Reese’s Puffs Puppy Chow + A Giveaway!

Posted on May 14, 2013 by

IMG_4790Did you know tomorrow is National Chocolate Chip Day? I couldn’t wait to use the fancy chocolate chips I bought over the weekend though, so I melted them down to make this Reese’s Puffs Puppy Chow. It’s a great snack for when you’re getting those peanut butter blues! Be advised: making puppy chow is messy business but the payoff is 100% worth it. Want something even sweeter? Today I’m hosting my first giveaway! Details are listed after this delicious recipe.

IMG_4801Recipe: Reese’s Puffs Puppy Chow

What You Need:

  • 6 cups corn Chex cereal
  • 4 cups Reese’s Puffs cereal
  •  1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 bag peanut butter chips

What To Do:

1. Divide the Chex evenly between two large bowls.

2. Add 1 cup Reese’s Puffs to each of the bowls.

3. Pour chocolate chips into a small bowl and heat in the microwave for 40 seconds. Stir the chips and microwave again. Do this until the chocolate is smooth when you mix it. Then do the same for the peanut butter chips.

4. Pour the chocolate into one of your bowls and gently stir, being careful not to crush the cereal. Make sure all of the cereal is coated. I highly recommend using your hands to help make sure all of the cereal gets coated. Just make sure you have lots of paper towels near by because your hands will get messy.

5. Place coated cereal on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

6. Repeat this process with the peanut butter and place the mixture on a separate lined baking sheet.

7. Let the coated cereal harden, about 30 minutes. The peanut butter will harden faster than the chocolate. If after 30 minutes the chocolate is still sticky, place the baking sheet in the fridge for 30 minutes.

8. In a large tupperware container, mix both the chocolate and peanut butter cereals together. Add in the rest of the Reese’s Puffs until they are distributed evenly.

9. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

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Now here’s the even sweeter part. I’m hosting my first giveaway on the blog to celebrate big news I received last week. Last month I entered my Chocolate Covered Espresso Cookies in a recipe contest sponsored by my favorite ice cream company, Ben & Jerry’s, and I found out that I won! Not only will I get awesome Ben & Jerry’s swag (hello, free ice cream!), but I found out my recipe is going to be featured in All You magazine this fall! The editors weren’t sure which month it would be published in, but I am so excited nonetheless.

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I want you to celebrate with my so I’m doing a cookie themed giveaway! The winner will receive a copy of the Crazy About Cookies cookbook, an adorable set of 4 measuring spoons from World Market, and a dozen of the cookies that will be published in All You! Sound good? Use the RaffleCopter below to enter for your chance to win. The giveaway will end next Tuesday, May 21st.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in Desserts, Giveaways | 20 Comments

Grilled Chicken and Arugula Pizza

Posted on May 8, 2013 by

IMG_4664Being Italian and from New York, I get weird looks when I tell people I’m not really a pizza person. I just think I had one too many greasy, slimy pepperoni slices when I was younger and I fell out of love with a yankee diet staple. Now that I’m older there are a few exceptions to this distrust of pizza, thanks in part to friends forcing their love of it on me:

1.) Man Pizza – A BBQ chicken, bacon, and mushroom pizza that my best friend and I ate far too often in college.

2.) Zesty Veggie Pizza from Cici’s – Who knows why? It’s different and I pretend it’s healthy.

3.) The Sun-Dried Tomato & Arugula pizza from Studio Movie Grill.

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In case you don’t know what Studio Movie Grill is, SMG is a movie theatre that serves you food while you watch your film. They also have nights where they have food and drink specials, my favorite being All You Can Eat Pizza Wednesdays. Alas, my 3rd exception to the no-pizza rule is on their menu so I shamefully eat as much of it as possible. A few weeks ago I realized I didn’t have to wait until Wednesdays to cram all of this doughy goodness into my mouth. I tried it out at home but added grilled chicken on top for some extra protein. I was impressed with how spot-on it tasted since I was just going off of sense memory.

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Recipe: Grilled Chicken and Arugula Pizza

What You Need:

  • 1 cup sliced grilled chicken, cooked 
  • 1 cup arugula
  • 4 oz feta cheese
  • 4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 pizza crust
  • What To Do:

    1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F.

    2. In a small saucepan, heat balsamic vinegar and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and glaze begins to thicken.

    3. Lightly spread glaze on pizza crust.

    **It is very important to only do a thin layer. Even though you’ll probably have glaze left over, if you put it on too heavily, it will soak through the crust and make your pizza permanently stick to your pizza pan — I know from experience**

    4. Top the glaze with feta, tomatoes, and arugula.

    5. Evenly distribute your chicken pieces onto the pizza.

    6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

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Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Posted on May 7, 2013 by

IMG_4755I don’t have the greatest track record when it comes to relationships. However, I do have an exceptional connection with desserts. That’s why when my first major romance went down the tubes, the happy memory that stuck with me was of this pie.

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My first real boyfriend’s grandmother used to make me this pie for every holiday (along with these seriously addictive chocolate brownies) and I am disappointed I never once asked her for the recipe. Although her grandson and I parted ways years ago, I was still a little scared to send an email asking if he could get it for me. I knew I could easily google strawberry rhubarb pie recipes, but I really wanted to do the little old English lady who taught me how to play Skip-Bo and made me hot chocolate during every single tea time justice. This attempt wasn’t as perfect as I would have hoped, but the flavors are all there and I really wanted to share my affection for this pie (and my ever-lasting love for Nan) with you all now.

IMG_0776Recipe: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

What You Need for the Crust:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

What You Need for the Filling:

  • 3 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 3 cups sliced strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

 

Additional:

  • 1 egg yolk for brushing

 

 

What To Do:

1. Mix all the crust ingredients together in a mixer or large bowl.

2. Separate the dough into two equal portions and place each one in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.

3.  While your dough is in the fridge, mix all of your filling ingredients together.

4. Roll out one of your dough balls on a generously floured cutting board until it is wide enough to fit in your pie pan. Gently push down and around the edges until it fits. It some hangs over, carefully tear it off.

5. Fill your pie pan with your fruit filling until it is even with the top of the pan.

6. Roll out your other dough ball and cut into strips the length of your pan.

7. Lay strips about 1 inch apart on your pie. To do the lattice pieces the other way, alternate lifting up the pieces you already have put down for an over-under look.

8. Bake at 400 F for 50 minutes

9.  Serve with whipped cream. Yes, that is mandatory. Whipped cream is the answer to everything.

Posted in Desserts | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Jalapeno Tuna Melt

Posted on May 6, 2013 by

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This weekend I took my first-ever trip to Whole Foods on a quest for some rhubarb to make Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie. Of course I couldn’t just pick up the rhubarb and check out. I had to mill all around the store inspecting everything else. That’s how I came across their boxes of “Cheese Under $3″, which I dug through for several minutes like a child going through a toy box. I then came across this Habanero Cheddar, which I got to sample. It is a sweet cheddar with a tiny kick — until you’re done. Then it really hits you. It was perfect. I also found this Rosemary Sourdough with a mouth-watering aroma. That’s when I decided it was time to share this sandwich with all of you.

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You know when you were little and people asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? Most of my friends said they wanted to be teachers or veterinarians. I wanted to be a sandwich maker at Subway. That was my life’s one true purpose. My calling. Of course I eventually found bigger (and frankly, better) goals, but I still loved Subway. That’s why when my friend told me about his favorite sandwich creation – Jalapeno Tuna — I had to try it out. It sounded bizarre and semi-awful, but I wanted to see what all of his hub-bub was about. When I ordered it, the sandwich maker even gave me a look of confusion. I bit in with hesitation and it was delicious. I don’t know why I never thought of it before. Now I order it semi-frequently to warm my heart and to clear my sinuses. With my Whole Foods find, I decided to create a warm version of one of my favorite sub sandwiches that you could make at home.

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Recipe: Jalapeno Tuna Melt

Makes 1 sandwich

What You Need:

  • 2 slices sourdough bread
  • 1 can (5 oz.) light chunk tuna in water
  • 2 tablespoons mayonaise
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup jalapeno slices (I used canned)
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 1 slice cheddar or swiss cheese, broken into pieces **

What To Do:

1. Drain your can of tuna. Place it in a bowl with the spices, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon mayonaise. Blend well.

2. Spread tuna on 1 slice of your bread.Evenly distribute jalapenos onto the tuna. Cover with half of your cheese.

3. On the other slice of bread, spread the remaining mayo. Top with tomato and the remaining cheese.

4. Place both halves of your sandwich on an ungreased baking sheet and broil until the cheese melts and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.

** I used the Habanero Cheddar I found at Whole Foods. The cheddar taste was delicious, but the extra peppers made the sandwich fiery. It was not messing around. I went through 3 glasses of water. It was still delicious, but if you can’t handle your mouth feeling like it’s engulfed in flames you might be better sticking to a normal cheese.

Posted in Main Dishes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pancakes and Bacon Cookies

Posted on May 2, 2013 by

Dining with Dani is now on Facebook! Go here to like the page and get more updates about what’s cooking in the kitchen!

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I came up with the idea for these cookies while I was sitting in line for the film festival and knew I had to make them for this month’s The Leftovers Club. In case you missed last month’s post, The Leftovers Club is the baked good exchange club between food bloggers. On the first Thursday of every month we take what we’ve made and ship it to another blogger to eat. I was so excited about the prospect of the cookies that I forgot the author of Healthy Delicious was going to receive them. They are delicious, but probably not so healthy. Sorry, Lauren!

IMG_4609It took me three attempts to get these cookies right. On the first go around, my puppy jumped up on me while I was adding salt to the batter. This wouldn’t have been a problem except the Kitchen Aid mixer was spinning when it happened so you can imagine how lovely those tasted. The next time I added too much syrup and not enough baking powder and the cookies came out in one, big flat sheet. Finally I realized what they needed was a little chilling time before baking. They came out of the oven heavenly, syrup-y, and packed full of bacon.

IMG_4610Recipe: Pancakes & Bacon Cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies

What You Need:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup pancake mix
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 12 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg

 

What To Do:

1. Cream together the butter, sugar, and the egg.

2. Add in flour, pancake mix, baking powder, and baking soda.

3. Gently pour in maple syrup. Mix well.

4. Add half (6 slices) of your bacon. Mix until there is bacon in all of your dough.

5. Chill dough for at least 1 hour. **This step is so important. If you don’t refrigerate the dough, the cookies will be too runny and will ultimately bake together into one large, thin sheet.**

6. Preheat oven to 350 F.

7. Heap teaspoons of the dough onto greased cookie sheets. Using your teaspoon, gently press down the top of cookies.

8. Add two or three pieces of the crumbled bacon to each dough ball.

9. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies are slightly golden.

Love these cookies? Check out the Chocolate Covered Espresso Cookies I made for the club last month:

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Want more Leftovers Club goodies? Here’s what all of my fellow bloggers made this month –

Savory Simple - Quinoa Energy Bars
The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen - Cashew Butter and Blackerry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Eats Well With Others - Salted Caramel Shortbread
Frugal Foodie Mama - Cookie Butter Pecan Bars
Let’s Give Peas a Chance - Chocolate Stout Brownies
Budget Gourmet Mom - Crisp Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches
Sugar Dish Me - Strawberry Lemonade Loaf
Roxana’s Home Baking – Chocolate Chip Bars
O’Boy! Organic - Rhubarb Cake
Eat Bake Drink Cook - Everything Cookies
Healthy. Delicious. - Carrot Cake Granola
Souffle Bombay - Sweet & Spicy Pecans
The Spiced Life - Garam Masala Caramel Corn
Whey Beyond the Naked Truth - Chia Seed Protein Bites
Don’t you wish you could enjoy some of these leftovers with us? You can!  Visit The Leftovers Club online for more details!
Posted in Desserts | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Spicy Blender Salsa

Posted on May 1, 2013 by

IMG_4688Sunday is Cinco de Mayo! Can you believe it’s May already? 2013 is going by so fast. I have a TON of Mexican-inspired recipes I want to try out this weekend, but I’m getting you guys prepared with my famous Spicy Blender Salsa. It takes under 5 minutes to make and it tastes awesome! I have made it dozens of times to bring to parties…and to just eat a ton of by myself. If you’re having people over to celebrate and you want something with a little kick, this salsa is your best bet.

IMG_4700Recipe: Easy Blender Salsa

Makes 2 cups

What You Need:

  • 2 10-oz. cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1 medium white onion, quartered
  • 1/3 cup cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice

    What To Do:

    1. Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth.

    2. Serve.

    How easy is that?!

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Cheesy Tomato and Grilled Chicken Baked Potatoes

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

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Potatoes are, clearly, the best vegetable.  I know that potatoes are a carb and that if I want to be skinny by summer I should probably steer clear of them, but I just can’t help myself. Baked, scalloped, mashed, it doesn’t matter. I. Love. Potatoes.

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Besides carby goodness, I also love couponing. Sunday morning are my favorites because I sit down with the inserts from the paper and cut coupons while looking for the best deals in the local ads. It’s an addicition. My cousin Lexi, who I talk about a lot in this blog and who is the #1 fan of my culinary talents, often teases me about my love of coupons but then loves to go with me and watch me use them to get stuff for totally free. I read blogs about it as well and a few weeks ago I discovered a program called Ibotta. Ibotta is an app you can download for FREE on your phone that will give you dsicounts on items you purchase at the grocery store. You simply do the tasks on that item like answer polls or watch short videos. Then you take a picture of the receipt and scan the barcode of your item to make sure it matches. If it does, Ibotta rewards you the money into an account that you can transfer to PayPal. So essentially they act like coupons. So when I saw an Ibotta offer for Tyson’s Grilled and Ready Chicken strips, which were on sale at Target and I had regular coupons too, I bought a ton of them. It’s a win win because now I’ll be making a ton of grilled chicken recipes! You don’t need the strips to make these. Just cut up a chicken breast into chunks. Easy weeknight dinner!

Wanna check out Ibotta? Go here.

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Recipe: Cheesy Tomato and Grilled Chicken

Makes 4 large potatoes

What You Need:

  • 4 large baking potatoes
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 pound chicken breast, cooked cut into chunks

What To Do:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.

2. Using a fork, poke holes into the potatoes. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.

3. Let the potatoes cool for 5 minutes. Slice each potato down the center. In a small bowl, scoop out the insides out each potato. It’s easier to do one potato at a time, that way you have even proportions for what goes back inside each one.

4. Mix the potatoes with cheese, tomatoes, and chicken.

5. Sprinkle the top of each potato with a little extra cheese.

6. Set your oven to broil. Place potatoes back in the oven until the cheese melts. This should take about two minutes.

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