Muffin Melts

This dish could best be described as a breakfast egg salad with a couple of unexpected ingredients. I don’t normally think of Dijon mustard, garlic powder, or Worcestershire sauce with breakfast, but after tasting the ingredients all together, the dish would not be as good without it! The Dijon mustard especially adds a great flavor. For those that might be skeptical, give it a try before ruling it out…I think you will be pleasantly surprised! The egg mixture can be made the night before for a quick prep the morning of. You can also add in extra spices such as cayenne pepper or paprika for those that enjoy an extra special kick of flavor. This is a great dish for feeding a crowd, but can also be halved for a smaller crowd.

Muffin Melts

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12 whole Hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

6 whole English muffins, split

Combine eggs with cheese, mayo, bacon, mustard, garlic powder, and Worcestershire . Fold together gently. At this point, the mixture could be covered and stored in the refrigerator overnight.

Spread mixture on English muffin halves, then broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serve immediately.

Source: Pioneer Woman

Banana Whoopie Pies

Have you noticed a theme here on my blog….I have been posting a lot of banana recipes lately. I guess we have been on banana overload, but that is okay with me! There are so many recipes to incorporate overripe bananas. Before you throw any away, consider freezing them for later use or bake something up. I love whoopie pies maybe even more than cupcakes. The cookies are soft, almost cake like with cream cheese frosting layered in between. I was really tempted to use a peanut butter frosting, but for the sake of my husband I used the cream cheese. The combination of banana and cream cheese reminded me of individual banana pudding (in a good way)! They were delicious. Next time, I think I will make half with the cream cheese and half with peanut butter so I can decide which is my favorite!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Banana Whoopie Pies

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2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup mashed ripe banana

1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

4 oz. unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl, mashing well.

Beat butter and sugars with mixer on medium high speed until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add banana mixture in two additions, alternating with flour mixture.

Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, scoop out batter on to the baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, about 12 minutes.

Slide parchment with cookies onto wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.

To Make Cream Cheese Frosting:

Beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Pipe or spoon 1 tablespoon of frosting onto the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. If desired, dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Source adapted from: Good Things Catered

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee

One of my favorite things when the temperature gets warm is a medium caramel iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts. If I didn’t practice self-control I could get seriously addicted! I had no idea cold brewed coffee could be so easy on your own. My husband decided to make a batch of coffee about a month ago and I loved it so much we have been enjoying iced coffee every morning since then! The process takes about 12 hours, so the prep should be done the night before. Another plus about this method is the coffee grinds can be reused for a second batch, as long the coffee rests for 24 hours. The first batch of coffee should be strained twice. I place the coffee in a French press for the first strain and then run the coffee through a paper filter for the second strain. If you are in to iced coffee, try making it from home. It will save you money and taste just as good!

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee

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3/4 cup ground coffee

3 cups water

Milk, Half-and-Half, or Creamer (if desired)

In a French press, or jar, stir together coffee and water. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight or 12 hours.

Strain twice through a coffee filter, a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth. In a tall glass filled with ice mix in coffee and (if desired) milk, cream, or half-and-half.

Sourced adapted from: New York Times

Chipotle Lime Grilled Shrimp Tacos

A while back I made homemade flour tortillas, but what I haven’t shared with you is what we else we made to go with the tortillas. The shrimp tacos were so yummy! The chipotle chili gave the shrimp a little bit of heat, but not overly strong. The addition of the corn and black bean salsa really added to this dish and helped to give the tacos a Tex-Mex flavor. The best part about this meal to me was being able to get two meals out of it. My hubby and I had no problem eating all the shrimp, but we did have some of the salsa left over. With homemade tortillas and a tasty salsa, I knew we would make quesadillas the next night and that is exactly what we did! Using some left over white cheddar cheese, I put together a quesadilla that was just as good as the shrimp tacos.

Chipotle Lime Grilled Shrimp

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1 chipotle chili in adobo, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 lime (juice and zest)

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let marinate for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, skewer the shrimp.

Place oil on the grill grate and grill the shrimp until cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz can sweet corn, drained

1 red pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

2 green onions, sliced

In a small bowl, mix together balsamic vinegar, oil, salt, sugar, black pepper, and cumin.

In a medium bowl, stir together black beans, red pepper, jalapeno, green onions, and corn. Toss with vinegar and oil dressing and garnish with cilantro. Cover, and refrigerate.

Source adapted from: My Baking Addiction, originally from Closet Cooking

Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs

The cucumbers in our garden are starting to grow like crazy! I don’t have a lot of recipes that incorporate cucumbers other than throwing them in a salad or making some tzatziki sauce so I was happy when I saw this recipe with a recommendation of dipping the chicken into tzatziki sauce. The chicken contains a good garlic-lemon flavor and dipped in the sauce, gives a refreshing and light dinner, perfect for a hot summer day! As I do with many recipes that call for a marinade, I prepped everything in the morning before leaving for work, so all that was required once home from work was to skewer the chicken and grill!

Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs

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3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

zest of 1 lemon

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

Preheat grill to medium heat. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 20 minutes before use.

Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers and discard the excess marinade. Lightly oil the grill grates. Place the kabobs on the grill, cover, and cook until the chicken is opaque throughout, about 8 to 12 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking. Transfer to a warmed platter and serve immediately.

Source: Annie’s Eats, originally from Williams Sonoma