{Salmon with Tomato, Avocado and Corn Burschetta}

Cooking in my apartment right now has been pretty interesting!  My sister and I are living among boxes, furniture, and suitcases and we prepare for the move on Thursday (YAY)!  My sister and I are making the best of it however, and I have to say that cooking is way more exciting when you have no idea where your cooking utensils, spices or pots and pans are! 

Anyways, yesterday I whipped up this delicious pan seared salmon for my sister and I, Mainly because the only thing I could find to cook on was a large skillet!  Anyways, we topped this simple pan seared salmon with the most delicious tomato avocado and corn burschetta.  Now let me just pause for a moment and talk about how obsessed I am with tomato and avocado as a pairing!  Oh, my, goodness is it one of the best (still might not take the place of PB and chocolate in my book, but pretty close)!  Tomato and avocado were made to go together.  The creaminess of the avocado paired with the bright pop of flavor from the grape tomatoes, yum!  Ok, side note over…

I think you really need to make this Salmon!  It is a simple meal, filled with tons of flavor!  The salmon is lightly pan seared with a little seasoning and the burchetta topping adds extra flavor and texture!  Pair the salmon with a simple green salad or steamed veggies and you have a delicious meal! 

Salmon with Tomato, Avocado and Corn Burschetta

Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Serves 2-4

Ingredients: 

3/4 -1 Pound Fresh Salmon 

Teaspoon Pepper and Basil 

1/4 Teaspoon Salt 

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil 

For the Burschetta: 

1/2 Cup Fresh Sweet Corn 

1 Cup Grape Tomatoes Roughly Chopped 

1/2 Avocado Chopped 

1 Teaspoon Dry Basil 

Salt and Pepper to Taste 

1 Teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar 

1/2 Teaspoon Olive Oil 

Directions:

1- Combine Burschetta ingredients into a small bowl, lightly mix and set aside. 

2- Coat both sides of the fish with olive oil and seasonings.  Heat a small skillet on medium heat and cook salmon for 4 minutes on each side or until salmon has reached the desired degree of doneness.  

3- Plate salmon and top with the fresh burschetta, serve immediately! 

Check out these other delicious salmon recipes from around the web! 

Grilled Salmon with Tomato Basil Burschetta - Krista's Kitchen 
Marinaded Salmon with Mango Kiwi Relish - Cooking Light 
Tomato Citrus Salmon - Cooking Light 

Enjoy! 

{Summer Quinoa Salad with Fresh Basil and Lemon Honey Dressing}

Bird seed  (how my dad refers to quinoa) might be one of my favorite grains.  Quick cooking, simple to prepare and a great addition to any meal.  I love a huge spoonful of quinoa plopped on top of a veggie packed salad, I love quinoa stirred into soups for a little extra texture, heck I will even top quinoa with fresh fruit for breakfast!  However, I have to say my all time favorite way to enjoy quinoa is as a base for a veggie packed grain salad!  Seriously, one of my favorite things to do Sunday night is to whip up a delicious veggie packed quinoa salad that I can enjoy all week long!  Quinoa  is pretty much a blank slate, all you need are your favorite veggies, a little protein, light dressing and a few fresh herbs for flavor, and voila you have a great salad!  

For this simple grain salad I used a tri Colored quinoa as the base and tossed the cooked quinoa with fresh pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers and onion.  Fresh basil and adds a great flavor kick, and the grilled chicken provides good for you protein.  The entire salad is then drizzled with a lemon honey dressing!  Yum!  Easy, fresh, and clean!

Summer Quinoa Salad with Fresh Basil and Lemon Honey Dressing

Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients 

Dressing: 

1 1/2 Tablspoon Honey 

Zest From one Lemon 

4 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice 

1 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil 

1 Minced Garlic Clove 

Salad: 

1 Handful Fresh Basil Roughly Chopped 

1 Cup Chopped Grape Tomatoes 

1/2 Medium Cucumber Chopped 

1/2 Red Pepper Chopped

1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Onion  

2 Chicken Breast 

2 Cups Cooked Quinoa 

Salt, Pepper, Garlic

Directions: 

1- Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and garlic (both sides) heat grill and grill chicken until cooked through (I used a George Forman). 

2- While chicken cools, combine quinoa, veggies and basil.  Toss until well combined. 

3- Cut chicken into chunks and toss into salad. 

4- In a small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients.  Drizzle over salad and toss until well combined. Add salt and pepper to salad to taste.  Best if let salad sit in the fridge for hour before serving! 

Enjoy!

{Chipotle Turkey Meatballs}

What was one of your favorite childhood dishes?  Can you remember? I was always partial to my moms lasagna, my grandmothers meatballs, and my dads chocolate chip pancakes (does that count?). Have you ever taken one of those favorite childhood dish and tweaked it just a little bit?  Kinda like a makeover for food... adding in new ingredients until you have come up with an entirely new dish? 

Well, I know I have done that, and I am hear to tell you that tweaking a family recipe with new ingredients and flavors can be just the ticket to a delicious meal!  That was the case with these tangy turkey meatballs!  I took my favorite family meatball recipe and put a mexican spin on the dish!  The end result, a zippy turkey meatball full of spice!  Easy enough to make on a weeknight for dinner, and the leftovers make a great lunch!  

Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Makes 18 Meatballs 

Ingredients:

1 Lb Ground Turkey

3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs

1/2 Cup Milk

1/2 Red Pepper Chopped 

1/2 White Onion Chopped 

1 extra large handful fresh cilantro chopped 

2 Tablespoons Favorite Chipotle Style Taco Seasoning (I used one with no MSG's) 

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper 

1 Cup Favorite Salsa + More for Serving 

Avocado Slices, Guacamole, and Sour Cream (for serving if desired)

Directions: 

1- Combined ground turkey, bread crumbs, cilantro, taco seasoning, pepper and milk in a large bowl.  Mix until ingredients are well incorporated, set aside. 

2- In a medium skillet coated with cooking spray sautee peppers and onions until tender.  Add peppers to turkey mixture and mix well so peppers and onions are evenly distributed.  

3- Pour your cup of salsa into the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking pan and evenly distribute salsa along the bottom. 

4- Roll turkey mixture into meatballs and place evenly in 9x13 pan.  Bake meatballs in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until meatballs are lightly browned and cooked through.  Test doneness by cutting into a meatball with a fork.  

Note - If you are noticing that the meatballs are getting to dry on top but not done in the middle, cover with foil and continue to bake until cooked through. 

**Serve with extra salsa, avocado slices, guacamole or sour cream!  A simple tomato and avocado salad would go great with this dish for a complete meal!  

Enjoy! 

{Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting}

It's not very often that I post two sweet treats back to back!  But, with my mom's birthday being this past Sunday (Happy Birthday, Mom) I decided Sunday evening that I needed to bake her an extra special birthday cake!  

My mom absolutely loves lemon poppy seed anything!  Which means this cake was the perfect birthday cake for her!  The idea for this cake was sparked by a cake my family and I recently had on Father's Day!  Yes, that very cake was so good that I  had to figure out how to recreate that Father's Day cake at home! I will tell you the thought of recreating a cake at home somewhat terrified me, but then I remembered this muffin recipe... and the task at hand seemed a little less intense.  

I was delighted with how this cake turned out, and am absolutely smitten with the intense lemony flavor  of the cake and creamy lemon cream cheese frosting!  This cake is dense like a pound cake and makes a perfect after dinner treat!   Make this cake today, and serve it at your next grill out!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

Cake: 

Dry: 

1 1/2 Cup Flour 

1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Sugar 

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder 

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

Zest from One Lemon 

Wet: 

1/4 Cup Butter Melted 

2 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt (I used 2%) 

1 Egg 

3/4 Cup Almond Milk or Milk of Choice (I used Unsweetened)

Juice from 1/2 Lemon 

2 Teaspoons Vanilla 

Cream Cheese Frosting: 

2 Tablespoons Milk 

1 Brick Cream Cheese 

2 Cups Powdered Sugar 

Juice from 1/2 a Lemon 

1/4 Cup Butter 

1 Teaspoon Vanilla 

Directions: 

1- In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients and set aside. 

2- Grab a smaller bowl and lightly beat your egg.  Add Melted butter, greek yogurt, milk, lemon juice and vanilla and whisk until combined. 

3- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated, don't over mix. 

4- Grease a  8 Inch cake pan and pour batter into cake pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
5- While cake is baking whip butter and cream cheese together until smooth.  Slowly add in powdered sugar.  Finally mix in lemon juice and vanilla.  Set aside until cake is done.
6- Allow cake to fully cool.  Once cake is cool, remove cake from cake pan and ice. Slice and enjoy!

{Peanut Butter, Chocolate Revel Bars}

These bars are hands down delicious and prefect for your next pot luck, family get together or just to make for a sweet little weekend treat!   They are fudgy, full of peanut butter goodness and basically hands down delicious! 

I made these bars as my contribution to a bake sale last week, and they got some pretty rave reviews!    These bars feature a few of my favorite things peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate!  Think of a thick  delicious layer that taste like a peanut butter oatmeal cookie.  That cookie is then topped with a rich peanut butter chocolate filling, and finally topped off with the remaining peanut butter oatmeal cookie goodness!  If you are a peanut butter/chocolate lover these bars are for you!  

Peanut Butter, Chocolate Revel Bars

Slightly adapted from Better Homes and Garden 

Ingredients: 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bottom: 

1/2 Cup Butter 

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter 

3 Cups Rolled Oats 

2 1/2 Cups Flour 

2 Cups Packed Brown Sugar 

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Chocolate Peanut Butter Filling: 

1 1/2 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips 

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter 

2 Tablespoons Butter 

2 Teaspoons Vanilla
1- 14 Oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk 

Directions:

1- In a large bowl combine peanut butter and butter, beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add in brown sugar and beat again until combined.  Now add egg and vanilla beat one last time.  Set mixture aside.  

2- In another large bowl combine oats, flour and baking soda. 

3- Slowly add the dry ingredients into your peanut butter mixture.  Mix until dry and wet ingredients are incorporated. 

4- In a medium saucepan combine buter, chocolate, sweeten condensed milk and peanut butter.  Cook on low heat until chocolate and peanut butter has melted, stir occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. 

5- Press two-thirds of the oat mixture onto the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1 inch pan.  Spread chocolate peanut butter mixture over top of oat mixture.  Using your fingers crumble the remaining oatmeal mixture over top of the chocolate. 

6- Bake bars in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.  Cool bars before cutting! 

Enjoy! 

{Almond Poppy Seed Muffins}

Muffins can be a simple grab and go breakfast, or they can be a sweet little mid afternoon snack.  I am partial to having muffins as a sweet afternoon snack, with a cup of coffee and a fuzzy blanket (yes, even in summer).  I also love muffins as my after dinner treat, I think of them as a less sweet cupcake! Sometimes the muffin cures the cupcake craving, other times it doesn't!

Anyway, a friend of mine asked me if I had a recipe for a homemade Almond Poppy Seed Muffin, to which I responded "Nope, but I will get right on that!"  The recipe you are seeing today is the creation that was born from that very conversation, with my friend, at work!  The muffin is an adaptation of my lemon muffin with lemon glaze (you can also find another adaptation of my lemon muffin in my post on Strawberry Shortcake)!  I love the sweetness of the almond extract, and adore the simple glaze that tops these muffins!  You could even whip up a simple cream cheese frosting for, Almond Poppy Seed cupcakes!  Delicious, find recipe below!

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

Brunch N'Cupcakes 

Makes 12 Muffins 

Ingredients: 

Dry: 

1 1/2 Cup Flour 

1/2 Cup Sugar 

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder 

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 Tablespoon Poppyseeds

Wet: 

1/4 Cup Butter Melted 

2 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt (I used 2%) 

1 Egg 

3/4 Cup Almond Milk or Milk of Choice (I used Unsweetened)

1 1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract

1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla 

Almond Glaze (Optional, See Note) 

2 Tablespoons Milk of Choice
2 1/2 Tablespoons Powder Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Almond Extract

Cream Cheese Frosting - **Only if want to make muffins as cupcakes, (Optional, See Note)!
2 Cups Powder Sugar
1 Brick Cream Cheese
1/4 Cup Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Almond

Directions: 

1- In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients and set aside. 

2- Grab a smaller bowl and lightly beat your egg.  Add Melted butter, greek yogurt, milk, lemon juice and vanilla and whisk until combined. 

3- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated, don't over mix. 

4- Grease or line muffin tin and divide batter among 12 muffin cups.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. 

** While muffins bake whisk together milk, almond extract, and powder sugar, set aside.  If making cream cheese frosting beat ingredients together with a mixer and set in fridge till muffins are done.  Let muffins cool 5 minutes in pan and then lightly drizzle muffins with glaze.  Allow muffins to fully cool before removing from the pan!  If frosting muffings/cupcakes wait until completed cooled and then frost!

**Note - You do not need to make the glaze or the cream cheese frosting if you do not want to.  The muffins are excellent on their own!  Both are just options and up to you! 

{Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Veggies}

My mom whipped up this delicious quinoa salad on Saturday to go along with our Grilled Salmon Tacos! 

Let me tell you, this quinoa salad was fresh, packed with good for you ingredients and down right tasty!  I have been eating the leftover quinoa salad topped with leftover citrus mango salsa, and avocado for lunch... Yum!!  What I think is great about this salad is there is no sugary dressing, the simple ingredients really do all the talking in this dish!  Sub in different veggies if you like and make this your own!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we all did, makes a great addition to taco night! 

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Veggies

Brunch N'Cupcakes - Momma's Recipe

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 Cup Black Quinoa 

1 - 15 Oz Can Black Beans Rinsed and Drained 

1/2 Red Pepper Chopped 

1/2 Cup Finley Chopped Red Onion 

Salt, Garlic and Pepper to Taste 

1 Teaspoon Chili Powder 

1 Teaspoon Cumin 

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 

1 Large Handful Fresh Cilantro Chopped 

Serve with Squirt of Fresh Lime Juice and Avocado - If desired

Directions: 

1- Cook quinoa according to package directions. 

2- Toss cooked quinoa with olive oil, spices and chopped veggies! 

Enjoy!