Lemon Yogurt Cake

Lately I've been enjoying recipes from Ina Garten from Foodnetwork's Barefoot Contessa. I've been in love with her fresh ingredients, and the simplicity of her dishes. They always look great and easy to do. I was looking for a recipe to use up the leftover yogurt and found this one! It's so moist, light and has the perfect balance of citrusy flavors that I adore from lemons. I have a huge meyer lemon tree, I felt like Ina picking fruits out of my backyard and using them to cook. I should have made 2 cakes for the work that I put into for 1 cake, so I'll do that next time. You don't really see the confectionary glaze on top, but I think it would have been fine without it. Try this the next time when you're in a sweet lemon-y mood!

Lemon Yogurt Cake
Adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sugar, divided
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

for the glaze:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 9x5 loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.

3. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
4. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
5. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
6. For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

World's Best Lasagna

Want a certain someone to fall madly in love with you? Make them this lasagna. Looking to smooth things over with your girlfriend or sister? Cook 'em this lasagna. Want to bring about world peace and harmony? Serve this lasagna. To everyone. It's really that good, just ask my hungry husband.World's Best Lasagna

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage*casings removed*
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed **added a couple extra because I love garlic**
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes *I used diced tomatoes*
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles **I used the entire box**
16 ounces ricotta cheese**Double this if you prefer a cheesier lasagna like me!*
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
*12 Pepperoni slices*

*1 pound grated Fontina cheese

*6 basil leaves, chiffoned

*2 oz pancetta, chopped

*1 tablespoon of Johnny's Garlic Spread & Seasoning **Best seasoning & garlic spread ever MADE!*

DIRECTIONS
1. In a 7 quart Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned.

2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. **Using a hand blender, I mixed everything to combine well. It helped unify the sauce.*

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.

5. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, basil, pancetta and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
6. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish, *I have a huge lasagna pan. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Top with pepperoni slices. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

7. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Review: This dish freezes well, and I always end up with extra sauce that I use for pasta later on in the week. I have made this lasagna about 3 times already, and this was the best I have ever made it. It's so good that my own mom requested that I make it for her!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I love using the crockpot to make a meal for Eric and me. It's a no-fuss, guaranteed, delicious home-cooked meal for you in less than 6 hours. Eric did take the opportunity to prepare this for me while I was away at work since he's home studying for his P.E. exam. I love my husband for helping me out in the kitchen, it's his love for food and me!
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Adapted from Allrecipes.com & also seen everywhere on the What's Cooking Board
Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin *I used pork shoulder*
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer
1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce *I used Chris & Pitts BBQ Sauce*
8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted *I used Costco Dinner rolls*

DIRECTIONS
1. Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lucca Cafe Ribeye Steaks with Tomato Bearnaise

Two months ago I attended a culinary demonstration held at Bloomingdales in South Coast Plaza. I hate this mall because of all the crazy hype and O.C. MILF-ers out there...but for the love of food, I ventured out there with my girlfriend, Monica. We fell in love with the fresh & simple flavors of Executive Chef & Owner, Cathy Pavolos. She did a cooking demo on her beef hanger steak, yukon gold potatoes, crispy artichoke, tomato béarnaise and her swiss chard soup - which is to die for!!! We received handouts on all of the recipes. I knew this would be the perfect recipe for our BBQ steak dinner to test out on my family!

Ribeye Steaks, Yukon Gold Potatoes & Tomato Béarnaise

Adapted from Lucca Cafe - Executive Chef/Owner - Cathy Pavolos

Serves 6 **We served 8**

Ingredients:

2.5 - 3 lbs Certifed Angus Beef Hangar Steak or Tender Rib Eye Steaks *We bought an 8 lb rib eye roast, and cut the slices up ourselves.*

5 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes

Beef Marinade: *I doubled the recipe to serve 8 or more*

Juice of 2 oranges

3 tablespoons of Fresh oregano

6 garlic cloves

***Optional: Zest of 2 oranges
1. Put all ingredients in a food processor, and mix. Marinate the beef with the marinade for at least 2 hours, and remove the beef from the refrigerator for at least 15-30 minutes. *Tip, we used large plastic ziploc bags to marinade the meat, and flipped them over after 1 hour.*

Fork Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes:

Steam or boil the peeled potatoes until tender, mash potatoes with a fork or potato masher while warm. Mix in warmed heavy cream, melted butter, salt & white pepper to taste. **ADD lots of BUTTER!*

Easy Tomato Béarnaise in Two Steps:

The Reduction:

3 tablespoon Fresh Tarragon, minced

3/4 teaspoon Dried Tarragon

5 each Dried Green Peppercorns, crushed

1/2 cup White Wine

1/2 cup White Wine Vinegar

3 Shallots, peeled & minced

3 Garlic cloves, peeled & minced

The Completion:

6 Cage Free egg yolks

1 1/2 tablespoon Tomato Paste

3/4 lb Salted butter, melted

Preparation:

Add all of the Reduction ingredients into a small saute pan and simmer until reduced to about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons - usually about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Then in a blender, blend the egg yolks, tomato paste, and the reduction together. With the blender running, take the center part of the top out and add 1/3 of the butter in a slow steady stream. Once the sauce emulsifies, turn the blender speed up to high and add the remaining butter. It should thick and creamy and ready to go.Review: My cousin loved the Tomato Béarnaise sauce so much, that he used it to dip his bread...like 4 or 5 rolls!!! Eric said Chef Cathy did a mistake by handing out her recipe to me, because I made it better than her!! YEAH!

Classic Creamed Corn

The Summit House Restaurant is on my top 5 list for North Orange County Fine Dining. With it's noble interior, hilltop location, and spectacular view of the city - it all adds great value to your fine dining experience. One of the featured signature dishes from Summit House is their creamed corn, and the recipe is listed on the website. It's really easy to make, and everyone will surely appreciate the creaminess and richness of this corn dish.

Classic Creamed Corn au Gratin
From Summit House Restaurant

Ingredients:
12 oz Whipping Cream
1 lb. Frozen Kernel Corn
1 1/2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Tablespoons Sugar
Pinch White Pepper
3 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

Preparation:
1. Combine corn, cream, salt, sugar and white pepper in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes.
2. Make a roux from butter and flour, add to corn, mix well & remove from heat.
3. Transfer corn mixture to casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese & brown under broiler.
Serves 6

Review: My husband and my family loves this dish, and they all want the recipe for this, need I say more?

Dirty Risotto

Watching Hell's Kitchen makes you wonder about the quality of food the chefs make. Gordon Ramsey always critiquing how "al dente" the Risotto should be or how overcooked the beef wellington is, or yelling "get out of the kitchen, you DONKEY!" LMAO. Making risotto is not that difficult as Gordon Ramsey says it is.

TIPS: Please note that you will be constantly stirring the risotto to evenly distribute the heat. Make sure you use Arborio rice…not long grain rice. Never wash the rice, every bit of the rice starch gives the creamy flavors and the key to making risotto is to aim for creamy texture. Perfectly cooked risotto should not be hard or stick to your ladle, nor should be "cheesy rice." If you want a richer risotto, stir in a quarter cup of heavy cream at the last step. It gives it an incredibly smooth texture…soooo tasty!!!

Dirty Risotto
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis on Everyday Italian and seen on Kelseys Apple a Day
Ingredients:
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
1 link (about 6 ounces) spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 ounces button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
*Optional: 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
*Optional: 1/4 cup frozen sweet corn
Directions:1. In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.
2. In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and sauté until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute.
5. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total.
6. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan, corn, spinach, and parsley.
7. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and serve immediately. Serves four as a main course or six as a side dish.
Review: I love this recipe from Giada. This is truly an Italian comfort food dish! I served it along with a side of foccacia bread with olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette.

Strawberries & Cream Stuffed French Toast

Eric & I celebrated our 1 year anniversary in our wonderful new home. Since it was Easter Sunday, we already had plans for dinner with the family. I had planned a wonderful intimate breakfast for Eric and me. Our anniversary breakfast was the perfect way to start our day together. Sundays are our favorite day of the week, too. We lounge around in our PJs, relax, sit at the kitchen table & eat, and read the newspaper, too. Eric loves french toast and I love strawberries. So I knew that this recipe would be a success once I came across it. I served it with Almond Champagne from Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula, Boarshead Bacon, and more strawberries! If you love strawberries, you're going to love this recipe! Strawberries & Cream Stuffed French Toast
Adapted from Marion Cunningham's The Breakfast Book & seen on Inn Cuisine

Ingredients:
6 (approximately 2″ wide) slices artisan-style French bread *I used Cuban bread*
4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
4 ounces Mascarpone cheese (room temperature)
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (plus more for garnish)
6-8 fresh plump, large strawberries (plus more for garnish)
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 level tablespoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (optional)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

Preparation:
1. Laying each (2″ wide) slice of bread on its edge lengthwise, create a *pocket* by slicing through the middle of each piece but stopping as you near the opposite crust, so as to create a single, hinged piece (much like a clam shell). DO NOT SCOOP OUT ANY OF THE BREAD. Do this for all 6 slices until you have created 6 pieces, each with a hinged *pocket*. Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix cream cheese, Mascarpone cheese, and powdered sugar until well blended. Set aside. *I added 1 tsp of vanilla extract*
3. Slice 6-8 ripe, large strawberries to desired thickness.
4. Opening the *pocket* of each piece of bread, begin scooping and smoothing the cream cheese, Mascarpone, and powdered sugar mixture into each, creating a thick layer of cream in all. Following the same procedure, lay 1 row of sliced strawberries on top of each layer of cream, slightly overlapping the berries as you go. When you are finished, each *pocket* of bread should contain a single layer of cream and a single layer of strawberries. Set aside.
5. In a medium-sized oval or rectangular dish, mix buttermilk, eggs, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and lemon zest with a whisk until blended. Melt (and spread) 2 tablespoons of butter in a 12″ skillet over medium heat.
6. Dip (don’t soak) each stuffed piece of bread into the buttermilk and egg batter using tongs, taking care to cover both sides and the edges. Drain slightly before setting each piece into the moderate skillet containing melted butter. 7. Frying no more than 3 pieces at a time, flip each piece over after the bottom reaches a light, golden brown. Continue frying until second side turns a light, golden brown as well. Keep cooked pieces of French toast warm in a 250 degree F oven while you continue cooking the remaining pieces of stuffed French toast.
8. When all the pieces of stuffed French toast have been cooked, place each on individual serving plates and dust lightly with powdered sugar. Review: The creaminess from the cream cheese mixture was a perfect combo for the the french toast. It reminded us of the Pain Perdu breakfast served at Mimi's Cafe. I also made a strawberry puree to drizzle on top instead of using maple syrup. It was truly a sweet & memorable anniversary breakfast!

Osso Bucco & Risotto Milanese

I wanted to make a nice memorable dinner for our 1st wedding anniversary. Usually our home meals consist of meat and rice, or something with bread or potatoes. Eric had recently purchased an eight quart dutch oven that I had been eyeballing for some time now, and I knew I had to use it for this dinner. I've been dying to make Osso Bucco because the meat is so juicy, and tender...it literally falls off the bone. Osso Bucco is braised veal shanks with carrots, celery, onions and tomatoes. It's a great peasant dish, and also it was my first attempt at making this dish. I did my research on the best recipe to use, and best place to get the specialty meat, center-cut veal shanks. I even contacted my April knottie chef, Gerrie, to go over the details and my anixety of cooking a new dish. I invited our fave double date couple, Adrian and Monica, over to share the meal, too. They brought over the same exact bottle of wine that we drank on our wedding day, Hess Collection Wine from Mount Veeder - 2006. Overall, the dish was wonderful, and every bite was savory and delicious! It wasn't that hard to prepare, but a tasty dish worth every effort!

Osso Bucco & Risotto Milanese

Adapted from "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" & "Joy of Cooking"

**Using my wonderful new 8 quart Dutch Oven**
6 veal shanks

Salt and pepper

Flour

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp butter

1 cup diced onion

2/3 cup diced carrot

2/3 cup diced celery

1 cup dry white wine

2 strips lemon zest

1 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 cup tomatoes in juices

1 tsp fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

3 - 4 parsley sprigs

Gremolada

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1/4 tsp finely minced garlic

1 Tbsp minced Italian parsley

Some notes from Marcella Hazan:- Veal shanks are best no thicker than 1 1/2 inches, otherwise they will not cook evenly.- Do not remove the white skin/membrane around shank, it adds flavor and creaminess to the dish. Make sure you allot enough time for the meat to cook, at least 2 to 3 hours for cooking.

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Tie each shank tightly with a piece of cooking twine to prevent them from falling apart during cooking. Season the shanks with salt & pepper. Flour both sides of the veal shank and pat off the excess.

2. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear the shanks on both sides until a brown crust forms, remove to a plate and set aside.

3. Turn down the heat to medium and add 4 tablespoons of butter to the Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until the vegetables have softened. Add the wine and cook until it no longer smells alcoholic.

4. Nestle the shanks back into the vegetables. Add the lemon zest, chicken stock, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley. Bring the contents to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven.

5. Let it cook in the oven for about 2 - 3 hours or until the shanks are fork tender. Baste the shanks by basting the cooking liquid over them every 20 - 30 minutes.

6. If the pot is getting too dry, add a few tablespoons of water.

Optional step: After the shanks are done, carefully remove them from the pot and set aside on a plate. Puree the contents in the pot (the veggies and braising liquid) with an immersion blender for a more uniform sauce. Serve the osso buco over risotto Milanese. Carefully snip the twine around the shank and spoon the sauce over it. Top with a spoonful of the gremolada.

Risotto Milanese

Adapted from "Joy of Cooking"

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp butter

1/4 medium onion, finely diced

2 cups Arborio rice

A small pinch of saffron threads

1/4 cup hot water

1/4 cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken stock

1 Tbsp cold butter

1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Note:- Do not rinse the rice, the starches on the outside of the grains is what makes the risotto creamy.- The chicken stock must be hot when you add it to the rice, so keep it in a saucepan on low heat on the stove while you're cooking. - Add the saffron threads to the hot water and let it steep.

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add the rice and cook until the rice is coated with fat and starts to turn translucent around the edges.

2. Lower the heat to medium low, add the wine and cook while stirring until the wine has been absorbed. Add one cup of the chicken stock, keeping it at a simmer, and cook uncovered while stirring constantly until almost all of the liquid as absorbed.

3. Add the chicken stock about 1/3 cup at a time until the liquid is absorbed. Keep it at a low simmer, and cook the rice while stirring constantly.

4. About 15 minutes in, after the chicken stock has been absorbed, add the saffron water (threads too) and continue to cook and stir. If you start running low on chicken stock, go ahead and use hot water or more chicken stock. Continue adding ladlefuls of broth, waiting until each addition has been almost absorbed before adding more.

5. Cook while constantly stirring until the rice is al dente, fully cooked but still retains a chew in the center. Take off heat and stir in a tablespoon of cold butter and grated Parmigiano.

Clearly a hearty dish that we ate to the bones!!!!!!! **TIP, save the bones for stock!***

Lemon Gnocchi

I've been wanting to make gnocchi for quite some time. I even registered for an Oxo Food ricer, and funny thing is I didn't even get to use the cool kitchen tool for this recipe. Maybe next time, because Tyler Florence made a tasty gnocchi on Tyler's Ultimate. But this dish was pretty good, and it relatively easy to make!
Enjoy! Pan-Fried Lemon Gnocchi
Adapted from Steamy Kitchen
Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup freshly grated parmegiano reggiano (plus extra reserved for garnishing)
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (plus extra reserved for garnishing)
1/2 teaspoon finely minced chilli (or red pepper flakes) - adjust chilli based on your tastes
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation:
1. Combine ricotta, parmagiano, yolk, zest and salt in large bowl. Mix well. Sprinkle half of the flour on the mixture, gently turn with spatula a few times to incorporate. Dump mixture on clean, lightly floured countertop. Sprinkle remaining flour on top of the mixture. Gently knead with your fingertips, just bringing together the mixture until flour is incorporated through. This only should take a minute or two. Any longer and you will be over-kneading. *If you are using skim milk ricotta - you may have to use more flour, as there is more water content in skim ricotta.
Dough should look like this:
2. Divide dough into 4 parts. Take one part and roll into a long, 1″ diameter log. Cut gnocchi into 1″ pieces. *I used the fork tines to get the little grooves for the gnocchi, but it disappears when you fry it.*

3. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and olive oil. when butter is just lightly browned, add gnocchi in single layer. Fry on one side for 2 minutes, flip. Add chilli. Fry other side for 1-2 minutes. Timing really depends on how big/thick your gnocchi is.

4. Do a taste test - do you taste flour? Not done yet. Does it taste like a beautiful Italian’s luscious lips? Then its done. Serve with a sprinkling of lemon zest, parmegiano and parsley.

Happy Anniversary to us

Eric and I are celebrating our 1st year wedding anniversary today. It really does seem like our wedding day was just yesterday. Maybe its because I can remember our big day sooo vividly, it was filled with lots of family, friends, love and lots of laughter. I think back and remember this exact moment when Eric and I were meeting for our bride and groom portraits. We chose to do them beforehand the ceremony, so we could enjoy more time with our guests. We didn't believe in the old wives tales' of seeing each other before the wedding, and the bad luck to follow. We like to believe we make our own luck, and that silly old wives tales can be proven wrong. *I'm laughing in the picture above because Eric pointed out the lipstick on my two front teeth!! Just a hilarious & embarrassing moment, but I'm thankful that it was my husband that pointed it out before the ceremony!!!**

This past year as husband and wife has brought us a beautiful wedding, a wonderful 1st home, and continuing success in both of our jobs. We look forward to the many more wonderful years as husband and wife! I love you Eric.

Baked Pork Chops with Parmesan Sage Crust

I love Sunday dinners because this is the one meal a week I remember that we eat dinner together. Usually Eric works late during the week, or I'm off at the gym during dinner time. So if there's one day of the week that we can enjoy dinner together, it's Sunday dinner. We had a busy day of shopping, checking out some furniture, and had a great late afternoon bike ride along the river banks here in the O.C. We had definitely worked up our appetites! The pork chops were easy to prepare, and I tenderized the meat a bit as well. The kitchen smelled heavenly of sage and butter, and I knew I had a hit when my husband started helping me setting up dinner. He was definitely excited & hungry for dinner! This is a recipe I'll be making in the future!

Baked Pork Chops with Parmesan Sage Crust
Source bon appétit, February 2001, Also seen on Made by Melissa & Alosha's Kitchen
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread *I used Italian breadcrumbs*
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage *I used fresh sage*
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 large eggs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
4 bone-in center-cut pork loin chops (each about 1 inch thick) *I used boneless*
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges (optional)
Orange wedges (optional)
**1 teaspoon of garlic powder**
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, sage and lemon peel in pie dish. Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend. **Added the garlic powder with the egg mixture.(
3. Place flour on plate; season generously with salt and pepper. Coat pork chops on both sides with flour; shake off excess.
4. Dip chops into eggs, then coat on both sides with breadcrumb mixture.
5. Melt butter with oil in heavy large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
6. Transfer skillet with pork to oven. Bake until pork chops are crisp on the outside and meat thermometer inserted into pork registers 150°F, about 20 minutes.
7. Transfer pork chops to plates. Garnish with lemon wedges and orange wedges, if desired, and serve.

Baby food & cake?

My niece and nephew finally turned 2 this past weekend, and for their birthday dinner I had made spaghetti & meatballs *any kids favorite meal!* and babycakes. It's like a mini-version of a cupcake, so adorable and perfect for a little person, I mean a kid! I frequently watch the Foodnetwork, and saw the episode where the contestants made the Ultimate dessert. I was really interested in the Babycakes because it used baby food as an ingredient. The idea of eating baby food kinda grossed me out, but it's similar to using pumpkin puree or applesauce. Besides the Earth's Best baby food I had used was organic and has the nutrients and vitamins, so it was a great pick for the kids. The babycakes turned out to be sweet and moist. I did end up making some regular size cupcakes for us adults, and the kids happily enjoyed their babycakes!
Adapted from Lisa Roman
From the show on Foodnetwork: Ultimate Recipe Showdown: Desserts

Cupcake Batter Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/4 cup clover honey
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 (4-ounce) jar pumpkins with pears baby food (recommended: Nature's Goodness brand)
2 (4-ounce) jars applesauce and apricots baby food (recommended: Earth's Best brand)
1/2 cup ground pecans

**I couldn't find the exact match for applesauce & apricots, so I improvised and used the ones below: 2 of Apples & Apricots, 1 of Pears**

Frosting Ingredients:
1 teaspoon almond extract **I didn't have any, so I used lemon extract**
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk **I didn't have any, so I used the leftover Coco Lopez*
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup ground pecans *I omitted these, and used sprinkles.*
Special equipment: 2 (12-cup) mini muffin pans

Cupcakes:

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a small mixing bowl add the baking soda, salt, baking powder and flour. Mix thoroughly with a fork and set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl add the eggs, honey, both sugars and butter. Mix until smooth using a hand mixer. Add the cinnamon and baby food. Mix until smooth. Using a rubber spatula fold in the pecans. Slowly add the flour mixture using a sifter and fold in until ingredients are evenly mixed.
4. Place 24 mini baking cups (2-inch, nonfoil) into each hole of the mini muffin pan. Place a 1-gallon resealable freezer bag into a bowl (for support) and pour the cupcake batter into the bag. Seal the bag and cut the tip off 1 of the bottom corners of the bag. Squeeze the batter into each baking cup, filling them only 3/4 of the way full. Place the mini muffin pan in the oven on the center rack.

5. Bake for 12 minutes.

Frosting:
1. In a small mixing bowl add the extracts, milk, cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy using a hand mixer. When the cupcakes are done baking remove each cupcake from the pan and place on a cooling rack. Place the cooling rack in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Once the cupcakes are cooled remove them from the refrigerator. Frost each cupcake by putting a generous dollop of frosting on the top with a spoon. Garnish top with ground pecans and they are ready to serve.

Happy Birthday Jerricko and Anastaschia!