Chocolate Peanut Butter Microwave Mug Cake

Sometimes after dinner I really want cake... and that's sayin' something because I work on a cupcake truck. But, I live alone and don't want to bake a whole cake or a whole set of cupcakes. So, this single serve microwave mug cake is the best! It just takes a few minutes to measure out the ingredients and one minute in the microwave and then viola!- a ooey gooey, rich, chocolatey cake right in your favorite coffee mug or jar. 

I've made several variations of mug cakes and this recipe is by far the best. First, there's no egg- so it won't come out spongey. Second, peanut butter (or nutella or both (do both- it's amazing)) add richness and moisture to the cake! 

I like to use the clear jar because you can see if all of the batter is blended up- you don't want a mouthful of flour and baking soda while you're eating your cake! 

Treat yo self tonight and whip this up. 

You'll be glad you did!

What You'll Need:

3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon peanut butter (or Nutella)

What To Do:

In a large mug, whisk (with a small whisk or large fork) together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt). Add the milk, vegetable oil and peanut butter. Whisk until smooth.

Cook in the microwave on high for 1 minute and 10 seconds. (Microwaves cook at different rates so if your cake doesn't look completely cooked, continuing cooking in intervals of 10 seconds until completed).

Serve immediately!

Recipe from The Novice Chef

Baked Eggs Rancheros

This recipe was my first introduction into baked eggs (besides breakfast pizza) and I did not expect the incredible concoction that steamed up from my oven. 

It was so, so good. Good as in my words are not going to do this justice. 

It was savory and spicy, rich from egg yolk and the hearty ranchero sauce, with crunch and cool from the toppings- just a well-rounded blend of everything good in life. 

My dish was slightly varied from the original recipe. I did not use cheese or tortilla strips... and I don't have a cast iron skillet so I had to transfer from a saucepan to a roasting pan. But I'm sure any variation on this would make a brilliant addition to the brunch rotation or even as breakfast for dinner. 

What You'll Need:

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
3 cups (1 28 oz. can) whole tomatoes, fire-roasted preferred
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can whole kernel corn drained

12 large eggs
1¼ cups coarsely shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 small (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into ½-inch wide strips
Coarse salt, to taste

What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 450˚ F.  To make the ranchero sauce, combine the jalapeño, tomatoes, onion and garlic to a blender or food processor.  Process until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the sauce into a 12-inch ovenproof skillet.  Stir in the black beans and corn.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Lower the heat but maintain at a simmer and let cook about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, brush a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the oil.  Spread the tortilla strips in a single layer on the baking sheet and brush the tops with the remaining tablespoon of oil.  Sprinkle with coarse salt.  Bake about 6 minutes, tossing once or twice, until lightly browned and crisp.  Set aside. 

When the sauce has thickened slightly, remove the pan from the heat.  Carefully crack the eggs over the surface of the sauce placing them as evenly as possible.  Return the pan to the heat, cover, and let simmer gently in the sauce about 10-12 minutes, until the whites are partially but not completely opaque.

Heat the broiler.  Sprinkle the cheese over the top over the eggs, place underneath the broiler, and cook until the cheese is browned and bubbling and the eggs are cooked to your liking, just a few minutes.  In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and lime juice.  Remove the pan from the oven, top with dollops of the lime crema, sprinkle with crumbled tortilla strips and the cilantro.  Serve immediately.

recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

Quick Mashed Sweet Potatoes

We've discussed before how nutritionally dense the sweet potato is- which is perfect because it is also super tasty and simple to prepare in so many different ways! I love it in this breakfast quinoa hash or stuffed with black beans and corn, but simple mashed sweet potatoes are just as good. You can always cube and boil the potatoes like you would make regular mashed potatoes. But if you need dinner on the table ten minutes ago, this is the way to go. 

What You'll Need:
1 sweet potato
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
dash of cinnamon

What to Do:
Slice potato in half and poke holes all over it. On a microwave safe plate, microwave on high for five minutes. Check the potato to see if it's soft. (Mine was) Continue cooking in 20 second intervals until you reach the desired consistency. Scoop all the potato into a bowl and mash with a fork with butter, salt, and cinnamon. Serve warm.

one year down

I have officially completed the first year of my Master's program at seminary. It has seriously been the most challenging year... ever- financially, emotionally, spiritually. But we are promised in scripture that "suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)

God has been so faithful to provide through every step of my journey. He provided financially almost down to the dollar every month, even if that meant humbling my heart with gifts from others. He provided community for this girl that has a really difficult time developing healthy friendships. He provided time- to work, to study, to sleep- when I  managed it well. He provided wisdom from professors, friends, other bloggers, my parents, and church leaders when I found myself conflicted about spiritual matters. He's shown me grace where I've failed. And even though I'll likely be in the same situation through the next year and a half, He is always faithful. Walking with him through this season has just proved His goodness and grace and faithfulness, strongly juxtaposed against my prideful heart. 

The last couple of weeks have been full of paper writing (4 10+ page papers), studying (for 3 finals), and working on the cupcake truck. And that's about it.

Ringo kept me company while I studied. 

 and coffee fueled my productivitiy at Brewed

thank goodness for my Anthropolgie apron (gifted) because boy was I tired

 folding 50 of these giant boxes for a big event with cupcakes. 

cardboard cuts are the worst!

 study fort

 After my last final I walked out of the building and literally started crying. I am amazed at what God has brought me through and so relieved to trade in the books for the summer and serve Him with cute kids instead! 

Hope y'all have a lovely weekend!

Verde Ranch Dressing

(chopped spinach, cucumber, tomato, avocado, corn, and black beans with seasoned shrimp)

this stuff.
ohmygoodness.
I started inventing meals to go with this dressing. 
I made tacos just so I could drizzle this liquid of the gods all over it. 
I ate it with tortilla chips. 
I ate it on salad. 
You get the idea. 

The base of the recipe is a basic ranch dressing with tons of green goodness added- jalapeno, cilantro, tomatillo, green onion/scallion, lime, and parsley. So much flavor is packed into every drop.  Plus, since you're blending everything up, there's no need to chop anything- just toss it all in the blender and let it do the work. 

Plus it's really easy to make this a little healthier (I didn't because I already had the high-fat ingredients on hand ;) Sub in low-fat or fat-free mayo and replace the sour cream with nonfat Greek yogurt. 

The xanthan gum isn't completely necessary- it just keeps the dressing consistent and thickens it. It can be found in the gluten-free baking aisle at your grocery store. Also, just use a pinch- you don't need to overdo it!

(brown rice, seared fajita chicken, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and queso fresco)

What You'll Need:
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small jalapeno, deveined and seeds removed (leave the veins for a spicier dressing)
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
1 tomatillo, husks removed, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 scallion
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
a pinch of xanthan gum 

What To Do:Combine all ingredients in a blender. Taste and adjust as desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to one week. 

To ensure desired consistency, only add a small amount of buttermilk to start and then add a little at a time to thin out the dressing to your preference. 

Recipe adapted from Skinny Taste

Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes, Spinach and Feta

After scoring some yummy shrimp on sale at the grocery store, I've been experimenting with how best to integrate them into meals. This simple pasta is packed with flavor and only took about ten minutes to prepare, including preparing the pasta. It's perfect for a light summer dinner and definite proof that you don't need to douse your pasta in a heavy, fatty sauce! 

What You'll Need:

(serves 3-4)

1 lb pasta (I used thin spaghetti but angel hair pasta would be divine!)

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 

1 large tomato, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups spinach

1/2 cup feta cheese 

juice of 1/2 lemon 

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper 

dash of crushed red pepper

What To Do:

Prepare pasta according to package. 

Meanwhile, heat saucepan to medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Cook for about two minutes, making sure the spinach is completely wilted. 

Add shrimp in one layer, cooking 1-2 minutes per side or until opaque and white. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper. Squeeze lemon over the shrimp and stir to combine all the flavors. 

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2-1 cup pasta water. Pour pasta directly into pan with shrimp and stir to combine. Drizzle in pasta water to coat the noodles as desired. Add feta cheese. Stir and serve!

original recipe

Cinco de Mayo menu inspiration

Here are some yummy Mexican, Tex Mex and otherwise Hispanic inspired dishes for you to whip up in celebration of Cinco de Mayo!

Appetizers and Side Dishes
Queso Blanco
Easy Guacamole
Garlic Lime Cilantro Rice
Beans a la Charra

DIY foods
Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Homemade Flour Tortillas

Tacos
Fried Avocado Tacos
Grilled Fish Tacos with Mango Cucumber Salsa and Chipotle Crema
Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Fish Tacos with Avocado Pico de Gallo and Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Carne Guisada
Chipotle Battered Fish Tacos

Other Entrees
Crockpot Carnitas (slow cooked pulled pork)
Spicy Southwestern Chicken Soup (aka Creamy Tortilla Soup)
Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish
Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Taco Soup

Dessert
Fresh Strawberry Cake (no artificial color or flavor!)
Sopapilla Cheesecake