Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You liked the Enchilada Casserole so much you made it for your company potluck
2 - You're my Valentine
3 - You put the rest of our patio furniture together while I was at a Bee Meet-up
4 - You look really good in dress pant and a button-up shirt
5 - You hung my Cakespy print up in the dining room and side with me when people don't get the awesomeness that is Cupcakes and Bacon drinking cocktails.

Cooking Light: Enchilada Casserole

I LOVE enchiladas, mmmmm red sauce, but I know that restaurant enchiladas are not that good for you. I've also been dying to make a casserole, don't ask me why, I just really wanted to make one. Anywhoodle, last night I looked up Enchilada recipes on Cooking Light (where else, right?) and came across this recipe. Enchiladas? Check! Casserole? Check! 5 Stars? AWESOME!

Light Turkey Enchilada Casserole

adapted from this recipe on Cooking Light

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic (or more, I like a lot of onion)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 can (28 oz.) red enchilada sauce (Cooking Light's recipe calls for a 29 oz. can but my store only carried 28 oz. cans)
Salt
12 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
2 cups shredded reduced-fat jack cheese (8 oz.)
Chopped spring onions

Directions
1 - In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, stir turkey, onion, garlic, oregano, and cumin in oil until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

2- Stir in 1 cup enchilada sauce. Add salt to taste.

3 - While turkey is simmering in enchilada sauce, cut tortillas in half. Arrange a fourth of the halves (6 halves) evenly over the bottom of a 3-quart casserole, overlapping to fit.

4 - Sprinkle a fourth of the cheese (1/2 cup) evenly over the tortillas.

5- Top with a third of the turkey mixture and a fourth of the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading each level. (I poured the remaining enchilada sauce in a large measuring cup to see how much I had left and then divided it that way)

6 - Repeat to make two more layers of tortillas, cheese, turkey mixture, and sauce; top with another layer of tortillas and sauce, then cheese.

7 - Bake in a 425° regular or convection oven until cheese is melted and casserole is hot in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions.

You'll notice my cheese is EXTRA crispy, that's because A) Hubs was playing Mario Bros and didn't hear the timer go off; and B) I like my cheese a little crispy ;-)

Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes with Mascarpone Icing

The last time Hubs and I went to my parent's house for dinner, we were supposed to bring a dessert... to be honest it didn't seem like it was mandatory, but when we decided we had eaten enough crap over the holidays and we didn't think we needed dessert... let's just say we haven't heard the end of it.

For Super Bowl were told to bring an appetizer and a dessert. I wanted to make something fabulous, to hopefully, make up for the last time. I thought I'd seen a recipe in my reader for something with mascarpone icing, but it turned out to be for Italian meringue icing... Oops. I had my heart set on making something with mascarpone icing and thought for sure there had to be a way to make mascarpone into icing... I mean, you can do it with cream cheese, right? So, I Googled and found this recipe by Silvana Nardone on Rachel Ray's website.

Dark Chocolate Red Wine Cupcakes w/ Mascarpone Icing

very, very, very slightly adapted from this recipe by Silvana Nardone on Rachel Ray's website

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2 cup boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1-1/4 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup medium- to full-bodied red wine
Two 8-ounce containers mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Red grapes, halved, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 muffin pans with baking liners.

2 - In a medium, metal bowl, combine the cocoa powder and chocolate pieces. Whisk in the boiling water until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is combined.

3 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until blended.

4 - Mix flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl.

5 - Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until just combined.

6 - Alternating, add the chocolate mixture and wine in batches, mixing well between each addition, until the batter is smooth.

7 - Divide among the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan.

8 - Lightly beat the mascarpone, then add the confectioners' sugar and beat until creamy. Remove the cooled cupcakes from the pan, spread each with icing and top with a grape half.

P.S. This is DELISH!! The icing is the perfect light mascarpone topping to the rich chocolaty cakes.

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You get really excited when I suggest pizza for dinner
2 - You make me laugh
3 - You found us awesome couch pillows (hopefully they will come today so I can blog about them)
4 - You get really excited when I bake you cookies
5 - You LOVE cheesecake

Apple Cinnamon Cookies

As often as I make chocolate chip cookies, I'm not a huge fan. I know, who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies? I like the dough more than the cookies. Anyway, last night I was making the Hubs chocolate chip cookies and I decided divide the dough in half and try something. It turned out to be delicious!

Apple Cinnamon Cookies

Recipe adapted from Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Cookie Recipe

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup Splenda Sugar blend
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups chopped apples (about 2 cored apples)

Directions

1 - Preheat oven to 375

2 - In small bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon.

3 - In large mixer bowl combine and cream butter, Splenda sugar blend, brown sugar and vanilla.

4 - Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5 - Gradually beat in flour mixture.

6 - Stir in apples.

7 - Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

8 - Bake for 10 min or until edges are golden.

9 - Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.