Pineapple Avocado Salsa Plus Trisha's Table Cookbook Review

I've never really listened to Trisha Yearwood's music, but I have never missed an episode of her cooking show.  I am not a country music fan, but I am a foodie : )

She is so dang cute and has such a fun personality.  She is looking good, have you seen her lately?  Her new cookbook is full of healthier dishes.  She believes in the 80/20 rule, 80% of the time she eats healthy and 20% of the time she allows herself to splurge a little. 

She is a southern girl that grew up on decadent comfort food and I know that she loves GOOD food.  So, I totally trust that her new healthier recipes are full of flavor and definitely worth trying.  She said she has only included healthier substitutions that she loves.  

All of these recipes look simple and the instructions are easy to follow.  Most of the substitutions are small healthier changes, like using wheat tortillas, turkey sausage and egg whites in a breakfast burrito.  Or, adding wheat flour and wheat germ to blueberry banana muffins.   

Two of the most unique substitutions are the Cashew Cream and the Tofu Ricotta.  She uses the Cashew Cream to create rich and creamy soups instead of adding heavy cream and she uses Tofu along with some other ingredients to replace ricotta cheese.  She uses it in dishes like lasagna and Spinach-Stuffed Shells and she says her family doesn't even miss the cheese. 

Trisha's Table, by: Trisha Yearwood

Some of the recipes I can't wait to try are Zucchini Cakes with Herbed Sour Cream, Roasted 

Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze, Tomato Bisque with Homemade Croutons and Mama's Cornbread.

 The Dessert section is full of sooooo many yummy sounding treats.  Like, Basic Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting, Key Lime Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce, Glazed Lemon Cookies and No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Squares.  These sweet treats must be what she eats on her 20% splurge a little days. 

Overall, I think this book has some great recipes and ideas for eating healthier.  The recipes all look hearty and filling and won't leave you wishing for something more.  Not every recipe has a photo, but a lot do and they are gorgeous photos.

I did get to try out her Avocado Pineapple Salsa and it was SO GOOD.

This salsa turned out way better than I imagined.  I have had mango salsa before, but never pineapple.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was fabulous.  I loved it.  I cut the pineapple into pretty small pieces.  It has a great sweet flavor and if you didn't know there was pineapple in it, you would probably be trying to guess what that amazing flavor is.  I ate it plain with chips and I served it on some shredded chicken tacos.  I will definitely make this again.  

Avocado Pineapple Salsa

adapted from: Trisha's Table 

(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

3 medium avocados, diced

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

1/2 c. finely chopped pineapple

2/3 c. quartered grape tomatoes, about 16 (I used diced Roma tomatoes)

2 Tbl. freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. red pepper flakes (I didn't add)

1/4 c. finely chopped fresh cilantro

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

baked pita chips or tortillas chips, for serving

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients.  Serve with baked pita chips or tortilla chips. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books for the purpose of this review, but all opinions expressed herein are my own.

Almond Joy Magic Cookie Bars

These are one of the BEST magic cookie bars you will every put in your mouth.  After just one bite, you will be in Heaven.   

Pin for Later

Explain this to me . . . why is it that on a weekday, when my alarm goes off and it's time to get up for work, I am dead tired, but when the weekend rolls around and I can't wait to sleep in, my eyes pop open (without an alarm) at the same time as the weekday and I am wide awake????  It doesn't make sense.  I just want to sleep in until at least 9 a.m. please :) 

Saturday morning, I was wide awake at 7 a.m.  Maybe I was too anxious to try out this new recipe I had been planning all week.  

We had treats at work last Tuesday and one of my co-workers brought in Magic Layer Bars.  I LOVE her Magic Layer Bars.  BUT . . . I got to thinking.  How about an Almond Joy version and use chocolate graham crackers instead of regular, almonds instead of pecans and add loads of coconut.  

I wanted a thick bar and I remembered pinning Sally's Ultimate Magic Cookie Bars awhile back.  Rather than using a graham cracker crust, she created a graham cracker cookie crust.  BEST DECISION EVER, SALLY.  The crust is thick and soft and chewy and is guaranteed to become a base of many recipes to come. 

The result is DIVINE, DECADENT, SINFUL, RICH, AMAZING, IRRESISTIBLE.  Okay, okay, so I really really loved these bars. They totally reminded me of an Almond Joy.  You need to try this recipe ASAP.        

Almond Joy Magic Cookie Bars
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

Cookie Crust:
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. chocolate graham cracker crumbs (not quite 9 full-sheet crackers)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Layers:
3/4 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 c. shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 c. sliced almonds
about 12 oz. sweetened condensed milk (not quite one can)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for easy removal and spray with cooking spray; set aside.  For the Crust: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar, using a hand mixer, until smooth and creamy.  Add the vanilla and egg and mix until combined.  Add the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt and mix until fully combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Press graham cracker dough evenly into the bottom of your prepared baking pan.  Bake for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with the mini chocolate chips (reserving a small amount), coconut and sliced almonds.  Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the top and sprinkle with reserved mini chocolate chips.  Remember the pan is hot and return to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until set (I baked mine for about 26 minutes).  Loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil halfway through baking time to prevent the coconut and almonds from browning and rotate the pan in the oven.  

Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes and then stick in the refrigerator to cool all the way through (the bottom of the pan will be cold).   Cut into 9-12 squares.  DO NOT cut the bars while they are still warm or the gooey filling will run all over the place.

Jenn's Notes: I cut mine into 9 bars, but since they are pretty rich, I think 12 bars would be perfect.

Base Recipe adapted from: Sally's Baking Addiction

Linked up at Weekend Potluck!

Lemon Muffins with Red Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling

Happy Wednesday.  Only a few more days until the weekend . . . we can make it :)

I have had a dang cold since Friday and I could sure use the weekend to catch up on some sleep.  The only thing that has been sounding good to me is bread and Diet Mountain Dew.  Super healthy, right? 

This is one of my favorite go-to muffin recipes.  It uses ricotta in the batter, which might seem like an odd ingredient and most of you have probably only ever used it in a savory dish, but it helps create one amazing soft and tender muffin.  Believe me, I have used it in these Snickerdoodle Muffins, Lemon Ricotta Blackberry Muffins and in these Almond Poppy Seed Ricotta Muffins with Orange Glaze.

This version turned out so good.  If you aren't a fan of red raspberry, you can use another flavor of jam instead.

What flavor of muffin would you like to see next?

Lemon Muffins with Red Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)
 
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar
grated zest of 2 lemons
1 c. ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Red Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling:
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature (I used 1/3 less fat)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. seedless red raspberry preserves
1 egg
1 Tbl. all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar Topping
3 Tbl. sugar mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and spray with cooking spray.  Combine sugar and lemon zest and rub together until fragrant.  Cream together butter and lemon sugar until light and fluffy.  Mix in the ricotta cheese and then the egg and lemon juice.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to butter mixture.  Mix until just combined.  Do not overmix.

Fill muffin cups about halfway with batter and make a well in the center, fill with a heaping Tablespoon of red raspberry cream cheese filling.  Top with more muffin batter, filling muffin cups to the top.  Sprinkle tops with cinnamon and sugar.  Bake for 20-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Red Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling: Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.   

Coke Shredded Pork Tacos

This shredded pork seriously has so much flavor and it's a piece of cake to make.  

I have made it a few times and we love it.  I have served it in tacos, quesadillas and on nachos.  It's tender and juicy on day one and it's just as good leftover.  It doesn't actually taste like Coke, but it does give the pork a rich sweet flavor.    

I got this idea from my friend, Ruth Ann, she makes this minus the chili powder and Worcestershire and serves it on hamburger buns as a sandwich.

I love using boneless Country Style Ribs when I am making shredded pork dishes for a few reasons.  Since I usually only cook for two people, those ribs work great because I am able to buy a package in smaller portions, plus they come in strips and it's easy to cut into chunks.  You can use whichever cut of pork you prefer.   

You might also like:
Tyler Florence's Guacamole
Roasted Red Pepper and Cilantro Lime Rice
Restaurant Style Shredded Pork Enchiladas
Crunchy Shredded Pork Tacos

Coke Shredded Pork Tacos
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)
 
2 - 2 1/2 Lbs. boneless country style ribs (or other cut of boneless pork)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder, or more to taste
1 (12 oz.) can Coca-Cola
1 c. jarred salsa
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

For Serving:
corn or flour tortillas
sour cream
chopped cilantro
diced tomato
diced avocado
Feta cheese
shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Cut pork into rough 3-inch chunks and place in a medium Dutch oven (or oven-safe pan with a lid).  Season with salt, pepper and chili powder.  Pour the can of cola over the top along with the salsa and Worcestershire.  Cover pot with lid and bake for 3-3 1/2 hours or until pork easily shreds apart with a fork. 

Remove pork from liquid and shred.  Add some of the liquid from the pan into the shredded pork.  If there isn't a lot of juice left in the pan, you can shred the pork right in the liquid.  Serve in warmed tortillas with desired toppings.     
  *You could also make this in the crockpot.

Butterfinger Nutella Cupcakes

It feels like forever since I have made cupcakes.

I was long overdue for a real. good.homemade.cupcake. 

I have been eating Chick-O-Sticks lately.  Have you had those?  They taste exactly like the inside of a Butterfinger. 

Somehow I wanted to incorporate that yummy flavor into a cupcake and add chocolate too.  Duh . . . use Butterfingers :)  So, I loaded both the cupcake and the frosting with crushed candy bars. 

The result??? One super tasty cupcake.

 

 I loved these on day two.  The flavors really developed overnight.  The cupcake is so moist with bits of crunchy peanut buttery flavored candy bar, topped with rich Nutella and creamy thick candy bar frosting.  

If you don't want to pipe a big swirl of frosting onto each cupcake, you could probably cut back and only make a half a batch of frosting.  I am all about the frosting, so the bigger swirl the better :) 

These are incredible!     

 You might also like:

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes with Strawberry Whipped Cream

Snickers Caramel Apple Salad

Monster Candy Rice Krispie Treats

Butterfinger Nutella Cupcakes
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe)  or (Printable with Picture)
1 box yellow cake mix, plus ingredients to make cake
12 fun-size or 4 regular-size Butterfingers, crushed
1/2 c. Nutella, for topping

Butterfinger Frosting
1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
5 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbl. milk, more or less
2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
9 fun-size or 3 regular-size Butterfingers, crushed well, so big     
    chunks of candy bar don't get stuck in the piping tip.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions and stir in the crushed Butterfingers.  Divide batter between 24 muffin cups that have been lined with paper liners.  Bake according to package directions.  Cool completely.  When cool, spread about 1 teaspoon of Nutella over each cupcake.  It helps to stir the Nutella before spreading, so it is lighter and spreads on the cupcake better.  Pipe or spread Butterfinger Frosting over the top. 

Butterfinger Frosting:  Beat butter until creamy using an electric mixer.  Add one cup of powdered sugar and mix until combined.  Add the vanilla, salt and crushed Butterfingers and mix well.  Continue adding remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with milk as needed to reach desired creamy frosting consistency.  Pipe or spread over cooled cupcakes.   

Jenn's Notes: I used an Ateco Tip #826 to pipe on the frosting.  Make sure the Butterfingers are crushed very well for the frosting or they may get stuck in the piping tip.  

Base cupcake recipe adapted from: Plain Chicken

Easy Ham and Broccoli Quiche

Did you all have a fun Easter weekend?  Do you have any leftover ham?  Well, this is just the breakfast you need to make. 

This was the first quiche I have ever made.  My Father-In-Law made a quiche on Christmas morning last year and it was great.  The crisp buttery crust mixed with the creamy eggs and cheesy filling was fabulous.  This version is loaded with ham, broccoli and lots of cheese.  To finish it off, it's sprinkled with smoked paprika.  It not only gives the top a beautiful orange color, it adds a light smokey flavor.  If you don't have any leftover Easter ham, deli ham works great too.   You can really add any fillings you like . . . mushrooms, sausage, bell pepper and spinach are a few that crossed my mind. 

This is a cinch to throw together.  The hardest part is knowing when it's cooked all the way through AND you have to let it rest before slicing into it.  Once you remove it from the oven, it continues to cook a bit while it cools, so resist the urge to slice into it early.

I even ate this for a few days in a row, so it is great re-heated.   

Easy Ham and Broccoli Quiche

adapted from: All Recipes Magazine

(Printable Recipe)

1 (9-inch) Deep-Dish frozen pie crust

1 Tbl. butter or olive oil

½ c. onion, finely chopped

2 c. fresh broccoli, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 c. diced cooked ham (leftover or deli ham)

1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

¼ c. Feta cheese

4 eggs

1 c. milk

salt and pepper

1 tsp. smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and broccoli and saute for a few minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and saute for 30 more seconds. Stir in the ham and pour mixture into frozen pie crust. Top with Cheddar and Feta.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper and pour over fillings in the crust. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. Place pie crust over a cookie sheet and bake for around 45 minutes or until center is set. Cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Slice into 6 wedges.

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Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake PLUS United States of Cakes Cookbook Review

 United States of Cakes, by Roy Fares

In 2010, Roy Fares, won Sweden's Best Pastry Chef competition.  He lives in Sweden, but loves to visit the United States.  California seems to be his inspiration for this book.  He talks about L.A., Hollywood, Palm Springs and Beverly Hills and the delectable treats he enjoys and his favorite places to get them.

This book includes 50 of his favorite classic recipes with his own twist.  He has taken our Classic American Cakes, Cookies, Pies and Baked Goods and reduced the sugar, but these are not low-sugar recipes.  He has just reduced the sugar a little and found the "perfect balance". 
 

I love the style of this book.  It includes some of my favorite food pictures.  The old-fashioned, rustic, pics are so comforting and make me feel right at home.  The smell of the book even makes me think of my Grandma's old books.  The recipes range from beginner to intermediate.   

I tried his Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake.  It is a very dense cake with a deep chocolate flavor and it's not overly sweet.  I wanted a sweeter glaze, so I opted to make my own recipe instead of his.

The recipes are written using a Convection Oven.  If you are baking with a regular oven, then it is suggested to increase the temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit.  He also suggests adjusting the recipes if you live at high altitude. 

I do live at high altitude and honestly, the only time I have made adjustments is when I am making candy.  I wasn't even sure how to adjust for baking at high altitude, so I looked it up.  One of the suggestions is to increase the oven temp. by 25 degrees and since I was already going to increase the temp. 25 degrees for a regular oven, that would have meant my cake would bake at 400 degrees and that is way too hot.  So, I took a gamble and made the recipe "as is"  and it turned out just fine.  That doesn't mean every recipe in this book will turn out fine without making adjustments, so you'll have to decide for yourself.  P.S.  if anyone has any suggestions of how to adjust a recipe at high altitude, then send them my way. 

Every recipe sounds amazing.  Some of the other desserts I can't wait to try are: Peanut Butter Cupcakes, Snickers Cheesecake, Banana Chocolate Chip Pudding, Nutella Cake Pops, Magnolia Bakery's Banana Cake and Chocolate Fudge (it has dulce de leche sauce and marshmallows in it).

This book is available for purchase now.  

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake
adapted from: United States of Cakes
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

1 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. salted butter, room temperature
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 shot of espresso (I used 1/4 cup coffee)
2/3 c. water
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. sour cream
2 eggs

Chocolate Glaze (I didn't use this glaze)
1/3 c. unsalted butter
1 tsp. corn syrup or honey
3/4 c. dark chocolate, 70%

Preheat oven to 350 degrees convection function (or 375 degrees for a regular oven).  Grease and flour a 9-inch bundt pan.  Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the cocoa powder, espresso and water and whisk into a smooth mixture.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, vanilla, sour cream and eggs; mix well.

Mix in the dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth.  Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.  Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert to a wire rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze:  Melt the butter, corn syrup and chocolate in a water bath.  Stir together into a smooth icing.  Let the icing cool to lukewarm temperature.  Place a baking sheet under the rack with the cooled cake and pour the glaze over the cake.  Allow icing to set.

Easy Chocolate Glaze (this is what I used)
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
2 Tbl. unsalted butter
2 Tbl. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-2 Tbl. milk

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the cocoa until a paste forms.  Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients.  Stir until smooth and creamy and pour over cooled cake.     

I received this book from the Publisher for the purpose of this review, but all opinions expressed herein are my own. 

Meatball Ragu

 When your meatballs fall apart while cooking, turn them into meatball ragu.  As it turns out, this mixture makes a wonderful meat sauce. 

The ingredient list is long, but the instructions are super simple.  The base sauce is one of my favorite homemade recipes.  It comes from this Bobby Deen's Baked Spaghetti Recipe and the Meatball recipes comes from The Pioneer Woman.  I was excited to try making meatballs, but mine wouldn't stay together during cooking.  Some did, but most broke in half when I tried to flip them.  I added all the chunks to my sauce.  Rather than having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, we had meatball ragu over spaghetti noodles.  It was delicious.  Serve with Olive Cheese Bread.

Meatball Ragu
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

Meatball Meat Mixture:
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/4 c. + 2 Tbl. panko breadcrumbs
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. ricotta cheese
2 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley
1/8 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
splash of milk

Sauce:
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
splash of white wine vinegar, opt.
3/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
2 tsp. sugar or brown sugar
1 bay leaf

For Serving: 
16 oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked
grated Parmesan cheese

Combine all of the meat mixture ingredients in a large bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, combine all of the sauce ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for one hour.  Remove the bay leaf.  When sauce is almost finished, heat 2 Tbl. olive oil or vegetable oil in a large pot; cook meat until browned and cooked through, breaking it into chunks as it cooks.  Add the sauce to the pot with the meat and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful bits on the bottom of the pan.  Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles and garnish with Parmesan cheese.  

*If you would like to attempt meatballs: After you combine all of the meat ingredients, form into small meatballs and place on a cookie sheet; refrigerate for at least one hour.  Heat a few Tablespoons oil in a large pot and cook meatballs in batches, until browned and cooked through, adding additional oil as needed.  When all the meatballs are cooked, add back to cooking pot and cover with sauce.  Makes 38-40 meatballs.   

OLIVE CHEESE BREAD