Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

This roasted cauliflower was delicious! It turned out tender, but not mushy. Don't let the large volume of garlic deter you- it wasn't overpowering.

Based on the Allrecipes dish by the same name.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large head of cauliflower, separated into florets
Dash Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425. Grease a large casserole dish.

Combine garlic, oil, and cauliflower in a Ziploc bag. Shake to combine. Pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cover with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Top with parmesan cheese and return to oven, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes.

Blade Steaks with Herb Wine Sauce

My husband and I were both very disappointed when we found out Gourmet magazine was no more. We were always sure to find something interesting to cook in each issue. When I saw a copy of the Gourmet cookbook in our local Half Price Books last week, I snatched a copy and started tagging recipes to try right away.

This steak dish turned out delicious. The steaks had a very beefy flavor and the sauce complemented them perfectly. I wasn't sure about using white wine in a steak dish, but it definitely worked.

I altered the original recipe by decreasing the amount of parsley and upping the cook time for a nice medium instead of medium-rare.

INGREDIENTS
4 (1/2-inch-thick) top chuck blade steaks (18 oz)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

Pat steaks dry and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add steaks and cook 3-4 minutes per side, flipping once. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet and cook shallot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and carefully add wine and any meat juices that have accumulated on plate with steaks. Simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve steaks with sauce poured over.

Brownie Frosting

This brownie frosting hails from Allrecipes. It is very rich and indulgent, but DELICIOUS!

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons milk
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1 dash vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the milk, butter, and sugar together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to cook at a rolling boil for 30 seconds and immediately remove from heat.

2. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla to the milk mixture and stir until the chips are completely melted. Pour immediately over warm brownies.

Mom's Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are the best thing since sliced bread. As a kid, I helped Mom make a big batch of these cookies every Christmas. I loved cutting them out with cookie cutters. They are not your typical cakey sugar cookie. These are very thin and crisp. Mmm...

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until well-blended. Stir in flour.

2. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350.

4. Roll out dough on lightly floured board or pastry cloth to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters.

5. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 10-12 min or until light golden brown. Cool and decorate as desired.

Yields about 6 dozen.

Onion Rice

This dish hails from Allrecipes. It is a very easy way to dress up plain rice. We had it with burrito bowls.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups chicken broth

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until almost tender. Stir in rice, and continue cooking until coated with oil.

When onion is tender and rice begins to brown lightly, season with pepper, and pour in the broth. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Cookies n Cream Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a Beantown Baker original and are delicious!

Cookies n Cream Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour, plus 2 Tbsp for the Oreo chunks
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 pkg Oreo Cookies (~45 cookies)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat over to 350F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.

Twist apart 24 Oreos. Place the wafer with filling on it, filling side up, in the bottom of each paper liner. Cut other wafers in half. Save 24 halves to place in the frosting. Crush the other wafer halves, also for garnishing.

Cut the remaining Oreo cookies into quarters with a sharp knife. Toss with 2 Tbsp flour and set aside.

In a large bowl cream the butter until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the milk and vanilla and mix to combine.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until integrated. Stir in sugar. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat for 30 seconds. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites. Beat for 2 more minutes. Stir in the quartered cookies.

Fill the cupcake lines three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS
8 oz cream cheese at room temp
1 stick butter at room temp
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy.

Add vanilla extract. Slowly add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes

These cupcakes were a HUGE hit.

Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
4 egg whites
2/3 c. thawed frozen strawberry daiquiri concentrate
1/2 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with liners. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites and lemonade concentrate. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until just smooth.

Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of pink.

Scoop batter into liners (fill about three-fourths full). Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting (see below).

Daiquiri buttercream icing

INGREDIENTS
3 c. + 3 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. pink lemonade concentrate
Milk to thin, if necessary

DIRECTIONS
Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, lemonade concentrate, and a few drops of food coloring to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined.