Sunday, August 25, 2013

Grilled Shrimp Skewers w/ Brown Rice

Will loves shrimp and I was itching to make skewers -- so it was easy to create a menu that combined both!

I marinated raw shrimp in Frontera Key Lime Cilantro Taco Skillet Sauce with roasted tomatillo and green chile for a couple hours and let the shrimp sit in the fridge.


I roughly chopped a red onion and poblano pepper in wedges so that they would be easy to skewer/


I poured more of the marinade on to before I sent them to the grill with Will.



They didn't take too long, just enough time to make some brown rice!



Definitely delicious!!


>> If you end up making this for dinner, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis


Saturday, August 24, 2013

Lemony Ricotta Summer Zucchini Galette

I got a beautiful zucchini from my mother-in-law so I looked at what I had in the fridge and was inspired to try something different.

I started by cutting thin slices of zucchini. You could also use squash and/or a mixture of both zucchini and squash.


I sliced about 2 1/2 cups of zucchini.


I laid them out on the cutting board and sprinkled the slices with salt.


I transferred the zucchini to a colander and let them drain for about 15 minutes. I added the salt to pull out any moisture in the zucchini so when the galette bakes -- it won't be soggy.


I sprinkled some flour on a large piece of parchment paper.


I rolled out refrigerated pie crust... 


... and rolled it to a 12 inch diameter. I then moved the parchment paper & dough to a baking sheet and set it aside while I made the ricotta mixture.


For the ricotta filling, I started with 3/4 cup of ricotta and threw it in a large bowl.


I added 1/2 cup of grated parmesan...


... and a 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.


I minced 1 garlic clove and added it to the ricotta mixture.


To the mix, I added 1 tsp of olive oil.



I grabbed a lemon and grated about 2 tsp of lemon peel. Make sure you only grate the yellow skin -- not the white rind, which is bitter.


I then also added 1 tbsp of lemon juice.


Of course I also ground 1/4 tsp of both salt & pepper and made sure the filling was well incorporated.


I poured the filling out on the pie crust...


... and spread it on the dough leaving a 1 1/2 inch border.


I prepared an egg wash, mixing 1 egg with 1 tsp of water. I set that aside for the last step.


I had Will pat down the zucchini slices with a paper towel and layered them on the ricotta mix.


Almost ready!


I drizzled the zucchini with some olive oil.


Then, I gently folded over the dough's edge.



And then applied the egg wash with a pastry brush along the dough's edge.




I baked the galette in a 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges were golden.


Will and I agreed that it was so light and refreshing! Definitely something you could make ahead of time and eat chilled as well!



>> If you end up making this, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes w/ Maple Cream Cheese Frosting


These cupcakes sound as sinful as they sound. I'm telling you -- they are amazing.

For the cupcakes:
I started with lining 12 muffin tins with paper liners. You could use foil or not use any liners just as long as you use non-stick spray.



I emptied one 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree in a large bowl.



To the pumpkin, you want to add 3/4 cup of evaporated milk. I didn't have any on hand, so I made my own by mixing dry milk and water (what a neat trick!).



I made a little too much, so I poured the right amount into another measuring cup.




I added 1/2 cup of granulated white sugar...


... and a 1/4 cup of brown sugar.



I added 2 large eggs to the pumpkin mix.


I also threw in 1 tsp of vanilla extract.




All mixed together! Now for the dry ingredients!!



In a separate medium bowl I added 2/3 cup of all-purpose flour.



I added 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (which also made the kitchen smell amazing!).



To the flour mix, I added 1/4 tsp of salt...



... a 1/4 tsp of baking powder...



... and a 1/4 tsp of baking soda.



I mixed the dry ingredients together and added it to the pumpkin mix.





Everything is combined!



I grabbed my cookie scoop (because I'm obsessed with it) and put 2 scoops in each cupcake liner.



I baked them in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.



For the frosting:
This made a bit too much frosting, so next time I would make a 1/2 batch.

I added a 1/4 cup (half a stick) of softened unsalted butter to 1 package of softened cream cheese.






I beat them together until they were smooth. 



I added 3/4 cup of powdered sugar to the bowl.



I also added 3/4 tsp of vanilla extract.



Lastly, I added 1/4 cup of maple syrup.



All ready for our pumpkin pie cupcakes!
Putting it all together:
After I pulled the cupcakes out of the oven, I let them rest for 20 minutes and then put them in the fridge for 30 minutes.





30 minutes later, I placed them on a platter...




... and frosted them!



I garnished them with a little pumpkin pie spice!




These were so creamy -- much like the texture of pumpkin pie. 

Tip: Keep Refrigerated :)

>> If you end up making this for dessert, tag me in an Instagram post -- @marriedtodavis or #marriedtodavis