seriously, someone please pay me to cook all day Just kidding!!

Here's what you'll need:

Pumpkin Soup with (Turkey) Italian Sausage

1 3-pound Pie Pumpkin

Yellow Onion

Carrots

1 Golden Delicious Apple

Dried Sage

Flour

Honey

Nutmeg

Chicken Stock

Buttermilk

Fresh Romano cheese

Turkey Italian Sausage

Salt & Pepper

PRINTABLE RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS!!

In the printable recipe you'll see that I have suggested using Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausage, casing removed.  I chose this because it's healthier than regular pork sausage, but also because the seasonings in the sausage transfer to the soup very well, providing a lot of heat and flavor.  In hindsight, the soup was also probably thick enough to omit the flour and milk to save calories.  So, use your best judgment when making this.
I was also surprised how hard it was to cut through the pie pumpkin, so if you have your mister around, take full advantage of his muscles if he is handy in the kitchen.

Happy Sunday Funday!!

Creamy Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup {Slowcooker Recipe}

Fact:  It is very hard to take a nice photo of a creamy, colorless soup when using a point and shoot camera.

With that being said, I present to you my very first self-created soup!!

 

Creamy Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup

Whew!  That was hard.  (Not the soup, the photo!)  I know it could have been better, but hey, I'm no pro.

This recipe came about because this weekend found itself to be a little rainy and chilly, which made me hungry for some comfort food.  Checking my refrigerator, I discovered some chicken breasts that needed to be used up quickly.  I found rice and chicken broth in the cabinet, which inspired me to make one of my favorite soups.  Problem was, I had NO CLUE how to make it, nor did I have the time to stand over the stove all day.

So, in the slow cooker went onion, garlic, chicken broth, rice and lemon juice.  I set my cooker on high.

Three hours later, I had a funny looking gel-like soup inside my cooker.  Then I remembered that starchy foods can be used to thicken soups, so I scooped out some soup and stuck in my immersion blender.

Voila!  Creamy soup without all the fat!!

My friend, Colleen, soup lover extraordinaire, came over to test my soup.  We both agreed that the taste was great, but the soup needed more texture.  So today I browned some mini bella mushrooms and cooked some rice, added both to the soup and discovered that I am not so bad at creating my own concoctions!!

Here's what you'll need:

Creamy Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time:  3-4 hours

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8oz each)
6-8 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup uncooked rice, plus 1/2 cup cooked
black pepper to taste
mini bella mushrooms (optional)

PRINTABLE RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS!

 

A Better Shot of the 'Shrooms

Happy Sunday Funday!!

Bananas Foster Banana Bread

I love bananas.  Especially when they are baked in bread.

After 15 weeks of intense diet and exercise a few years ago, I was eager to get back into the kitchen and bake something that I hadn't had in a long time!  I decided on banana bread after stumbling across this incredible recipe.  It's a little more time consuming than a typical quick bread because of the streusel and rum sauce, but it's totally worth it.

 

Bananas Foster Banana Bread

Are you drooling yet?  You should be.  Here's what you'll need:

Bananas Foster Banana Bread

For the Bread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 medium bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk

For the Streusel Topping:
1½ cups chopped walnuts
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter

For the Rum Glaze:
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) butter
2 tablespoons water
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup dark rum

Printable Recipe & Instructions!!

This recipe is full of so many flavors, but is LOADED in sugar.  I made it for a family event, which I recommend you do this Fall.  It's so good, one slice will satisfy your dessert craving!

 Happy Sunday Funday!

xo