A Break...

If you've noticed that I've absent lately, you've been very correct. I have been super busy with my upcoming graduation and move (where I will start working as a dentist!), that I've not been able to devote my energy to blogging. I've actually made several new recipes and photographed them, but I can't seem to find the motivation to blog them. So - I've decided that I should take a little break from this blog. I will be back once I get settled into my new house (and much bigger kitchen!), so don't delete me from your google reader just yet. I think that I just need to take the pressure off of myself for a while, I'm sure as soon as a post this I'll want to make a whole bunch of new things and post them to share with you.

Thanks for reading for the past two years, and I'll be back soon!

Individual Meat Loaves

This week's Barefoot Bloggers choice was made by Tonya of What's On My Plate. These mini meatloaves were super savory and yummy. They made an easy weeknight meal that was a big hit for the guys in my house (they love any meal that is meat and potatoes!). I loved that these meatloaves weren't coated in a sickly sweet sauce like most recipes I've tried. I may try this recipe in a full size meatloaf to see if it may be my new go-to meatloaf.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 3 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup canned chicken stock or broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (81 percent lean)
• 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 2 extra-large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meatloaf will be dense. Divide the mixture into 6 (10 to 11-ounce) portions and shape each portion into a small loaf on a sheet pan. Spread about a tablespoon of ketchup on the top of each portion. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the internal temperature is 155 to 160 degrees F and the meat loaves are cooked through. Serve hot.

Source: Ina Garten

Baked Shrimp Scampi

This week's Barefoot Bloggers choice was made by Jill of Insanely Good Food. This was an easy weeknight meal that really pleased my guys. I served it over pasta with zucchini, and it was great!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 extra-large egg yolk
• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Coconut Cupcakes

It's finally my turn! Each month, two different Barefoot Blogger members get to choose which recipe the group makes. I decided to choose a cupcake recipe, and with Ina Garten - this is the only one to choose! She is famous for these cupcakes mounded with coconut, and I've never made them. Mainly because I don't like coconut - at all. But, even I liked these cupcakes (I'll admit that I took most of the coconut off of the top). They were moist and the frosting was creamy and not too sweet.

Ingredients

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

For the frosting:

1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes

Phillip & I got invited to a pheasant fry tonight. I haven't made a new cupcake creation in a while, so I thought that this would be the perfect occasion for a new recipe. I wanted something chocolaty to appeal to the masses, and I thought these Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes looked like a good mix of chocolate and fruit.

I used my favorite chocolate mix for the base, filled it with raspberry jam, and topped it with my basic buttercream spiked with raspberry jam. The real treat of these is the chocolate filled raspberries on top... mmm!

Raspberry Truffles

2 pints of fresh raspberries
5 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup raspberry jam
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate and jam in heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and pour cream over the chocolate and jam. Let stand for 3 minutes, whisk together until combined. If any lumps remain, microwave for a few seconds and stir. Let the ganache cool a bit until it thickens slightly. Using a pastry bag, pipe into the center of clean raspberries and refrigerate until set (about 15 minutes). Place on top of frosted cupcakes.

Inspired by: Annie's Eats

Shrimp Bisque

This Barefoor Bloggers choice was from Jennifer at Our Blessed Home. My brother (and roomie) AJ loves seafood soups, so I was really excited to make this for him last week. This wasn't the most rich and creamy bisque that I've ever had (and I tend to prefer creamy soups), as Phillip said, "It was fine, it was shrimpy - it just didn't knock my socks off." I will definitely try to make a shrimp bisque again, but I probably won't use this recipe again.

For some reason, I can't copy the recipe into the blog today. For now, I'll just provide a link - and I'll fix it later. Here's Ina's version of Shrimp Bisque.

Indonesian Ginger Chicken

Another Barefoot Bloggers post! I know, that seems like all I post these days. I've been super busy with my last semester of school and Phillip & I are building a new house, but I make sure to make time for this blog group every two weeks. Todd of A Cooking Dad made this choice, and it was great. The best thing was that it only took five ingredients, so it was budget friendly as well.

Ingredients

1 cup honey
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)
1/2 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger root
2 (3 1/2 pound) chickens, quartered, with backs removed

Directions

Cook the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger root in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey is melted. Arrange the chicken in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan, skin side down, and pour on the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan, turn the chicken skin side up, and raise the temperature to 375 degrees F. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the sauce is a rich, dark brown.

Source: Ina Garten