What's Cooking!

Happy Tuesday all! Thanks so much for all the new blog look love and all the support of my new job. I am nervous, excited and totally scared all in one.
Today I have a wonderful recipe for you! This summer I have instituted salad Sundays. Yup, every Sunday I try cleanse and get in a good healthy meal to reset for the week. Most of the time its a simple salad with some grilled chicken, but this week I went all out. And... it included steak (which I never cook, as in I have never made steak). This recipe though it included a couple steps, was super easy and super yummy!
I also opted not to stand in the 100 degree heat to grill it, so I utilized my broiler. You know that button that makes intense heat come from the top of the oven? Yeah that one. Its basically a grill on the top of your oven. Here you go!
Steak & Caramelized Onion with Penne Salad
Ingredients:
1 lb top sirloin kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste 4 oz penne pasta (I used quinoa pasta) 3 oz baby greens mix (or whatever you like) 4 teaspoons olive oil 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic 1/2 oz shaved Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
For the Caramelized onions:
1/2 medium red onion 1 large white onion (it seems like a lot, but it melts down) 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp kosher coarse salt 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Season steak with salt and pepper to taste.
For the caramelized onions: cut onions in half and thinly slice short end.  Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a nonstick skillet and add the onions. Add salt, paprika, and balsamic vinegar and cook on medium-low to low heat until onions are tender, transparent, and slightly brown, about 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside in a large work bowl and let cool. (I always put a drop of olive oil in my water to keep the pasta from sticking together)

For the steak: While the pasta is cooling, heat a grill pan over high heat and spray with cooking spray or preheat the broiler to high. If broiling: Put your rack in the middle of your oven and broil 4-5 min, then flip and broil another 4-5 min. Let stand for 10 minutes, then slice into thin strips.

Assembly: Add the baby greens, 4 teaspoons olive oil (teaspoons people not tablespoons like I did), 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic, salt and pepper to the bowl with the pasta and toss. Add the caramelized onions, toss well and serve with 3 oz steak and shaved Parmesan. Eat right away.

O-R-E-O

So, some of you have lusted over the birthday cake I made. Want the secret? Oreos, pudding mix and some love!

I had every intention of making my chocolate cake from scratch, and then it was suddenly 5pm on Friday and the thought of that faded. So... I improvised and did my semi-homemade version of the best chocolate cake ever.

What You Need:

1 box of milk chocolate cake mix (plus other called for ingredients)
1 box chocolate fudge pudding mix
Coconut Oil ( I sub this for the vegetable oil called for in the box recipe)
1 8oz. package cream cheese ( I used 1/3 fat)
1.2 cup sugar ( I used baking truvia)
1 tub Coolwhip Lite
20 Oreo cookies

What You Do:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Prepare cake batter in 2 (9-inch) round pans as directed on package. Add box pudding mix directly into batter. Bake as directed. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.

3.  Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until smooth. Gently fold in whipped topping 

4.  Crush 10 cookies in food processor until small dust like consistency

5.  Fold cookie crumbs into cream cheese mixture

6. Stack cake layers on plate, filling with  1/2 the cream cheese mixture.

7. I used the rest of the cream cheese mixture as my frosting. I put on a base layer then let the cake set in fridge for hour, then spread rest on top and put back in fridge. You can also use all mixture as filling and make your own frosting, but I like mine this way.

8.  Coarsely chop other 10 Oreos and sprinkle on top.

9. Enjoy. Keep refrigerated.

Garlic and Parmesan Salmon

It's no secret I like to eat. I mean, if you follow my instagram you see my posts about eating out and eating in. I am a self-touted foodie! I also love to cook. Nothing says I love you like making a home cooked meal. I make dinner 3-4 times a week. It's usually nothing fancy and staples are turkey tacos, deep-dish cheeseburger pie and chopped salads, but sometimes I fancy myself a gourmet. And gourmet a la healthy. This week it was salmon and roasted cauliflower.

Salmon you say? I cannot cook salmon. Yes you can, its super easy, super yummy and super good for you. You just need a few simple spices, one pan and one oven. Its a one pan wonder!

You'll Need:

2 (4 oz)	Salmon fillets (if frozen, let thaw before using)
1/2 head	Cauliflower, cut into small florets
Dry Spice Mix:
1/3 cup	Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp	Garlic powder
1/4 tsp	Onion powder
1/2 tsp	Paprika
1/4 tsp	Salt
1/8 tsp	Pepper
1 tbs	Dried parsley or Oregano
Wet Mix:
1 tbs	Lemon juice (juice from 1/2 lemon)
1/4 cup	Plain low fat Greek yogurt
2 tsp	Garlic, minced

What to Do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425

2. Cover large sheet pan with foil and  pour 1/2 tablespoon EVOO on

3. Chop the cauliflower into small florets

4. Place florets onto one half of the pan

5. Sprinkle 2Tbs of the dry mix over the cauliflower

6. add the wet mix to the dry mix

7. place salmon on other half of pan and spread mixture on top evenly

8. Bake salmon 20 minutes, or until opaque in thickets part & topping is lightly brown

9. remove salmon to rest, it will continue to cook for 5 min

10. turn broiler to high and broil cauliflower for 2-3 min to get extra nutty flavor, watch is closely so does not burn

11. Enjoy!

Recipe Tuesday

Not sure if you knew this, but I cook. I cook & bake. I cook & bake & vacuum (the dog). So, this weekend I whipped two things I just have to share! Orange Blueberry Muffins & Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Jalapenos! (Ole).

When I did my shipping last week, and blueberries were on sale, I could not resist. I put those babies in my cart and knew muffins and popping in them my tummy were in order. Fast forward a week and there I baked.

Orange-Blueberry Muffins
2 cups all purpose flour (or 1 cup AP 1 cup whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup sugar (I used Truvia)
1 large egg
1 tbsp orange zest
3/4 cup orange juice, preferably fresh
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 375F.
Line a 12-cup mufin tin with paper liners, or use silicone muffin tin
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, mix together applesauce & sugar or (cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.) Beat in egg and orange zest until smooth. Stir in about half of the flour mixture, followed by the orange juice and then the rest of the flour mixture. Stir only until just combined.
Fold in berries to evenly distribute them. (to keep berries from floating to bottom coat lightly in flour). Batter will be fairly thick.
Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Muffin cups will be fairly full.
Bake for 21-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and muffins begin to brown.
Turn out muffins onto a wire rack to cool completely.

I wish I could say the Jalapeno Poppers were my recipe, but alas they are not! But, they are super easy and I halved the recipe since there weren't that many people. I got this from SkinnyTaste. If you have never checked out Gina's cooking, well you should. And here delightful recipe for Buffalo Chicken Jalapeño Poppers!