S’mores cookies

I made these cookies for girls’ night too – you can’t have a slumber party without cookies! They were really good – and I don’t even like marshmallows. I’d definitely chill the dough before baking though – they spread a LOT.

smore's cookies

S’mores cookies
from Tasty Kitchen

• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Butter, Softened
• ¾ cups Sugar
• ¾ cups Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 cup Miniature Chocolate Chips
• 2 cups Miniature Marshmallows
• 3 whole Hershey’s Bars, Chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Slowly mix in the flour mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes and remove from oven. Push 3 or 4 marshmallows and a couple of pieces of chocolate into each cookie. Return to oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until cookie is cooked and marshmallows are beginning to brown. Cool cookies on wire rack.

Finally, here’s our Spices Inc. giveaway winners!

Congrats Traci & Branny! You should have gotten e-mails from me. If not, contact me here.

Overnight cinnamon rolls

**today is final day to enter to win one of two sets of spices from spices inc!**

After getting a sample of Saigon Cinnamon from Spices Inc., I knew I wanted to try my hand at cinnamon rolls. So, when a girls night was planned with my friends and fellow bloggers, I figured that was the time to make them so I wouldn’t be tempted to eat them all by myself. These aren’t the healthiest option, but great for a splurge.

These were surprisingly easy once I got the dough to rise – it was a little difficult as it was below 10 outside and only about 65 in the house.

These turned out really good – They weren’t over-the-top-sweet like Cinnabon, but were still extremely tasty. The dough was nice and fluffy and the cinnamon – wow. These had an amazing cinnamon flavor. I actually might add more next time.

Alton Brown's Overnight Cinnamon rolls

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
From Alton Brown
View video of Alton making these rolls here

Dough:

• 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 large whole egg, room temperature
• 2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
• 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted, approximately 6 tablespoons
• 6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
• 20 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups, plus additional for dusting
• 1 package instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• Vegetable oil or cooking spray

Filling:

• 8 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 cup packed
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• 3/4-ounce unsalted butter, melted, approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons

Icing:

• 2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened, approximately 1/4 cup
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 5 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups

Directions:

For the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

Spices Inc review & giveaway

I couldn’t lump this in to my recent overnight oats post, which I used Spice Inc’s Saigon Cinnamon or the quinoa post, where I used Spices Inc.’s Hill Country chili powder. I knew those would get glazed over for the more important things …

Like a GIVEAWAY!

But first … you do have to suffer through a quick review of the 4 spices I got to sample.

spices inc spices

First, the thing I LOVE about this company is that they put the date you ordered your spices on the bottle so you know how fresh (or not so fresh in the case of many in my cabinet) they are.

Bonus points for:

• Free shipping over $35!
• The recipe section.
• Their blog, Spice Balance, which also has some great recipes on it.
• Free spice giveaway each week.
• Exceptional customer service – and if it’s not, you can call the owner’s personal cell phone number. It’s right there on the Web site. (Amazing, right?)

OK, the spices: The Saigon Cinnamon is to-freaking-die-for. When I opened the container, I was totally enveloped in the scent of cinnamon. Seriously, it is beyond words. I will never again buy cinnamon from the grocery store – which I know is a horrible thought, but sometimes you’re desperate. I’ll be making some cinnamon rolls with this soon – watch for a blog post! If you buy one thing – this is it.

The nutmeg just about slayed me too. I used both it and the cinnamon in my overnight oats and absolutely LOVE the flavor and intensity. A little goes a long way, but it’s amazing. I can’t wait to use it in a creamy pasta dish.

I used the Hill Country chili powder in the quinoa and black bean dish. Simply amazing. I also made the chili-rubbed tilapia in Spices Inc.’s recipe section and it turned out great. I loved that it had a lot of flavor, but not a lot of heat. I’m kinda a wuss.

Finally, the Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning – I used this on some sweet potato fries the other day and wow – YUM! I have big plans for this one – including the suggestion to use as a dry rub for meats.

Ok, ok, the giveaway, right?

Spices, Inc. has generously donated two – YES, TWO! – spice collections for you guys. I know, I can hardly believe it myself. I’ve been just giddy with excitement since I found out about this.

First up:

photo courtesy of Spices Inc.

6 jar Little Mexico (retail $22.93) which includes Taco seasoning, Mexican seasoning, Manzanillo Seasoning (which I used sprikled on some sweet potato fries – delish!), red pepper flakes, chipotle powder and coriander seed powder.

Next:

photo courtesy of Spices Inc.

4 jar Chili Powder Passion (retail $17.01), which includes Hill Country Chili Powder (used in my spicy quinoa & beans), Chili Con Carne, Sweet Chili Powder and Hill Country Chili Powder Hot

So, how do you enter to win?

1. Leave a comment below with which set you’d like to win and which spice you’d use first.

For additional entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter & tweet about the giveaway & leave a separate comment.
2. Subscribe to Black Cat Kitchen in a reader & leave a separate comment.
3. Follow on Facebook & leave a separate comment.
4. Blog about this giveaway & link back. Leave me a separate comment.

It’s very important that you leave separate comments for each entry. I don’t do numbers and I’ll cry if I have to figure out how to add extra entries manually. Actually, I’d probably just ignore them and you’d be missing out on entries, so, there.

Contest will end next Wednesday, Feb. 3. Good luck!

Overnight steel-cut oats

This is probably the best bowl of oatmeal I’ve ever eaten. Well, except for that one topped with Baileys – holy wow.  But this one ranks right up there.

I love steel-cut oats – if I could eat them every morning, I would. Thing is, sometimes they take a little while to make. They’re well worth the effort in my opinion, but sometimes I just want something a little faster. So, when I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, I figured it was worth trying out.

I topped this one with a mix of brown sugar and cinnamon (a classic combo) a dash of nutmeg and half a banana. I also stirred in some chia seeds for added Omega 3.

The cinnamon I used was Spice Inc’s Saigon Cinnamon and I also used Spice Inc’s nutmeg powder. These two items are just fantastic. The cinnamon is so fragrant! I’m currently searching for a good cinnamon bun recipe to really try out this cinnamon. (PSST: Be sure to check back Wednesday for a Spice Inc review & surprise – *ahem* giveaway!)

Overnight multi-grain cereal

Overnight multi-grain oatmeal
adapted from Cooking Light

• 1/3  cup  steel-cut oats (such as McCann’s)
• 2  tablespoons  uncooked pearl barley
• 1 1/4  cups  water
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 1  tablespoon  brown sugar
• 1  tablespoon  chia seeds
• 1/2 banana, sliced

1. Combine oats, barley, and 1 1/4 cups water in a microwave-safe 4-cup bowl. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

2. Pour mix into pan, stir in salt and cook on stove top for about 10 minutes. Add toppings (sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, chia seeds and banana) and serve.

OR

2. Uncover bowl, and stir in salt. Microwave, uncovered, at HIGH for 6 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed, stirring well after 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg. Top with almonds and honey.

(Only sorta) spicy quinoa and black beans

I recently was sent some samples of spices from Spices Inc. and one was their Hill Country chili powder. Instead of making straight-up chili – which I had done not too long ago – I decided to find something else to try. That’s when I came across this recipe from Jenn at Jenn Cuisine. It was simple and delicious! (Hint: Look for a longer review & surprise – *ahem* giveaway *ahem* – about Spices Inc. coming Wednesday!)

I’m kinda a wuss when it comes to heat, so I left out the chilis and the cayenne, which made this much more like the original Jenn posted. I promise it’s delicious without them though. And don’t skip the avocado – it really made this dish for me.

The only problem I had was that the beans didn’t cook enough in the liquid, so precooking them would be a good idea, or use canned beans.

quinoa and black beans

Quinoa and black beans
from Jenn Cuisine

Ingredients:
1 cup dry black beans, soaked overnight, rinsed & precooked
1 tsp canola
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 dried red chiles
1 green bell peppers, diced
1 c quinoa, cooked
1/2 c veggie broth, plus a little extra
1 cup corn
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)
3/4 tsp cumin
2 tbs. chili powder
salt & pepper
fresh cilantro
1 avocado, sliced
4 oz. fresh mozz., sliced – I used shredded mexican cheese, as that’s what I had on hand

Directions:
1.  In 12″ cast iron skillet (it will just barely not fit in the 10″), heat up oil, and saute onion, garlic, chiles.
2. Once onions are soft, add in bell peppers, beans, and can of tomatoes (with the juice) along with the broth.  Let simmer a little bit (med to med-low) to help soften the beans some (around 15 min).
3. Add in quinoa, corn, and seasonings, cook stirring so that nothing sticks/burns on the bottom.
4. Bake in oven at 350F for about half an hour (it will start to smell nice).  Check it every 10-15 min or so, and give it a stir just to see how it is doing.
5.  Serve, and immediately top with mozz. , cilantro and avocado.  Since it’s hot, the mozz. should melt right away.  Alternatively, you could bake the mozz right on top once the dish is almost done.

Spinach & egg bake

I love recipezaar.com. It’s perfect for those days when you have four ingredients that need to be used and have no idea what to make. Just pop on over and type in your ingredients in the search and it spits out a list of recipes with those items. That’s how I found this one. (And yes, it’s got a totally different name there, but I didn’t really think “Bikini Bottom Seaweed Pie from SpongeBob” would get a lot of clicks – though, maybe I’m wrong.)

This was a super simple dish and turned out great. I probably added more spinach since I just used what I had left in the fridge, and I didn’t bother chopping since it was baby spinach. And I also left out the garlic – mostly cause I forgot. I cut this in half and it was perfect for a small 4-quart-ish size dish, or a 9″ square pan. Next time I might try to cut back on the oil as that seemed like quite a bit. Also, I’m sure you could use self-rising flour in place of the Bisquick. I just happened to have some on hand that needed to be used. I topped with mozzarella cheese.

Spinach & egg bake

Spinach & egg bake
From recipezaar.com

• 1 cup Bisquick
• 8 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Generously spray a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Place Bisquick in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in the eggs and oil. Mix until the batter is smooth.

3. Add the spinach, onion, garlic, oregano, cheese, and salt and pepper. Stir lightly to blend.

4. Pour the batter into a baking pan and bake until golden brown and firm, about 30 minutes

I got about 4 big servings when I halved the recipe, which I figure comes out to about 300 calories per serving.

Steel-cut oat risotto with chicken, red peppers and mozzarella

Ever since I made Ina Garten’s buternut squash risotto, I’ve been hooked on the simple rice dish. So when I saw this recipe using steel-cut oats, my favorite breakfast food, I knew I had to try it out and see if it really works.

It does. Oh, my gosh, it works. SO well.

The oats turn nice and creamy and have a fantastic flavor with the chicken broth. The red peppers give it a nice pop of color – and they stay on the crunchy side – and the cheese, well, that just adds to the deliciousness. This is a great way to get in a whole grain and feel like you’re “cheating.”

Steel-cut oat risotto with chicken, red peppers and mozzarella

I know it may not be the prettiest dish, but trust me, the flavors are incredible. This (and the roasted cauliflower) have been the only dishes that actually TASTE good to me lately.

Steel-cut risotto with chicken, red peppers and mozzarella
From Myrecipes.com/Cooking Light

• 2  (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 3/4  cup  finely chopped onion
• 1  large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 1/4  cups  steel-cut oats
• 1/2  cup  dry white wine
• 1  cup  chopped cooked dark meat chicken (I used both white and dark meat from a rotisserie chicken)
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded Manchego cheese (I used mozzarella since I couldn’t find Manchego)
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm.

Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Add oats; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes or until nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes). Stir in chicken, cheese, rosemary, and salt.

Super simple roasted cauliflower

OK people, this is seriously the BEST way to eat cauliflower – hands down. I literally ate the entire head of cauliflower I prepared - BY MYSELF. Yes, it is that good.

roasted cauliflower

Super simple roasted cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper

Toss florets with olive oil and place on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and roast in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, tossing after 15 minutes.

Remove from oven & eat warm or at room temp. Warm is best, and in all honesty, after you have a few, they might not last long enough to cool to room temp.

Seriously, THAT easy.  I highly suggest doubling or tripling recipe if you plan on sharing. Or even if you don’t – it’s not like there’s anything bad for you here.

Look at all the caramelized goodness

Some health benefits from eating cauliflower:
(from WHfoods.com)

• Cauliflower and other vegetables in the cruciferous family, including cabbage, contain compounds that may help prevent cancer
• It’s an excellent source of Vitamin C
• It’s thought to be a liver detoxifier
• Contains vital phytonutrients that help increase production of enzymes involved in detoxification
• It’s high vitamin C content can help those with rhumatoid arthritis
• Can help to lower cholesterol

Not too shabby, huh? And, when it tastes as good as it does when it’s roasted, there’s no reason NOT to eat it!

What’s in the fridge soup

Anyone who knows me, knows that I don’t make anything without a recipe because it usually turns into a disaster. Which makes this “recipe” pretty much a miracle.

refrigerator soup

It’s so simple … I used up whatever veggies I had, added some stock and simmered for about 20 minutes. Easy peasy. And shockingly delicious. Serve with a piece of bread & you’re good to go! This made about 3 LARGE servings.

My refrigerator soup included:

• sauteing a 1/4 of a red onion and 2 cloves of garlic in a bit of olive oil
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 a carrot, chopped
• 4 button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 small yellow squash, cut in 1/2 moon shapes
• 1 small zucchini, cut in 1/2 moon shapes
• 2 cups spinach
• few leftover steamed cauliflower florets
• 1 1/2 tsp. chicken stock base (I use Penzeys) – use vegetable stock if you want in vegetarian.
• about 4 cups of water
• dash of Yah’s Best spice mix - you could use any kind of spices you want
• bay leaf

Sometimes, the best foods are the ones with the simplest ingredients.

Baked kasha pudding

One of my goals for 2009 was to try more grains. I’ve been pretty darn adventurous this year – trying quinoa, steel-cut oats & oatbran, lentils, millet, and now kasha.

Kasha is buckwheat groats that have been toasted in oil to remove buckwheat’s natural bitterness and to bring out a sweeter, nuttier flavor. You can read more about buckwheat at World’s Healthiest foods.com. It’s said to lower risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure; may help lower blood sugar levels; and help prevent gallstones.

I found this recipe on Vegetarian Times and it’s great. It’s called pudding, but the kasha fluffs up kind of like rice or oatmeal without the stickiness. The “frosting” is ah-mazing! I loved, loved, loved it. The recipe calls for apple & hazlenuts, but I used a banana and sliced almonds since that was what I had on had. I think it’s a great recipe for an introduction to kasha. It’s not the prettiest dish to photograph, but it really is delicious and healthy enough for breakfast, but decadent enough for dessert.

Baked kasha pudding - not pretty, but delicious

Baked kasha pudding
from VegetarianTimes.com

• 1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk
• 1 cup uncooked kasha
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup shredded Fuji or Golden Delicious apple
• 1/4 cup skinned, chopped hazelnuts (see Note)
• 1/2 cup soy sour cream
• 3 Tbs. lightly packed dark brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In medium saucepan, combine soy milk with 1 1/2 cups water. Cook over medium-high heat until liquid is almost boiling. Stir in kasha.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, then remove from heat. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and shredded apple. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with chopped hazelnuts.
4. Bake until pudding is almost set, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together sour cream and sugar. Spread mixture over top of hot pudding. Return to oven and bake until pudding is set but still moist and top is covered with creamy glaze, about 10 minutes. Spoon into wide, shallow bowls like pasta bowls and serve hot.