Easy Chicken Shwarma

 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil

• SPICE MIXTURE: In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, water, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne pepper, cardamom, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and spice mixture. Marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
• Preheat grill to medium high heat.
• Brush chicken with canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes.
• Serve immediately with tzatziki sauce.

(Source: https://damndelicious.net/2023/06/23/easy-chicken-shawarma/)

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat

 

• 1 package devils food cake mix
• ▢3.9 ounce box instant chocolate pudding
• ▢1 cup sour cream
• ▢4 large eggs
• ▢1/2 cup water
• ▢1/2 cup vegetable oil 
• ▢1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Frosting

• ▢8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ▢1/4 cup butter , softened
• ▢2 cups powdered sugar 
• ▢1 teaspoon vanilla  

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and grease and flour your bundt cake pan. (See my tips for properly greasing a bundt pan, above in the post.)
• Mix the first six cake ingredients together. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into greased (with butter/shortenting & flour) bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 for 45-50 min. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting the cake onto a wire cooling rack. I also like to run a butter knife gently around the edges of the pan to make sure the cake isn't sticking, before I turn it out.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Beat together the cream cheese and butter until light fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, mixing for several minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add more powdered sugar, to taste, if needed.
• Spoon frosting into a pastry bag with no tip attached, or into a ziplock bag, with the corner cut. Starting at the outer edge of the bundt cake squeeze and pull a line of frosting up and over the cake, into the center hole.
• Repeat this process all around the cake. Store, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze, covered well, for up to 3 months. 

(Source: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/chocolate-chocolate-chip-nothing-bundt-cake-copycat-recipe-and-tutorial/)

Skillet Enchilada Meatballs

 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground turkey or chicken
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten-free if needed)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 15 ounce can red enchilada sauce (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
• Chopped green onions and cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the greeen onion, panko, egg, cilantro, hot sauce, spices, salt and pepper. Add in the ground chicken or turkey and use your hands to combine everything together. Use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon to form tablespoon sized meatballs and place them on a plate.
3. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium to medium-high heat. Swirl the oil to coat the bottom of the pan and place the meatballs in a single layer in the skillet. Cook for approximately 3 minutes on one side or until they release and then flip them over and cook for another 2 minutes. The meatballs won't be cooked through at this point.
4. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and onto a plate. Pour the enchilada sauce along with 1/4 cup of water (I put the water in the enchilada sauce can and swirl it to get out any of the remaining sauce) into the skillet and stir it together scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
5. Place the meatballs back into the skillet and spoon some of the sauce over the top of them. Sprinkle the cheese over the meatballs then place the skillet in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the meatballs are cooked through.
6. Remove from the oven and top with sliced green onions and cilantro if desired. Serve over cilantro lime rice, cauliflower rice or eat them as is.

(Source: https://reciperunner.com/skillet-enchilada-meatballs/)

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

 

• 16 ounces Italian sausage
• ▢1/2 medium onion, chopped finely
• ▢2 sticks celery, chopped finely
• ▢2 tablespoons flour
• ▢3-4 cloves minced garlic
• ▢4 cups chicken broth
• ▢1 (28 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
• ▢1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢2 generous cups refrigerated cheese tortellini
• ▢1 cup heavy/whipping cream
• ▢2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
• ▢Salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Add the sausage meat to a large soup pot (if using whole sausages, take the sausage meat out of its casings and crumble it into the pot). Sauté over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, or until the sausage is browned all over.
• Take the sausage out of the pot and set it aside on a paper towel lined plate. Leave about a tablespoon of the fat in the pot (drain any excess).
• Add the onion and celery to the pot and cook for 4 minutes or so, then add the flour and garlic and cook for a minute, stirring constantly. 
• Add the chicken broth slowly and stir until the flour has completely dissolved. 
• Add the canned tomatoes and Italian seasoning to the pot. Also add the sausage back in. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a gentle boil. 
• Once it's boiling, add the tortellini and reduce the heat so it's gently simmering. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the cream and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Stir in the spinach and season with salt & pepper to taste.

(Source: https://www.saltandlavender.com/italian-sausage-tortellini-soup/)

House Favorite Cinnamon Rolls

 Cinnamon Roll Brioche Dough:

• 1/2 cup lukewarm water (not hot water)
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 1/2 cups flour + extra for dusting

Cinnamon Roll Filling:

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 5 tablespoons white sugar
• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk (more as needed)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• small pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the dough: Start by adding the water and yeast to a bowl. Melt the butter, whisk in the honey, then the egg and salt. Add your butter mixture to the bowl, and then measure in the flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined. It will be messy, sticky, and loose – that is correct.
2. First rise: Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let her rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours until the dough ball has puffed up and roughly doubled in size. I often turn on my oven to 200 degrees and place the dough bowl in close proximity to the fan to speed this process up.
3. Store in the fridge: Once the dough has doubled in size, gently reach in with your hand and pull the sticky dough from the edges of the bowl. This should somewhat deflate the dough – that’s great. Put the bowl in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap. It needs at least 3 hours in the fridge so the dough has time to chill and become easier to handle. Don’t try to work with it right after the first rise – chilling is necessary to make it workable. The dough can stay in the fridge for up to 5 days.
4. Assemble the rolls: Remove the dough from the fridge and coat the outside lightly with flour. Roll your dough ball out to about a 9×13 rectangle. This dough doesn’t like to be over-handled, and you don’t want to have to add a lot of extra flour – so work with it right out of the fridge.
5. Filling: Brush the rectangle with the melted butter and sprinkle with the sugars and cinnamon. You can use your hands to press it in and make sure it’s all evenly coated. 
6. Roll: Roll the dough up starting at the short side. Try not to over-handle the dough as it will become sticky. Once the log is rolled up, use floss or a very sharp knife to trim the uneven ends, and then cut the log into 8 equal rolls. Place the rolls in a 9-10 inch round baking dish or pie plate (another size could also work, I just like how they fit in a round pan with 7 around the outside and one in the center).
7. Second rise: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and then turn it off. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the rolls rest in the turned-off oven for 45 minutes. They should fit a little more snugly together in the pan at this point. Cute! Take them out and turn the oven back on to 350 degrees. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes.
8. Prep the cream cheese frosting: Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and a little bit of milk at a time until you get a smooth glaze; then continue to beat with the electric mixer until you have a light and fluffy frosting.
9. Frost and enjoy: When they come out of the oven, give them a minute to cool. Then brush or spoon them with the frosting so it gets every crevice coated with gooey, drippy deliciousness.

(Source: https://pinchofyum.com/cinnamon-rolls#tasty-recipes-79646-jump-target)