Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

I've been wanting to make these Double Chocolate Zucchini cupcakes for a very long time now but have been hesitant since there is goat cheese in the frosting and I've never used goat cheese for anything. These cupcakes are filled with chocolate ganache and topped with a creamy goat cheese and cream cheese frosting. The frosting taste just like a cream cheese frosting you put on banana or pumpkin bars but with a little added tangy from the goat cheese that makes them even more delicious!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup whole milk, room temp
1 cup shredded zucchini
3/5 oz semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped in chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake trays with 18 cupcake liners. Mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside. Cream butter with a mixer in a large bowl. Add sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla one at a time, mixing well with each addition.

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chunks until combined.

Fill cupcake tins 2/3 full and place in oven immediately. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped in chunks
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Place chocolate and whipping cream in the microwave. Heat in 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between until melted. Blend thoroughly. Add sugar and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour ganache into a small plastic bottle. Insert opening of squeeze bottle halfway into cupcake center and squeeze ganache until you see it start to surface.

Creamy Goat Cheese Frosting
5 oz goat cheese, room temp
3 oz cream cheese, room temp
3 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Sift sugar and set aside. Beat goat cheese, cream cheese and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, mixing and scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl in between additions. Spread frosting on top of cupcakes.

Lasagna Rolls

I'm always looking for some great make ahead meals to give myself a break in the kitchen. Here are some perfectly portioned individual lasagnas packed with 13 grams of protein per roll. These can easily be made in advance and placed in the freezer for another night like I did!

Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Servings: 9  Serving Size: 1 roll
Calories: 224.9  Fat: 5.1 g  Fiber: 3.4 g  Protein: 13.0 g Carbs: 31.5

• 9 lasagna noodles, cooked
• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
• 15 oz fat free ricotta cheese 
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• salt and fresh pepper
• 32 oz tomato sauce
• 9 tbsp (about 3 oz) part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle.

Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.

To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

Fastest Dinner Ever!

I was getting ready for work the other morning thinking what the heck am I going to make for dinner tonight! I have no idea what's in the pantry, haven't been to the grocery store yet and all the meat we have is frozen! 

I admit, even though I love to cook and bake.....I am in NO WAY organized. I rarely am prepared ahead of time for dinners, I kind of just wing it! I buy a lot of the staples and then make short runs to the store on the way home, or just find something else to make :) I'm horrible.

That's when I thought about throwing something into the crock pot so it would be ready by time I got home. Chicken tacos! This literally took me all of 5 minutes to throw together beforehand and 2 minutes to shred the chicken once I walked in the door and then it was ready to serve! 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

1.5 lbs frozen chicken breasts

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 contained Philadelphia Cooking Creme, Santa Fe

1 pkg soft tortilla or hard shell tacos

Add ins - mushrooms, lettuce, salsa, avocado, cheese, sour cream, etc.

Add frozen chicken (yes FROZEN) to bottom of crock pot. Mix together crushed tomatoes, black beans and cook cream, then pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken shreds easily with a fork. Stir together to combine well and serve in soft or hard shell tacos and top with your favorites.

Now that's what I call a no fuss meal!

Succulent Smoothie

One word: Deliciousness! I get tired of eating yogurt all by itself and can sometimes find it hard to east just fruit alone as a snack. This is a light yet filling low-fat smoothie that is so tasty I want to make this everyday! It is under 300 calories, less than 1 gram of fat and full of nothing but good healthy stuff. It's perfect for breakfast and it actually makes enough for two if you want to share for more of a snack.

Orange-Blueberry Lassi

1 cup blueberries
1 cup calcium fortified orange juice
6 oz low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 ice cubes

In a blender combine all ingredients until well blended. Pour into a tall glass and serve. How easy is that!

YUMMY!!!!!! I can't wait to make another one tomorrow morning :)

Breakfast for Dinner

One of our favorites meals to have for dinner is breakfast. I think breakfast for dinner might even be better than having breakfast for breakfast! ;) Dave would LOVE if I made breakfast every day of the week for dinner, however I try to make it once a week. I like making my own homemade waffles! They are very easy and taste SOOO much better than the frozen ones or the box of premade mix which taste similar to cardboard.

Note: I normally don't use this much butter, it was just for the picture!

The Basic Waffle

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-3/4 cups milk
• 6 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs

Place ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine until well blended and smooth. Let batter sit 5 minutes. Preheat waffle maker... spray with Pam before each use then pour 1/2 cup batter onto the center of the griddle and cook until done.

Whole Wheat Waffles

• 1- 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat four
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts (optional)

Combine and cook as directed above. Both make 8 - 6 1/2 inch round waffles

Butterbeer

In honor of the LAST Harry Potter movie just released in theaters over the weekend, I thought it appropriate to make a batch of the famous Butterbeer from Hogwarts Academy! Now we have not yet been to the new Wizzarding World of Harry Potter theme park, although Dave has been made it clear he's ready to go anytime, so I have not had the original they sell at the park. There are a multiple recipes out there for butterbeer but I chose this one because it wasn't as complicated and (from what I read) seems to be the most like the real thing.

This recipe comes from Fox News that I found on Dine & Dish. It is a creamy and buttery concoction that is definitely sweet! If you really craving something sweet then this is just right for you. I'm looking forward to trying the real thing sometime soon!

Enjoy!

Butterbeer

1 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
Four 12-ounce bottles cream soda

In a small saucepan over medium, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240 F on a candy thermometer.

Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract.

In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve, divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass). Add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine. Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each.