Chef Marie: Baking and Cooking

I have finally mastered a recipe that tastes like a Starbucks latte. I found this recipe on Torani's website. Here's what you'll need: - 2 tbs. salted caramel Torani syrup - 1 cup milk  - 1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee  Directions:  1) Using a milk steamer or frother, combine the milk and Torani syrup. 2) Brew the coffee. 3) In a glass, pour in the coffee and add the milk mixture. 4) Enjoy!  

I made these scrumptious Zucchini Fritters a few months ago. My sister made them before, and so I decided to try to make them. They are pretty healthy and bake right in the oven. Ingredients: - 1 zucchini - 1 yellow squash - a few mini red bell peppers - 1 tomato - 1 sweet potato - 1 egg - 2 tbs. olive oil - 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese Directions: 1. Cut all of the vegetables into small square pieces 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 3. In a medium bowl mix the olive oil and egg together 4. Add the vegetables to the olive oil/egg mix; stir well 5. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil 6. Use a large spoon to create balls/clumps of the vegetable mixture 7. Sprinkle each one with cheese 8. Bake for 25-30 minutes There you have it! Healthy Zucchini Fritters!

My new favorite thing: mason jar salads. Since I work at World Market, I am surrounded by food and mason jars. One day I stumbled upon the mason jar recipe book. This book is AMAZING!! It has so many recipe ideas to make the perfect lunch or dinner. And, when you use a mason jar, the salad dressing goes in the bottom, so that your salad won't get soggy! It's genius! You can make a salad the night before and when you eat it the next day, it will still taste fresh.  My favorite is the blueberry and corn salad. You can also mix it up, so you don't have to follow each ingredient. Just wing it!  I usually add 3 Tbs. of vinegar based dressing. Then I add in tomatoes, peppers, green beans, or beets. Then I add in the lettuce or kale, the chicken or meats, and then add any seeds, nuts or cheeses.  Delicious!! This book is by Julia Mirabella. 

Ok. So, I did not make this recipe. However, I work at World Market and had to try these muffins. All you have to do is buy the box of JAZ muffins and add a few ingredients. They are so easy to make and taste so savory. These are great for dinners as a substitute for plain old rolls. Add these in for more flavor! If you happen to stop by a World Market, make sure you pick up a box of these JAZ bacon cheddar onion muffins. 

This spiced mocha mix is delicious! My grandma sent me this link from cooks.com (http://www.cooks.com/recipe/7z89f2vt/spiced-mocha-mix.html).  The recipe makes a mix that you can save and use later on.  I had to improvise a little bit, since I didn't have all of the ingredients. I didn't have enough cocoa mix or the coffee powder. Nonetheless, it still tasted great! With coffe mixed in, it serves as a great afternoon pick-me-up.  

The other night I was craving pizza, but didn't want to spend time making the dough. So, instead I used tortillas. These create a lighter more healthier tasting pizza. All you need is a few ingredients, and you can really use whatever you want. Here is what I used (I made 2 tortilla pizzas): - 2 whole wheat tortillas  - 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese  - 1/4 cup pizza sauce  - 6 pepperonis (depending on the size) - 1/4 cup diced tomato - 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms  - oregano to sprinkle on top Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and just cook until the cheese melts (about 8-10 min).  There you have it! An easy and light pizza perfect for Friday night.