Oven Roasted Parmesan Zucchini Bites

This is a super simple and tasty way to eat your veggies. 

I am seriously addicted to them!

Oven Roasted Parmesan Zucchini Bites

serves: 4, or 1 very hungry person

2 small-medium zucchinis (about 500 grams)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic or onion powder

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (about 25 grams)

Preheat oven to 400F/200C.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut zucchini into strips about the size of a steak fry and place them on your baking sheet.

Spray or brush with olive oil. (A sprayer works best because you can coat more with less.)

Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder (if 1 teaspoon each is not enough, adjust to your taste).

Add Parmesan cheese to the top and pop in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until cheese has browned.

Let cool about 3-5 minutes and eat them all up!

Nutritional Value:

Per serving:

46.9 calories

2.04 grams of fat

1.08 grams of saturated fat

3.9 grams of protein

2.6 grams of carbohydrates

0.05 grams of sugar

1.38 grams of fiber

...or if you want to eat the whole thing

187.75 Calories

8.15 grams of fat

4.33 grams of saturated fat

15.63 grams of protein

10.3 grams of carbohydrates

0.23 grams of sugar

5.5 grams of fiber

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Avocado Egg Salad

After eating too many of the cookies I made, I decided I needed make up for all those empty calories with something much healthier. I may be biased, but this was definitely the best egg salad I've ever had!

Avocado Egg Salad

4 Servings

4 large (about 50 grams each) hard boiled eggs, peeled

1 large (about 100 grams), ripe avocado

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon lime juice

Halve avocado, remove seed, and scoop the 'meat' into a small bowl.

Add lime juice and spices.

Smash together all ingredients until you have a chunky, applesauce-like consistency.

Take hard boiled eggs and tear into small pieces that are similar in size.

Add eggs to the avocado mixture and stir to combine.

Nutritional Value:

104 calories

8.2 grams of fat

1.7 grams of saturated fat

6.2 grams of protein

2.6 grams of carbohydrates

.25 grams of sugar

1.8 grams of fiber

Serve on rice cakes with fresh baby spinach and tomato slices for a healthy, but filling lunch, with only 45 calories more per serving!

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Homemade Chocolate Lofthouse-Style Sugar Cookies with Frosting

If you're on Pinterest then chances are, you have seen all of the Lofthouse copycat recipes. Most of them are exactly the same, a few call for salt while others dot not. I looked at the recipe for Soft Sugar Cookies over at The Novice Chef and decided I could make the same cookies for my Husband's birthday.

Since my husband is a chocolate whore (pardon my language), I decided to see if I could find a recipe for chocolate Lofthouse-style sugar cookies. I was very surprised to see that there weren't any. So, I decided to wing it.

Homemade Chocolate Lofthouse-Style Sugar Cookies with Frosting


Yield: about 4 dozen cookies


For the cookies:
6 cups (596 grams) all purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups (84 grams) cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 cup (229 grams) butter, at room temperature
2 cups (383 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (181 grams) light sour cream


For the frosting:
1 cup (229 grams) butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 cups (130-260 grams) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
6 tablespoons heavy cream
Sprinkles (Optional, but fun!)




Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk 5 cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder; set aside.


In the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attached, cream the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as needed.
**If you aren't fortunate enough to own a stand mixer, like myself, Using the regular beaters on a hand mixer, cream together ingredients.


Add the eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated. 


Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.


Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
**If this proves difficult with a hand mixer, switch to dough hooks.


Dough should be the right consistency for rolling, so add additional flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, until this is achieved (up to 1 cup more flour). 


Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick and wrap with plastic wrap. 


Chill in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or overnight, do not skip this step.


After the dough has chilled, remove from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 425F/218C. 


Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.


Generously dust a work area and rolling pin with a mixture of flour and cocoa powder. 


With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness.


Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and transfer to a baking sheet. 


Bake for 7-8 minutes. 


Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.




For the frosting:
To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and vanilla.
**Again, use a hand mixer with regular beaters if you lack a stand mixer.


Slowly beat in cocoa powder, followed by powdered sugar. 


Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired spreading consistency is achieved.


Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sprinkles.


Let frosting set and store in an air-tight container, allowing cookies sit overnight before serving to allow the flavors to develop.

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Strawberry Shortcake

My brain is STILL on summer, even after waking up to a temperature of 23F/-5C! Perhaps I'm just trying to will summer to Denmark, or maybe it's because we've booked our flights back home for June/July. Either way, I'm ready for some heat! Of course, I will be eating those words come June/July when I am melting in the hot Texas sun.

The other day, Hans and I came across a kilo (2.2 pounds) of huge, fresh strawberries for 40kr. ($7). Not a bad price at all, around here. As soon as I saw them, in all their glory, I had to make some strawberry shortcake. 

Last night, we had an early dinner and afterwards I put Hans to work hulling and slicing strawberries while I worked on the shortcake.

There are so many different versions of strawberry shortcake out there, but the one I am most familiar with is a sweetened biscuit-like dough.

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberries:

2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) strawberries, hulled and quartered

9 drops liquid Stevia (or 3 tablespoons of sugar)

Mix strawberries with liquid Stevia (or sugar, if using) and let macerate in the refrigerate, at least 30 minutes.

Cake:

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

15 drops of liquid Stevia (or 5 tablespoons of sugar)

2.5 teaspoon salt

2 cups skim milk

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 400F/218C.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. 

Add liquid Stevia (or sugar), milk, and heavy cream. 

Mix until just combined. 

Place mixture in lightly greased 9X13 pan and bake until golden, about 25 minutes.

Remove shortcake from pan and place on a rack to cool slightly. 

Cut cake into 12 pieces and split each piece in half horizontally.

Spoon some of the strawberries with their juice onto each shortcake bottom. 

Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and then the shortcake top, followed by more whipped cream and strawberries.

Whipped Cream:

3 cups heavy cream, chilled

9 drops liquid Stevia (or 3 tablespoons sugar)

2 teaspoons vanilla (or almond extract)

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (optional)

Using a mixer, beat together all ingredients, until soft peaks form - about 2 minutes. (5-7 minutes is using a reduced fat whipping cream.)

Bruschetta with Lemon and Rosemary Chicken

This is a super simple, throw together meal, that is full of flavor! 

Here in Denmark we got a taste of spring last week, too bad it didn't last very long. This week it's been flirting with freezing during the day, and dropping a bit below at night, but my brain is stuck on warm, sunny, summers. 

Yesterday while grocery shopping, I made the executive decision to have a light summer time meal. After my husband denied me sushi, I decided that bruschetta would be a nice alternative.

For those of you who like measurements, I apologize in advance. This recipe has no measurements, it's all about how strong (or mild) you like it.

Bruschetta:

6-10 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

1-2 medium onions, quartered (I used white, but red/purple onions are fabulous in this)

10 + Roma tomatoes, diced (or you can cheat and add canned tomatoes)

a lot of fresh basil, I used about 1 cup chopped - just gave my basil plants a badly needed haircut

lemon juice, about 1/2 - 1 lemon's worth

1 glug or so of olive oil +1/4 cup or so reserved

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese (fresh is best, but the stuff in a can works fine)

crumbled feta cheese (more or less to taste)

salt & pepper to taste (always wait until Parmesan and feta have been added before adding salt)

1-2 french baguettes (or more)

herb mix (I used Greek seasoning)

Turn oven on to broil.

Add garlic to your food processor (or mince by hand). After it's minced, reserve about 1/3 for later.

Toss in the onions and mince, followed by the tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, cheeses, and basil. Check flavor and season as needed.

Transfer mixture into a bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, but a few hours is even better.

Combine the reserved olive oil, garlic, and about a tablespoon or so of the herb mix in a small bowl. 

Set aside.

Slice your baguettes thinly on the diagonal and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.

Brush on your oil mixture, making sure to cover the bread well, but not drenching. *Optional - you can add feta or Parmesan to the bread before baking.

Pop in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, paying close attention that you don't burn your bread.

Remove from oven and let cool.

To serve, top each bread slice with a heaping spoonful of bruschetta mixture.

Lemon and Rosemary Chicken:

1 chicken breast per person, cut into fillets or chunks

a few glugs (yes it's a word) of olive oil

lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon for 1 breast)

1-2 teaspoons dried rosemary per breast (fresh is always better)

1 teaspoon or so of pepper per breast (black, white, pink - your choice - all work well)

Mix spices, chicken, lemon juice, and oil together and let marinate for about 30 min.

Heat a skillet (or frying pan....I'm a Texan, we say skillet.) on high heat, and reduce to med-high.

Add chicken and stir-fry until cooked through, about 5-10 min.

Bad Blogger

Yeah, that's me. 

I've been such a terrible blogger lately. It's not that I don't have anything to write about, I've got a lot of things I could post about. I guess I've just been a bit lazy. I've been busy with life, and I've neglected my laptop for a while. Recently, I've probably spent no more than an hour a day online. 

I am going to blame spring for this. 

There is something about heat and sun that makes me want to get off my rear and get things done. By the way, I use the term heat loosely. Denmark is not well known for it's high temps. I don't think we've even hit 60F/15C, yet. 

Hopefully with the cooler, more dreary weather coming this week, I will get some blog posts written. I've got a few recipes to share, as well as some randomness, and I even hit up Ikea yesterday. I love how you can buy a rug for $27 (149DKK) and a runner for $11 (59DKK). I returned home with a lot of  stuff, and plans to purchase even more when I go again in May. 

I hope you're all having a great week! 

I promise to return soon, weather permitting.

Joanniel Creations Giveaway Winner!

I am thrilled to see we had so many entries! Unfortunately, we could only have 1 winner.

The winner of this Photo Art Keychain

 from Joanniel Creations is:

Maegan M.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations, Maegan! I'll send you an email.

Raspberry Lemonade Cake

I am a pretty good cook, most of the time. However, when it comes to baking, I suck. It's not that I am a bad baker, but I am awful at making it look pretty. I guess I just have a knack for making foods look 'rustic' aka ugly. 

Today's fine example is this delicious, yet ugly Raspberry Lemonade cake.

Want another view?

Yeah. 

Underneath this layer of ugliness is an amazing cake, perfect for spring and summer!

This view is a bit better.

I decided on a whim to make it for some friends the other day, and it was a HUGE hit. There were 7 people who ate this cake and it was all gone in one day.

Cake:

2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons (7 grams) baking powder

1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt

1/2 cup (115 grams) butter

1 1/4 cups (250 grams) white sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon (5mL) vanilla extract

1 cup (235mL) buttermilk

2 tablespoons (12 grams) grated lemon zest

Filling:

1/2 - 1 cup (about 250 grams) raspberry jam

Frosting:

4 cups (480 grams) confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup (115 grams) butter, softened

2 tablespoons (30mL) fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons (4 grams) grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons (30mL) milk

1 6oz. (200 grams) package cream cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. 

Grease two 8 inch pans, and line with parchment paper. 

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy for about 3-5 minutes. 

Beat in the eggs one at a time and stir in the vanilla. 

Add in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

Allow to cool in pans on wire racks for about 10-20 minutes.

After cooling enough to handle invert onto wire racks to cool completely.

Frosting: 

In large bowl, beat together confectioners' sugar, butter, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth. 

Beat in milk and cream cheese, increase speed and continue to beat until light and fluffy.

To assemble: 

Place 1 layer, on a serving plate and Spread the raspberry jam on top.

Add the second layer, and spread with enough frosting (about 1/3 of the frosting) for a crumb coat. 

Refrigerate cake for at least 30 minutes, before frosting the whole cake. (This will help the crumb coat to set and allow the second coat of frosting to be applied smoothly.)

Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, and refrigerate cake until serving time.

This cake was the ugliest success I've ever had. 

I didn't lighten this one up in any way, but I will work on that and post the lighter version, complete with calories. 

Hope y'all have having a great week!

International Baby Shower

I don't know a single American who doesn't know what a baby shower is, but in Denmark it's a whole new ball game. 

Many Danes don't even know what a baby shower is. Here it's regarded as bad luck to shower the soon-to-be mother with gifts. Instead, Danes wait until after the birth. Then, they have their babies baptised in the Danish Church. The Danish baptism is a cross between an American baptism and a baby shower. Guests shower the new baby (and at times the baby's siblings) with gifts of toys, clothing, and various other things like play mats and bedding.

This past weekend, Hans and I attended a baby shower hosted by our Australian friend and her Danish husband for our Japanese friend. 

The house was filled with people from Denmark, Sweden, Holland, India, Japan, Australia, England, Germany, and of course myself, the American.

We had cakes, cupcakes, cookies, buns, vegetable sticks, pretzels, and several different kinds of beverages. 

Sarah made a red velvet cake and cupcakes, and I made Cowboy Cookies and zucchini cake. It was a mass sugar consumption day!

Sarah and Dennis' bacon and cheddar cheese buns.

We played a few baby shower games.

Melanie and Demelza hid their answers under Mel's shirt, so they could move about without anyone stealing their answers.

Hans was totally lost trying to fill in the blanks on the nursery rhymes.

I stopped taking pictures long enough to help Hans with his nursery rhymes.  

 After the baby shower games, Hans brought out a travel version of Danish Trivial Pursuit. 

It took us about 2 hours to finish a whole 5 rounds, but in the end I think Edward and Dennis were the winners!

Though I was exhausted and stuffed full of sugar by the time we got home, I had a blast. 

I am very thankful to have all of these people in my life!

How was your weekend?