Orange Pound Cake

This is one of Colin's favorite things for his mom to make, so my mother-in-law so very nicely gave me the recipe so that I'd be able to make it for him too. As Colin's 31st (yikes!) birthday was approaching, I asked him what kind of cake he wanted and this was his request. It didn't turn out exactly like his mom's version, of course, but he seemed happy with it and my MIL gave it her stamp of approval!

Orange Pound Cake

1 package Duncan Hines Orange Supreme cake mix (this was the biggest issue I had--apparently orange cake mixes of any kind are not easy to find, so after my second grocery store with no luck, I went with a spice cake mix and it worked out just fine!)
1 3.5 oz. package vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup Crisco oil
1 cup water
4 eggs

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice OR 2 tablespoons milk (since I didn't use the orange cake mix, I went with the milk option)

Preheat oven to 350. Blend all ingredients through eggs together in a large bowl at medium speed for 2 minutes. Do not overmix. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Pour batter into pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until center springs back when touched lightly. Cool in pan for 25 minutes. Invert on cooling rack and allow cake to finish cooling. Meanwhile, to make glaze blend powdered sugar with either orange juice or milk. After cake has cooled, drizzle glaze over cake. (I also added some chopped pecans and served this with classic Blue Bell vanilla ice cream--delish!)

Avocado Hummus

I love avocados and I love hummus, so when my friend Amanda told me she was bringing this for an appetizer, I knew already that I would love it. Yep, I was right! I ended up Googleing some of the ingredients that I knew were in it so that I could make it myself a few days later and found (I think!) the recipe on the Food Network website. Yum!

2 avocados, peeled and diced
1/2 jalapeno, chopped
7 oz. hummus (I went easy and used store bought, but homemade would work too!)
Salt
Lemon juice
Cilantro, chopped
Veggies, pita chips and/or tortilla chips for serving

Puree avocados and jalapeno in a food processor. Stir in hummus, a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I can't remember which blog I found this recipe on, but the full name is actually THE BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, so I had pretty high expectations going into it. Earning the title of "Best" is pretty serious business, but these were definitely good! I made a few changes based on what ingredients I had on hand, so next time I'll probably try the standard version just for the sake of comparison.

2 cups plus 2 T. all-purpose flour (I used about half whole wheat flour)
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used white chocolate chips)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I added these because I thought they would go well with my other changes)

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare an 8x8 baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips (and nuts, if using). Pour into baking dish and lightly pat to even out mixture in pan. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until light golden brown and outer edges start to harden, yet center is still soft and puffy. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before my undying love for macaroni and cheese. I really love any version of mac and cheese--fancy cheese restaurant-style, old school Kraft blue box style, even the Lean Cuisine kind is one of my preferred workday lunches. But my absolute favorite is my mom's baked macaroni and cheese with a buttery, crunchy breadcrumb topping. I don't know why I haven't just asked her for the recipe already, but this version is a pretty darn close substitute--meaning delicious, and I highly recommend it!

8 oz. uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (sharp is important to really get the best flavor)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 pinch paprika

Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses and cook over low heat until the cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in a large casserole dish and pour sauce over macaroni (it may seem a little too "sauce-y" at this point, but it will really thicken up and be the perfect amount after cooking). Stir well. Melt remaining two tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni to cover and sprinkle with a little paprika. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Dijon Salmon Cakes

I love, love, love crab cakes so I had a feeling that I would like these salmon cakes. They didn't have quite as much flavor as I was hoping they would, so next time I make them, I'll probably play around with the seasonings a bit and maybe come up with some sort of yummy dipping sauce.

1 lb. skinless salmon filet
2 scallions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Panko break crumbs
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil

Place salmon, scallions and salt and pepper in a food processor and chop. Mix in bread crumbs and Dijon mustard. Form into eight patties. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and cook patties until opaque, about 2 minutes per side.

Source: Real Simple

Spicy Beef Kebabs with Lime

I typically don't eat or cook with a lot of red meat, so this was really out on a limb for me, but I knew my lovely husband would appreciate a yummy dinner that included beef for once! I'm glad I tried something new because these ended up being so good! We served these with Colin's delicious spicy grilled corn on the cob and it was quite the excellent dinner.

1 1/2 lbs. tri-tip or sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
8 red jalapeno peppers, cut into 1 inch thick rings (I subbed in bell pepper and purple onion pieces)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 limes, cut into wedges

Thread meat and veggies onto 8 skewers. Season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat, turning frequently, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Serve with lime wedges.

Source: Real Simple

All American Meal--Buffalo Style

I'm not the world's biggest meat eater, but every once in a while I have a serious craving for a hamburger. I decided that I would go with a classic American meal--hamburgers, french fries and coleslaw. I don't typically like coleslaw, but I've learned over time that just about anything is better when it's homemade, so I decided I would try a coleslaw recipe myself and it was actually really good! The burger and fries both have a "Buffalo" twist (shout out to the Malchoffs!) for an extra kick and everything turned out really yummy. Craving satisfied!

Buffalo Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey
Blue cheese crumbles (I don't love blue cheese, so I subbed in a slice of provolone instead)
Frank's Hot Sauce
Breadcrumbs
Cayenne
Hamburger buns

Mix first 5 ingredients to taste (I like a lot of Buffalo sauce flavor, so I put in a ton of Frank's!) in a medium size bowl. Form mixture into 4 burgers. Put on the grill and leave until cooked through. Assemble burgers and top with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Buffalo Fries

2-3 medium potatoes, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
1/8 cup butter
1/8 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
Ranch or blue cheese dressing, for dipping

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange potato wedges on sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes, until tender. Remove pan from oven. Combine hot sauce and butter in a bowl and microwave until melted. Stir to combine. Drizzle mixture over fries and return to oven for additional 15 minutes. Serve with dressing for dipping.

Classic Coleslaw

2 1/2 lbs. green cabbage, shredded
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, grated
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar

Toss all veggies in a large bowl with salt and pepper. Whisk together mayo, vinegar and sugar. Toss with veggies. Chill, covered, stirring occasionally, at least 1 hour.

Source: bigcitycooking.blogspot.com