Zucchini Ricotta Fritters

This recipe from smitten kitchen is probably one of my favorites during the summer time. It's quick and easy, and VERY filling. We made these for a party, and most everyone liked them so I figured I'd put up a recipe.

1 cup self-raising (self-rising) flour, sifted
2 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup milk
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
1/4 cup torn basil leaves (we used oregano, we didn't have enough basil)
2 2/3 ounces ham, torn (omit if vegetarian)
1 zucchini, cut into long, thin strips or grated.
Vegetable oil for shallow frying

Place the flour eggs, butter, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Fold through the ricotta, basil, ham and zucchini. Place two tablespoon of the oil in a small frying pan [I used a light coating of olive oil spray] and heat over medium heat. Add half of the mixture to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until bubbles appear on the surface. Set aside.

Add another two tablespoons of the oil and repeat with the remaining batter. Cut into wedges to serve

Banana Cake with Brown Butter Frosting and Toasted Pecans.

Thank goodness we brought this to a dinner party. 

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
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Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the bananas, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oil, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Toast pecans in a flat pan until slightly burnt, they will taste sweet and have a good crunch, set aside to cool.

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 stick unsalted butter,browned. Cook the butter until the butter browns and smells nutty (about 6 to 8 minutes). It helps to frequently scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan in the last couple minutes to ensure even browning. Set aside to cool.
• 1 glug (tbs or so) of pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (1/2 pound)

Mix the cream cheese, cooled brown butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until just combined. I whipped it, but you don't have to. Add the sugar and mix until smooth. Yield: frosting for one 9-inch cake.

Sprinkle pecans all over.

Baked Oatmeal

In an effort to get healthier we've started to eat more at home and more whole foody. If you know Andrew he LOVES to go out and eat, and I love to not have a dirty kitchen so I comply.

BUT my butt has gotten a little big for my liking so I'm enforcing some happy-good eating in our little household.


Today's breakfast has been a favorite these last few weeks.

Baked oatmeal.

Dry ingredients:

2 cups of oatmeal
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
walnut pieces - however many you want- we use about a cup
any kind of frozen berry or fresh fruit you want

You can also add chocolate chips but I don't ;)

Wet:

2 cups skim milk
3 Tbs melted butter
1 large egg or 2 small eggs
a dash of vanilla (for us its a glug glug)

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, half the walnuts and half the berries. Save the other half of berries and walnuts for the top of the oatmeal.


In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract. Add the oat mixture to prepared (spray generously with cooking spray) baking dish. Arrange the remaining berries and walnuts then pour the milk mixture over everything. Gently shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.

Bake @ 375 for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set. For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of extra brown sugar.

Of course I'm taking pictures barefoot and in the snow. 

Butternut Pear Soup

I don't know if Skoticus put this recipe up or not but here goes.

I LOVE this recipe. It's amazing, and we eat it a lot.

Butternut Pear Soup:

Ingredients
1 butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion (peeled and finely chopped)
1 carrot (peeled and finely chopped)
1 garlic clove (peeled and minced)
2 tbsp ginger root (fresh, peeled and finely minced)
2 halved pears (cored and diced)
3 cups chicken broth- or whatever it takes to make it soupy
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tsp ground cumin
6 tsp paprika
salt-to taste
black pepper-to taste (ground is best)
2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions: Peel, seed and cube squash. In a large pan add broth onion, carrot, garlic and ginger, squash and remaining ingredients (except pepper and lemon juice) into pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. The vegetables and pears should be very tender.Let soup cool a bit and puree in batches in a food processor or blender. ( I find a blender gives a smoother puree, in larger batches) and be careful it's hot! Pour soup into a clean pan. Reheat over medium-low heat, until very hot. Season with pepper and lemon juice. You can add a dollop of sour cream or drizzle some cream into the soup to make it extra yummy, but if you're bottling don't add any dairy until you eat it.
I ended up adding a lot of broth but I was also bottling lots soup, so use your discretion on how much to add. 

We had this soup for our wedding reception in Provo, so it's not only nostalgic but it's such a good wintery soup as well. and we only have 2 bottles left, time to make more!! 

BESOS! 

Andrew's Apple Cake

Andrew made this lovely concoction today!

2 1/2 cups flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs 
3/4 cups sugar 
1/2 cup oil 
1 tablespoon vanilla and a little almond extract
2 cups diced apples
Powdered sugar for the top


The apples were local, and surprisingly there isn't much sugar! So for a light treat try this out

Besos! 
 

We Made A Cake

We got invited to a dinner group thing and we made a yummy cake to go along with it! So we made
 a white almond cake with lemon custard filling and candied lemons on top.

Andrew made his custard-

6 egg yolks

• 2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 
  
• In a large saucepan or double boiler combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Mix well. Beat the egg yolks and water together, then whisk into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and butter. Cover with plastic wrap until completely cooled
• I made the cake using 2 box cakes *it's just easier* and let them cool in the freezer for a few hours/overnight. 

  Then I candied some lemons- using 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup of sugar. I boiled the sugar water first and added 2 thinly sliced lemons and boiled those until they were translucent about 7 mins or so. I let them cool on this rack for a few hours. They tasted exactly like really lemony gummy bears. There was also a little left over syrup infused with lemon so we saved it in a little jar for some other use. 

  I made butter cream almond frosting using our bodacious kitchen-aid (of course we brought it!) using 2 cups of sweet cream unsalted butter 1 tsp or so of almond extract and 3 cups of powdered sugar and a pinch of salt, then proceeded to whip it to death. 

  After layering the cakes with the custard in the middle and frosting the whole thing, decorating the cake was anything but utterly pleasant! The lemons on the cake add a lovely appeal and challenge to those willing to try and eat the sour sweets. 

  
  

  
  

Cinnamon Vanilla Pancakes From Scratch

Learning to properly feed husbands who go out all day doing what AJ does can be challenging. Especially when wives are trying to cut back on carbs and sugar because of various widening of certain posterior areas. But if you're in the mood for some good comfort food this is it! 

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 ½ cups milk
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp cinnamon
1/8 cup vanilla 


Mix dry then wet ingredients and pour onto hot pan.....The batter is thick and fluffy, and quite tasty! 


The Vanilla-


I strongly suggest making you're own, it's a bit pricier but totally worth it and it lasts a long time. For AJ's birthday last year I got fresh vanilla beans (36) for around 20 bucks on Ebay. They were gooey and not dried out and gross like the store bought ones, plus you get them for way cheaper. Then I got a big bottle of rum with a Kraken on it and we put about 15 beans in it way back in October, it's seriously the best vanilla we own.  We even carted a mason jar of it here to TN!