Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

I have another Holiday recipe for you today! This recipe would be a wonderful one to serve on Thanksgiving morning to your holiday guests. These muffins have the texture of cake doughnuts and have a cinnamon/sugar coating on the outside. These muffins are flavored with pumpkin puree, nutmeg and allspice which definitely takes on the flavor of fall time. I made thse muffins on Saturday day morning for a treat for my little brood and they "gobbled" them up! I love that these muffins can be made and frozen ahead of time which would be another bonus for reducing the amount of stress with all the baking that takes place days before and on Turkey Day! To prepare frozen muffins, all you would have to do is thaw and heat through in a warm oven and then brush with butter and toss to coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture. These muffins are also light enough that you could serve these with a fruit platter which definitely tide over hungry guests until the big feast! I hope you all enjoy this recipe! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.com

For the Batter:

1 1/4 sticks of butter

3 c. All-purpose flour

2 1/2 t. Baking Powder

1/4 t. Baking Soda

1 t. Salt

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. all-spice

1/3 c. buttermilk

1 1/4 c. Pumpkin puree

3/4 c. Brown Sugar

2 eggs

For the Sugar Coating:

3/4 c. granulated sugar

2 1/2 t. Cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and Flour 12 standard muffin cups. Make batter: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk and pumpkin puree. In a Large bowl combine, brown sugar and butter and with an electric mixer beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, scra

ping down sides of the bowl as needed. With mixer on low , alternate adding the flour and pumpkin mixture until well combined.

Spoon 1/3 c. batter into each muffin and bake for 30 minutes until a tooth pick comes out clean. Meanwhile in a bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon. When muffins are done, remove from oven and let cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Working with each muffin one at a time, remove from pan and brush all over with butter and then toss to coat in sugar

mixture. Let muffins cool completely and store in an airtight container up to one day.

Note: If freezing... let muffins cool completely and then freeze in air tight container. When ready to serve, unthaw and then reheat in a 350 degree oven and then brush on butter and coat with sugar mixture.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY CULINARY QUEEN BEE FOLLOWERS!

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Scrumptious Sweet Potato Casserole

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I wanted to share one of my favorite Holiday Recipes!! I came across this recipe on allrecipes.com a couple of years ago and it has become a family favorite. This Sweet Potato Casserole is more of a dessert than a side dish because of the pecan, brown sugar, flour and butter topping. I will guarantee that when you serve this scrumptious casserole that your guests will rave and even those NON-SWEET POTATO EATERS will be IMPRESSED!! I have taken this casserole to a couple of holiday potlucks and I never leave without handing out the recipe. This recipe is very easy to make and doesn't require a lot of effort... Don't you just love recipes like that? I know I do!!

Give this Sweet Potato Casserole recipe a try for your Thanksgiving or Christmas Festivities this year, I promise your guests will be impressed!

Scrumptious Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

3 c. cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

2/3 c. white sugar

1/4 c. butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 c. milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. butter, softened

Directions:

Preheat oven for 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, combine sweet potatoes, white sugar, 1/4 c. margarine, vanilla, milk and beaten eggs. Mix well. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. In a medium mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, and 1/4 c. butter. Mix well. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

*Note* To save yourself some time and relieve some stress during the Holiday Season, you could make this several days before you are ready to serve this dish by covering the dish with tin foil and placing in the freezer. Take out the day before your are ready to serve it and let thaw in fridge. Make sure that it is completely thawed before cooking it in the oven.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Raspberry Tilapia

I love seafood! I think that seafood is truly one of my favorite foods. If you are not a fish or seafood fan don't let this recipe scare you away. This recipe is sure to please even those non-seafood lovers. Tilapia is a farm raised fish, it is very mild and doesn't have the fishy taste that is usually the culprit for turning most people away from eating fish. I like to buy my Tilapia at Walmart. I buy it in a 4 lb bag with pre-shrink wrapped fillet portions. Tilapia is white in color and has a little pink to it. I like that the fish is pre-wrapped into individual portions so I can take out how many fillets I want to make, which makes this dish an even more convenient dish to make for my family. It takes about 25 minutes to put this dish together and bake. You won't be disapointed in the flavor department. The raspberry Vinegar, honey and dill weed compliment this fish very well. I personally think that the fish is better the day after. When serving for dinner I love to serve this fish over a good helping of wild rice along with steamed asparagus. The flavors compliment each other very well. For a lunch option, you could serve the day old fish over a salad with some raspberry vinaigrette. This is one tasty entree, and even my two kids love this and ask for more. Give this recipe a try tonight!

Raspberry Tilapia

Ingredients:

6 Fillets of Tilapia(Bream)

1/4 c. and 2 T. Olive Oil

1/4 c. and 2 T. Raspberry Blush Vinegar (I purchase mine from Harmon's or a specialty store)

1/4 c. and 2 T. honey

1 1/2 t. Yellow Mustard (I personally prefer Dijon Mustard)

3/4 teaspoon Dried Dill weed

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 X13 baking dish and arrange fish in a single layer. Meanwhile, In a mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, raspberry vinegar, honey, mustard and dill weed until thoroughly combined. Pour over tilapia fillets until coated evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I have a HUGE SWEET TOOTH! I think it is embedded in my DNA. Really and Truly! Every day I get the urge to splurge in some way or another but every once in a while I really go all out! One of my very favorite places to visit is the Sweet Tooth Fairy. It is a darling and very whimsical bakery shoppe located in Draper, Utah. I know that their are more shops all over Utah. One in Provo, Utah and another in St. George, Utah. My kids and I frequently visit and enjoy ordering their delicious desserts, homemade suckers and especially their cupcakes. My very favorite cupcakes are their Raspberry Cheesecake Cupcakes (only available in June and because it is my birthday month! :D You can also preorder this flavor) and the Vanilla Squared. What can I say? I love desserts and any opportunity I get to go visit the Sweet Tooth Fairy, I do! About a week ago, I came across this gourmet Cookie Dough Cupcake recipe online and I had to try it out. I decided that instead of visiting the Sweet Tooth Fairy, I would become her! I was not disappointed with these delectable cupcakes. The recipe makes about 3 dozen cupcakes (not 2 dozen like the recipe states in the directions, I have changed the yielded amount in this recipe). Needless to say, this sweet tooth fairy floated on over with cupcakes in tow, and took several around to my neighbors so I didn't eat all of them. I received many compliments on these cupcakes and I will be adding this yummy recipe to my collection. This recipe takes a bit of time to make but I promise you won't be disappointed in the results!

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

recipe and picture adapted from kevinandamanda.com

For the Cookie Dough:

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp milk

1 tbsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the Cupcakes:

3 sticks softened butter

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

4 large eggs

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

3 sticks softened butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

To make the cookie dough, combine the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 mins. Beat in milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Beat in the flour and salt until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a 1.5 tbsp scoop, shape the dough into balls or tubes. Freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet overnight.

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla.

Using a 3 tbsp scoop, fill the prepared cupcake liners 2/3 full with the cupcake batter. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.

Bake at 350 for 16-18 mins.

To make the frosting, combine the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the salt, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips!

Makes 36 cupcakes.

Cookie dough adapted from Picky Palate. Cupcake and frosting adapted from Annie’s Eats.

I

Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Creamy Chicken and Dumplings

So I have to tell you my fellow food loving friends, I think I should have grown up in the South! That is right, like somewhere from the great state of Georgia or even Alabama. Why you ask? Well, I will tell you... even if you don't really care to hear about it. :D Not only is it beautiful back east with its beautiful scenery, darling people with lovely accents and wonderful places of historic history sites to visit but their FOOD. is. AMAZING! I really think they know what food should taste like. I am sure you know I was headed IN that direction since this is a FOOD blog after all. I know, somehow all my loves and desires head back to food. If you know me well, you know that when it comes to food, my mantra is "Food is essential to Life, make it Good!" Well, all of you that desire to be from the south like I do, I have a a delectable recipe for you...Creamy Chicken and Dumplings! This food is definitely a comfort food and a bowl of this will warm you from the inside out. You could make this wonderful recipe tonight if you wanted, especially since it is raining, snowing and windy along the Wasatch front today here in Utah. Then you could at least pretend you were from back east while you at your creamy chicken and dumplings... I can't pretend that this recipe came from my kitchen but I did head over to one of my favorite blogs. The author of this blog is from the great State of Alabama and she is so cute! She also loves food and occasionally posts the most yummy southern recipes. Needless to say, this recipe comes from cute Amanda. I hope you enjoy making and eating this yummy recipe!

Creamy Chicken and Dumplings

Recipe and Photo adapted from kevinandamanda.com

Ingredients:

1 lb. Chicken breasts

10 bouillon cubes

2 quarts of water

2 c. Bisquick

2/3 c. Milk

2 Tbsp Butter

4 eggs

4 Stalks of Celery

salt and pepper

Directions:

Place chicken breasts and bouillon cubes in a large pot and cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is done.

Meanwhile, boil the eggs. Then mix together the Bisquick and milk until soft dough forms. When Chicken is done, remove from pot and set aside. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the chicken stock. Simmer over low heat, covered, for 10 minutes then uncover for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile dice 2-4 celery stalks until you have about 1/2-1 c. of diced celery. Cut or shred chicken into bite sized pieces. Saute celery in 2 Tbs. Butter for a couple of minutes. Add in chicken and season well with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add chicken and celery to the soup. Remove yolk from eggs boiled eggs and chop whites and add to the soup. Stir all to combine. Serves 4.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Grilled Chicken Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

I L-O-V-E PASTA! That is right, I used the four letter word! Love, Love, Love! Who doesn't love pasta? I don't know a single soul that doesn't but when I came across this recipe last week while surfing the web, It was love at first site! It was also love at first bite when I made this dish for my family this week. If you don't LOVE pasta then at least try this dish and you may fall head over heels for this dish like I did. This is definitely a dish that I will be making and serving more often at dinner time! Another perk about this pasta dish is that it is kid friendly. My kids have decided that they also LOVE pasta too! They licked their dishes clean....seriously... no exaggerations and asked for more. What 5 and 2 year old do that?

There are several other things that I LOVE about this pasta. I LOVE that the chicken is grilled and not fried. You can either grill your chicken on the BBQ grill or grill it in a saucepan with a little dab of Olive Oil. Also, I LOVE the taste of herbs.. This dish calls for parsley and basil. Two of my favorite herbs! I didn't have fresh herbs on hand so I just used the dried herbs that I had on hand and it worked out beautifully!! This would be a wonderful dish to serve at a dinner party. Your guests will truly oooo and awwww over your culinary skills if you serve this! It would also be a wonderful dish to serve for a special occasion like an anniversary, birthday or Holiday dinner like Valentines Day. This Pasta is ever bit as good as something you might eat at the Olive Garden or another Italian Restaurant! Hope you fall in LOVE with this dish like I did! Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Pasta with a Creamy Tomato Sauce

picture and recipe courtesy of KevinandAmanda.com

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Montreal Steak seasoning

1/2 pound penne pasta

2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chicken broth

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 to 1 tsp salt & pepper (to taste)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped Or 1 teaspoon of dried parsley (if you don't have fresh on hand)

6-8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded or 2 teaspoons dried basil (if you don't have fresh on hand)

Directions:

Rinse chicken breasts in cold water. Layer between sheets of wax paper and pound to even thickness. Season both sides with Montreal Steak seasoning. Preheat grill for medium high heat, lightly oil grate, and grill chicken breasts on medium high heat for 6-8 mins each side. OR heat 2 tbsp butter & 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter and olive oil is nice and hot, add chicken breasts and cook 5 mins each side. Set chicken aside to cool. In a large pot, boil water with 1 tbsp salt. Add 1/2 lb penne pasta noodles and boil according to package directions. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender, but do not let the garlic turn brown (about 3-5 mins). Add the chicken broth to the pan and allow to reduce by half. Meanwhile, slice chicken. Once the broth has reduced, stir in tomato sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low. Chop the parsley and basil, add to sauce and mix well. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir well to coat. Serve pasta on plates, top with sliced chicken.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Italian Tortellini Beef Soup

It has been rather chilly here in Northern Utah this week! As the Halloween Holiday winds down for tonight, I thought I would share a low fat soup recipe that I made for my little family this evening. I have really over indulged over the past month by eating way too much Halloween candy and desserts, so I thought it would be nice to feed my family of four a nice pot of Italian Soup. It is one of those soups that you don't have to feel gulity about eating. It is jammed packed with vegetables, bite sized Tortellini pasta and ground beef. I don't do a lot of cooking with ground beef any more because I prefer ground turkey for more healthy reasons. Most of the time I can't even tell the difference by substituting ground turkey in the place of ground beef. I did use ground beef tonight and it was a nice change. In this recipe I think you could use either ground turkey or beef. I found this recipe on another food lover's blog but I have tailored it for my family. This makes a huge pot of soup, so it is one that can be served at a dinner party or you can freeze individual portions for another lunch or dinner. I love meals that freeze!

I served this soup with a slice of Honey Wheat Bread. Hope this soup warms your soul and hopefully gets us all back on track after indulging in all those yummy Halloween Treats!

Happy Halloween!

Italian Tortellini Beef Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. of Ground Beef or Ground Turkey

1 1/2 t. minced garlic

1 onion, chopped (I used 1/2 c. dehydrated onions from my food storage)

salt and pepper

2 -14.5 cans of Italian Stewed Tomatoes

1- 14.5 can of diced tomatoes with chilies

1- 8 ounce can of tomato sauce

1- 6 oz. can of tomato paste

8 c. water

8 t. beef boulion

1 green pepper, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 1/2 c. carrots, you can use frozen or fresh

1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen green beans, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 can Kidney Beans, drained

1 c. zucchini, chopped into bite sized pieces

salt and pepper

1 pkg. of Italian Dressing Mix

1 can tomato soup

1-20 oz. package of frozen tortellini

Directions:

Brown ground beef, garlic, and onion in a skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.Place canned tomatoes into a blender and blend until smooth around 30-40 seconds. Next, place meat mixture, blended tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients into a pot. Hold off on adding the tomato soup or frozen tortellini (you will add these last two ingredients at the end of cooking process. Bring meat and tomato mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add tomato soup and tortellini to your pot of soup. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the tortellini is cooked. Enjoy!

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen