Melanie here.  As most of you know, I wrote a book called ‘Two Hundred Things Every Woman Should Do Before She Dies’.  Well, if I had room for one more thing on that list, making this Monkey Bread recipe would surely have come in at number two hundred and one.  It’s so delicious that everyone should make it at least once before they die.  This recipe is unhealthy though, so make sure you share it with friends on a special occasion.  They will go bananas for this pull-apart bread!


Ingredients:

2 packages instant cinnamon roll dough

Brown Sugar Coating:
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ cup chopped pecans
1 cup coconut
8 tablespoons melted butter

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
Coat the inside of a bundt pan liberally with butter to prevent sticking, then put aside.  Remove the cinnamon roll dough from its packaging.  Let it rise a bit, and then flatten into a square.  Cut the dough into a good amount of bite size pieces.  Roll the pieces of dough into balls, and place aside.  In a bowl, mix chopped pecans, coconut, cinnamon, and brown sugar.  In a second bowl, melt the butter.  Take each dough ball, and dip into the melted butter and then into the coating mixture.  Line the bundt pan with the dough balls, trying to keep air pockets to a minimum as you form layers.  Bake at 350 degrees until top is dark brown.  Let cool.  For the glaze, mix confectioners’ sugar and milk in a bowl until any lumps have dissipated.  Remove monkey bread from the bundt pan and pour glaze over the top!  Make sure you share with friends, because if you don’t, you might end up polishing off this delicious dessert by yourself in one shame-filled sitting.

image credit:Alexandra-Grablewski

We all need a little Cleveland in our kitchen! Melanie’s Cleveland Kitchen are yummy recipes especially for fans of Hot in Cleveland. Put that cute apron on, cook somethin’ good and settle in with the ladies on Wednesday night (or any night). To make it complete, pair with your favorite Cocktail!

Elka’s been on a bit of a vampire kick lately.  She’s been reading every book about them, and watching every movie and TV show starring them.  Naturally, she’s demanded all her food to be red.  It gets difficult cooking and eating only red foods after a while.  Hot dogs?  No thanks.  Cabbage?  Too bland.  Pomegranates?  Way too hard to open.  Blood pudding?  Really, really gross.  Red Velvet Cake?  AMAZING!  But wayyyyy too many calories.  So today, when I had a hankering for some hummus, I decided to please both Elka and I by adding a few beets to my hummus recipe to give it a bright red color!

Ingredients

2 very large beets

2 tablespoons of tahini

2 cups chickpeas

2 medium cloves are garlic

1 small lemon

1 tsp sea salt

Pita Bread

Cucumber Slices

Pepper strips

Directions

Peel and chop the beats into medium sized cubes.  Put them into a saucepan with just enough water to cover the cubes, and simmer until softened.  Drain the water, and combine the beets, chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon, and salt in a food processor and blend until your desired consistency.  Serve with pieces of pita, cucumber slices, pepper strips, or anything else you want to scoop delicious hummus on top of!  Do not serve in daylight.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Calvert and Photolibrary

Watch Elka go on a Vampire tear this WEDNESDAY 10PM/9C on TV Land!

We all need a little Cleveland in our kitchen! Melanie’s Cleveland Kitchen are yummy recipes especially for fans of Hot in Cleveland. Put that cute apron on, cook somethin’ good and settle in with the ladies on Wednesday night (or any night). To make it complete, pair with your favorite cocktail!

Elka has a habit of caring for animals.  Whether it’s adopting Chance to give him a good home, or educating Joy, Victoria and me about the latest endangered species, she is always looking out for our defenseless four-legged friends.  In honor of her love of animals, this week I am giving you a meatless recipe for delicious “Elka-Approved” Veggie Burgers.  And by “Elka-Approved” I mean veggie burgers Cleveland-style: no quinoa, bulgur, or lentils involved.

Ingredients

Olive Oil
3 tbsp diced red onion
2 tbsp diced black olives
2 tbsp diced red bell peppers
1 tsp diced jalapeno
1.5 tbsp diced garlic
4 oz. black beans, drained
4 oz. chickpeas, drained
4 oz. white beans, drained
1 egg
Dry Mix:
2 cups rolled oats
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp minced fresh parsley
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp chili flakes

Directions

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and then add the raw vegetables and garlic.  Sauté until translucent, then remove from heat and cool.  Next, combine all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the beans, chickpeas and the sautéed vegetables, mixing thoroughly.  Then add in the dry ingredients, along with the egg.  Form the mixture into patties, and cook as you would a normal burger!

Photo Courtesy of Alexandra Rowley