Berry Cake

I had some extra strawberries and blueberries to use up and this berry cake turned out wonderful!  I adapted this berry cake recipe from Martha Stewart's Strawberry Cake (original recipe here).  The cake is light and moist.  One of the online Martha Stewart reviewers said it tastes like a cross between an angel food cake and a buttery pound cake, which is exactly right!  I couldn't have described it any better.   I will definitely be making this cake again and again.  You could serve this berry cake as is or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Berry Cake

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ½ cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ pound strawberries, hulled and halved

½ pound blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.   Grease a 10 inch pie plate with butter.

In a bowl, whisk together (or sift) flour, baking powder and salt.

In a stand mixer, on medium-high speed, beat together butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy.  On medium-low speed, mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.

On low speed, slowly add in flour mixture about ½ cup at a time.  You may need to use a spatula to scrape sides of bowl down.  

Pour batter into buttered pie plate.  Arrange strawberries and blueberries on top.  Place strawberries cut side down.  Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.  

Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce temperature to 325 degrees F.  Bake for additional 60 minutes until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch.  

Allow cake to cool in pie plate.  Store cake at room temperature loosely covered for up to 2 days or refrigerate.

Mini Spinach and Cheese Quiches

These mini spinach and cheese quiches are perfect for breakfast, lunch or brunch.  They are perfect for me to bring to work since they reheat well in the microwave.  I adapted this recipe from The Domestic Mama and The Village Cook's spinach and cheese baby quiches (original recipe here).  I made my spinach and cheese quiches in muffin pans, and used fresh spinach instead of frozen.   I will definitely be making these mini spinach and cheese quiches again and I would like to add some cooked bacon next time.   I am also freezing half the mini spinach and cheese quiches to see how they hold up.  I'll update this post when I find out.

Mini Spinach and Cheese Quiches

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 ½ cups spinach (Cook two 9 ounce bags fresh spinach or use frozen spinach, thawed and drained)

12 ounce can evaporated milk

2 tablespoons flour

3 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon parsley, dried

¼ teaspoon garlic

1 ½ cups shredded cheese (I used a cheddar jack blend.)

Optional (if cooking spinach)

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease a muffin pan.

In a large pan, over medium heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add in 1 bag of spinach and when wilted, add the second bag of spinach.  Stir and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for a few minutes until spinach is completed wilted.  Allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine milk, eggs and flour.

Add spinach, salt, parsley, and garlic.

Stir in cheese.

Pour into greased muffin pan.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

Makes 12 mini quiches. 

Freeze extra quiches in freezer bag.

Food & Wine Recipe - October 2012

The Bitten Word has successfully completed the Super Awesome Cover-to-Cover Project! 

It was great being a part of Team Food & Wine.   Click here to visit the Food & Wine Magazine Cover-to-Cover: All the Recipes in the October 2012 Issue.

There were so many delicious looking recipes featured and I love seeing the feedback from all the contributors.

You can find me under Starters & Soups, I made the Creamy Piquillo Pepper and Chickpea Soup with Chicken!

Easy Caramelized Figs

I had purchased a pint of figs at the farmers market not too long ago and was thinking of what to do with them.  My thoughts went to dessert and I ended up with these easy caramelized figs.  All you need is butter and brown sugar; it can't get any easier.  I spooned the warm caramelized figs over some frozen vanilla greek yogurt (from Trader Joe's) and it was amazingly delicious!

Easy Caramelized Figs

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

7 figs

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

Slice figs in half lengthwise with stems removed.

In a small pan, over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar.  

Add figs, cut side down, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until caramelized.  Spoon sauce over figs.

Turn figs over and cook on other side.   The butter-sugar sauce will thicken as it cooks.

You may serve the caramelized figs warm or at room temperature.

Serve over ice cream, yogurt, or cake.   

Pumpkin Chicken

Pumpkin chicken?  Yup!  I needed to use up some leftover pumpkin puree so I thought why not.  I adapted this pumpkin chicken recipe from Witty in the City (original recipe here).  I had to use honey instead of maple syrup since I didn't have any.  This pumpkin chicken was actually a little on the spicy side, so if you like a kick, this is your type of chicken dish.  Serve this pumpkin chicken over rice or egg noodles and definitely spoon some of that extra sauce on top.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chicken

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless (4 pieces)

1 cup pumpkin (plain puree)

1 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes

½ teaspoon garam masala (or curry powder)

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.  Place in baking dish.

In a bowl, whisk together pumpkin, chicken stock, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, red chili pepper flakes and garam masala.

Pour pumpkin sauce over chicken.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Rotate baking dish halfway through baking and baste chicken with the pumpkin sauce.

Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Guacamole

I love a good guacamole and this recipe is one I typically follow.  You could easily adjust it to your own tastes.  If you want spicy guacamole, use jalapeno peppers.  I am a wimp and don't eat anything too spicy so I used some mini (not spicy) peppers I already had.  If you don't have any peppers, add in some Tabasco sauce, my favorite is the Green Jalapeno Pepper Sauce.  It is not too spicy but it is not mild either, it is just right.  Make this guacamole for your next football watching party!  Hail to the Redskins (HTTR)! Yup, that's my team!

Guacamole

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

5 ripe avocados, halved, seeded and peeled

2 roma tomatos, diced

½ cup diced red onions

2 peppers, seeded and diced (I used mini peppers but use jalapeños for spice).

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

Directions

In a bowl, add in avocados and lemon or lime juice to coat avocadoes.

Mash avocados with a fork. 

Stir in tomatoes, onions and peppers.

Stir in cumin, salt and pepper.

Cover with plastic wrap, be sure to place the plastic wrap directly on top of the guacamole to prevent it from browning.

Store in fridge until ready to serve. 

Serve with tortilla chips.

Veggie Pizza

I made this veggie pizza with a new pizza dough recipe.  The veggie pizza was awesome and the crust was nice and crisp.  I also loved the basil flavor of the tomato sauce.  In comparing this new pizza dough recipe to the first recipe, its definitely a bit different.  The first pizza dough recipe is more chewy and great for a thicker crust.  I really like the new pizza dough recipe because it seems better for a thin crust pizza.  Both pizza doughs are great for whatever you desire.  I hope you try this veggie pizza or make a pizza with you favorite toppings.  Enjoy!

Veggie Pizza

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 batch homemade pizza dough, recipe here or here

½ cup basil tomato sauce, recipe here

½ zucchini, thinly sliced

3 or 4 mini peppers, diced

1 roma tomato, sliced

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 bunch fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Roll out dough and press down onto a greased baking sheet.

 Spoon basil tomato sauce onto rolled out pizza dough.

Top with vegetables.  Next top pizza with mozzarella cheese.  

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until edges of dough are crisp and cheese is melted.

Sprinkle basil on top of pizza.