FINDING ARIZONA KITCHENS: STRAWBERRY POUND CAKE

Valentine’s Day is near and since you have already broke the diet and ate girl scout cookies, you might as well mix up this treat and share it with someone you love. Did you (not want to) know they call it pound cake because you add a pound of sugar, butter and flour? That is why one slice is enough. This is a pretty, and pretty easy cake to make.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 Pint Strawberries (fresh)

• 1 Cup Butter

• 3 Cups Sugar

• 5 Large Eggs

• 3 Cups Flour (Sifted)

• 1 Tsp Salt

• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

• 1 Cup Buttermilk

• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

• *OPTIONAL 1/2 Tsp Red Food Coloring 

  FOR THE GLAZE:

• 2 Tbsp Strawberry Puree 

• 2 Cups Powdered Sugar

• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

• 1 Tsp Lemon Juice

Directions:

1. Start by washing your strawberries and de-stemming them. Puree them and set aside 2 tablespoons for the glaze.

2. Next, add the puree to a sauce pan and reduce it for 15-20 minutes. The final product should be around 1/2 cup and thick. Cool to room temperature.

3. Pre-heat your oven to 325 and prep your bunt pan with the method of your choosing.

4. In a mixing bowl beat your room temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy 4-6 minutes on high speed. Add your eggs 1 at a time.

5. Turn your mixer to a low speed before you add your flour. Add the flour in increments as well to avoid spilling out of your mixer. Finally add your salt and baking soda and scrape down the sides of your bowl. Be careful not to over beat your flour.

6. Buttermilk is next to add to your dough. Combine lemon juice with milk to DIY Buttermilk at home.

7. Mix in your vanilla extract and your strawberry puree. If you chose this is when you would add food color if you really want to brighten your mixture. Pour into bunt pan and bake for 60 minutes or until you can toothpick check your cake. Stick a toothpick in and if it comes our dry, its done! (One time check per pick)

8. The cake takes a while to cook and cool so I don’t recommend prepping the glaze too far in advance. When you’re ready whisk all ingredients together: lemon, powered sugar and strawberry puree. Check the consistency of the glaze by seeing how it runs down a spoon. Add more powder sugar if its too runny and more lemon juice to liquefy it.

I love making this cake and how delicious it was. It serves beautifully with fresh strawberries and with coffee or tea in the mornings for a sweet treat. Let me know your thoughts bellow; I would love to try making other seasonal fruit versions.

XoXo Britt

FINDING ARIZONA KITCHENS: ALBONDIGAS SOUP

Albondigas (Mexican Meatball) Soup is one of my top 3 favorite soups! Its full of flavor, delicious meatballs and juicy vegetables. Growing up my best friend would have it cooking in her home every Friday and the smell just brings back so many memories. I saw a close friend making it and asked for the recipe. After a few tweaks and measurements, its perfect, and I am ready to share it with your kitchen too!

Ingredients:

• 1 Stalk Celery 

• 1 Bag Baby Carrots 

• 2-3 Large Potatoes

• 1 Onion

• 6 Cloves of Garlic

• 4-6 Ears of Corn

• 2-3 Large Zucchini

• 1 Bunch Cilantro

• 3/4 Cup Uncooked Rice

• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes

• 1 Can Tomato Sauce

• 1 lb. ground beef

• 2 Eggs

• 2-3 Cubes Chicken Bouillon

Directions:

1. Dice onion and garlic. Saute in a large soup pot half of your onion and garlic in olive oil until golden- not brown. While you are watching the onion you can begin to prep your meatballs.

2. Mix in a bowl ground beef, remaining garlic and onion, cilantro, uncooked rice and pepper and salt if desired. Chill in fridge and allow flavors to blend and meat to get cold. Meatballs are easier to form the colder your mixture.

3. When your onions are golden in your pot,  add diced tomatoes and let simmer to blend flavors.

4. Add tomato sauce and water to create a 3/4 full pot. Add bouillon and bring to a rolling boil before you add in any meatballs. But, while you’re waiting you can continue to prep your meatballs.

5. Using your hands, roll meat mixture into meat balls all the same size and place them, softly and one by one, in boiling water 20 minutes. Cover. Meatballs will begin to float once fully cooked.

6. After 15 minutes of the meatballs boiling add vegetables chopped to your preference of a bite size and stir occasionally. Be very gently the more aggressive you are the more your meatballs break in your soup.

7. One pot will serve between 8-12 people. It is best serve garnished with fresh diced onion, cilantro, lime, and crushed red peppers. Leftovers, if you have any are good for 3 days. I also paired it with a garlic avocado sourdough toast.

This soup is perfect for the chilly weather and also goes well will all the tamales you have left over from the holidays. Thanks for getting in the kitchen with me, again. Looking forward to more recipes.

XoXo Britt

FINDING ARIZONA KITCHENS: CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

This is one of my favorite summer dishes. As a kid I loved helping my mom making it in the kitchen. Growing up, I realized I wasn’t the only one who ate it. Jose’s mom made a similar salad as a kid too! Living in Arizona you are always looking for quick meals to make, that don’t heat the house up. So not only is this salad a great, quick and easy dinner, it also meal preps perfectly for weekly lunches!

Ingredients:

• 1  Bag Cole Slaw Mix

• 1 Chicken Breast

• 1 Green Onion

• 1 C Slivered Almonds

• 1 Pack Chicken Ramen Noodles

• 1 Tbls Olive Oil

• 2 Tbls Vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. This is just for roasting your almonds, you can also just use them straight from the bag, but the roasted flavor ads something amazing to the dish.

2. Boil your chicken breast and cook thoroughly. You can always use this broth later just store it, once it cools down, in a mason jar and the next recipe calling for chicken stock you have 100% natural, organic, sodium free, gluten free (lol) broth on hand.

3. Roast the almonds, as your oven should be preheated by now. Begin chopping the green onion and mixing the cole slaw in a large mixing bowl.

4. Thoroughly cool chicken before dicing and adding to slaw and make sure to thoroughly cool almonds before adding to slaw. You do not want your cabbage getting warm it will lose its crunch immediately.

5. Time for the sauce! If you love ramen as much as I do you probably have packets on hand as staples. One you need is 1 Chicken Ramen packet. Using the spices packet whisk oil and vinegar until dissolved. You can use your choice of vinegar, balsamic is best, but we always have apple cider on hand for our daily morning cleanse drink.

6. Mix the dressing in with the slaw, chicken and almonds. Finally, crush the uncooked noodles for a crunchy topping and serve!

7. One salad bag serves 4-6 people, but store leftovers for lunches for the week. TIP! If you plan on meal prepping layer the containers starting with the dressing then slaw, then almonds, add chicken and onions, finally top with ramen so when you are ready to eat you just pour upside down and it is the perfect freshness!

Let me know what you think, and how it turned out!

XoXo Britt

FINDING ARIZONA KITCHENS: PEANUT BUTTER PUPPY BISCUITS

When we adopted WInter 2 months ago I was shopping for dog treats and after reading the ingredients list I said to myself- I can make all this! So I went to my kitchen and started pulling ingredients. Now I’m back at it in the Finding Arizona Kitchen and sharing my recipe, but this time I’m cooking up biscuits for my biscuit. Here is a delicious treat for your dog- Peanut Butter Puppy Biscuits.

Ingredients:

• 1  C Coconut Flour

• 1/2 C Natural Peanut Butter

• 2  Lg Eggs

• 1/2 C Water  

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and begin to mix your ingredients.

2. Cream eggs, peanut butter and water together in a large mixing bowl.

3. Next add the coconut flour to make a dough.

4. Shape into balls all the same size and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 20 (chewy) to 40 minutes (crispy). Depends on your dog’s preference and age on the texture of your biscuit.

5. Thoroughly cool before rewarding. Store in airtight container up to two weeks. Because this is a natural product with NO PRESERVATIVES you want to serve them fresh!

Let me know what you think, and how it turned out! Also if you are in the market for a new furry friend, remember to #AdoptDontShop. Check out the Adopt-a-Pet.com website to learn how you can sign up for alerts for certain breeds and areas to find your next best friend.

XoXo Britt

FINDING ARIZONA KITCHENS: ZUPPA TOSCANA

Practicing my wifey skills in the kitchen I have learned to make a damn good soup! And once you master a skill you really see how far you can take it. I have done it you guys! I have recreated The Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana! And here it is- Print it and add to your recipe collection.

Ingredients:

• 1  Lb Ground Italian Sausage

• 3  Tbls Butter

• 2  Tbls Flour

• 2  C Milk

• 4  C Chicken Broth

• 3  Lg Potatoes Thinly Sliced

• 1  Bunch De-stemmed Kale

• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Get yourself a nice ground italian sausage meat. I like a spicy one and recommend getting fresh from a deli. Yes, I have made it with the Walmart meats, but there is a difference. After you brown the sausage remove from pan and leave the grease!

2. Melt butter in grease and whisk flour. We are making a ROUX people! Basically the best beginning to a gravy- flour and fat! This is an important step: cook flour a few minutes to remove flour taste, like 35 minutes on low heat.

3. Once the Roux is thick, add the milk 1 cup at a time. Wisk in with fork. (if you stop after 1 cup you have an amazing gravy and my family’s secret gravy recipe, so you are welcome). Add salt and pepper if desired. 

4. Next add the chicken broth. One cup at a time, stir until it reaches rolling boil. Re add the sausage.

5. While the broth is boiling up, slice potatoes into 1/8 - 1/4 inch add to boiling broth. Drop in slowly as not to splash and burn yourself.

6. While the papatoes cook, wash and de stem your kale. Once potatoes are fork tender (about 10- 15 minutes) add kale and lid stirring occasionally. Boil for 10 minutes to soften kale.

7. Serve it warm and feed 4-6 people. You can store leftovers for only a day if they last but also because the potatoes start getting mushy after day 2. There probably wont be left overs thought, js.

Let me know what you think, and how it turned out!

XoXo Britt

Copy of FINDING ARIZONA KITCHENS: ZUPPA TOSCANA

Practicing my wifey skills in the kitchen I have learned to make a damn good soup! And once you master a skill you really see how far you can take it. I have done it you guys! I have recreated The Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana! And here it is- Print it and add to your recipe collection.

Ingredients:

• 1  Lb Ground Italian Sausage

• 3  Tbls Butter

• 2  Tbls Flour

• 2  C Milk

• 4  C Chicken Broth

• 3  Lg Potatoes Thinly Sliced

• 1  Bunch De-stemmed Kale

• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Get yourself a nice ground italian sausage meat. I like a spicy one and recommend getting fresh from a deli. Yes, I have made it with the Walmart meats, but there is a difference. After you brown the sausage remove from pan and leave the grease!

2. Melt butter in grease and whisk flour. We are making a ROUX people! Basically the best beginning to a gravy- flour and fat! This is an important step: cook flour a few minutes to remove flour taste, like 35 minutes on low heat.

3. Once the Roux is thick, add the milk 1 cup at a time. Wisk in with fork. (if you stop after 1 cup you have an amazing gravy and my family’s secret gravy recipe, so you are welcome). Add salt and pepper if desired. 

4. Next add the chicken broth. One cup at a time, stir until it reaches rolling boil. Re add the sausage.

5. While the broth is boiling up, slice potatoes into 1/8 - 1/4 inch add to boiling broth. Drop in slowly as not to splash and burn yourself.

6. While the papatoes cook, wash and de stem your kale. Once potatoes are fork tender (about 10- 15 minutes) add kale and lid stirring occasionally. Boil for 10 minutes to soften kale.

7. Serve it warm and feed 4-6 people. You can store leftovers for only a day if they last but also because the potatoes start getting mushy after day 2. There probably wont be left overs thought, js.

Let me know what you think, and how it turned out!

XoXo Britt