This year for Christmas we weren’t going to my sister’s house til noon. Aaron and Summer were spending the morning with Summer’s side of the family so we invited Jordan and Savannah over to our house for Christmas breakfast. Ron cooked bacon and eggs and I made a Cinnamon Sugar Dutch Baby and it was easy and delicious!

About the Cookbook

Breakfast (Oxmoor House, October 23, 2018, $25.00), a hardcover full-color guide to the vast world of breakfast and brunch by the Editors of Extra Crispy.

The first book from the popular website Extra Crispy is packed with more than 100 photos, illustrations, infographics, cooking tips, and amazingly crave-able food. It’s the perfect gift for anyone who loves to eat breakfast food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Extra Crispy is the authority on breakfast and brunch, but it’s so much more than recipes. Extra Crispy will teach you how to poach an egg, followed by a discussion on how to feel about poaching eggs. The website covers the history of food, foodways around the world, and the chefs inspiring and changing the food industry, along with cooking tips and videos. Extra Crispy’s stories are personal, opinionated, and sometimes on the fringes of the food media landscape. The site showcases celebrity chefs and emerging voices from around the world, and behind it all is a sincere celebration of breakfast food and the culture surrounding it. Extra Crispy is a Meredith Corporation brand.

This book is so much more than a cookbook. It is informative and entertaining as well. There are so many recipes in this book that I cannot wait to try!

Print

Cinnamon Sugar Dutch Baby

The Dutch Baby is the little black dress of breakfast and this recipe from "Breakfast, the Most Important Book About the Best Meal of the Day" is so easy to make.

Course Breakfast

Keyword dutch baby

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author The Editors of Extra Crispy

Ingredients

For the Skillet

• 2/3 cups milk any fat % will work
• 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 TBS granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 TBS unsalted butter plus more for serving
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt

For Topping

• 3 TBS granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

For the Skillet

• Prepare the Skillet: Preheat oven to 425°F.

  Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet inside the oven to preheat 5-10 minutes
• Meanwhile, whisk milk, flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Continue whisking vigorously until no lumps remain. (This could take about a minute) **I did this in my stand mixer with whisk attachment**
• Remove skillet from oven and add 2 tablespoons butter, swirling until melted.

  Pour Batter into skillet and return to oven.

  Bake until golden and puffed up dramatically, 12-15 minutes.
• Prepare the Cinnamon Sugar: Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl or jar and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Dot warm Dutch Baby with a little more butter and sprinkle with with about a Tablespoon or more of cinnamon sugar. **I used a lot more**

  Return to oven and bake until sugar sets, about 5 more minutes.

  Top with a scoop or two of ice cream, (or whipped cream) if desired.

We all enjoyed this addition to our Christmas morning and I will make it again, and maybe some other variations…I’m thinking a S’mores Dutch Baby is in our future. Pick up your copy of Breakfast the Most Important Book About the Best Meal of the Day so that you can take your breakfast from basic to bougie. I hope you enjoy this recipe and all of the easy recipes I share here on The Mom Maven. I hope you share them on your social networks. I just ask that you not copy and share the entire recipe with photos. Please use the sharing buttons below and share the link to this post. Thanks!

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Step into her kitchen, sample her favorite dishes, pick up a few of her culinary tips and tricks, and stay for her entertaining anecdotes over dessert and coffee.

Hamburger Helpa Recipe from Valerie’s Home Cooking

I have been looking for a way to make a family favorite dish from scratch with real ingredients for a while now. When I found this Hamburger Helpa recipe in Valerie’s Home Cooking I knew it had to be the first recipe we tried.

Don’t laugh. This dish might give you more insight into my culinary history than almost anything else. It’s a throwback to my childhood and it speaks directly to my more-than-occasional desire for quickness and efficiency, in that I love a good casserole or one-skillet dish. No fuss, no muss, easy cleanup, and get-right-to-it dinner. I made this for Wolfie and his friends when they came home after soccer or Little League practice. I can still picture everyone at the kitchen table, doing homework, while I simmered the beef in the mélange of spices and added macaroni, cheese, and breadcrumbs, and then announced to a sea of smiling faces, “Dinner’s ready.” Years later, I whipped out this dish when Tom’s kids entered the picture and everyone came home from college during breaks. We all know the store-bought mix; this homemade version is even better than the classic, I promise.

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Hamburger Helpa Recipe from Valerie's Home Cooking

Step into her kitchen, sample her favorite dishes, pick up a few of her culinary tips and tricks, in Valerie's Home Cooking.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 36 minutes minutes

Total Time 46 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Valerie Bertinelli

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound ground 90% lean beef
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1¼ cups warm water
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 11/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• ½ cup chopped American cheese
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives
• 1/4 cup panko Japanese-style breadcrumbs
• 1 scallion green part sliced

Instructions

• Melt the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add the beef, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; cook, stirring to crumble, until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Preheat the broiler with the oven rack 3 to 4 inches from the heat. Reduce the stovetop heat to medium, and stir in the macaroni. Add the milk, warm water, mustard, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Bring to a low simmer; cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is tender, about 12 minutes. Add the cheeses, and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheeses melt. Stir in the chives. Sprinkle the panko over the macaroni mixture. Broil until the panko is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with the scallion, and serve immediately.
• Variation: Add some slices of jalapeño for extra kick.

We all loved this dish and it will be entering our regular meal plan rotation. I will never buy another box mix again. The leftovers reheated well in the microwave, just add a splash of milk and a little more shredded cheddar. Make sure you pick up your copy of Valerie’s Home Cooking!.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and all of the easy recipes I share here on The Mom Maven. I hope you share them on your social networks. I just ask that you not copy and share the entire recipe with photos. Please use the sharing buttons below and share the link to this post. Thanks!

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Southern Living What’s for Supper: 5-Ingedient Weeknight Meals: Delicious Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less

About What’s for Supper: 5 Ingredient Weeknight Meals

WHAT’S FOR SUPPER: 5-Ingredient Weeknight Meals is much more than a compilation of easy recipes – it’s an indispensible tool for seasoned cooks and novices alike. It teaches you how to stock your pantry with basics, such as a variety of oils, vinegars, and condiments for flavorful, fast cooking. The tips for timesaving and equipping your kitchen will give you huge advantages when that six o’ clock crunch time rolls around. In less time than it takes to order-in delivery or drive to the closest fast food joint, these made-from-scratch meals will be on the table. The recipes are Southern Living Test Kitchen-approved, and they’re guaranteed to be as easy as a quick stop to the grocery store, grabbing 5 simple ingredients and within 30-minutes enjoying a gourmet supper with your family.

WHAT’S FOR SUPPER: 5-Ingredient Weeknight Meals includes a wide variety of simple, crowd-pleasing dishes for any occasion. In the “Hot off the Grill!” chapter, you’ll master recipes for mouth-watering grilled dishes like Korean Flank Steak and Grilled Chicken Caprese. In the “No Cook Suppers” chapter even your most hectic days are made easier. Without using a grill, oven, or even your stovetop you can prepare dishes like Curried Mango Chicken Salad, Heirloom Tomato Panzanella, and Cornbread-Vegetable Salad.

As a mom with a 12-year old son, author Vanessa McNeil Rocchio understands you can’t sacrifice nutrition for convenience. In “So Easy Sides” she offers scrumptious recipes for healthy vegetable sides that round out any meal like her Smoky Sweet Potato Mash, Summer Fresh Ratatouille, or Rosemary-Garlic White Bean Mash. And be sure to save room for something sweet because Vanessa’s 3-ingredient desserts are the perfect and easy ending to any weeknight meal. The Mint Chocolate Truffles and Brownie Buttons will become instant hits with the kids.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

Not every cookbook is a great fit for every family and this one wasn’t a good fit for us. There are a few reasons for this.

1. We are kind of picky eaters. No one in my house is going to eat Grilled Pork Tenderloins with Plums or Grilled Mahi Mahi with Olive Oil and Lemon.
2. Cost. I wanted to make the Korean Flank Steak but when the ingredients cost over $40 for an entree for 4 people, I removed them from the shopping cart.
3. To get these recipes to 5 ingredients, the author assumes you have a well stocked pantry. I thought I did…I guess I don’t. These pantry staples don’t count in the 5 ingredients because it is assumed you have them on hand.

I made the Shrimp, Corn and Tomato Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette for our family Labor Day picnic. It was easy to make but it didn’t look at all like the photos in the cookbook. There was way too much pesto, everything looked green and yes, I did double check the recipe and my measurements. I was still going to share that recipe with you but my husband accidentally deleted the pictures from the camera before I downloaded them. Oops! Since that didn’t work out so well, I thought I’d share this recipe from the cookbook- Chicken and Black Bean Tostada.

Print

Chicken and Black Bean Tostada Recipe

Course Entree

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Cindy Schultz

Ingredients

• 1 15-oz. can refried black beans
• 6 to stada shells
• 2 cups shredded mojo-flavored deli-roasted chicken
• ½ cup refrigerated creamy chipotle ranch dressing
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

• Spread beans over tostada shells
• Top with chicken.
• Drizzle with dressing
• Sprinkle with cilantro.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

Dress up these tostadas with additional toppings such as crumbled queso fresco, shredded lettuce, sliced radishes, and pico de gallo.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and all of the easy recipes I share here on The Mom Maven. I hope you share them on your social networks. I just ask that you not copy and share the entire recipe with photos. Please use the sharing buttons below and share the link to this post. Thanks!

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I love to bake and if you follow my Tasty Treats Pinterest board you know how true that statement is. I had hoped to make a Rainbow Cake for our Easter Celebration and the cookbook, Simply Sweet ColorCakes: Wow-Worthy Desserts Anyone Can Make arrived in mailbox just in time! I was in love with this cookbook the minute it arrived. I am sure I will be sharing more colorful and delicious recipes from this book over the next few months because it is chock full of spring and summertime treats.

About ColorCakes

Featuring over 125 colorful cakes, cookies, ice cream treats, cupcakes and more, readers will find inspiration on every page of COLORCAKES. With a photo for every recipe, there are cute and clever treats perfect for every occasion from snack-time to party-time. The cookbook guides bakers through every step with “Simply Smart” secrets for making the recipes even easier and “Color Wow!” tips on how to take your treat to the next level, as well as how-tos for creating eye-popping designs and cutouts for your creations. Best of all, most of the recipes can be made in under an hour and some in just 15 minutes! Whether you have an afternoon or a few minutes to whip up something, there’s a show-stopping dessert for you.

The book is divided into six sections:

• sweets on a stick
• crazy for cupcakes
• layer by layer
• cookie jar
• brilliant bars
• cool treats

There is something for every sweet tooth in this cookbook. A few of the recipes I can’t wait to try are the School of Fish Cake pops, Swirled Candy Cane Cupcakes, Orange Ombre Cake, Tie Dyed Cookies, Cheery Chocolate Candy Bars and the Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cream Cupcakes!

How to Make a Rainbow Cake

Print

Rainbow Cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Author cindy

Ingredients

• 2 15.25 oz packages of white cake mix
• Water vegetable oil and eggs-as called for on the cake mix box
• Gel food coloring red yellow, blue, green plus orange and purple if you can find it.
• 3 16 oz cans ready-to-spread vanilla frosting divided
• 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar divided

Instructions

The 6 Cakes

• Preheat the oven to 350°
• Grease six 8" round cake pans, line with parchment paper
• Prepare a double batch of cake mix according to package directions, using water, vegetable oil and eggs
• Divide the batter evenly between 6 bowls (1 1/3 cups of batter in each bowl)
  
• Stir 1/8 tsp each of blue, green, yellow and purple food coloring into 4 of the batters (you can make purple by combining red and blue)
• Stir 1/2-1 tsp of orange food coloring into the 5th bowl (you can combine red and yellow to make orange)
• Stir 3/4-1 tsp of red food coloring in the 6th bowl of batter
  
• Pour the batters into the prepared pans
• Bake the cake layers at 350° for 13-15 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
• Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes
• Remove cakes from pans to wire racks and cool completely (about 1 hour)
  

The Frosting

• Beat 2 cans frosting with 1 cup powdered sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes)
• Stack cake layers with 1/3 cup frosting in between each layer
• With 1 1/4 cups frosting, spread a thin layer of frosting on top and sides of cake
• Add remaining can of frosting and 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar to remaining frosting in bowl
• Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes)
• Divide frosting into 3 bowls
• Tint 2 bowls different shades of light blue
• Frost cake with deepest blue toward the bottom and white frosting on top
• Use back of spoon to blend and swirl frosting
  

Notes

1. I only had 3 pans so I baked 3 layers at a time and refrigerated the batter that was waiting to be used.
2. I couldn't find all 6 colors of gel food coloring so I mixed colors to make purple and orange.
3. I chose not to follow the directions for the ombre frosting. I decorated with jelly beans instead.

Have you ever made a Rainbow Cake? Would you give it a try now? Leave me a comment and let me know.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and all of the easy recipes I share here on The Mom Maven. I hope you share them on your social networks. I just ask that you not copy and share the entire recipe with photos. Please use the sharing buttons below and share the link to this post. Thanks!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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When two mothers wrote a cookbook to save themselves time and money, and hopefully get them OUT of the kitchen, they had no idea that it would to go on to become an international bestseller.  Indeed, Australian natives Kim McCosker and Rachael Bermingham have stunned the culinary world outselling Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, and Gordon Ramsey with their cookbook, 4 INGREDIENTS, which has sold over two million copies to date, and consistently sits near the top of the bestsellers lists in both Australia and the UK.

Kim and Rachael believe their cookbook has been such a huge success (even outselling J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter series in 2008!) because people can relate to the 4 INGREDIENTS concept. Why? Because it helps people get great food on the table fast, without compromising on taste, and uses ingredients that are already mostly found in the kitchen cabinet or fridge.  And now, Atria Books is bringing this revolutionary cookbook to busy Americans with the US publication of 4 INGREDIENTS: More Than 400 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes Using 4 or Fewer Ingredients(Atria Books; $18.00; March 29, 2011).

 

Pesto Chicken

I had the delight of reviewing 4 Ingredients: More Than 400 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes Using 4 or Fewer Ingredients and it is a hit in my house! We enjoyed the Pesto Chicken which was something we had never eaten before! The 4 ingredients were boneless skinless chicken breasts, olive oil, pesto and mozzarella cheese-how basic is that?

Print

Pesto Chicken

Author cindy

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 3 TBS pesto
• 8 thin slices mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Pre-heat the broiler.
• Pound chicken breasts to flatten slightly.
• Heat oil in a nonstick skillet.
• Add chicken and sautee over medium-high heat until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer to a broiler pan.
• Divide pesto among chicken breasts, spreading almost to the edge.
• Top with cheese slices and grill just until cheese has melted.

The book is broken down into sections including breakfasts, appetizers, sauces and salsas, light lunches, sides, mains and desserts. The next recipe we want to try is the Chicken Schnitzel and then the Brie Bruschetta, Easy Quesadilla, Grilled Corn with Parmesan & Cayenne and the list goes on and on. This book would make a great addition to any kitchen and it would especially make a great bridal shower or wedding gift.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

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