Inspire. Create. Bake.: December 2009

Chocolate pomegranate cakes

These little desserts were made during Christmas time. Each cake is rich in chocolate and pomegranate — in a perfect portion. A little time consuming to make, but you can bake the cake and make the jelly filling up to two days before serving if you desire. I've heard several people say it's just too messy to get the seeds out of a pomegranate. Well there is a solution...

With a knife, make a few score marks in the pomegranate skin as you would an orange. In a large bowl of cold water, submerse the pomegranate. With your hands, dig into the score marks to break out the pomegranate arils. No mess, and it comes out so easily.

Chocolate Pomegranate Cakes

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. instant expresso powder
1 1/3 cup hot water
2/3 cup canola oil

1 tbsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract
FOR THE POMEGRANATE FILLING
2 cups pomegranate juice (I used POM)

1/3 cup sugar

3 tbsp. cornstarch

3 tbsp. pomegranate juice
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE
3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp. light corn syrup

3 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup pomegranate arils

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven 350°F; line an 11x17 jelly-roll pan with parchment paper and coat with non-stick spray; set aside.
Whisk together the dry "for the cake" ingredients in a large bowl; set aside.
Combine the liquid "for the cake" ingredients in a measuring cup; whisk into dry ingredients only until flour is not longer visible. (Some lumps are okay). Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading batter to the edges. Bake cake for 15 minutes. Remove cake from oven; cool cake in pan on a cooling rack.
Turn cake onto another sheet of parchment paper. Peel original parchment paper from cake; trim edges from all sides of cake. Cut cake into thirds to form three 5x10 inch rectangles. See image below. You can use a ruler for accurate cutting.
Combine two cups of pomegranate juice and the 1/3 cup sugar for the filling in a saucepan; boil over high heat until liquid is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes.
Combine cornstarch and 3 tbsp. juice in a small bowl, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Whisk cornstarch mixture into reduced juice mixture in the saucepan. MAKE SURE you whisk while you are pouring or you will have large clumps. (Trial and error for me. I had to start this step over.)
Boil pomegranate filling for another 1–2 minutes to thicken and to cook out the flavor of the cornstarch. Transfer filling to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill.

To assemble cakes, spread half of the chilled filling onto one cake layer. Top cake layer and filling with a second cake layer and remaining filling; top with remaining cake layer. Cut cake into 1 1/2-inch squares. transfer squares to a cooling rack over a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, leaving space between individual cake squares. Pics below to show steps.

Heat cream and corn syrup for glaze in a small saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils. Place semisweet and bittersweet chocolates in a bowl; pour cream mixture over chocolates. Let cream and chocolate stand three minutes, then whisk until chocolate is melted and glaze is smooth.

Pour one tbsp. of glaze over each cake square. Spread glaze across tops of cake squares and along sides until cake squares are completely covered. Garnish each cake square with three pomegranate arils by pressing into chocolate. Let cake squares stand until glaze is firm, 30 minutes.

Adapted from: Cuisine at Home Issue #78

Read More 4 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Hot caramelized onion dip

Onion dip - you may have a preconceived notion about what this might taste like, but throw that out the window. Since the onions caramelize for several hours, they are not sharp or pungent at all. It's very subtle and flavorful. Pair that will cream cheese and it's a success. If you love french onion soup, this may be your new favorite dip. I'm already thinking about what occasion to make this for again. The recipe comes from the blog Closest Cooking out of Canada, eh. It one of my daily blog stops. The recipe calls for vidalia sweet onions, and those are not in season until May — at least not 'round these parts. So I substituted the standard yellow onion and added a couple pinches of super fine sugar while cooking down the onions.

Hot Caramelized Onion Dip
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. oil
3 large sweet onions, sliced
6 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Melt the butter and heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions and slowly caramelize on med-low heat for about 1-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Mix all ingredients together and place in a baking dish. Bake in a 350°F oven until the top is nice and browned, about 30-50 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or a whole-wheat baguette. Slice baguette, place pieces on a baking sheet and toast both sides under the broiler.

Adapted from: Closet Cooking

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

"Hilarious Outtakes" photo challenge

Hilarious Outtakes Theme – Week 51I focused on the adorable kids in my life. They always bring a smile to my face.

Check out funny photo submissions from others at iheartfaces.

Read More 8 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Baja chicken fajitas

Another slow cooker recipe. I enjoy finding new items to stuff inside a whole-wheat tortilla. I wasn't sure about the tequila addition, but it brought a subtle depth of flavor to the chicken. Next time, I'll cut the recipe in half. This makes 24 fajitas — a bit much for two people.

Baja Chicken Fajitas
INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BAJA CHICKEN
12 bone-in chicken thighs, visible fat and skin removed
1 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Zest of three limes, about 3 tbsp.
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tequila

Juice of two limes
3 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. kosher salt

FOR THE FILLINGS
1 cup low-fat sour cream
Juice of one lime
24 whole wheat tortillas (8-inch)
1 can fat-free refried beans

1 cup roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
2 avocados, peeled and diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS
Combine chicken, onion, broth and zest in a slow cooker. Cover; cook until chicken is tender, on low-heat setting for 4–5 hours. Remove chicken, allow to cool slightly. With two forks, shred meat from the bones. Discard bones and remaining contents of slow cooker.
Whisk together oil, tequila, juice of 2 limes, 3 tbsp. cilantro, garlic, honey and salt. Moisten meat to taste with the lime-tequila mixture. Reserve any remaining mixture.

Combine sour cream and juice of 1 lime; season with salt.
Wrap tortillas in foil; warm them in a 350° oven for 10 minutes.
Heat roasted red peppers in a microwave until warm, about 30 seconds.
To serve, arrange chicken, reserved lime-tequila dressing, sour cream, tortillas, red peppers, beans, avocados, scallions, and 1/2 cup cilantro in individual bowls.

Source: Cuisine at Home Slow Cooker Menus

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Christmas in pictures

Christmas Eve service: little Morgan is the angel in the center.

nephew Cole

cousin Ellie and mama Jessie

After the service, Jake and I had dinner at my brother's house – us driving home.

christmas morning at the house

snow drift and snow cover at mom-in-laws

Mom-in-law's tree

playing shoots and ladders

the girls playing Candyland, one of my favorites as a kid

Cole wearing Morgan's headband

on to Christmas at my mom's

my brother Aaron and his wife Lisa

niece Mariah and brother Zach

A rare pic of me and my bro Tyler (I think he kind of resembles Criss Angel)

This morning, I got up early for Target. There were items I've been keeping my eye on, and I wanted to get these on sale. I'll be using these little bowls all year 'round.

The main reason for Target: these bulbs half price. I want to change up my color scheme next year and do blue instead of red.

Read More 3 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Happy birthday Jesus

I'm taking a few days off from blogging so I can spend my free time with family and honoring the reason for this glorious day. Merry Christmas!

The Shepherds and the Angels
⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." ¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." ¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:8-19

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Sweet potato oven fries

A healthy alternative to the russet potato. A sweet potato is very high in vitamin A, vitamin C, and dietary fiber when the skin is left on. If Jake liked sweet potatoes, I would replace russet potatoes for-e-ver, but that's not going to happen. For a quick dipping sauce, mix ¼ cup of low-fat sour cream with a tsp. of ranch dressing packet mix. Stir well. Another option is the avocado dip recipe below.

Sweet Potato Oven Fries
INGREDIENTS
2 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 4-inch long and
¼- to ½-inch thick fries
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. ground coriander
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450° F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl and toss with olive oil until well coated. Add the paprika, chili powder, coriander, salt and pepper. Toss to distribute evenly.
Arrange the coated fries in a single layer on the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes on the lower rack until the sweet potatoes soften. Transfer the pan to the upper rack of the oven and bake for 10 more minutes, until fries and crispy.

Avocado Dip

INGREDIENTS

1 Haas avocado

⅓ cup low-fat mayonnaise

⅓ cup low-fat cream cheese

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

2 scallions, white and light green part only, chopped

1 lime, juiced

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place the avocado, mayonnaise, cream cheese, jalapeno, scallions, and lime juice into a blender or small food processor. Blend for 1 minute or until you have a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Adapted from: The Food Network

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Barbecue pulled pork sandwich

As I began this process, I took pictures at different steps from start to finish. When I started editing the photos, I decided raw meat is not appealing at all. So I'll spare the pics and just do the finished product. I think I could be a vegetarian, but my husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, and I do the cooking. I rarely eat pork, but I was watching Diners Drive-ins and Dives one night, and Guy Fieri convinced me to make a pulled pork sandwich. I could of went to Delano BBQ to get their pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw — it's quite fantastic — but I wanted to try it once at home. Eight hours later, it was full of flavor and very tender. Next time I'll make some coleslaw to go on top.

Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SPICE RUB
2 tbsp. each of kosher salt, brown sugar and chili powder
1 tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
FOR THE SANDWICHES
5 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed, strings removed if present
2 onions, sliced thin
3/4 cup purchased barbecue sauce, divided
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
8 Kaiser rolls, cut in half
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
purchased vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS
Combine spice rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Rub pork shoulder with all of the spice mixture to coat. Place onions, 1/4 cup barbeque sauce, and broth in a 6- to 7-qt. slow cooker, stirring to combine; top with pork. Cover; cook until pork is fork-tender, on high-heat setting for 5-6 hours or low-heat setting for 7-8 hours.

Transfer pork to a platter along with onions. Discard remaining contents of slow cooker. Using two forks, shred pork. Return pork and onions to the slow cooker. Add remaining 1/2 cup barbeque sauce to slow cooker; toss pork to coat with sauce.

Serve pork on toasted rolls topped with lettuce, red onion, and 1–2 Tbsp. vinaigrette.

Source: Cuisine at Home Slow Cooker Menus

Read More 4 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Chicken tortilla soup

This is my favorite chicken tortilla soup. When I worked at Whole Foods years ago, I came across this recipe in one of the monthly magazines they gave out, maybe Taste for Life or Better Nutrition; I don't recall. The recipe has been perfected, passed through the family and made a lot. It has such a light, fresh taste — one bowl is never enough. It's mixed with crunchy tortilla strips and plenty of fresh ingredients.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed or frozen corn
1 qt. vegetable broth, low sodium
1 can chicken stock, low sodium
3 tbsp. tomato paste

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

cooking oil such as canola

GARNISH

avocado, chopped

tomatoes, chopped

cilantro, chopped

mexi-cheese

green onion, sliced

lime

low-fat sour cream

4 whole-wheat tortillas

DIRECTIONS
Saute onion and garlic in a few tsp. of olive oil until translucent and slightly browned in a stockpot or dutch oven. Add cumin and chili powder and stir for 30 seconds. Add broth, beans, corn and tomato paste and stir until mixed. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Add chicken.
While the soup simmers, prepare tortilla strips. Cut tortillas in half and then into thin strips with a pizza cutter. On medium heat, warm cooking oil in a skillet — just enough oil for the tortilla strips to float on the top. In small batches, place strips in oil, one at a time. These will brown pretty fast, so make sure you watch them. When browned, place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
To assemble, place cut tomatoes, green onions, cheese and a squeeze of lime into the center of your bowl. Ladel soup into bowl and place cut avocado, cilantro, a dollop of sour cream and several strips of tortillas.

Tip: I usually discard the unused tomato paste, because I don't get it used in a timely manner. I came across a way to save it longer in the Cuisine at Home magazine. Scoop the unused tomato paste onto plastic wrap. Roll the mixture and twist at the ends like a piece of candy. Place in freezer. When needed, unwrap and slice paste off with a sharp knife. Place remaining back in freezer.

Read More 4 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Christmas cookies

Christmas sugar cookies were made this weekend for the monthly book club get-together. We did a white elephant exchange, and I was the winner of some leftover paints and misc craft items. I'll just add it to my massive stash of stuff. So it was fitting for me. My sis-in-law Jen, also gave everyone a book club ornament. The strips of copy in the ornament are from some of the books we've read. (pic below) We had a few drinks at Oeno, ate some cheese, hummus and fondue, and then watched Blindside at the Warren Theatre. I really enjoy movies that are inspirational, and this was one of them. It was a very fun evening. We decided to keep the same book pick for next month since Christmas time is so busy.

Read More 3 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Graphic designer, baker and a photo taker. Inspired by Jesus, photography, stellar design, all things creative, cooking, the arts and funny stuff. I prefer to visually tell stories through photographs; whether a trip I was on, a dessert I made or a recent vintage find. Art is all around me, and I capture it whenever I can.

Chocolate pomegranate cakes

Hot caramelized onion dip

"Hilarious Outtakes" photo challenge

Baja chicken fajitas

Christmas in pictures

Happy birthday Jesus

Sweet potato oven fries

Barbecue pulled pork sandwich

Chicken tortilla soup

Christmas cookies

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