Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cake

With my hubby finally being home from training, I haven't had much time for blogging, but I made this amazing cake the other day and just had to share! My secret ingredient? Grilled pineapple. The smoky, caramelized fruit paired perfectly with the brown sugar topping to create a sinfully delicious dessert.

Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Topping:

Sliced, Grilled Pineapple

1/2 Cup Butter

1 Cup Brown Sugar

Cake:

1 Stick Butter, softened

1 Cup White Sugar

3 Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 Cup Pineapple Juice (I grilled the pineapple and then let it sit in a colander over a bowl in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, I had the perfect amount of juice. You can also use canned if you prefer.) 

1/2 Cup Milk

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter and turn off heat. 

Mix in brown sugar. 

 

Arrange pineapple on top of brown sugar mixture. 

Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy. 

Remember to scrape down the bowl often so that the butter and sugar are thoroughly mixed. 

Once butter and sugar are mixed, add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. 

Mix in vanilla. 

Alternate adding flour, milk and juice until a thick batter had formed. 

Pour batter over pineapple/brown sugar in skillet and smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a platter. (I didn't have a big enough platter for the whole cake, so I just cut out a slice to show the end result!)

Enjoy! 

Inspiration From My Pantry: Turkey Chili

I had planned on going to the grocery store at some point today to pick up some staple items, but instead decided against it once I stepped into gloomy, chilly weather when I let the dogs out. Instead of running errands as planned, my daughter and I stayed in our PJ's all day long and played in the living room from sun up to sun down.

When it came time to prep dinner for the two of us, I realized that maybe I should have made that trip to the store and started searching my kitchen for inspiration. I had lots of canned veggies, a few different meats in the freezer and a loaded spice cabinet, so I decided to make chili.

I began to pull out the items that I normally put in my chili only to find that I didn't have half of the ingredients. No onions, no garlic, no kidney beans, no ground beef....but I REALLY, REALLY wanted my chili. So in all of my stubborn-ness, I decided to see if I could get away with what I did have on hand-  Ground turkey, a can of tomatoes and a few cans of flavored pinto beans. What ensued was a deliciously thick, hearty chili that was perfect for this lazy day.

Turkey Chili

1 Can of Ranch Style Beans

1 Can of Bush's Texas Ranchero Grillin Beans

1 Can of Diced Tomatoes

1 Can of Tomato Puree

1 Can of Water

1 lb Ground Turkey

Beer

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Chili Powder

Cayenne Pepper

In a large sauce pan, brown turkey with salt, pepper, a good amount of onion and garlic powder, two shakes of cayenne and several shakes of chili powder. If it smells like taco seasoning, you've done it right. 

Once the turkey is browned, add all of your canned ingredients, the can of water, a bit more salt, onion powder and chili powder. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed as it comes to a simmer over medium heat. 

Once the chili is simmering, add a splash or two of the secret ingredient...and drink the rest as you stir.

Cover and let simmer over medium-low (as close to low as you can get it to keep it at a simmer) heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Serve with shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips on top. 

(I didn't have any tortilla chips...but I imagine it would have been even more fabulous with them!)

Tortellini Salad

I don't measure when I cook. Ever. Baking, however, is a science and of course, requires the measurements to be exact. But I'm not a baker, I'm a cook. I have one recipe on here with approximate measurements based on the amount of an ingredient that I believe I have added...Confession- It was probably a palmful of feta in my Tabbouleh Salad, not 1/4 cup, or a couple of turns around the bowl of olive oil, not 2 teaspoons...you get the point. So, I'm going to start using the measurements that I use on a daily basis...a pinch of this, a palmful of that, season to taste. To me, that's what cooking is all about, the feel of being in control of the flavors that you are creating without having to drag out all kinds of tools to get the flavors right. The best tools you will ever have in the kitchen are your hands.

That being said, here is my version of pasta salad.

Tortellini Salad
(Serves 12)

3 packages Cheese Tortellini, cooked and cooled completely
1 container Grape Tomatoes, cut into halves
1/2 bag Shredded Carrot, or 2 peeled, thinly sliced carrots
1 container of Feta and Olives from your local deli counter or antipasto bar
1 large palmful of Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 head chopped fresh Broccoli Florets
1 container mini fresh Mozerella Balls
1/2 bottle Light Balsamic Vinaigrette

Toss all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Unconventional Tabbouleh Salad

Have you ever been craving something absolutely delicious, but had no desire to turn on the stove? This has been my story all week long and I have been turning out unblogworthy, basic and bland food as a result- SO not me. Today, I opened the fridge to find a hodgepodge of leftovers and really wanted something mediterranean. Tabbouleh salad. I wanted more than the traditional bulgur, tomato, parsley blend, so I looked for other tasty ingredients I could add. Feta? Check. Fresh oregano and grilled chicken? Check and check. The result was something incredibly satisfying, healthy and fabulous without much effort at all.  

Unconventional Tabbouleh Salad

(Serves 1. Double, triple or quadruple the recipe for more people)

1 C cooked Coarse Grind Bulgur 

1 Roma Tomato

4 oz Grilled chicken breast

2 C Salad Greens (I used a Baby Romaine Blend)

1/4 C Reduced Fat Feta Cheese

2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/2 tsp Salt 

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp chopped fresh Parsley

1 tsp chopped fresh Oregano

Mix all ingredients except salad greens well, can be stored overnight. Toss with greens just before serving. 

Brats in a Blanket

While flipping through magazines on the hunt for new ideas for my weekly meal plan, I stumbled onto an interesting concept- a chicken sausage pocket made with refrigerated bread dough. No mess, no condiments dripping out everywhere...It was brilliant! I began to think of what I could do with such a concept, and the "Brat in a Blanket" was born.

Brats in a Blanket
Serves 4

2 containers of Refrigerated French Bread Dough
4 Fully Cooked Bratwurst (I used smoked, but any kind is fine)
Saurkraut
Whole Grain Mustard
1 egg, lightly beaten
Parchment Paper

Preheat oven to 450. Remove bread dough from packaging and cut each loaf in half. On a floured surface, pound flat.

Roll the dough out until it's about 1/4" thick.

Spread 1 tsp mustard on the lower half of the dough, leaving a 1" border around it. Add the Bratwurst. 

Top with Saurkraut. 

Using a pastry brush, brush the entire border of the dough with the beaten egg. 

Fold the dough over the sausage and crimp edges with a fork to seal. 

Cut four 1" slits in the top of the pocket to vent. 

Repeat steps until you have four sandwiches. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush each one with remaining beaten egg. Bake on center rack of oven at 450 for 15-20 minutes or until golden. 

* Watch them carefully, as they can brown very quickly. Once they are golden brown, they are done. 

Once they are done, they should look like this: 

And here is the finished product! Enjoy! 

Simple Baked Ziti with Italian Salad

A few weeks before Christmas, we were visiting my husband's family and my mother in law asked me if I could make dinner for the company that she was expecting that night. I was thrilled, as I love cooking for crowds, but I had to think fast. I was going to be feeding about a dozen people, and needed something easy but delicious.

My go to dish for large groups of people is Baked Ziti. It satisfies most every palate, uses only four ingredients and tastes like you worked all day to make it.

Baked Ziti

(This recipe can be adjusted for the number of people you are feeding. Double it if you are feeding 12 or more.)

1 bag of Ziti Pasta
1 jar of  your favorite Spaghetti Sauce (I use Classico Organic)
1 lb of Italian Sausage, removed from casings (I use sweet, but any kind will do)
Shredded Mozzerella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions and drain. Toss with 1Tbsp extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking.

2.  In a large skillet, brown sausage and drain. Add pasta sauce and stir. Cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Once sauce is done, toss with pasta and pour into the baking dish of your choice. Top with shredded mozerella and bake, covered with foil for 40 minutes.

4. Remove foil, turn oven up to 400 and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

I always like to do a salad with my pasta dishes, and this one is so good, you'll want to have lots on hand for seconds!


Italian Salad

1 bag of Iceberg Salad Mix
1 head of Romaine Lettuce, rinsed and chopped
3 Roma Tomatoes, sliced
1 Red Onion, sliced
1/2 jar Pepperoncini Peppers, drained
1/2 can Pitted Black Olives
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/2 bottle of Roasted Garlic Italian Dressing

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Add dressing and toss about 5 minutes before serving.

Who I am...

Growing up, I never left the South. I was content to stay where I was, never thinking for a moment that I would one day be living the adventure that I am on right now.

When I met my husband, I was so sure of my stable little life and what I wanted out of it- marriage, a house, a yard, a few kids, a dog...and happily for me, everything we did was textbook. We went to school, began our careers, bought a home and got engaged. Our lives seemed complete as we planned our happily ever after and then one day he came home with the words that would change our lives forever- "I'm joining the Coast Guard."

After picking myself up off of the floor, I made the decision to go with the flow and have since opened my stable little life up to a roller coaster ride I would gladly go on again and again.

We were married on the beach in Hawaii in October that year and then had a large ceremony for family and friends in November. Nine months after our wedding, we found out that we were pregnant with our little girl. We moved to California. Our daughter was born on 3-2-10, a countdown, which is very fitting for our family.  When she was six weeks old, we moved to Boston.

Between juggling our two dogs, dealing with my husband's deployments and putting on a brave face for my little girl even when I am about to lose it, life can get a bit chaotic at times. But even when things are absolutely crazy around here, I find joy in cooking. It's my therapy (along with wine) and my true happy place. My mission is to share my love of cooking with all of you and to show you that it can be fun- (and easy!)