Margarita Cupcakes

I have a confession. I do not like margaritas. Never have, and I am pretty sure I never will. That said, I've saved multiple recipes for margarita cupcakes waiting for a chance to make them because they always look cute and are raved about. The perfect occasion to make these came when my friend's 30th birthday celebration fell on cinco de mayo this year. I used a shortcut cupcake recipe with cake mix, and I think it came out perfect. I found this on Homemade by Holman. The egg whites kept this nice and fluffy. I used the Skinny Girl margarita mix in these instead of a separate margarita mix and tequila. The only reason I did this is because I had it on hand. And as I already said, I don't care for margaritas, so what else was I going to do with that bottle? If any one would like the rest of it, come on over!

For the cupcakes, you will need:
*1 box white cake mix
*8 ounces Skinny Girl Margarita
*1/2 ounce orange juice
*3 large egg whites
*2 tablespoons vegetable oil
*zest of 1 lime

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin tins.

2. In a large measuring cup, mix together margarita and orange juice.

3. Pour cake mix into a mixing bowl. Add egg whites, oil, lime zest and margarita/OJ. Briefly beat on low speed until dry ingredients are incorporated and then beat on medium high speed for about 2 minutes.

4. Fill batter into muffin wells until about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then cool completely on wire racks. Once completely cooled, frost with the recipe below.

For the frosting, you will need:
*
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

*1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
*
2-3 tablespoons lime juice
*
4 cups powdered sugar

*1 tsp lime zest

*3-4 drops green food coloring



1. Beat cream cheese and butter on medium high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the lime juice and zest. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated. If needed, add more lime juice and/or powdered sugar until you reach your desired frosting consistency. Add food coloring a drop at a time and beat on medium high speed until desired color is reached.

3. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. I topped these with green sprinkles I had on hand. You could also add paper straws and limes like I did on these mojito cupcakes. Refrigerate cupcakes in an airtight container if not serving immediately and bring to room temperature a couple hours prior to serving.

Crockpot Cheddar Chicken Tacos

I'm finding that our favorite crockpot recipes often include beer. BBQ Beer Shredded Chicken is a regular in our menu rotation and a favorite of many friends as well. As soon as I saw this recipe on How Sweet it is I knew we'd love it. The first time I made this for a potluck dinner and forgot to add the cheese. It was tasty, but much better when we finally tried it again and added the cheddar. Crockpot meals are perfect as the warmer weather starts. You can have a home cooked meal without heating the house by turning on the stove.

You will need:
*4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*3/4 cup beer
*1 tablespoon chili powder
*1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
*1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
*1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
*1/4 teaspoon onion powder
*pinch of cayenne pepper
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
*taco shells or corn tortillas
*toppings of your choice, suggestions: Greek yogurt, avocado, salsa, sliced red onion, black beans, mixed greens, additional cheese, etc.

1. In a bowl, make the taco seasoning by stirring together chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. In a measuring cup, combine the 3/4 cup beer with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning and whisk together.

2. Place chicken in the crockpot and top with seasoned beer. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

3. Shred chicken. Taste and season with leftover taco seasoning if desired. Right before serving, turn off the crockpot and mix the cheddar cheese into the shredded chicken. Immediately transfer the cheesy chicken to a large bowl so the cheese does not make a mess of your crockpot!


4. Serve the tacos with any topping you'd like. We used corn tortillas, red onion slices, mixed greens, and Greek yogurt. The leftover chicken also made great taco salads for lunches.

Spanakopita

I always thought of spanakopita as fabulous appetizer triangles. I never thought of making a larger portion for dinner until I found this recipe on Stephanie Cooks. This is another one of those recipes that I held on to for far too long before finally making it. It comes together easily and seems like it takes much more effort. If you like spinach and feta, you'll definitely enjoy this dinner!

You will need:
*2 tablespoons olive oil
*1/2 small yellow onion, chopped small
*2 green onions, yellow and white parts, chopped
*10 oz package frozen spinach, defrosted and drained, or fresh**
      **I always saute and squeeze out excess moisture using a spatula in a colander
*2 eggs, lightly beaten
*2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
*2 tablespoons bread crumbs
*1 teaspoon kosher salt, additional for topping
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*1 cup crumbled feta cheese
*12 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted
*4 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 375.

2. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the green onions and cook another 2 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the spinach, eggs, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Add the onion mixture, stirring until well combined.Gently fold in the feta.

4. Place one sheet of phyllo on a flat work surface such as a large cutting board or right on a clean counter. Brush lightly with butter. Place an additional sheet of phyllo and then top that with butter. Repeat this process until 4 sheets are layered. Slice the phyllo in half lengthwise using a pizza cutter.

5. Spoon about 1/3 cup spinach mixture onto the top of one phyllo rectangle. Fold the dough on the diagonal as if folding a flag-folding the dough over the filling then folding over itself. Repeat until a triangle is formed. (I double checked on YouTube as Stephanie suggested in her recipe post, there are definitely videos available for forming spanakopita if you need to see this visually.) Place seal side down on a baking sheet. Repeat until all triangles are formed.

6. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Spinoccoli Pizza

We've been on a very successful pizza kick around here. I didn't realize that I hadn't blogged about this pizza until we decided to make it tonight and I couldn't find the recipe on here. This is another winner from Annie's Eats. I rarely use heavy cream sauces on pizzas, but I rationalized that the vegetables rounded out the calorie content for this one. The combination is amazing and filling. It also reminds me of the cream sauce available on a "Great White" pizza at a local pizza shop. The leftover slices still tasted great when reheated the next day. We tend to not preheat our pizza stone. I know, I know not the best practice, but it always seems to work just fine for us. Because of this I tend to use a bit lower temp when making pizzas and cook them longer. I find this helps the crust get crisp and brown without burning. I currently use store bought wheat pizza dough but one of these days I'll try making own.

For the sauce, you will need:
*1 tablespoon butter

*1 tablespoon flour
* 
3/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
*
1 clove garlic, minced
*
Salt and pepper
*6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
**Note- this will make extra sauce. You can use it for crust dipping if you'd like.**

For the pizza, you will need:
*pizza dough
*Olive oil
*1/2 cup baby spinach leaves torn and packed
*1 cup small broccoli florets

*2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

*2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

*grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 450.

2. Make the white sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and whisk constantly until bubbling and lightly golden, about 1 minute. Next, whisk in the heavy cream and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from the heat; whisk in the grated Parmesan until completely melted and smooth.

2. Prepare the pizza dough onto your pizza stone. I always do this by mixing a bit of cornmeal into the dough to help prevent tearing as I stretch and shape it with my hands. Lightly spray or brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil.

3. Spread a thin layer of the white sauce over the crust leaving the crust border uncovered. Sprinkle the torn spinach leaves over the white sauce. Next, evenly distribute the broccoli florets. Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and finish with additional grated Parmesan.

4. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned. This takes about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Shrimp, Black Bean, and Pineapple Foil Packets

It's spring in New England. Last week I was grilling these foil packets in beautiful, warm weather, and this week I needed to wear my down jacket again as the morning temperatures were below freezing. Mother Nature just wanted to remind us that we weren't anywhere close to summer yet!

This recipe from Cara's Cravings was perfect. I can already predict that this will be repeated for lunches and dinners throughout summer. It comes together easily and is quite flavorful. If you're tempted to try this before your grill is ready, you could also heat the packets in the oven.

You will need:
*8oz raw, medium-sized shrimp (peeled, deveined)
*1 cup canned black beans
*3/4 cup pineapple, diced
*1/3 cup red onion, diced
*2 tablespoons jalapeno, minced
*1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
*2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
*1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
*3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
*1/4 teaspoon chili powder
*pinch of salt
*freshly ground black pepper
*2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (omitted, but I'd use if I had it on hand)
*1/2 avocado, diced
*rice or other grain for serving

1. Preheat grill at medium. It should reach about 350-400 degrees.

2. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

3. In another larger bowl, combine the black beans, pineapple, red onion, jalapeno, and ginger. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice, coriander, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin.

4. Spray 2 large pieces of aluminum foil with olive oil. Spoon half of the black bean mixture into the center of each and top with half of the shrimp. Squeeze the remaining lime juice over the shrimp. Seal the foil by bringing the edges together and folding down to make the packets. Make sure it is sealed well on all sides.

5. Place the foil packets on the grill and cook, covered, for 10-12 minutes.

6. Remove the packets from the grill. Carefully open the foil packets and stir the contents. Top with the diced avocado and serve over rice.

If you'd like to see the nutritional information for this recipe, please visit the original recipe via the link above.

BBQ Chicken Pizza with Pineapple

The weather here has been absolutely incredible. I went to the beach on Thursday. In March. This is by far the best staycation I've ever had! This pizza is also one of the best we've ever made at home. We've enjoyed this numerous times and I finally have a picture to share with you. We brought this to friends for dinner the other night. They seemed to enjoy it just as much as we do. There is also something about pineapple that makes me feel like I'm in the tropics. The ranch adds a wonderful creaminess to the BBQ sauce but not an overwhelming flavor change. This recipe is from Sing for your Supper.

You will need:
*pizza dough or a prepared crust (like Boboli)
*
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
*
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
*
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

*1/2 cup BBQ sauce, plus more for the crust
*
1/4 cup ranch salad dressing
*
fresh pineapple, cut into pieces
*cilantro, chopped for topping (optional)
-I tend to eyeball ingredients when making pizzas. This often results in more cheese, but that's how we like things around here!

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a bowl, combine the shredded chicken with the BBQ sauce. Set aside.

3. Spread a think layer of BBQ sauce on to the pizza dough. Top the BBQ sauce with the ranch dressing and swirl with the back of a spoon to combine. Spread the shredded chicken on top of the sauce. Next, sprinkle the cheeses and pineapple over the pizza.

4. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. If using cilantro, add to pizza right before serving. (I love cilantro, but we only buy it when it's being used in a few recipes during the week)

Guinness Donuts

It's almost St. Patrick's Day. That means corned beef, Baileys and Guinness treats are taking over the blog world. Here's a breakfast idea for the weekend to keep that theme going. These donuts came out a bit dry, so I might try adding some yogurt the next time I make them. I do really like the combination of cocoa and Guinness. If you're looking for a dessert to bring to a St. Patty's celebration, I highly recommend Guinness and Baileys cupcakes. This donut recipe was found on Bakers Royale.

You will need:
*2 1/2 cups flour
*1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
*2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
*3/4 teaspoon baking soda
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*2 eggs (1 egg white and 2 yolks)
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*3/4 cup sugar
*3 tablespoons butter
*3 ounces of dark chocolate
*1/3 cup milk
*1/2 cup Guinness or other dark stout beer

1. Lightly grease donut pan and preheat oven to 375.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine egg, egg yolks, vanilla, and sugar. Beat until well mixed and fluffy in texture. Add in milk and beer, beat to combine. Slowly add the dry mix until incorporated into the batter.

4. Melt butter and chocolate in a bowl of over simmering water or on a double broiler. Fold in in to the batter.

5. Fill the donut wells about 1/4 full with the batter. I find it works well to use a frosting bag for this. Bake for about 4-6 minutes.

If you'd like to add a glaze, check out the original recipe. I decided to keep these simple. These donuts are best eaten the day they are made.

Grapefruit Marinated Steak Fajitas

We are experiencing some amazing spring weather this week. It is excellent timing because I'm on spring break! I cannot wait to get our grill cleaned and ready for use again.

The night I made these enchiladas, I was craving summer grilled food. We rarely cook red meat at home anymore, so this dinner was a great weeknight change of pace. The original recipe, from Confections of a Foodie Bride, is setup to be prepared entirely on the grill. It was still a chilly, dark night when I made these, so we opted to cook them on the stove top. I also cut the oil in half. We were very happy with the results of this recipe!

You will need:
*1/4 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
*1/4 cup fresh lime juice
*pinch of salt
*black pepper
*1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1-2 tablespoons more for cooking
*1 lb beef (My local butcher sells small stir fry strips. Look for flank or skirt steak.)
*1 large yellow onion, sliced
*2 large bell peppers, sliced into strips (I used one red and one green)
*8 corn tortillas

For toppings, we Chose:
*1 avocado, sliced
*Greek yogurt
*shredded cheese

1. In a large Ziplock bag, combine the grapefruit and lime juices, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add the beef, seal the bag, and squeeze the marinade together and onto the meat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. Once the marinated meat is ready, saute peppers and onions over medium heat in a small skillet.

3. In a separate skillet, cook the steak over medium high heat. Flip the steak pieces after about 5 minutes.

4. Serve your fajitas as desired.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

How Sweet It Is rarely posts something that I do not want to eat immediately. These enchiladas are further proof that Jessica only shares amazing recipes. I ended up prepping the shredded chicken the night before I made these so they were an extremely quick weeknight dinner. As you may notice in the picture, I made 7 enchiladas. I probably could have stretched the filling better to make 8 or stuffed it into 6 large enchiladas. Both Dave and I enjoyed some enchiladas for lunch the next few days too. This is certainly a dinner we'll make again and again.

You will need:
*8 large whole wheat tortillas
*3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
*28 ounces red enchilada sauce
*1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
*1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
*4 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
*5 green onions, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prep a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray.

2. Combine enchilada sauce with the buffalo wing sauce. Whisk together.
(If you're worried about heat, start with only 1/4 cup of the wing sauce and taste)

3. In another bowl, combine shredded chicken, 2 green onions, and 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese. Pour in about a 1/2 cup of enchilada/buffalo sauce mixture and mix thoroughly.

4. Pour a thin layer of enchilada/buffalo sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture. Roll each enchilada and set it in the baking dish, seam side down.

5. Top the enchiladas with more of the sauce and remaining monterey jack cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

6. Add crumbled gorgonzola on top of the enchiladas as soon as they come out of the oven. Garnish with the remaining scallions.
Any leftover sauce can be kept in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, and use if reheating enchiladas.

Turkey Veggie Burgers

These burgers are delicious! The zucchini and carrot help keep the turkey from drying out as they cook. I don't know if it was the ketchup and pickle topping or what, but both Dave and I thought these reminded us of McDonald's burgers. It's been years since I had one of those! These burgers come together in a snap which make them a quick and healthy weeknight dinner. If you're looking for a new burger, I highly recommend these. This is a Real Simple recipe that I found on Beantown Baker.

You will need:
*1 1/2 lb ground turkey
*1-2 medium zucchini
*1-2 medium carrot
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*1/2 teaspoon paprika
*splash Worcestershire sauce
*3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
*1/4 teaspoon black pepper
*1 large egg
*1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
*1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Grate zucchini and carrots.

2. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, carrots, garlic, seasonings, egg, panko, and turkey. Form mixture into 6 patties.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties until no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes per side.

4. Enjoy on a bun with some of your favorite toppings. We topped ours with a slice of a cheese, ketchup, and Wickles relish.