Cocinando con Alena

My mother has been making the yummiest moist Zucchini bread for as long as I can remember. The name sounds like some health food bread meant for those that like to eat all things yucky. Zucchini bread however is nothing like what it sounds. Moist Zucchini bread tastes like a dessert bread. Think Banana bread only better! We used to have a garden where my mom grew her own Zucchini but she and my dad no longer had time to manage the garden. Now she gets them from grandma. Where the Zucchini comes from is unimportant. Buying from a local farmer will get you the freshest Zucchini, but really its the combination of Zucchini bread ingredients that makes this one a favorite. I can't tell you how old this zucchini recipe is, I can tell you it's written in a notebook that is older then I am.I can also say that until someone copies and posts this zucchini bread recipe as their own, you won't find this anywhere else. My mom gets many compliments on her homemade zucchini bread and I...

When I found this recipe on Recipezaar, I thought it looked yummy. Then when I saw it has almost 500 five-star ratings, I knew I had to try it! The method is kinda kooky. The cooking temp is strange. The ingredients are super-simple. This cake is impossibly moist. And.. it is one of the BESTEST cakes I've ever made! Follow the directions, even though they make ya say. "huh?" You'll be glad you did! Oh! and it's best the next day! So, make it early! Even those who hate banana bread will love this simple cake! It's NOT the same thing! Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe 2 teaspoons lemon juice 3 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter, softened 2 1/8 cups sugar 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/2 cups buttermilk Frosting: 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 1/2 cups icing (or powdered) sug...

A friend made this for the dessert at a work gathering and OH MY GAH! It was DIVINE! Never before have I ever wanted to just stick my face in any one food but I do believe this would be it! Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Ingredients: For the crust: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers: 1 bag) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted For the filling: 32 ounces (4 blocks) low fat cream cheese at room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature 1/4 cup sour cream, low fat 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 cup mini chocolate chips For the ganache: 1/2 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi sweet) Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To make the crust, combine the graham crackers and melted butter in a bowl until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temp...

Cheesecake is my husband’s favorite, but I’ve always been scared away by horror stories of falling and cracking. Well, his birthday is this week, and I finally screwed up the courage to try it. All the great reviews said this recipe would work, so I used it, and my cheesecake turned out perfectly! It’s golden, smooth, and stunning. It is chilling, and we’ll serve it tomorrow. I hope it tastes as good as it looks! Recipe >> Perfect New York Cheesecake @ lifemadesimplebakes.com

I made these last night and they came out perfect! I’ve been searching for a recipe that’s just right, not too sweet/lemony. One change I made to the recipe was to skip the drizzle on top and just dust with powdered sugar. It’s a little more forgiving when you cut them, hides the rough edges.. Recipe >> The Best Lemon Bars @ yourhomebasedmom.com

My mom made these at least once a month throughout my childhood. The only difference  was she used tomato juice and thinly sliced onion on top. Special memories, :) Gram's Galumpki 1 or 2 heads of cabbage ( you will need 12-16 large leaves) 1 lb ground beef (80% lean or so) 2 cups cooked rice (cooked five minutes short of specified time) 1 cup onion, finely chopped 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt tomato soup (1 or 2 small cans) or 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 1 clove garlic, minced fresh thyme leaves (several sprigs, 1 - 2 teaspoons) Cut the core from the head of cabbage and wash well. Fill a large saucepan or pot (I use a 4 quart saucepot) with about 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add ½ teaspoon salt and the head of cabbage, core side down. Cover and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the outer cabbage leaves are tender and flexible but not mushy. Caref...

As the mornings start to get a little colder and fall begins to really get into full swing, I find myself craving coffee and baked goods in the morning. For me this usually ends up meaning baked oatmeal or this week this lovely apple coffee cake. I debated what exactly to call it. It definitely isn’t a cake since it’s not overly sweet, but it’s not really a bread either, and it has a yummy cinnamon sugar topping so I ended up with coffee cake. And the batter is made with cream cheese and apple sauce which add lots of moisture without adding fat from butter or oil. It’s a delicious little bite of fall. Recipe >> Cream Cheese Apple Coffee Cake @ yammiesnoshery.com

An Easy Homemade Bread Recipe: A little background My family is full of really fantastic cooks. My stepmom, my mother-in-law, my sisters--all fantastic. My brother is so fantastic that he makes his living cooking. Me? I am more like fantastically frightful. My roommate in graduate school had to show me how to cut up an onion. Graduate school--As in, I was 22 years old and paying all of my bills before I ever chopped a vegetable. Soon after I married Daniel, I tried to make something called "Broccoli Brag," and it was so terrible that I knew I had to get serious about learning how to cook. I did what any young Southern girl would do in my position: I bought a 2-year subscription to Southern Living and made as many recipes as I could. Although not quite fantastic, I've improved tremendously, and the recipe I'm most proud of is this homemade bread. It's simple--just 5 ingredients, and not as time consuming as you might think. You don't need a bread machine...

Pinterest is fantastic as I am sure that you all know! I saw this recipe for the perfect chicken and have made it several times. I use it for everything:  soups, salads, pasta, plain, etc... It cooks perfectly every time,, Perfect Chicken Ingredients: 1/2 t. garlic powder 2-4 boneless chicken breasts with or without rib meat 1/2 t. pepper 2-3 T. olive oil 1/2 t. onion powder 1/2 t. paprika 1/2 t. salt Directions: Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small bowl (I use my old 1/4 cup). Coat the chicken breasts in the seasoning, rubbing in to coat. Pour olive oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven, and heat to med-high. When nice and hot, add chicken to the pan (in batches if necessary). Cook 2-3 min per side. If any chicken has been removed, add it back to the Dutch oven. Place uncovered Dutch oven in a 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes or until juices run clear. Let sit on a plate 5-10 minutes before cutting, shredding, or eating.

I tried this for dinner last night and LOVED it! I used different bacon and different ranch but it was still amazing! Next time I will make it a little different though. FIRST, I would cut a few slits in my chicken for the ranch to seep through and cook within. SECOND, I would bake the bacon separate (because I like my bacon a little more on the crispy side). & THIRD, I would add the bacon to the chicken at the point you add the cheese. But overall this was delicious and I will be making it again in the near future! Recipe >> Bacon Ranch Chicken Bake @ thepinningmama.com

Tried them and worked out great! Replaced the olive oil with coconut oil and added a little vanilla extract instead of sugar. Once I had them in the bowl I added chopped walnuts and raisins. Awesome power breakfast! Recipe >> Pan Fried Cinnamon Bananas @ Pan Fried Cinnamon Bananas

It's a simple recipe that uses ingredients I almost always have on hand. To ensure that these bars are super crunchy, the recipe calls for toasting the oats with oil before forming the bars. I think this is the key step. One of the most difficult parts about making homemade granola bars is cooking them enough so that they get dried out all the way through, but not so long that they start over cooking. Toasting the oats first means that the bars start out dry and crispy, so they don't need to cook as long and start overcooking. After toasting the oats, all you have to do is pour the liquid ingredients over them, mix it up, and press it in a lined pan. Press down to squish all of the granola together into an even layer, and bake. Nothing to it. I like these bars the best with almonds, but when I made my last batch I was out of almonds, so I just added an extra cup of oats and they turned out just fine. So if you don't have any nuts around, or don't like nuts, just leav...

Assembling pork sausages is a snap and, as always, if you use best-quality ingredients, it's hard to beat homemade.From the book "Mad Hungry," by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Artisan Books). Simple Homemade Sausage Patties Ingredients:     1 pound ground pork     1 garlic clove, minced     1 tablespoon dried sage, crumbled     3/4 teaspoon dried thyme     1/2 teaspoon dried fennel, crushed     Pinch of ground nutmeg     1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt     1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper     1 large egg white     2 teaspoons vegetable oil Directions: Mix together the pork, garlic, sage, thyme, fennel, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the egg white and combine thoroughly. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes. To easily form the sausage patties, rinse your hands in cold water. Divide the mixture into eight...

This creamy casserole can be made a day ahead, refrigerated and then baked just before dinner. Using frozen vegetables makes this dish a cinch. Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Perfect Pinch® Italian Seasoning , divided 1 package (16 ounces) frozen broccoli florets, thawed 1 package (16 ounces) frozen cauliflower florets, thawed 2 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Salt 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Black Pepper, Coarse Ground 1 1/4 cups milk 4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, cubed Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning in small bowl. Set aside. Cut up any large broccoli or cauliflower florets into bite-size pieces. Mel...

Here is a fancy way to bring a little "surf" to any "turf" dinner!  It's pretty easy too... You will need: 2 lobster tails (around 8 ounces each) paprika (a few pinches) butter (a couple tbsp's) olive oil (a few tbsp's) kosher salt & pepper *Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. These little guys were frozen - let them fully thaw before doing anything.  Also, make sure you use quality seafood - I'm sorry, but don't get frozen lobster tails from a box. I recommend http://www.lobsterplace.com / (favorite place and super fresh!) Use a pair of good scissors to cut the shell as seen above. It takes a little work to pull the meat away from the shell - use your finger tips. Once the meat is pulled away, let it back on top of the shell.  This makes it look nice (think Red Lobster commercials - you can have your own "lobster-fest" at home now).  Rub the meat all over with olive oil. Lay the tails on a ...

Milk's favorite cookie, in cupcake form. These cupcakes are the best chocolate cupcake recipe I've ever made, with a whole oreo cookie baked into the bottom, all topped off with a swirl of buttercream frosting that tastes just like my favorite cookies n' creme ice cream. The frosting was so delicious (my go-to buttercream recipe with cookie crumbs in it), I did  could have eaten half of it with a spoon! Plus, the oreo surprise in the bottom is so much fun (because who doesn't love oreos?). The cookie stays firm and crunchy, which makes it interesting to eat against the soft, moist cake, but it gives the whole thing a really lovely crunch.   Cookies n' Creme Cupcakes Makes 15 cupcakes   Ingredients Cupcakes: 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa 3/4 cup hot, strong-brewed coffee 3/4 cup bread flour 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon table salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 6 tablespoons vegetable oi...

I love seafood. If it came out of the ocean, I love it. Lobster, mussels, oysters, crab fish, sushi, I love it all and then some. I love to cook salmon but I have never perfected the recipe for flaky moist perfect salmon (until now!) I got this recipe from Ree Drummond of the Pioneer Woman- one of my favorite cooking show and blogs. Most of the salmon I have eaten/made is too underdone or dried out and bland. But not tonight ! Tonight's salmon was moist flaky juicy flavorful and so so simple to make. Put your salmon on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil salt and pepper. Put the salmon in a cold oven turn onto 400 degrees and set the timer for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes you will have perfect flaky delicious salmon.

So easy and so good! 1) The butter separated from the caramel mixture after about 5 mins, but patience and a whisk brought it back by the time 15 mins rolled around. 2) I used a pan with a removable bottom. After I baked the shortbread on a jelly roll pan, I laid it on a cooling rack and then used the bottom of the pan to cut out exactly what size I needed for the pan. I saved the excess as cookies and they’re soo good with milk! 3) The white chocolate seized on me (I heated it too fast) so I added a teaspoon of Crisco and it loosened back up. (That’s a good trick for cake pops too!) 4) Made an oops and added the vanilla before taking it off the heat. It didn’t seem to make a difference other than giving the filling a darker caramel color. The pictures above show a very light filling. Mine actually looks like caramel. All in all, it turned out phenomenally and I can’t wait to see how my coworkers like it! Recipe >> Billionaire Bars @ chelsweets.com

I found this on Pintrest and they looked the best out of all the cookies I saw! I just made them for my family and they loved them. I used a crushed up milk chocolate bar because I find them creamier and I think they melt better. They turned out amazing but I ended up cooking them for 25 minutes not 1hr. Recipe >> The Master Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe @ happymoneysaver.com

Cooked this for dinner last night and it was amazing! I didn’t have time to cook it in a crock pot so I ended up cooking it on the stove top. It worked beautifully and I was able to cook my noodles in the sauce without any problems, I just needed to add about a cup of extra water to the sauce for it to come out perfectly. This is definitely a keeper. Everyone loved it! Recipe >> Crockpot Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta @ crockpotgourmet.net

Cheesecake Crescent Rolls Ingredients: 2 cans of Pillsbury Crescent rolls 2 (8oz each) package cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/4 cup butter, melted cinnamon sugar Unroll and spread 1 of the cans of crescent rolls on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish (or 8 x 8 if you want to cut the recipe in half). Combine softened cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla. Spread over crescent roll layer. Unroll and layer remaining crescent rolls over cream cheese layer. Melt your butter and spread over top of crescent rolls. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes in 350 degree oven until bubbly and slightly browned. Drizzle with a little honey if you like. Let cool a bit, slice and eat.