Black Bean and Salsa Chicken on rice

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This is another recipe from my mom. It’s easy and tasty and can be spiced up or down, which is great for the wary. Top it with some plain yogurt and you are good to go.

 

Black Bean and Salsa Chicken

Ingredients

  • 2-3 chicken breasts, cubed
  • olive oil
  • 1 large jar of salsa, your choice of spice level
  • 1 large can of black beans (or cook up a cup of dried beans)
  • 2-3 jalapeños
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar
  • plain greek yogurt or sour cream for topping

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, over medium-high, cook up the chicken with a drizzle of olive oil. When the chicken is browned and cooked through, remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Back in the pan mix up the salsa, drained black beans, and the diced jalapeños. Stir in the chicken and let it all cook down for 15 minutes over medium heat. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
  3. Stir in 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Serve over rice, top with a sprinkle of cheese and a dollop of yogurt.

Rum Cupkrakes (with Kraken Rum)

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So The Kraken rum is dark, smooth, and almost most importantly, comes in a gorgeous bottle. The design and the name inspired my purchase but the rum inspired my baking. I love rum cake. The first time I tried it was a few years ago when a colleague came back from some rum-producing nation and baked us a batch. It was heaven and I’ve made it a couple of times since then. But, baking for a large group means that cakes aren’t particularly fun to haul around, so I tend to cupcake things that might not normally be cupcaked. This is one of those times. Also, full pun-credit must go to Genesis, he is the one who masterminded the Kraken pun. He is also very handsome, this may or may not be unrelated.

Rum Cupkrakes

Adapted from this all-homemade recipe for Rum Cake.

Ingredients

Cupcake

  • 3/4 cup walnuts, crushed
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3 tbsp + 1/2 cup grapeseed or canola oil (low flavour), separated
  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup DIY vanilla instant pudding mix (or packaged mix)
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup dark rum (The Kraken)
  • 1 tbsp vanilla

Rum syrup

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark rum

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line your cupcake tin, and distribute a layer of crushed walnuts (making sure to keep enough for other rounds).
  2. Cupcakes: In a large bowl cream the sugar and the butter. Add the oil, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt combining until evenly distributed. Mix in the pudding mix.
  3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, water, rum, vanilla, and remaining oil. Add to the dry mixture and mix well. The batter will be smooth, thinnish, and will pour easily.
  4. Ladle (a new trick that I should’ve discovered years ago) into the prepared cupcake liners, about 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the cupcakes comes up clean.
  5. While the cupcakes cool on a rack, prepare the rum syrup.
  6. Rum syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the rum, butter, water, sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the butter completely melts and the sugar dissolves. Let reduce slightly, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over, it will bubble a lot.
  7. Place copious amounts of wax paper under your cupcakes, or even better, a baking sheet (to catch the excess syrup). Spoon the hot rum syrup over the cupcakes and let soak for 8 hours (overnight).

Rummed and ready for the oven.

Release the KRAKEN! (into my belly!)

Cookie Dough Dip

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Another cookie dough related post! This was the second dip I brought to my friends’ party, the first being the glorious, much loved Buffalo Chicken Dip. This dip was also well-received, served with simple cookies and some apple slices. It is sweet but not too sweet, fluffy, and distinctly tastes of a lovely cookie dough. Wanted to try this type of a sweet dip, enjoyed it, may make it in the future.

Cookie Dough Dip

Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 – 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Cream together cream cheese and butter.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined.
  3. Serve with light cookies (in flavour, try to find sturdy cookies, this dip is fluffy but still needs a strong cookie, the ones I picked were a little delicate) or apple wedges. Also, nearer the end of the night, some were eating this with carrots which they claimed tasted like carrot cake… so, to each their own. This dip is good to make the day before, it stayed fluffy and smooth overnight.

Whipping it all together.

Gen is doing some stellar hand-modelling.

Cookie Dough Bites- because sometimes you need a ridiculous treat

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Hmm, what do I categorize these as? They aren’t cookies, they never make it that far… but they aren’t officially truffles, hmm. I will ponder on it.
Cookie dough bites have been on my mind since I saw them on Tastespotting, I love cookie dough, more than I love cookies, so they needed to happen. I changed nothing from the recipe, it is just delicious cookie dough heaven. Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Bites

Recipe from Cooking Classy (I only changed the chocolate chips and brown sugar for the things I have on hand/prefer)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped (the idea is to get them to be about 1/2 – 1/3 their original size)

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, whip together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy.
  2. Stir in cream and vanilla extract. Add in flour and mix just until combined (dough will seem dry at first but it will come together). Stir in chopped chocolate chips.
  3. Scoop dough out 1 equal tablespoon at a time and roll into balls. Place on parchment or wax paper.
  4. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

These look huge but trust me, that bowl is tiny! It is a bowl for ants!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

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I know, I am dip-crazy lately. Dips are easy, delicious, and you can make a few for a single event, perfect! This dip was the result of my Googling “best dip ever.” And it was pretty amazing! There are only five ingredients (a tiny change from the original recipe) and it is killer, it tastes just like hot wings dipped in ranch dressing, but you scoop it up with a chip or some celery. You can mix it up with some blue cheese dressing if that’s your thing too, it’s not mine. Make this this weekend for that party you have to go to. Or, if you have no parties, make this anyway so you have some delicious to eat all weekend, by yourself…

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Found in the Chowhound forums.

Serves: a small party  ♦ Time: aside from boiling the chicken… 10 minutes prep, 40 minutes cooking, 10 minutes cooling → 1 hr total

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2 pounds, boiled and shredded with 2 forks (you can also use a roasted chicken from the store)
  • 1 1/2 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce (whole 12oz bottle) (do NOT substitute, this is the only sauce to give the wing flavour, it’s not too spicy, don’t worry)
  • 2 – 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 bottle Ranch dressing (450ml, 16oz) (try with blue cheese dressing, or half ranch and half blue cheese!)
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss together the shredded chicken and the Frank’s. Spread the chicken in an even layer in the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
  3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream cheese and entire bottle of Ranch dressing, stirring til hot and smooth (mine never got totally smooth, but it was even, good enough!). Pour this mixture evenly over chicken mixture.
  4. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
  5. Add the shredded cheese and bake uncovered for another 20 minutes or til bubbly.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with celery and chips for scooping and devouring!

Ready to spread the ranch-cream cheese mixture.

I was too slow to get a pristine picture. This dip went quickly, it is fabulous!