Better Than Crack Brownies

With a name like that, how could you not want to make these brownies?!? While I can't verify that these actually are better than crack, they definitely were fantastic! I love the different tastes and textures that these have - fudge brownies, peanut butter cups, salted peanuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter and rice krispies. YUMMY! They keep well too! Next time I make them, and there definitely will be a next time!, I think I'm going to add more peanuts for even more crunch...

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Veggie Quesadillas with Tomatillo Sour Cream

Isn't my daughter, Finley, precious?! Unfortunately, as Finley has gotten older, she has pretty much stopped wanting to eat veggies, so sneaking them in has become a way of life for us. These quesadillas are packed with nutrients and still totally delicious! They take a little while longer to make since you have to chop and saute the vegetables, but to me, they're worth it. (You can always prepare the veggies ahead of time and then assemble the quesadillas immediately before mealtime.) Even with the cheese and tortillas, I still feel good eating them because they are loaded with good stuff too.

Veggie Quesadillas

an Erin original

2 T olive oil

1/2 t Ancho chile powder

1/4 t granulated garlic

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 white onion, diced

3 oz white mushrooms, diced

7-8 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed off and remaining cut into 1/4-inch slices

several handfuls baby spinach

salt and pepper, to taste

3 T tomatillo salsa

1/4 c minced cilantro

1 c Mexican blend shredded cheese

1 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

8 tortillas

cooking spray

In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil and allow oil to heat up. Add chile powder and granulated garlic. Stir 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Add bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, and asparagus. Saute until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add spinach, cilantro, salt, pepper and salsa. Continue sauteing until spinach wilts, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer veggies to a plate. Carefully wipe out pan and return to heat. (If you're not using a non-stick pan, spray with cooking spray.)

Place a tortilla in pan and sprinkle lightly with the two cheeses. Spoon a few spoonfuls of veggies evenly over cheese and add another sprinkling of cheese. Top with second tortilla. Allow to cook a minute or two, or until bottom tortilla is golden brown and cheese is beginning to melt. Carefully flip quesadilla over and continue to cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove to cutting board and slice into quarters. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve with Tomatillo Sour Cream.

Tomatillo Sour Cream

an Erin original

3 T fresh cilantro, finely minced

3 T tomatillo salsa (I prefer La Frontera's Tomatillo Salsa)

3 T sour cream

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Keep chilled in refrigerator until ready to use.

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Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie is probably my husband's favorite dessert so I'm always trying to make it for him. Our favorite KLP is at Houston's - their crust is a graham cracker crust with a heavy dose of cinnamon and the filling is wonderfully tangy without being too sweet. So every time I try a new KLP recipe, I'm hoping that maybe it will be similar to Houston's.

This is an Emeril Lagasse recipe and I thought it was pretty darn good. The sweetness of the crust, the sweet and sour filling and the tang from the sour cream topping complimented each other really well. Also, it came together quickly and it didn't have a super long list of ingredients, both of which are big pluses in my book. When I'm in a pinch and Andrew is craving KLP, then I'll definitely make this again. But my quest for a copycat recipe of Houston's KLP continues...In fact I think I may have to head to Houston's tonight, you know, for 'research'. :-)

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Rich Celery Root Puree

I've wanted to try celery root for awhile now and when I found this recipe in my new favorite cookbook...you guessed it!.. the Barefoot Contessa's How Easy is That?, I knew I had to try it. The original recipe makes scads, so I halved the recipe to feed four people and it still made enough for at least 6 people. So keep that in mind when making the recipe.

I really liked the subtle flavor and the slightly crunchy texture of the puree. To me it was a lot more exciting than mashed potatoes. As the recipe title implies, this recipe is very rich and a little goes a long ways.

Rich Celery Root Puree

Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?

serves 6 to 8 (but I think it would serve quite a few more than that!)

5 lbs celery root

2 T unsalted butter

1 1/2 c chicken stock

1 1/2 c heavy cream

4 t kosher salt

1 t freshly ground black pepper

Peel celery roots with a large knife and cut each one in half. With cut side down, cut into 1/2-inch dice, removing any brown spots.

Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add celery root and saute 3 minutes, stirring to coat with butter. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Add chicken stock, cream, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the celery root is very tender.

In batches, transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the pot and reheat gently over low heat. Check the seasonings and serve hot.

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Yummy Turkey Wraps

I was craving something different than a regular old turkey sandwich so I decided to spice things up a bit. And I loved the result! I based the recipe on a wrap sandwich I used to get in college at a restaurant called Roly-Poly. The combination of the sweet mango chutney and the spicy peppercorn ranch dressing perfectly spices up this sandwich! (I didn't include quantities here because it seems like everyone likes their sandwiches a little different.)

Yummy Turkey Wraps

whole wheat or spinach sandwich wrap or tortillas

peppercorn ranch dressing

shaved deli turkey

colby jack cheese slices

romaine lettuce, shredded

cucumber, peeled and very thinly sliced

salt and pepper

mango chutney

Spread the sandwich wrap out on a large plate. Spread a light smattering of ranch dressing over half the wrap. Top the ranch with turkey, cheese, lettuce and cucumber. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the cucumber slices. Spread a smattering (a little more than you did the ranch) of chutney on the other half of the wrap. Roll up, cut in half and enjoy your lunch!

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Roasted Shrimp with Feta

Here is another recipe from one of my Christmas cookbooks, Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? and it was great. And fairly healthy, which is a bit of a rarity from Barefoot Contessa! I loved the fennel's pleasant crunch and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. Also you can assemble the dish beforehand and then bake when it's dinner time. This recipe will definitely be put into regular rotation!

Roasted Shrimp with Feta

adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?

3 T olive oil, divided

1 1/2 c fennel, medium-diced

1 T (about 3 cloves) garlic, minced

1/4 c dry white wine

1 (14 1/2-oz) can diced tomatoes

2 t tomato paste

1 t dried oregano

1 t kosher salt

1/2 t pepper

1 1/4 lb peeled shrimp (use the 16 to 20/lb size of shrimp)

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs

3 T fresh parsley, minced

1 lemon, zested

juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, heat 2 T olive oil in an over-proof skillet over medium-low heat. Add fennel and saute until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, until garlic is fragrant but not browned. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until liquid is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and their liquid, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Arrange shrimp in one layer over the contents of the skillet. Sprinkle feta evenly over shrimp. In a small bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs, parsley, 1 T olive oil and lemon zest. Sprinkle mixture over shrimp.

Bake for 15 minutes. Juice the lemon and sprinkle juice over shrimp.

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Baked Fontina

I was a happy girl this Christmas as I received five cookbooks from Santa! One of the cookbooks is Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? and I was so excited to try a few recipes that I'd seen reviewed out in blog-land. One in particular piqued my curiosity because the main ingredient was cheese, which I love dearly, and the blogger (Pink Parsley's Josie) said it was one of her favorite appetizers of all time. I knew I had to try it!

Oh and it was fabulous! But how could you go wrong with oodles of melted cheese?!? I made 2/3 of a recipe to serve four people and not a drop was left. It was so easy to throw everything together in the skillet, pop it under the broiler and it's ready to eat in 6 minutes! The only con I have with this dish is that it can be a little pricy (the cheese was about $17/lb) so I altered the recipe a little bit to bring down the cost. And I still thought my cheaper version was delicious!

Baked Fontina

recipe altered by Erin from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? Cookbook

1/2 pound Italian Fontina Val d'Aosta cheese, rind removed and 1-inch diced

1/2 pound cheaper Italian Fontina, rind removed and 1-inch diced

3 T good olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 1/2 t dried thyme leaves

1/2 t dried rosemary leaves

1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1 crusty French baguette

Preheat the broiler.

In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, evenly distribute the cubed cheese. Drizzle olive oil over the cheese. Sprinkle garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper over cheese as well. Place under the broiler for 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly and starting to brown.

Serve with crusty chunks of bread.

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