Pumkin Spice Muffins w/Cream Cheese Frosting

One of my very favorite things about the arrival of Fall is cooking with Pumpkin. I lurve me some punkin' flavored desserts!!! Pie, cake, pancakes, muffins...bring it on! I got this recipe from Ree Drummond who writes my favorite food blog, The Pioneer Woman Cooks at http://thepioneerwoman.com/ You have GOT to check out her blog. It is incredible! Everything I've made of hers is fab so I was not suprised when these muffins came out great too. Of course, the cream cheese frosting takes them over the top and makes them out of this world good, but the muffins would be great for breakfast/brunch if you leave it off. Now all I need to go with them is a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. Yum!

What You'll Need:

(For the muffins)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1 heaping cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup golden raisins (optional!...I omitted these)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

(For the Frosting)

1/4 cup softened butter

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 pound powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

What You'll Do:

(For the Muffins)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.

Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until all incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla.

Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

Pour into greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full.

Sprinkle generous amounts of cinnamon-sugar over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

(Frosting)

Mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy!
Store in fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken Breast over Creamy Polenta

Oh wow, this was soooo yummy! My friend (thanks Kelly Martin) recommended this recipe to me and I am so glad she did! It comes from Robert Irvine with the Food Network. The pesto makes the chicken very flavorful and the polenta...mmm, mmm good! I've always loved polenta, but had never made it before. Oh my goodness, it is so simple to make! It's actually easier than making mashed potatoes because you don't have to peel potatoes! This polenta was soooo creamy and delicious...I couldn't get enough of it. I used smoked gouda cheese instead of the cheddar so it had a nice, smoky flavor to it. I omitted the scallions because we aren't big fans of scallions. For the chicken, I used boneless, skinless breasts. While they were fine enough, the next time I make this I will definitely do as the recipe suggests and use chicken with the bone and skin so that it will be more tender and juicy. Alright, so, if you want to impress someone with your culinary skills, make this recipe!!!

What You'll Need:

(For the Chicken)
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes from a jar
2 garlic cloves, quartered
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 (6-ounce) chicken breasts, with wing bone, skin on

(For the creamy polenta)
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup freshly shredded Cheddar
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

What You'll Do:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
For the pesto crust:
Blend sun-dried tomatoes, garlic cloves and basil leaves in a food processor. Stir in Parmesan and add salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside briefly. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken breast with pepper only. (The Parmesan in the pesto will provide salt.) Brown both sides of chicken, beginning with skin side first. Coat chicken with pesto and roast in oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until fork tender.
For the polenta:
Combine chicken stock and cream in a large heavy saucepan. Heat to a gentle boil over medium heat, being careful not to burn. While whisking constantly, gradually add the cornmeal in a thin stream. Once cornmeal is incorporated, keep heat low and continue to whisk until mixture is slightly thickened and creamy. Stir in butter and Cheddar and allow cheese to melt. Season with pepper, (and salt if needed). Spoon polenta onto serving plate, top with chicken breast and garnish with chopped scallions.

Pasta Ponza

Oh my! I think I have just found my new favorite quick & easy pasta dish! It's definitely in the top 3 anyway! This recipe comes from Giada de Laurentiis of Food Network. Tomatoes, capers and cheese...that's really about it...what more do ya need? My 16 month old polished off an entire plate, my husband had seconds and my 10 year old had three helpings! That's enough to make me want to make this dish pretty often. I couldn't find yellow tomatoes so I used all red, I used rotini instead of ziti and I used fresh basil instead of parsley. Next time, I'll half the recipe because a pound of pasta is way too much for my family. It would be the perfect amount for a dinner party though.

What You'll Need:
Butter for greasing
2 cups (12 ounces) red cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups (12 ounces) yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 cup Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs
1 pound ziti or other short tube-shaped pasta
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 ounces) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

What You'll Do:

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

Place the tomatoes, capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the prepared baking dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the tomato mixture. Drizzle the top with olive oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden. Cool for 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

Place the pasta in a large serving bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the pasta. Add the cheese and toss well. Thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Torte

If you like cheesecake and peanut butter, you will love this dessert! The crust is really just refrigerated cookie dough which makes it super yummy and fairly easy. This is a very rich dessert...you only need a very small piece to satisfy your sweet tooth. It's also really pretty once you slice it! I got this recipe from Pillsbury.com.

What You'll Need:
1 roll Pillsbury refrigerated choc. chip cookie dough
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup semisweet mini choc chips
1 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

What You'll Do:
Heat oven to 350. In ungreased 9 or 10 inch springform pan, break up cookie dough. Press dough evenly into bottom of pan to form crust. Bake 15-18 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar and egg until well blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of choc chips and 1/2 cup of peanuts. Poor over cooled crust, spread evenly.

Microwave butterscotch chips on high for 1 minute, stirring twice, until melted and smooth. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Drizzle over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining choc chips and peanuts.

Bake 30-40 minutes longer until edge is set but center is still slightly jiggly. Cool on cooling rack 10 minutes. Run knife around side of pan to loosen torte. Carefully remove side of pan. Cool 1 hour and then refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

To serve, cut torte into wedges. Store in refrigerator.

French Chicken Breasts with Orange Tarragon Sauce

Okay, so this is one of the more fancy dishes on my blog. I usually make things that are quick and easy...especially for weeknight meals...but, I had bone-in breasts and tarragon so I needed to do something with them. I'm glad I did! I found this recipe on Foodnetwork.com. The sauce is amazing! My husband liked this as much as I did and I'm sure I'll be making it again. I wouldn't say this is a complicated recipe, really, just a little more involved than most of my others. I actually messed up the sauce on my first attempt and had to re-do it. I let it reduce too long and it pretty much dissipated in the pan. Good thing it only requires 4 ingredients! Also, this recipe states that the chicken only needs to be in the over for about 15 minutes...mine actually took about 30 minutes. Stick a meat thermometer in it and take it out when it reaches 165 degrees. I made this recipe for just the two of us using only two breasts. I cut all the other ingredients in half and actually wished I hadn't of because I would have loved more of that yummy sauce to pour over rice.

What you'll Need:

8 chicken breasts, skin on and wing bone attached
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups chicken broth
2 sprigs tarragon
4 TBS unsalted butter, cut into bits

What You'll Do:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Put 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet and place it over high heat for 2 minutes.

Season the chicken breasts with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and place 4 of the breasts in the pan skin side down. Sear for 1 minute or until the skin is crispy and a golden brown. Turn the breasts and sear 1 more minute.

Remove to a baking dish and repeat the process with the rest of the butter, oil and breasts. Place the baking dish into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add orange juice, chicken broth, and tarragon to the hot skillet. Cook until reduced by about 3/4 (sauce should coat the back of a spoon). Right before serving, whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve the chicken with the sauce spooned over the top.

Chicken Salad w/Grapes, Pecans & Tarragon

The BEST chicken salad I have ever had...period! I am super picky about chicken salad. Honestly, I just don't usually like most people's chicken salad. This is Ina Garten's recipe, back from when she used to cater and I just don't think it gets much better than this. Roasting the chicken with the bone and skin keeps it super moist and the fruit and pecans add just the right amount of sweetness and crunch. I omitted the walnuts and doubled the pecans. Make sure you toast them first...makes a big difference! I like to eat this chicken salad with a side of honeydew, but it would be fantastic inside a soft croissant, nestled inside some fresh butter lettuce, wrapped in a tortilla or stuffed in some pita bread. Just be careful...this stuff is addictive. I ate it every day for three days straight for lunch!

What You'll Need:
2 split (1 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on (1 1/2 pounds)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup walnuts halves
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves, divided
1 cup green grapes, cut in 1/2
Lettuce leaves, for serving

What You'll Do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool.
When the chicken is cool, remove meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into a 3/4-inch dice.
Meanwhile, place the pecans and walnuts on a separate sheet pan and toast in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.
For the dressing, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in half the chopped tarragon leaves.
Place the diced chicken in a bowl, add the pecans, walnuts and grapes. Pour the dressing over the chicken and toss well. Sprinkle the remaining chopped tarragon leaves on top, and serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.

Dill Potato Salad

I saw Ina Garten make this on the Food Network and craved it every day until I finally made it myself. It is so yummy and creamy and easy to make. I made a few changes: I used regular milk instead of buttermilk, I omitted the celery and I used regular mustard instead of whole grain. It was still delish!

What You'll Need:
3 pounds small red potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup good mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk, milk, or white wine
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion

What You'll Do:
Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters or halves, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. (As the salad sits, you may need to add more dressing.)

Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

My friend, Deana, made this for girls night once and I fell in love with it. It's so simple to throw together. I've made it several times since. It's a great summer salad! I'm not including amounts for the ingredients because you can just use as much or as little as you like depending on your taste and how much salad you need. Oh, and you can buy resealable packs of bacon pieces which means you don't even have to get out a frying pan. Yes!

What You'll Need:

Baby Spinach
Feta Cheese, crumbled
Bacon, crumbled

Strawberries, sliced or quartered

Pecan Halves or Pieces

Mandarin Oranges
Newman's Own Raspberry Walnut Vinagrette

What You'll Do:

Throw it all together, of course, and then just toss in dressing!