Guest Blogger: Genia Castro

Hello Kelsey Cooker Readers!

I'm so glad I can share a recipe with you all. Kelsey and I met a few years back while we were both students at Montana State and serving at the local Famous Dave's. There are plenty more memories I could share but for both our sakes I'm going to just leave it at that. Like Kelsey, I recently started a cooking blog (quick shameless plug here) called Sharon Moore Recipes, when you have a few extra minutes take a look! Thanks! (Editor's Sidenote: Genia's blog in INCREDIBLE- I'm a die-hard follower- she has amazing recipes- please go check it out and show her some love !)

Okay now back to the reason I'm here... Banana Bread Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze. While the recipe name may sound complicated, it really couldn't be easier. In fact you most likely have most, if not all, of the ingredients in your kitchen already. I made these last Sunday so my fiance and I could have quick ready made breakfasts during the week. Refrain from pouring the glaze over all the scones, as the glaze will soak into the scones. So each morning, all I did was microwave each scone for 15 seconds, the glaze for 5 seconds, and then drizzle the glaze over the scone and enjoy!

Banana Bread Scones with Brown Sugar Glaze
(Original Recipe from The Kitchn)

2 very ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)
2-4 Tbsp. milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 Tbsp. butter

For the glaze:
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. milk
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2-1/4 cups confectioner's sugar

Directions for the scones:
Mash bananas. If your mashed bananas don't make 1 cup, add enough milk to make one cup total (if your bananas do make a cup the milk won't be necessary). Stir in the yogurt and set aside.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut butter into a few pieces; using your finger tips (or pastry cutter), work the butter into the dry ingredients until there are no pieces of butter larger than a pea.

Pour the banana-yogurt mixture into the bowl and stir just until incorporate and moistened.

Line a dinner plate with a piece of wax or parchment paper and turn dough out of bowl on top. Put dough down to form a disk about 1 inch thick. Cover with another piece of paper. Freeze dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel of paper and invert dough dish onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Peel off second layer of paper. Slice dough into 8 wedges and pull apart slightly to allow for expanding while baking. Bake until the scones are firm to the tough and golden-brown, or 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.

Directions for glaze:
Melt butter and milk in microwave for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and vanilla, and stir until sugar has melted (heat for another 30 seconds, if necessary). Whisk in confectioner's sugar, starting with 1/4 cup. Add more if you want a thicker glaze.

Just before serving, drizzle glaze over scones.

Guest Blogger: Kristin Basiaga

Kristin (Polska) Basiaga (Kielbasa)

I have grown up eating Polish Sausage, however I wanted to make something different than the usual standard of just frying it up and eating it with Mac and Cheese. Nothing wrong with that… I just like to try new things.

Away to Google I went! There I came across a yummy looking recipe here. I decided to try the Italian Kielbasa Casserole.  I will be trying the other recipe soon…

It turned out really well and Scott even said he was craving it a few days after I had made it! Thankfully it made quite a bit and the leftovers were still delicious.

The ingredients are listed below.

1 package of Polska Kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 package (16 oz) rotini pasta

1 jar of spaghetti sauce

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs

8-12 oz of shredded mozzaralla

To begin this delicious meal, cook the pasta according to package directions. Don’t accidentally NOT cook the pasta. It is a pain to sort through everything once you’re mixed it all together. Anyway, drain the pasta after it is cooked. Place the pasta in a 9x13 pan or two 8x8 pans. If using two pans, you may freeze one before baking to serve later. Add in the kielbasa, spaghetti sauce, and undrained tomatoes. Top the casserole with mozzarella cheese. I also added some cheddar cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake the casserole in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes with the foil on. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts. Enjoy!! So easy, so delicious!



Editor's Sidenote: Dear Kristin Lynn- what kind of idiot doesn't know to cook the pasta for a casserole. Oh wait, that's me. Nevermind! Love you! -Kelsey Cooker

Guest Blogger: Angie Brown

My name...Angie Brown (nothing cute and catchy...Mindy's mom in law...Chase's mommy) - haha

I've been cooking a long time and as part of my job as the HR manager at the Florida Aquarium, I often cook for staff bbq's, lunches, breakfast, thanksgiving, etc.  At thanksgiving we fry up 12 turkeys, 8 hams, and all the fixins.  I love to cook for people who like to eat!

This recipe is Hot Artichoke Dip.  I acquired this recipe from a long-time friend, Terry, and it's fabulous!  The edges are worn, spills all over the recipe but it's quick, easy, inviting, and everyone loves it.  Even people who don't eat artichokes.

1 pkg. 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and put through chopper or food processor (so the pieces are small)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (so, I cheat on this one and add more because I love cheese)

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil.  (I also cheat on this one and used the refrigerated kind - so fresh and tasty)

1 clove garlic (or 1 tsp garlic in oil - I love to make it easy)

1/2 cup chopped tomato.  This is if you like tomatoes.  You could easily leave it off.

Mix cream cheese and all remaining ingredients, except the tomato.   I use the kitchenaid with paddle but you could use an electric mixer. 

Make sure it's well  blended.

Spoon into 9 inch pie plate bake at 350degrees for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle with tomato if you like.  Serve with any kind of cracker and it's best if it's hot.  That being said, my lovely Mindy would eat it right out of the fridge and cold! 

Enjoy!!!!

Guest Blogger: Kristin Basiaga

Kristin (Shake) Basiaga (& Bake)

I do love Shake & Bake, but I promise this recipe is just as delicious, in as many steps! Well, almost...

I have always been fairly independent. My parents got divorced when I was a freshman in high school, and while I lived with my dad, his thought of a delicious dinner was Hamburger Helper (not knocking it, I still love it every once in awhile!) However, I have always loved cooking and have loved experimenting with foooooooods. I love easy recipes, and I even love the ones that take a bit more time (and love, the ever special ingredient).

This recipe actually came about by my wonderful Plus 1. I bought a crock pot recently and I swear it has changed my life. How awesome to throw stuff in and let it cook all day?! Whoever invented the crock pot needs to win an award or something. Scott and I were craving some nachos, and Mr. Handsome Pants said, "Why don't you put some chicken and salsa in the crock pot for nachos?'' or something along those lines. And here is how our chicken nachos were started...

The beautiful thing about this recipe is you can alter it however you want!

My ingredients (all two of them...) are listed below, however I have also listed a bunch of suggestions that you can add based on your own preferences!

* 2 skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb or so... I dunno... I usually just guess...)
* 1 can of salsa of your choice
* All your favorite taco/nacho toppings

Other Suggestions:
* 1 package of taco seasoning (add at the beginning if you want more of a 'nacho' taste)
* 1 can diced tomatoes, not drained (add at the beginning)
* 1 can pinto beans (add at the beginning)
* 1 can corn, drained (add at the beginning)
* 1 can green chilies (add at the beginning)
* 1/2 cup chopped onion (add at the beginning)
* 1 package cream cheese (add towards the end to melt, and use instead of shredded cheese)

To begin this delicious meal, get your crock pot out of the closest. Set on a sturdy countertop near an outlet. Plug in. Ok, you all know how to do these things, I am just testing you. Literally just put the chicken breasts and salsa (and any other ingredients you may desire) in the crock pot and turn on LOW for 7-8 hours or 3-4 hours on HIGH. After the chicken is cooked, it will shred very easily. All of the liquid from the salsa and other ingredients that you have added will keep the chicken moist.

After the chicken is shredded, you are almost there!

Now you will want to get your plate ready... put a layer of tortilla chips. I like to add a layer of refried beans in between the chicken and chips. Then, add cheese, olives, avocado, and whatever else your pretty face desires! Delish!

Guest Blogger: Jaren Rabe

When Kelsey asked me to be a guest blogger I was so excited because:
 1.) I have always wanted my 15 minutes of fame and
 2.) I love to cook!

Unfortunately, a lot of the recipes I try changing to be my own end up being mediocre so I never make them again. This recipe, my fans, is not one of those. Yes, I called you guys my fans because you will be once you make this dish. It is just a little spicy, uses fresh ingredients and tastes amazing.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Cilantro Rice

Roasted Pork Tenderloins

(This is based off of a recipe by Alton Brown. I changed some
ingredients/measurements and the method used to cook it.)

2 whole pork tenderloins, approximately 2 lbs)
2 limes, zest finely grated
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup honey (the bottle shaped like a bear is usually the best choice)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions (Exactly as I did.)
Trim the pork tenderloins of any excess fat and silver skin. I've
never worked with pork tenderloin that wasn't already prepped for me
so this was super nasty and hard for me to do. The "silver skin" is
the worst part. Wash your hands 4 times after doing this and sanitize
counter twice because raw meat is gross and could poison your family.

Zest the limes. Make sure you zest the top layer of your thumb off
while doing so. The tears, skin and blood add to the experience and
flavor.

Place the zest, lime juice, honey, salt, adobe peppers and minced
garlic in a bowl and stir until honey is not in big globs on the
bottom anymore. Pour the entire marinade mixture into a 1-gallon
resealable bag. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing
as much air as possible and place the bag into another resealable bag
and then place that bag into a bowl and place it in your fridge. The
double bagging + bowl means no raw meat contamination inside your
fridge which could also potentially poison your family. Marinate in
the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through
the time.

When it is about an hour away from being ready to cook, start the rice!

Cilantro Rice

(This recipe is based off of a recipe by Aida Mollenkamp. I also
changed some things, so I am giving you my version.)

Ingredients:
About 2 cups packed cilantro leaves (I used 2 "bunches" from the store.)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium serrano chile, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 1/3 cups free range chicken broth (free range because it makes you
feel better about killing chickens.)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 minced yellow onion (medium sized)
2 cups jasmine rice
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Combine cilantro (I cut off most of the stems but don't worry about
having them in there), garlic, chile, and 2 cups broth in a blender
and process until smooth; set aside.
Be careful not to get the serrano chile juice onto your zested thumb.
If you happen to get some in there anyways, do not put your hands over
your face in pain because then your eyes and thumb will be on fire.
But I digress.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it
shimmers, add onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add rice
and salt stir to coat in oil and cook until rice becomes opaque, about
2 minutes.

After the rice is opaque, dump everything + the rest of the chicken
broth into a rice cooker and push "white rice" button. If you do not
have a rice cooker, this is what Aida tells you to do:
Carefully pour the cilantro mixture and the remaining 1 1/3 cups broth
into the rice and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce
heat to low so rice is at a simmer. Cover and cook until rice is
tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice rest covered for
5 minutes.

If you are awesome and have a rice cooker like me, just walk away and
get the pork out of the fridge while your rice cooks itself. Preheat
your oven to 350 degrees. Put both tenderloins and all the marinade
into a casserole dish and place in preheated oven for 35 minutes.
Check it after 35 minutes and if it does not register 140 on a meat
thermometer or look done when you cut into it, put it back in for 10
more minutes. After it is done, cut it into slices and let it sit in
the marinade and soak it up while you stir up the cilantro rice.
Garnish the pork with the fresh cilantro before serving and add a side
of black beans if you are feeling up to it.

My husband said it was his favorite meal of all time so I took a
picture of his plate to capture the moment. I didn't realize I would
writing the blog on this recipe so I apologize for the crappy phone
picture. Trust me, it tastes WAY better than this picture looks!

Editors Note: Jaren, it looks delicious! Shush your mouth!

Guest Blogger: Mindy Bradley

Mindy (Julia) Bradley (Child)

My goal in life really is to be able to cook like Julia Child.  To attack the kitchen with the same joy and passion that she had.  To not turn away at the thought of simmering, searing, roasting, basting, stuffing, trussing, whatever it may be.  I love cooking, although, I'll be the first to admit that I often tend to shy away when there are more than 10 steps involved.  I will get a hankering for a dish then I will search for hours through cookbooks and the interwebs until I find what I'm looking for.  Often times I will take pieces from this recipe and from that recipe and combine them to satisfy my taste buds.  After I make it once, I will then add my own twist to it.  This makes Chase very nervous.  :)  A few times it has failed, but boy when it succeeds, I love that I can call that recipe my own!  My family cooked dinners, but other than my grandma's chicken and dumplings, we have no "signature" recipe.  I've made this my goal.  I love cooking for my family and have them rave over my dishes.  The place I am truly most comfortable is indeed the kitchen!

This recipe is one of those (sorta) make it my own.  It's based from Rachael Ray's Shephard's Pie.  My dad is probably the pickiest eater on the planet.  A true meat and potatoes kinda guy, as long as the meat is completely well done and the potatoes are mashed and have only salt and pepper on them.  So for your picky eater's pleasure, I introduce to you:

Dad Approved Shephard's Pie

2 sleeves Idahoan potatoes (I used buttery homestyle)
1-2 lb's hamburger (we used deer meat)
1 can corn
1 can peas & carrots
1 mini can peas & carrots
1 packet french onion soup
2 Tbs Butter
2 Tbs flour
1 cup beef broth
2 tsps Worcestershire sauce (4 or 5 splashes)

Cook hamburger meat, drain (if needed).  Add cans of corn and peas & carrots.  In small bowl (I used measuring cup), mix beef broth, worcestershire sauce and french onion soup (it won't be dissolved).  Melt butter in small saucepan, add flour and thicken.  Once thickened, add broth mixture and stir for a minute or two until it thickens.  Add mixture to meat and veggies.  Put in casserole dish (the size will depend on how much meat you make, use your best judgement), top with mashed potatoes and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  If you have cheese eaters you can cheese to the top of your potatoes before you bake it....my dad prevented this from happening.

My own notes*  You can use actual potatoes and make all that from scratch if you'd like, but I kid you not, these Idahoan potatoes and fantastic (and oh so easy)!  You can also change up the veggies that you put in it.  The recipe called for peas too....I didn't miss them.  :)  You can also use a fresh onion or onion powder. I feel as though the soup mix does it justice though. 

Guest Blogger: Molly Cooper

Molly's Worry Free Cooking

(because I've done all the worrying for you!)

When Kelsey asked if I would write a guest post for her food blog, I of course was honored but also thought it was hilarious— me! Asked to be featured on a food blog! As recently as last year, I never thought my culinary skills would improve to such a point. I grew up surrounded by proficient cooks, but I chose to develop other talents, specifically art and design, and disregard anything that involved copious amounts of time spent laboring away in the kitchen.

It wasn't until recently, as Kelsey mentioned, that I've developed a strong interest in cooking and baking. I finally understood what inspires a passion for food and keeps people returning to the kitchen: it is fun watching food come together under your influence! I was surprised at my ability to pull off seemingly complicated recipes. 

The only catch is, thanks to my incessant self-doubting nature, I am constantly worrying as I cook. A million questions run through my head ("they said not to overmix the muffin batter, how can I tell??") and I sometimes feel like I'm stumbling blindly as I struggle to follow a recipe. That being said, I love simple recipes that yield elaborate results, and will share them with my little "worry" notes alongside! This way, the worrying has already been done for you, if you're in any way like me :)

The following recipe for Mini Oreo Cheesecakes is from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, which I found featured on Amy's food blog Playing House. Amy made it sound very approachable, and I deemed it perfect for my first attempt at cheesecake. I brought them to a barbeque last Sunday, and they were well loved by all!

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes 

(Adapted from Playing House, with my additional notes)

Makes 30

42 Oreos (1 package), 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds cream cheese (four 8 oz packages), room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt

(*Before any of the following: bring cream cheese and eggs to room temperature. If you wake up early, put them on the counter and make your coffee and go about your morning routine until they're ready. It takes quite a while, so plan accordingly! Or do the microwave thing.)

1. Preheat oven to 275˚ Fahrenheit. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners or grease well with non-stick baking spray. (*I used foil liners plus a light spray of Pam.) Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand. (*Chopping Oreos with a large, sharp chef's knife worked like a dream.)

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. (*I filled mine to the very top— don't be shy! Though the amount of batter I ended up with concerned me at first, this recipe yields the perfect amount for 30 cheesecakes.) Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight. (*I wish mine had hung out in the fridge a little longer than 5 hours, try to plan for as much chill time as possible.) 

These were such a huge hit and were delightfully simple to make, I highly recommend trying them out! Thank you Kelsey for allowing me to share this recipe :)