Lemon Blueberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

So i haven't updated the blog in a looong time. Life just got in the way...and i got lazy! But i have been cooking and saving up recipes to post!! Here is one from the summer. Not my recipe as i found this on Pinterest...so here is the link to the original blogger who posted this amazing dessert!! 

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/02/09/lemon-blueberry-layer-cake/

It was a great hit and also makes great cupcakes too!! The cake is light but moist and the blueberries bring a great summer sweetness!! I made some slight edits to the recipe...only made 2 layers with my cake and added lemon zest to the cream cheese frosting as well. I promise to start posting my recipes again!!! 

Boneless "Rib" Medallions

Us up here in Ontario have been experiencing one of the worst winters. Snow storm after snow storm, frigid temperatures, long dark days...makes one crave summer and the barbecue. Well I couldn't wait anymore and was really craving some ribs...but with the super cold weather and wind...our smoker just kept on going out. So indoor boneless 'cheat' ribs it is!

 

 

Boneless "Rib" Medallions

 

Ingredients:

 

2 Pork Tenderloins

1/2 Cup of your favourite Rib rub

(Mine includes: Brown Sugar, Paprika, Cayanne, Chili Flakes, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, touch of Cinnamon, White Pepper & Sea Salt)

1 1/2 Cups of BBQ Sauce, Homemade or Store Bought, simmering on the stove top



 



 

Rub the spice rub all over your tenderloins and let rest in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

 

Allow tenderloins to come to room temperature. In a cast iron pan sear the tenderloins on high heat with some vegetable oil until browned on all sides.

 

 

Once browned remove from the pan and place on a foil covered pan in a 325F pre-heated oven

 

In the meantime heat up your BBQ sauce...we like to make our own (secret recipe!) but store bought works fine as well.

Baste the tenderloins every 10 Minutes with your sauce...flipping them each time to get good caramelization.

Once tenderloin has been cooking for about 40 Minutes remove from the oven and slice...they should be pink in the middle still.

Baste with more sauce and throw back into the oven for another 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with your salad and channel some warm summer thoughts!

Twice Baked Sweet Potato with Goat Cheese & Scallions

I don't have much to say in this post except that I miss by Barbecue that is currently buried under a few feet of snow, I miss the sight of green grass, and I miss flip flops. Calling on the spring gods to wake up and give me some warm weather!!! Here is a recipe in the meantime:

 

 

Twice Baked Sweet Potato with Goat Cheese & Scallions

 

Ingredients:

 

4 Sweet Potato

2 Tbsp Sour Cream

1 Tbsp softened butter

Salt & Pepper

Nutmeg

Fresh Goat Cheese

1 Scallion, chopped

 

Roast your sweet potatoes for 1 hour or until soft to the touch in a 350F oven. I wrap mine in tin foil.

Remove the cooked potatoes and allow to cool for about 15 minutes so you can handle them. Slice the potatoes in half and with a spoon gently scoop out the flesh into a bowl.

Add your Sour cream, butter, salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Mix well!

Scoop the potato mixture back into the skins

Top the potatoes with crumbled goat cheese and scallions and return to the oven for about 10-15 minutes at 325F to warm back up.

 

Shrove Tuesday-Pancake Muffins with Maple Brown Butter & Candied Bacon!

When I decided to run a marathon in the fall everyone that I knew that had run one before warned me of the time commitment. They weren't joking. My life has become run, eat, sleep, repeat it seems. My eats have been pretty boring as well...lots of chicken salads, oatmeal for breakfast 6 days a week and lots and lots of protein shakes and vitamins.

The husband has for sure gotten tired of the repetitive meals, and freezer meals I have been cooking up so this week I decided its time to revive the blog and get myself back in the kitchen! I am a foodie after all and am running enough that I can burn all the calories!!!

Tomorrow is one of my favourite days...Pancake Tuesday!! An excuse to eat pancakes and bacon for dinner...or all day long! Of course we do eat breakfast for dinner at least once a week anyways but there is something  fun about everyone joining in! Unfortunately, I have a group run after work tomorrow that won't get me home until late...so I have a limited time that I am home to change and scarf something down and came up with this rather brilliant way of making pancakes to go...with ALL the fixings!!

Brown Butter & Maple Syrup Pancake Muffins with Candied Bacon!

Ingredients:

5 Strips of Bacon
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
3 Cups sifted unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
2 1/2 Cups Milk
2 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Butter
Maple Syrup

First you need to make your candied bacon. Lay your bacon flat on a foil lined baking sheet. Rub brown sugar over the side facing up. Bake a 350F for about 20 Minutes or dark brown and crispy.

Perfectly cooked! Allow to cool on paper towels or a cookie rack.

Once cool roughly chop and set aside.

Next is the brown butter. Take your butter and allow to melt over medium heat...swishing around every couple of minutes

Brown butter needs to be watched. Keep on swishing it around...it will start to foam up.

And eventually turn a nice golden brown. Remove from the heat at this point and set aside.

Combine Flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, eggs, milk and oil in a mixing bowl with a whisk. Mix together until just combined and all large lumps have disappeared

Grab your muffin tins and with a brush, grease each muffin tin with the brown butter. Make sure to get all the sides and bottom.

ladle the pancake batter into the muffin tins (about 3/4 full). Bake at 425F for 10-12 minutes or until the outer edges turn a light brown.

Remove the cooked pancake muffins from the oven once cooked and immediately baste with maple syrup while still hot (I would pop them out of the tin first...ignore my poor picture showing otherwise)

While the maple syrup is still sticky, top with the crumbled bacon. Serve with more warm maple syrup for dipping!!!

Breakfast is ready!!