Fettuccine with Zucchini

I am in love. I found this fabulous cookbook at my library a few months ago and I just keep rechecking it out. Guess it's time I got my own! This Fettuccine with Zucchini is a delicious recipe that I pulled from this cookbook out of desperation one night. It is now on regular rotation at my house. Simple. Fresh. Light. A perfect summer dish.

GATHER:
1 lb fettuccine
2 tbsp. butter
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 lb zucchinis (I used 1 zucchini, 1 summer squash), grated
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

COOK:
Cook the pasta according to package directions.

In a separate, large sauce pan, melt butter over med-low heat, until butter foams. Add in crushed garlic, cooking for 1 minute. (Be careful of burning the garlic.) Stir in the grated zucchini and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. (I worked mine in batches as there was a lot of it for one pan. I just cooked half at a time and then set aside while the other half was cooking.)

Once fettuccine is cooked, drain completely and pour zucchini/butter sauce over pasta.

Note: I added in a few red pepper flakes, as well as a few pinches of salt, pepper and dried basil. I think this added a kick, though it was delicious without the additions.

SERVE:
I served this with a side of crusty Italian bread and black iced tea. The tea was a great compliment to the freshness of the fettuccine.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

My sweet tooth was in full swing this weekend while at a friends Going Away party. These delectable looking creatures were sitting before me and I wanted to eat every last one. I managed some restraint and instead came home and made my very own batch! :)

I am sure this recipe has been done numerous ways, but this was how I did it. And y'all, all I have to say is Yum!

GATHER:
for filling...
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
1/3 cups sugar
1 egg
1/8 tsp. salt
2 cups mini chocolate chips

for cupcakes...
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla

COOK:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper cups or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 c. sugar and 1/8 tsp. salt. Mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.

In a large bowl mix flour, 1 c. sugar, cocoa, baking soda and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add in water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir until blended well.

Fill cupcake tins half way with cake batter. Add generous dallop of cream cheese filling in the center. (I put about 1 1/2 tbs.)

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

SERVE:
With a tall glass of milk!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

I don't bake. I cook- and I love to cook, but I don't bake. My friend Sarah loves to bake and in the past (the way, far away past) we whipped up a few cakes together. Now that I'm baking solo I stick with a box mix. (Gasp! I KNOW- outrageous!) That is, until yesterday.

You see, my grocer put blueberries on sale, 2 for 1, and I adore me some blueberries. It is also picking season here in the Northeast and scrumptiously fat toddler cheeks being stuffed with hand picked berries is a photo op waiting to happen, y'all. So, I had to find something to do with all these berries.

Enter amazingly easy, and equally delicious, coffee cake recipe. Yum.

GATHER:
for topping...
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon cinnamon

for cake...
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen

BAKE:
Topping - In small mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients. Blend with fork until crumbly. Set aside.

Sift 1 1/2 cups sifted flour with baking powder and salt into a bowl. In a medium bowl, beat together beaten egg and 3/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter.Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well.

Pour 1/2 the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square or 9-inch layer-cake pan. Sprinkle with blueberries and top with remaining batter.

Sprinkle topping crumb mixture evenly over batter. Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Partially cool in pan on wire rack. Cut coffee cake into squares while still warm.

Let me just say it again... Yum! The only thing that would make this better is some chocolate. Oh, and maybe some walnuts. Then it would be double yum!! Cause chocolate and nuts make good things even better!