Archive for the ‘Daily Soul Fuel’ Category
Fudgy Dark Chocolate Skillet Brownie
June 15th, 2013 | 
Author: 
Just imagine putting this on the table in front of your guests, handing them all a spoon along side a tall glass of milk and telling them to dig in!
How long before you think the spoon fights would happen?
You know what I’m talking about where someone takes “more than they should” and you use your spoon to knock it off of theirs. Mr. Fantabulous and I do that all the time! 
This is awesome served with a scoop (or 3) of vanilla bean ice cream too! It gets all soft and melty and oozes into the fudgy brownie!
| Fudgy Dark Chocolate Skillet Brownie |
- 2 sticks butter, unsalted
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups double dutch dark cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp chocolate extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or natural apples sauce
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup bitter sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chocolate ganache
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Butter a 12” cast iron skillet (sides and bottom) and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in the sugar and cream; stir to combine.
- Return the pan to the heat and stir until smooth and the mixture is shiny.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Remove the butter sugar mixture from heat and whisk in the eggs and chocolate extract.
- Stir in the oil.
- Gradually whisk in the flour mixture just until combined.
- Add in the chocolate chips and gently stir. You don’t want to overwork the batter.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared skillet.
- Bake for ~ 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies will be a little gooey.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and cool for 20-30 minutes if eating directly out of the pan. Cool completely on a rack if cutting and serving.
- Drizzle the ganache over top and allow to cool before cutting and serving.
Serve with vanilla bean ice cream
BBQ Boneless Beef Short Rib Sliders
It was hot out and with my HVAC still not working I wanted these bad boys but didn’t want to have to turn on the oven. <Enter one of my 9 crock pots… yes 9> I opted to make this into a shredded beef type way that I could easily adapt into various meals.
Tonight we went with BBQ sliders with one of the best bacon bbq sauces ever! It’s borderline spicy but has that killer bacon undertone followed by sweet bbq sauce.
I literally could not stop eating this stuff! Now you all know how picky of an eater I am and that I rarely do leftovers. I am just not a re-heat type of girl. Now that could stem from the fact growing up we never really had leftovers having 4 boys in the house who ate everything that wasn’t nailed down!
But this…
THIS…
This I ate every day for a week in a variety of ways – sliders, just by itself, on pizza, mixed in a casserole type dish with baked beans and taters. It was.. no, IS awesome!
This is that dish you can have all year round! I mean with graduation party season upon us, this is KILLER to have as a food option! It’s super simple to make and can feed a ton! Plus seriously, this BBQ sauce is AMAZING!!!
| BBQ Boneless Beef Short Rib Sliders |
|
- Spice Rub
- 2 Tbl sea salt
- 1 Tbl celery salt
- 1 Tbl smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbl fresh black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 4 Tbl dark brown sugar
- 6-7 lb. boneless beef short ribs, trimmed
- 1/2-1 cup water
- 5-6 cups Bacon BBQ Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the salts, spices and brown sugar.
- Pat the ribs dry with a clean paper towel.
- Rub spice mix onto all sides of the ribs.
- Place in a crock pot.
- Add about 1/2-1 cup water.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove from the crock and using a fork, shred meat into bite-size pieces, discarding any fat or sinew.
- Toss with warm Bacon BBQ sauce.
I served these on sliders, on pizza with caramelized onions, in a casserole with bbq baked beans and baked potato slices.
Posted in Appetizers, Beef, CrockPot Wonders, Daily Soul Fuel, Diabetic Friendly, Dinners, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes | 
Tags: bacon bbq sauce, BBQ Boneless Beef Short Rib Sliders, Crock Pot Dishes, football games, graduation party ideas, party food, sandwiches, shredded beef | 
5 Comments »
Bacon BBQ Sauce
words just can’t describe how amazing…
Trust me on this one. Make this Bacon BBQ Sauce…
This sauce is sweet, spicy, tangy, zippy, bacon-y, it’s full bodied and robust.
It’s thick and rich and did I mention BACON-Y????
In some upcoming recipes you’ll see just how I used this sauce… other than eating it straight off the spoon!
Look at these GORGEOUS BBQ Boneless Beef Short Rib Sliders!!! Tell me these don’t scream SHOVE ME IN YOUR FACE RIGHT NOW?!!!
And this!
THIS!!!
Grilled Pizza (either on the bbq or indoors) with Shredded Beef Short Ribs and Bacon BBQ Sauce!
Like literally, I ate entire one myself!
| Bacon BBQ Sauce |
|
- 1/2 lb bacon, chopped into 1” pieces
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 Tbl garlic, minced
- 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1/3 cup whiskey (Jack)
- 4 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1⁄3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbl dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp espresso powder or 1⁄2 cup strong coffee
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 Tbl Spice Rub *See Note
Spice Rub
- 2 Tbl sea salt
- 1 Tbl celery salt
- 1 Tbl smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbl fresh black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 4 Tbl dark brown sugar
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot over medium heat, and add the bacon.
- Cook, stirring, until the bacon is browned and crispy.
- Add the onion, garlic, tomato, and spice mix and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the onion begins to soften.
- Add remaining ingredients, and bring to a low simmer.
- Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the stove and allow to cool.
- Transfer to a covered container (I prefer glass) and store in the fridge.
The Spice Rub recipe makes more than what is called for in this recipe. I would recommend making a batch of it, measuring out what you need for the recipe and then putting the rest in a jar with a lid for later.
Posted in Appetizers, Daily Soul Fuel, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Recipes |
Tags: bacon bbq sauce, pizza, Pulled Pork Chicken, shredded beef, Shredded Chicken, sliders, Spicy Sauce, Tangy Sauce |
11 Comments »
Giving it up for the French… French Crepes that is
So we all know I’m not a fan of most breakfasty type foods. I’m not a waffle lover and really don’t like pancakes. *GASP! How is this possible???* dunno.. just never was a fan. I mean I like 2 bites at most but then it’s like “Um no, don’t want this” and end up pushing it away. Gimme dippy eggs, a piece of toast and maybe some bacon. Okay.. no maybe about it. I want me some bacon!
Well a few weeks ago Mr. Fantabulous found my never-been-used All-Clad crepe pan that I had-to-have. I mean it’s ALL-Clad after all so I needed it, right?! I mean I do love their stuff. Now I had every intention of making him crepes someday but I just never got around to it. I mean I used to make them all the time when I was younger at home but again, wasn’t a fan. The recipe was/is awesome but I just wasn’t ‘feeling’ them. So me being the loving wife agreed one Sunday morning to make him crepes. Well okay truth be told I promised him Saturday night that I’d make him some for breakfast the next morning but then kinda-sorta-forgot-hoped-he’d-forget-too-but-that-didn’t-happen…crap! LOL
I dug out my old family recipe and got to making them. Well people lemme tell you what you would have thought I just invented the most awesomest thing EVER to be eaten. He literally stood there as I was making them and as soon as they came out of the pan, set on the plate and the next bit of batter poured in, he was inhaling his (filled with strawberry filling naturally). Literally in 2 days I made 50 crepes! Yes! 50! As in FIVE-ZERO! I had 1, and only one. They were good but… gimme my eggs and bacon. LOL
After having made a bajillion of these I posed a question to you folks on Facebook asking your thoughts on these. I was actually surprised by the number of responses where people thought they were either really difficult or hadn’t made them ever. This surprised me as honestly crepes are probably easier than pancakes to make in my opinion.
Well let me tell you folks this couldn’t be any easier. Now for me I prefer to make these in a crepe pan. The main difference between a crepe pan and a fry pan is that the crepe pan has very low, almost non-existent, sides that are straight up and down. A fry pan has sides that angle upwards. Crepe pans have a completely flat bottom all the way to the side wall. You can make these in a fry pan but it can be difficult to maneuver in and flip your crepe. Just whatever you use, be sure that your pan surface is non-stick.
Now when it comes to crepe fillings the sky is the limit. You can go savory with sauteed veggies (covered in my Decadent Hollandaise sauce) to sweet with berries, sweetened cream cheese and a berry puree. What about caramelized bananas, pecans and a maple drizzle? Chocolate, fluff and peanut butter? The list goes on and and on.
The only thing where people differ is the finished product technique – fold them in fours OR rolled up like a jelly roll. I like the presentation of the fold however Mr. Fantabulous will only eat them rolled up like a cigar. To him they ‘taste better’ that way. LOL
| Giving it up for the French… French Crepes that is |
|
- 1 cup flour
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbl melted unsalted butter, melted and cooled plus additional for the pan
- Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until well blended.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
- In a crepe pan over medium heat, lightly spray with cooking spray or brush very lightly with butter.
- Pour 3-4 ounces of batter in the center of the pan and swirl around in circles to spread evenly.
- Cook for 30 seconds to a minute on one side or until the bottom turns lightly golden brown.
- Using a rubber-tipped spatula lift up the one edge and either using your fingers/tongs or spatula flip the crepe over and straighten out using your fingers.
- Cook for 15-30 seconds or until lightly golden brown.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat the above steps to make more crepes.
- Fill with your favorite toppings and either roll or fold.
Store unused covered crepe batter in the fridge.
Whisk prior to use.
Posted in Appetizers, Breakfast, Daily Soul Fuel, Desserts, Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks n'at, Sweet Treats |
Tags: Breakfast foods, filled crepes, French Crepes, thin pancakes |
2 Comments »
Protein Packed Minty Fudge Brownie Cookies
As I was creating this recipe and mixing it all up I decided to go more towards the cookie route but still retaining that brownie-like texture. All I can tell you is that when these came out of the oven and cooled it took everything I had to stop from eating the entire pan! I mean they are THAT GOOD! I was in pure fudgy chocolatey minty heaven! To the point that when Mr. Fantabulous came into the kitchen he actually busted out laughing at me… well my face to be exact as I looked like a 5 year old kid with chocolate all over my cheeks and hands (they were still hot from the oven thus the chocolate was all melty gooey). LOL It wasn’t until he went to get the camera and threatened to post pictures of my minted fudge covered face on here did I put the tray down and step away. LOL
I’ve preached to the choir on the amazing nutritional value Syntrax Protein Powders have. I’ve stated 900 bajillion times that the taste is literally THE BEST ON THE MARKET! I believe in this product as I’m living proof that it works, it gives me the protein I need in some of the most amazing flavors.
If you haven’t tried it yet, um why not? You will LOVE LOVE LOVE these! Plus TKW Family members, click the Contact Me Link to find out how you can get an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT!!!
Now as you can see since I wanted to make this chocolate, I went with 2 types of protein powder! I know, crazy right!!! But double the flavor and make even more fantastical!!!
Plus they are Gluten-Free and Diabetic Friendly!
But these fudgy brownie cookies…
HEAVEN!!!
I mean seriously.. LOOK AT THOSE!!! I ate almost an entire tray myself!
… and I didn’t feel guilty at all because it was healthy and good for me! Well okay, maybe a tad guilty as one person really shouldn’t eat 5 cookies at once… alone…and grin from ear to ear *wink*
Now if you don’t mind, I have a few of these waiting for me since I just ran 5 miles.
| Protein Packed Minty Fudge Brownie Cookies |
- 2 Avocados, halved and pit removed *See note for substitutions
- 3 Tbl egg whites
- 1/2 cup Syntrax Matrix 2.0 Mint Cookie Protein Powder
- 1/2 cup Syntrax Nectars Sweets Chocolate Truffle Protein Powder
- 2 Tbl double dutch dark cocoa
- 1 Tbl corn starch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mint extract
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (for sugar free use 3/4 cup Splenda and 2 Tbl cornstarch – put in a food processor until a find powder
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate or mint chocolate chips *optional
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Place the avocado flesh in a food processor and process until creamy and smooth.
- Transfer the avocado puree to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Add in the egg whites and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add in the mint extract and beat to combine.
- In a separate bowl add the Protein Powders, cocoa, corn starch, baking powder, and confectioners’ sugar and whisk to combine.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in the dry mix a little at a time.
- Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- When all the dry mix has been added, add in the chips and mix just until combined (maybe 10 seconds on low).
- Line a cookie tray with parchment paper.
- Take 1 1/2 heaping tablespoons of the mixture and place on the parchment paper. You can mound it as it’ll spread slightly. Place 1 ½” apart (I got 16 on a 14”x16” tray).
- Bake for 8-9 minutes until set. They will be slightly soft.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack for 3 minutes.
- Using a metal spatula, gently remove the cookies from the parchment and place on the cooling rack. They will be soft and almost cake-like.
- Cool completely prior to storage.
- To store, place a piece of wax paper or parchment between each cookie.
- Store in air tight container.
If you do not have avocados, you can use 1 cup softened unsalted butter or 1 cup softened (NOT MELTED!) coconut oil
Posted in Cakes/Cupcakes, Cookies, Daily Soul Fuel, Desserts, Diabetic Friendly, Gluten Free, Protein Powder - Healthy Additions, Recipes, Snacks n'at, Sweet Treats |
Tags: Chocolate Truffle Protein Powder, Healthy Dessert, Matrix 2.0 Mint Cookie, Nectar Sweets, On The Go Food, Post work out food, Protein Packed Mini Double Chocolate Muffins, SI03, Syntrax Protein Powder |
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