Chocolate Filled Wontons

Holy deliciousness Batman! These were so good. Just ignore the fact that there is nothing healthy about them. Wait, I used dark chocolate. That's good for me, right?

I had half a package of wonton wrappers taking up prime real estate in my fridge, and no plan on how to use them. Off to google I went, where I found this idea. But I took it a step further and added a little bit of cream cheese to give it a fried cheesecake-like flavor. It was heaven on a plate and since they probably wouldn't reheat well, we polished off the entire batch in one sitting.

I haven't listed measurements here, because there is no reason to be precise. And the combinations are endless too. I'm thinking of trying peanut butter and chocolate next time. Mmmm...my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Chocolate Wontons
wonton wrappers
cream cheese
chocolate chips
water
canola oil
powdered sugar

1. Lay a wonton wrapper flat on a cutting board. Coat the wrapper with cream cheese, leaving a border around the edge. Place chocolate chips in the center of the wrapper.
2. Dip your finger in water and dampen the edge of the wonton wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half diagonally. Seal the edges tightly.
3. Fill a saucepan with canola oil. Heat the oil to around 300 degrees. [It's hot enough when a wonton turns brown almost instantly in it.]
4. Place the sealed wonton into the hot oil. Brown on the bottom, flip and brown on the other side. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
5. Repeat the process with remaining wontons and wrappers.
6. Dust wontons with powdered sugar. Try to let them cool before serving.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins

I must have my seasons mixed up, because for some reason I was craving pumpkin in the middle of summer. (Okay, I know it's not technically the "middle of summer" since the first day of summer was 6/21, but since we really only have 2 seasons down here, cut me some slack.) ;-)

I decided to make muffins and used this recipe from the Very Best Baking website. The only change I made was to cut the recipe in half because I did not need 36 muffins in my house! I made 12 standard size muffins and then used the rest of the batter in my mini muffin tin. These were really good and I'm sure I will make them again. The halved recipe is below.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs or 1/2 cup egg product
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 can pumpkin (eyeball it)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 18 standard size muffin cups or line with paper bake cups.
2. Combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Combine eggs and sugar in large bowl. Add pumpkin and oil; mix well. Stir in flour mixture until moistened. Stir in morsels. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove from pans.

Cheesy Chile Chicken

This recipe was a quick and easy one-dish meal. Perfect for a weeknight! It's nothing fancy or gourmet, but we enjoyed it. I made a few changes from Mary Ellen's version. My adaptation is below.

Cheesy Chile Chicken
2 chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into bite sized chunks
1/2 tsp each: chili powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder
olive oil
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small can diced green chiles
1 cup instant brown rice, uncooked
1-1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c shredded cheese - I used a Mexican blend
Handful of freshly chopped cilantro

1. Coat chicken with spices. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan; add chicken and brown on both sides. Transfer chicken to a dish and keep warm.
2. Add 1 tsp oil to the pan. Add onions, garlic, and peppers. Saute 3-4 minutes. Stir in chiles.
3. Add rice and stir. Return chicken to the pan. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a light simmer, cover, and cook until the rice and chicken are done and liquid has completely absorbed, about 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the cheese and cilantro and serve.

Slow Cooker Latin Chicken

Since it rained the entire weekend and washed out our plans to barbecue, I had to come up with a Plan B and decided to throw dinner in the crockpot. I found this recipe for Latin Chicken on AllRecipes which used ingredients I almost always have on hand. I didn't want to be bothered browning the chicken though, so I just threw it in the pot. I'm sure if you brown yours, it would give it another layer of flavor. I only made a few changes to the ingredients: I subbed a green pepper for the red one and used one can of black beans instead of two. I completely forgot the lime garnish, but I would add that in next time. I also added a cup of instant brown rice to the crockpot about 30 minutes before I served dinner. This was really good and made a ton. We ate it for dinner two nights and I still had some left to take to work the following day. I loved the sweet potato and black bean combo! My version is below. Enjoy!

Crockpot Latin Chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds skinless chicken thighs
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 cup hot salsa
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup instant brown rice
lime wedges, for garnish

1. Arrange the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Place the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, and black beans on top of the chicken. Mix together the chicken broth, 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, salsa, cumin, allspice, and garlic together in a bowl; pour into the slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 4-6 hours. Half an hour before serving, stir in instant brown rice. Garnish with lime wedges to serve.

Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

As soon as I saw these Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins, I immediately started craving them. The stars must have been in alignment that day because I had buttermilk in the fridge, something I usually never have on hand. I made these as soon as I came home from work, before I even considered what to make for dinner. For the record, we did not eat muffins for dinner. ;-)

I only made a couple of changes. I added 1/2 cup of cinnamon chips to the batter, and I omitted the topping. The original link says it makes 9 muffins, but I was able to squeeze out 10. My version is below.

Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins
7 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup cinnamon chips

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 10 standard muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well until pale and smooth.
3. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until evenly moistened; do not overmix. Add the cinnamon chips.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full. Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let cool completely.

Smothered Pork Chops

I'd love to have a Food 911 and have Tyler Florence show up at my doorstep. Unfortunately my food 911 will have to wait because this recipe was easy and terrific. Other than cutting the recipe down to 2 servings and using boneless chops, I didn't make any changes. I served it over mashed potatoes to sop up the delicious gravy.

Smothered Pork Chops
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick, bone-in (or boneless)
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup buttermilk
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

1. Put the flour in a shallow platter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture and then dredge them in the seasoned flour; shaking off the excess.
2. Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is nice and hot, lay the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
3. Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a little sprinkle of seasoned flour to the pan drippings. Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly.
4. Stir in the buttermilk to make a creamy gravy and return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Better Left to the Pros

The very first time I went to a Thai restaurant, I had no idea what to order. My friend suggested Pad Thai. I ordered it. Loved it. And I have ordered it ever since. (I really need to branch out and try more things on the menu.)

When I saw this recipe for Pad Thai, I was excited to try my hand at making it at home.

I failed miserably, and I've decided that some things are better left to the pros at the restaurants. I'm not sure where I went wrong, but something didn't taste quite right. Perhaps it was the lack of tamarind in the recipe? Perhaps one of my ingredients was spoiled?

I probably won't make it again, but I encourage you to check out the recipe on the Savory, Spicy, Sweet blog. Her blog is one of my favorites.