Tarheel Table

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup like the Olive Garden

2011-12-12T07:25:00.000-05:00

We rarely go to the Olive Garden or any Italian place for dinner. Face it, I'm not going to pay $15 for one plate of pasta when I can make at home for $5 and feed 4 people. But they were running the soup and salad deal so my husband and I went for a late lunch one day. I fell in love with the chicken and gnocchi soup. It was warm, creamy, and delicious. Only there wasn't enough gnocchi in the soup for me. Heck one bowl they brought out didn't have a single gnocchi in it. I knew then I could find a recipe and make it myself. The only problem is I couldn't find gnocchi at my local store so I substituted orecchiette and I put in a lot of them. It was wonderful. I have since made a trip to Trader Joe's and found gnocchi so next time I make it, it will be true chicken and gnocchi soup.

I also used chicken from ones we had grill roasted. I love to fill my grill up with whole chickens and cook several all at once. I mean why not? It freezes well and it takes the same amount of time and effort to cook one chicken as it does to cook four. We have a roast chicken dinner the night we cook them and after they cool we pick the chickens and put the pieces into freezer bags. Then it is ready for soup or casseroles or pot pie. It pays to think ahead.

Yield: 8 servings.
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half
1 14 ounce can chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Freshly grated parmesan cheese – optional
1 pound potato gnocchi – can buy this in the gourmet section of many supermarkets
Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil, over medium heat when the onion becomes translucent, add the flour, and make a roux, let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions.

Into the roux add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings, simmer until soup is heated through.

Recipe found at CopyKat.

Pumpkin Bread Sandwich with a Pumpkin Seed and Cream Cheese Filling

2011-09-25T20:48:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin Bread Sandwich with a Pumpkin Seed and Cream Cheese Filling

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2000

Prep Time:: 25 min
Inactive Prep Time:: 20 min
Cook Time:: 1 hr 0 min

Level:: Easy

Serves:: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 teaspoon butter
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup light brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup toasted pecan pieces
1 cup Cream Cheese Filling, recipe follows
Shaker confectioners' sugar
8 sprigs fresh mint

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the shortening and sugar. Cream the mixture until smooth. Sift the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the creamed mixture and mix until incorporated. Add the pumpkin puree and mix until smooth. Add the sifted flour mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, alternately with the buttermilk until all is incorporated and the batter is smooth. Fold in the pecans.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Slice the bread into 1/2-inch slices. Spread the some of the Cream Cheese Frosting between 2 slices and form a sandwich. Slice in half diagonally and place against eachother on a serving plate. Garnish with confectioners' sugar and a sprig of fresh mint.

Pumpkin Seed and Cream Cheese Filling:

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, salted and toasted

With an electric mixer, in a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and milk and mix well. Fold in the pumpkin seeds.

Yield: about 1 cup

Tortilla Soup

2011-09-25T16:31:00.000-04:00

one of our favorites, from Cooks Illustrated March 2005

Ingredients

Tortilla Strips
8 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1tablespoon vegetable oil
Table salt
Soup
2 split bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds) or 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 pounds), skin removed and well trimmed of excess fat
8cups low-sodium chicken broth
1very large white onion (about 1 pound), trimmed of root end, quartered, and peeled
4medium cloves garlic , peeled
Table salt
2sprigs epazote , fresh, or 8 to 10 sprigs fresh cilantro plus 1 sprig fresh oregano
2 medium tomatoes , cored and quartered
1/2 medium jalapeño chile
1 chipotle chile en adobo , plus up to 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1tablespoon vegetable oil
Garnishes
1 lime , cut into wedges
1 Hass avocado , diced fine
Fresh cilantro leaves
8ounces cotija cheese , crumbled, or Monterey Jack cheese, diced fine
Minced jalapeno pepper
Mexican crema or sour cream

Instructions

1. FOR THE TORTILLA STRIPS: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread tortilla strips on rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with oil and toss until evenly coated. Bake until strips are deep golden brown and crisped, about 14 minutes, rotating pan and shaking strips (to redistribute) halfway through baking time. Season strips lightly with salt; transfer to plate lined with several layers paper towels.
2. FOR THE SOUP: While tortilla strips bake, bring chicken, broth, 2 onion quarters, 2 garlic cloves, epazote, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil over medium-high heat in large saucepan; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer; discard solids in strainer. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces; discard bones.
3. Puree tomatoes, 2 remaining onion quarters, 2 remaining garlic cloves, jalapeño, chipotle chile, and 1 teaspoon adobo sauce in food processor until smooth. Heat oil in Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering; add tomato/onion puree and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has darkened in color, about 10 minutes. Stir strained broth into tomato mixture, bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Taste soup; if desired, add up to 2 teaspoons additional adobo sauce. Add shredded chicken and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. To serve, place portions of tortilla strips in bottom of individual bowls and ladle soup into bowls; pass garnishes separately.

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

2010-12-12T07:18:00.002-05:00

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 eggs
1 cup molasses
2/3 cup oil
1 cup water
Powdered sugar, if desired

DIRECTIONS

* 1Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; sprinkle with flour. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; mix well.
* 2In medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add molasses and oil; beat well. Stir in water. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; beat just until combined. Pour batter into sprayed and floured pan.
* 3Bake at 350°F. for 45 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto serving plate. Cool 30 minutes or until completely cooled. Just before serving, sprinkle cake with powdered sugar.

Recipe found at Pillsbury

Halibut in Artichoke and Tomato Broth

2010-06-19T11:42:00.000-04:00

Halibut in Artichoke and Tomato Broth

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning fish
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning fish
2 shallots, sliced into thin rounds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound frozen artichokes, thawed
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the halibut and season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Cook the fish on the grill pan until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

In a medium saucepan, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and artichokes and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and stir, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.

Ladle the artichoke and tomato broth into shallow bowls. Top with the grilled halibut. Serve immediately.

Pizza Pops

2010-02-16T16:58:00.000-05:00

We made these pizza pops for my sister in laws baby shower. They love pizza so this made a perfect treat for the shower. They were quick, cute and tasty, plus they made a cute presentation.

All you need to do is take you favorite pizza dough and top it with just a little sauce, pepperoni and cheese. Don't use too much or it will ooze out the side. Roll it up and slice it with kitchen shears. They worked better than a knife for holding the shape of the roll. It made the perfect two bite appetizer. You can stick the lollipop stick in after baking.

We also made a really cute diaper cupcake tree for the shower. We're still waiting for our little blue baby to show up.

Shrimp and Grit Cakes

2010-01-29T15:44:00.001-05:00

Almost of all my memories revolve around food. Sometimes I think it's sad but then most of the memories are good ones, so why worry that there is food involved. Making this shrimp recipe reminded me of a great memory.

I made these shrimp using a recipe from the Frugal Gourmet. I was looking through old cookbooks and found a card marking the recipe for New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp. I started thinking about when I'd made the dish. It was the first thing I ever cooked for my then boyfriend, now husband. We hadn't be dating too long and I was looking to impress him. It must have worked because it was nineteen years ago and I've been cooking for him ever since.

I decided we would have this with grits to make the most of the sauce made with the shrimp. I wanted something a little different than regular grits so I decided to make grit cakes. I let the grits set up, sliced it into squares and pan fried it in a little butter so the sides would be crispy. The crispy outside and the creamy middle was great for soaking up the sauce. It was great with the shrimp and sauce.

New Orleans Barbequed Shrimp

3 slices bacon, cubed, fried until clear.
2 cubes margarine
2 tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
1 2 tsp. chili powder
3 tsp. basil
3 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. course black pepper
2 tsp. oregano
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 heaping tbsp. shrimp and crab boil ( available in most supermarkets and any fish market)
Tabasco sauce to taste
2 lbs. large shrimp, with shells

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fry bacon until clear, add margarine and melt with bacon, grease and all. (Can't you just feel those heart valves clogging up already?) Add all the spices. Pour this mixture over the shrimp and place in oven for about 5 minutes. This is excellent served with warm French bread and white wine. Be sure to have plenty of napkins available. Shelling the shrimp is messy but part of the fun.

Chicken and Butternut Squash Chowder

2010-01-22T09:47:00.000-05:00

This recipe is an oldie but goodie around here. I've been making it since Fall of 2003 when it was first published in Bon Appetit. It is perfect for a cold fall or winter day. The flavors of the squash, the bacon, the cilantro all combine to make a bowl of deliciousness.

I remember the first time I made this chowder. I was so excited to make it because it sounded tasty so I picked up all the ingredients and got started. Peeling the butternut squash was (and is) a pain. I didn't let it beat me and I started assembling the chowder in my pot. Only at the time the largest pot I had was not big enough! I had to stop in the middle of making the chowder and run to Target for a bigger pot! These days I have several large pots, including the stock pot I had to buy on that first chowder making day. So if you give it a try (and you should!) make sure you have a large pot. It makes a lot but it reheats really well.

Yield: Makes 10 servings

10 bacon slices, chopped

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 medium onions, chopped
2 cups chopped red bell peppers (about 2 large)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
9 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled seeded butternut squash (cut from one 1 3/4-pound squash)
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 16-ounce bags frozen corn kernels
1 cup whipping cream
4 cups diced skinned roast chicken
2 cups chopped green onions
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Cook bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from pot. Add butter to pot; melt over medium-high heat. Add onions and 1 cup bell peppers. Sauté until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add flour; stir 2 minutes. Mix in broth, then squash, potatoes, and thyme; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until squash and potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Add corn, cream, and 1 cup bell peppers. Simmer until corn is tender, about 10 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Add chicken, 1 cup green onions, and 1/2 cup cilantro; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle chowder into bowls; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup green onions and 2 tablespoons cilantro and bacon.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

2010-01-15T09:27:00.000-05:00

Dark. Rich. Intense. I'm not talking about the newest hunk in Hollywood but this delicious cake.

I made this cake for my mom's birthday. When I asked her what kind of cake she wanted all she said was chocolate.

I asked her this same question last year and she gave me the same answer. Last year's birthday cake was a Chocolate Velvet Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

This recipe came from America's Test Kitchen. I had to make a couple of changes because I live in Podunkville, USA. I could not find any bittersweet chocolate anywhere so I had to use semi sweet. There was no espresso powder anywhere to be found in the local area so I had to use regular instant coffee. It did not matter. It was still wonderful. Everyone loved it.

It is a lot of steps but don't let it scare you. If you bake regularly, you'll find the steps simple. It only looks hard but really it is not.

Serves 12 to 16. Published November 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.

Ingredients

Bottom Layer
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter , cut into 6 pieces, plus extra for greasing pan
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (see note)
3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs , separated
Pinch table salt
1/3 cup packed (about 2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar , crumbled with fingers to remove lumps

Middle Layer

2 tablespoons cocoa powder , preferably Dutch-processed
5 tablespoons hot water
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine (see note)
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt

Top Layer

3/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin
1 tablespoon water
6 ounces white chocolate chips (see note)
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
Shaved chocolate or cocoa powder for serving, optional (see note)

Instructions

1. FOR THE BOTTOM LAYER: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of 91/2-inch springform pan. Melt butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool mixture slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and egg yolks; set aside.

2. In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add half of brown sugar and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Add remaining brown sugar and beat at high speed until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute longer, scraping down sides halfway through. Using whisk, fold one-third of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain. Carefully transfer batter to prepared springform pan, gently smoothing top with offset spatula.

3. Bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, and center has just set but is still soft (center of cake will spring back after pressing gently with finger), 13 to 18 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. (Cake will collapse as it cools.) Do not remove cake from pan.

4. FOR THE MIDDLE LAYER: Combine cocoa powder and hot water in small bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly, 2 to 5 minutes.

5. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, granulated sugar, and salt at medium speed until mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds.

6. Whisk cocoa powder mixture into melted chocolate until smooth. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse into springform pan over cooled cake and gently tap pan on counter 3 times to remove any large air bubbles; gently smooth top with offset spatula. Wipe inside edge of pan with damp cloth to remove any drips. Refrigerate cake at least 15 minutes while preparing top layer.

7. FOR THE TOP LAYER: In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand at least 5 minutes. Place white chocolate in medium bowl. Bring ½ cup cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Pour cream mixture over white chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly).

8. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip remaining cup cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Spoon white chocolate mousse into pan over middle layer. Smooth top with offset spatula. Return cake to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 2½ hours.

9. TO SERVE: If using, garnish top of cake with chocolate curls or dust with cocoa. Run thin knife between cake and side of springform pan; remove side of pan. Run cleaned knife along outside of cake to smooth sides. Cut into slices and serve.

New Year, Renewed Blog: Cheesecake!

2010-01-01T21:23:00.004-05:00

A perfect cheesecake. No cracks, lightly browned, creamy and delicious. I use a Barefoot Contessa recipe. Ina has never let me down. I received so many compliments on this cheesecake. It is my go to recipe; the only cheesecake recipe I ever make.

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.

To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 225 degrees F and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving.

The recipe online has a raspberry topping but since it was Christmas, I made a cranberry topping. I kept it on the side because I knew some of the people in the family would not want it. I boiled a bag of fresh cranberries with 1/2 cup cranberry juice and 1/2 cup of sugar. The tartness was perfect against the richness of the cheesecake.

Now I have to remember how well loved this cheesecake is and make it more often.

Blueberry cobbler

2009-08-24T23:33:00.000-04:00

Flounder with peppers and olives

2009-08-06T08:28:00.000-04:00

Like everyone else out there, we are trying to improve our eating habits. I have been researching different recipes and diet plans to find more healthful meals for my family. One blog I found that I love is Kayln's Kitchen.

Kayln's blog has many recipes following the South Beach diet and the recipes are low carb and low on the glycemic index. This is important to me now because someone I love was recently diagnosed with diabetes and I want to be able to make fabulous meals for her so she does not feel like she is missing out on all the goodies that were a part of her diet.

With this change of eating, not only are we going to be leaving out sugar and flour, we are also going to be adding more fish to our diet. I am not a big fan of fish but I love almost all other seafood. I can eat fish if it is very flavorful so I am always on the look out for fish recipes with a lot of strong flavors. I found this recipe on Kayln's blog. I had flounder in my freezer so I used it instead of tilapia.

Even if you don't like fish, give this a try. The topping is great and I bet it would be good on chicken breasts as well. I think we will be giving it a try on other fish and chicken.

Not Shrimp Scampi

2009-08-03T09:25:00.001-04:00

Really, it's not shrimp scampi. It's all the elements of scampi but different. Scampi is lemon, garlic, butter, and parsley. This is similar but I used lime and cilantro. I exchanged scallops for shrimp. I always put a pinch of cayenne pepper in my scampi but since I was going in a different direction with the lime and cilantro, I traded the cayenne in and used a pinch of chipotle chili powder. It turned out great. Everyone at dinner that night raved about it.

My favorite Shrimp Scampi recipe can be found here.

Stuffed Steak

2009-07-28T17:29:00.000-04:00

I found steak cut for roulades in the grocery store the other day. I love making rolled steak but really I had no idea what I was going to do with it when I picked it up. I had some asparagus and red bell pepper that were getting a little past their prime. I pulled out the steak, asparagus, and bell pepper.

I tried to think what would go with all of these things. I decided to make a mustard and horseradish marinade and roll up the vegetables. It turned out delicious. My husband raved over it. I knew then I had to quickly put down what I did with the marinade so I would not forget. I need to go back and pick up more of those roulades because I am not sure if it is something they will always have because I had never seen them before that day.

For the marinade:

2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons horseradish
Olive oil to thin
3 cloves minced garlic

Rub over the meat and let marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

Take the roulade and put two asparagus stalks cut in half, thin sliced red peppers, a thin slice of onion and a slice of fontina cheese. I skewered the rolls and grilled them about 10 minutes on each side.

They were so tender and the vegetables were crisp. The cheese melted and turned almost into a sauce inside the meat.

I can not wait to make this again but with different vegetables and a different marinade but I will also make it just like this again because it was so good.

Sweet potatoes: crash hot style!

2009-07-24T22:34:00.005-04:00

We love The Pioneer Woman's Crash hot potatoes. I've even blogged about them here. They are delicious and a favorite around here.

One day I checked my menu and saw I had crash hot potatoes on the list but I was out of white potatoes. Sweet potatoes were on sale so I thought why not? We love sweet potatoes with brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. What if the brown sugar, cinnamon and butter are melted into the potatoes?

The night we had these we were having barbecued chicken so I added a little of the seasoning to the potatoes. A little cumin and chipotle chili powder were added to the cinnamon and brown sugar. Sweet, spicy and delicious.

I followed the steps for the regular crash hot potatoes: peeling, slicing, and boiling until slightly tender. Mash the potatoes down and sprinkle with the sugar and spice mixture. I poured melted butter over the top of the potatoes. (Make sure to use the nonstick foil or parchment paper or you will be blasting the pan.) Bake until the potatoes get crispy on the edges and the sugar and spice mixture caramelize. YUM!

Spicy Honey Chicken with a bonus salad recipe

2009-07-05T19:07:00.000-04:00

I found another blog I love. It's Our Best Bites. It's one of those where I followed a link for one thing and ended up checking out all the recipes they had ever posted. I've made a few of them recently and they have all been top notch.

One of the first things I made was the spicy honey chicken. It was great but next time, I would add a bit more heat. We loved the glaze and made sure to have a little extra. I also followed the directions and made the mango and avocado salad with the honey citrus vinaigrette. They were both delicious and great for a quick summer night meal. Throw the chicken on the grill and with the salad, you don't have to heat anything in the kitchen. Those are my kinds of meals in the summer.

I'm not going to post the picture of my salad because if you click the link above, the picture there is much more beautiful than mine. Just know, we made it and we loved it.

Corn fritters! A great way to use the corn coming out of the garden

2009-07-01T14:46:00.001-04:00

Thank you to the Pioneer Woman. Ree knew just the recipe I needed and just when I needed it. As soon as I saw her put corn fritters up, I had to make them. I've only ever had them once before, in a restaurant with my husband in Pennsylvania. They were put on the table instead of bread and served with honey. My heavens they were delicious. I mean they must have been, because that trip was easily ten years ago. It's amazing I can not remember what happened last week, but if there is food involved, I can remember back decades.

These were as good as I remember, crispy and light. I hope there is more leftover corn in my future so I can make more.

For the recipe and a better how to than I could do, check out Ree's corn fritters. One thing, Ree says she uses maple syrup. I like honey better. Give them both a try and let me know which you prefer.

I'm back! White chocolate strawberry pie to celebrate!

2009-06-28T17:35:00.003-04:00

Life has been crazy. My class has kept me busy and all of the end of the school year stuff to be done, but now I can finally see my way clear. The school year has ended and I had my final class today. I've been cooking, I just haven't found the time to blog. Hopefully I'll have a couple of new things up over the next few days. Keep looking.

I will celebrate the end of my class by posting this delicious pie. White chocolate strawberry pie. All I can say is YUM!

White Chocolate Strawberry Pie

9 inch baked pie crust
4 oz white chocolate baking squares (1 oz each)
2 tablespoons milk
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp grate orange zest (optional)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
2 cups fresh sliced strawberries
whipped cream or melted white chocolate for garnish

In a double boiler or microwave, melt 4 squares of white chocolate with milk. Cool to room temperature. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in orange zest and melted chocolate. Fold in whipped cream.

Spread this into the baked and cooled crust. Arrange strawberries on top. Top with more whipped cream or one melted square of white chocolate and drizzle on top for garnish. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

I made two pies, doubling everything. I used a full 8 ounce block of cream cheese.

Tiramisu!

2009-05-16T14:28:00.004-04:00

This was one of our Mother's Day desserts. It's tradition for us to always have strawberry shortcake but we always have one other dessert for the folks who don't like strawberries. This year I decided I wanted to make a tiramisu. I LOVE tiramisu but I it isn't something you have regularly. It took many trips to many stores, and finally I had to go to Cary to pick up the marscapone cheese and the lady fingers.

It was so delicious. It is so quick to come together (after you find all your ingredients) It's something many of my family had never tried before and all the ones who had tried it, love it.

The missing spoonful is compliments of Aunt Deborah. She had never had tiramisu before so she had to sneak a bite before dinner.

This recipe came from Food Network. It has heavy cream in the cheese mixture instead of raw egg yolks. I'm scared of raw eggs, especially with a dessert that had to travel and not stay refrigerated until ready to serve. This recipe turned out great.

Ingredients

* Expresso Syrup
* 1/3 cup water
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 2/3 cup strong brewed espresso coffee
* 1/4 cup Italian or domestic brandy, optional
* Mascarpone Filling
* 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 pound mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
* 1/2 pound savoiardi (imported Italian ladyfingers), domestic ladyfingers, or sliced sponge cake
* Finishing
* Cocoa powder for dusting the surface

Directions

For the syrup, combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, cool and add coffee and optional brandy.

For the filling, whip cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold cream into softened mascarpone.

To assemble, place a layer of the savoiardi, ladyfingers or sponge cake slices in the bottom of a shallow 2-quart baking dish or gratin dish. Sprinkle with half the syrup. Spread with half the filling. Repeat with remaining savoiardi, syrup and filling, spreading the top smooth, using a metal spatula.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving. Immediately before serving place cocoa in a fine strainer and shake a light coating on surface.

Sorry there has been so much time in between posts. I'm taking a class that is taking up a lot of my time. It will be over the end of June and I will have my life back. I haven't even done that much cooking lately except basic meals to feed the family. I have so many recipes marked "to try" once I get more time. Thanks for checking back even though it's been so long.

O-R-E-O! Cake

2009-04-16T11:08:00.004-04:00

Dark chocolate with cream filling, oreos are one of the favorite cookies. What if you made a giant "oreo" out of cake? Here is what happens when you try it.

It looks a little like is double stuffed because the weight of the top layer started squishing out the filling.

This was the dessert I took for Easter dinner. We had many fruit desserts (lemon pie, key lime pie, carrot cake) so I thought we needed something chocolate. It was a big hit because everyone loves oreos and everyone loves chocolate.

I used my favorite devil's food cake recipe I found at Food Network. It's rich, dark, and delicious.

The filling is

8 oz brick of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz cool whip, thawed
12 oreos, crushed

Put the filling between the two layers so it resembles an oreo. I made a ganache (cream and chocolate) to pour over the cake just to dress it up a bit.

It was delicious and a fun cake. Everyone kept saying, that cake looks like an oreo.

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu

2009-04-09T17:17:00.000-04:00

So easy and so simple. Chicken stuffed with ham and an artichoke spinach cheese spread. Instead of breading and frying it, I decided to try it on the grill. It turned out great. Everyone is always looking to cut a few calories and grilling was a good choice.

The chicken was tender and slightly smokey since we use smoke chips in the grill all the time. The ham was also slightly smoked so it was well complimented by the grill.

Directions:

Butterfly chicken breasts
Fill ham slice with cheese spread.
Tuck ham into the chicken breast.
Thread a skewer into the chicken breast to keep the ham and cheese inside.
Grill until done.

I found by filling the ham with the cheese, it did not ooze out like it usually does. It keep the cheese in the chicken and I'm glad it did. It was a great meal.

Pork Chops in a Fire Roasted Tomato sauce

2009-03-31T16:20:00.000-04:00

I have mentioned before I like Rachael Ray's recipes. Many of the recipes found here on my blog have come from Rachael's 365 book. I recently picked up her Big Orange Book. At first, I did not think there would be many recipes there I would like to try but at a second look, I picked out a few to try.

This was really good, but I think next time I would make it with chicken. The tomato sauce was great, tangy and a bit sweet. I served it with sticky rice because I did not have any polenta in the pantry. Along the side was roasted brussel sprouts with fennel.

Pork Chops in a Tangy Fire-roasted Tomato Sauce

Orange Chocolate Bundt cake

2009-03-26T17:02:00.000-04:00

I needed to bake a cake for Sunday dinner dessert, but I could not figure out just what I wanted to bake. I went searching around my favorite blogs and I found a recipe for this orange chocolate bundt cake on Joy the Baker's site. I love her blog and her recipes. Not to mention, she takes the most beautiful pictures. If you get a chance check it out.

Here is the cake in one of my favorite Nordic Ware pans. I think I've mentioned here before my love for Nordic Ware. Everyone kept asking me where the chocolate was when I said it was an orange chocolate cake.

They were surprised when I cut into the cake and they saw the chocolate ring. It was moist and delicious. The perfect cake for a warm spring Sunday dinner.

You can find the recipe on Joy's blog.

Happy Blogger-versary!

2009-03-22T06:57:00.001-04:00

One year! I started this blog on a whim a year ago today as a way to keep track of my recipes and share them with a few friends. It's been a lot of fun and I hope to continue. I am going to be working on my photography and maybe one day I will finally figure out photoshop.

Thank you for checking out my blog during this time. I hope to continue posting recipes and photos for time to come.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes from this year:

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Oatmeal Creme Pies

Asparagus and Gruyère Tart

Chocolate Overload Cake

thanks for stopping by!

French Onion Steak and Asparagus

2009-03-17T09:24:00.000-04:00

Again, it's all about Rachael Ray. I am hopelessly devoted to her recipes. They are quick, easy and Yummo! I'm sorry. I just couldn't help myself. This time it isn't a recipe from the 365 book, but from her Big Orange Book. It was also featured on her show.

We eat a lot of chicken breasts here because they are so versatile and quick to cook. I've been looking to expand our protein horizon. I saw this recipe which uses london broil. I do not use it often because I am always afraid it will turn out more pot roast like than like steak. This one came out perfectly tender and juicy, just like a sirloin. The price of london broil is much better than sirloin or other steak cuts so we may add this cut to regular rotation.

I was trying to round out the meal but wanted something other than the regular salad and baked potato usually served with steak. I found some of the year's first asparagus and decided to make homestyle potatoes. The Gruyere sauce was great for dipping the asparagus.

To find the recipe and instructions, check our Rachael Ray's daytime show site.

Rosemary Orange Chicken Breasts

2009-03-12T13:07:00.001-04:00

Rachael Ray 365 to the rescue again. Seriously, even if you hate her on television as much as I do, you should look into this book and many of her other cookbooks. The recipes of hers that I have tried have been great about 98% of the time. Once in a while there will be a dud, but luckily for us it isn't often.

I found some wonderfully fresh vegetables while shopping this weekend. I am so excited spring is around the corner and there will be more fresh vegetables to come. I picked up some baby bok choy because my Thai neighbor Oy used cook it and we thought it was delicious. I miss her, and not just for her cooking skills. I was on my own to figure out what to do with the bok choy this time.

I browsed my 365 book for the millionth time and came across a recipe for Rosemary-Orange pork chops. I had chicken breasts thawed out for dinner so it became Rosemary-Orange Chicken. It was wonderful on chicken and I can't wait to try it on pork chops. Give this a try, it's a great spring dish.

Ingredients

* 1 orange, juice and zest of, navel
* 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
* 1 cup fat-free chicken broth
* 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* salt
* fresh ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 4 pork loin chops, 1 inch thick (or in my case chicken breasts)

Directions

In a medium sauce pot over high heat, combine the zest and juice of the orange, brown sugar, chicken stock, rosemary, crushed red pepper lakes, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lover the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced by half.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with the EVOO. Season the chops with salt and pepper, then add to the hot skillet. Cook the chops for 5 minutes on each side. (or until done) Pour the glaze over the cooked pork chops. Toss to coat and transfer to a serving platter.

I grilled my chicken breasts outside because it was a wonderful warm spring day. For the bok choy I mixed orange juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, and a little red pepper flake. I poured some of it on before grilling it and reserved some for when it came off of the grill.

Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

2009-03-09T13:43:00.000-04:00

I love watching Food Network. One of my favorite new shows is Secrets of a Restaurant Chef with Anne Burrell. She makes the most delicious looking and sounding foods. They are restaurant quality meals but she breaks them down so they are easily prepared at home. From the moment I saw her make these braised short ribs, I knew they would be made in my kitchen. I even bought a new enameled cast iron pot with this recipe in mind.

This recipe takes a little time at the start, but once you put it in the oven you can just let it cook away. I would say you could forget about it until the timer goes off, but with the wonderful smell that will come from your oven there is no way you can forget about it.

I decided to pair the beef ribs with horseradish mashed potatoes. The peppery horseradish did a great job to help cut the richness of the beef ribs. If you haven't given beef short ribs a try, you should. It was wonderfully warming on a cold winter night.

Braised Short Ribs

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 3 hr 30 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

* 6 bone-in short ribs (about 5 3/4 pounds)
* Kosher salt
* Extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 2 cloves garlic, smashed
* 1 1/2 cups tomato paste
* 2 to 3 cups hearty red wine *
* 2 cups water
* 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
* 2 bay leaves

* I used beef stock with balsamic vinegar added for the acid because I do not cook with wine

Directions

Season each short rib generously with salt. Coat a pot large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste. When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half.

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve with the braising liquid.

Eastern North Carolina Bar-Be-Que (pork shoulder)

2009-03-05T14:41:00.000-05:00

In my opinion nothing beats Eastern NC pork bar-be-que. It is pork, a shoulder or a whole pig, cooked over smoke and seasoned with a peppery vinegar sauce. In the western part of the state, they use a tomato based bbq sauce and in some parts of South Carolina, they use a mustard based sauce. We love the tangy and spicy vinegar sauce. Now I love beef brisket in a spicy tomato based sauce, but for pork it has to be the peppery vinegar.

Ingredients:

13-15 lb fresh pork shoulder or ham
1 quart vinegar
3 oz. Texas Pete
1 Tbs crushed red pepper
3 Tbs liquid smoke
2 Tbs. salt
1 Tbs black pepper
4 oz. brown sugar

Directions
To make the sauce: Mix all ingredients well and heat to make sure brown sugar is dissolved. Makes 1 quart.

Wash meat with cold water and pat dry. Rub skin side with salt and pepper to taste. Cut 4 to 6 2" slits in skin and place in your smoker. We used hickory to smoke pork. After a few hours, cut deep holes into meat and pour enough bbq sauce on to cover meat. Smoke longer until a meat thermometer, reaches 165 degrees. Remove from smoker and slice or chop for bbq. Add sauce to taste. Required side dishes include coleslaw and hush puppies. You get extra credit if you serve banana pudding for dessert.

Park City Cashew Chicken

2009-02-26T15:48:00.000-05:00

This is another Rachael Ray 365 meal. It is a favorite around here. It is spicy and a little sweet, plus the cashews add a wonderful crunch. I have said before how much we love stir fries and this resembles a stir fry but with less Asian flavors. It may seem like the chipotles and maple syrup should not go together, but they do.

I have made this recipe many times because everyone here loves it. One change I have made is Rachael's recipe calls for more chipotles than I use. The first time I made it, I cut back a bit on the chipotles and it was too hot for us and we love spicy food. Once we cut it back, it was much better.

The recipes I have found online for this is different than the one in the 365 book. Most of the online recipes include water chestnuts and garden peas. I think those added ingredients makes it more Asian. I choose to leave them out and follow the recipe in the book.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cups jasmine rice
4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
2 pounds chicken meat (tenders; skinless, boneless breasts; skinless, boneless thighs), cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend, such as Montreal Steak Seasoning blend by McCormick
2 to 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce, such as tamari (eyeball it)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped (available in the international foods aisle), or 1 1/2 tablespoons ground chipotle powder **if you don't want super spicy food, cut this back to 1 tablespoon. You can always add more if you need more heat**
1 tablespoon ground cumin (a palmful)
2 to 3 tablespoons honey (2 healthy drizzles)
1/4 to 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (eyeball it)
2 to 3 tablespoons cilantro (a handful), chopped
1 cup raw cashews

1. Start the jasmine rice. Follow the directions on the bag.

2. While the rice cooks, make the chicken. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken with the grill seasoning. Add the vegetable oil (2 turns of the pan) and then the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides, season with the soy sauce, then move the chicken to 1 side of the pan. Add the sliced onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then mix the vegetables and chicken together. Add the chipotle chiles and cumin. Toss to coat. Glaze the chicken mixture with the honey and maple syrup and turn off the heat. Add the chopped cilantro and the cashews.

3. Spoon the rice into bowls, top with the cashew chicken and serve.

A different stirfry

2009-02-21T18:31:00.000-05:00

This is another stir fry dinner we enjoy. It is quick, easy, and healthy. You can change up the vegetables to whatever your family enjoys. We used ground chicken this night and along with the broccoli slaw, I added a bag of coleslaw mix instead of the napa cabbage because our market didn't have any the day I was shopping for this meal. I love stir fry because of it's ease and it is great to have on a night when you need a quick dinner.

1/2 lb ground beef or ground chicken
1 TBSP toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced
1 C broccoli slaw
1 C napa cabbage, shredded
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 TBSP lite soy sauce
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1. Prepare rice according to its package directions

2. While the rice is cooking, in a medium skillet or wok, brown the ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove the beef from the skillet, drain and set aside.

3. Heat sesame oil in the skillet over med-high heat. Add garlic and green onions; stir-fry for 2 min. Add the broccoli slaw and cabbage; stir-fry for 2 min. Add rice and soy sauce, stir-fry for 2 min.

4. Return the cooked ground beef to skillet with rice and vegetable mixture and season with red pepper flakes, to taste. Stir until ingredients are well combined and heated through, about 2 minutes.

Rock Star fun! (fruit roll-ups)

2009-02-18T15:44:00.001-05:00

Back in January, I left a comment on The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch in a contest where she was giving away customized fruit roll-ups. Amazingly, I won!

Next came trying to figure out what to put on the fruit roll-ups. My nephew wants to be a rock star and he received a guitar for Christmas. He'll be starting lessons soon, so maybe he will be a rocker one day with a lot of money and he can take care of his favorite aunt. Maybe I better save one of these roll-ups for when he's older to remind him how much I spoil him.

This is what I ended up with:

This was his Valentine gift and he thought they were cool. He took a few to school and has become the coolest kid there. All of his buddies loved them.

Thank you Shelby!

Happy Valetine's Day! (Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake )

2009-02-13T21:22:00.005-05:00

Valetine's Day screams chocolate. It helps that I consider chocolate a major food group. Add caramel and nuts, oh my!

In October, the Tuesdays With Dorie (TWD) group made the Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie which was picked by Tammy at Wee Treats. From the day I saw all the pictures of everyone's creations, I knew I wanted to make this. I was waiting for the right occasion and I though what is better than Valentine's Day.

Instead of making it in a spring form pan, I decide to make it heart shaped. I have several heart shaped pans (remember, I love Nordic Ware) and I try to put them to good use on Valentine's day. I doubled the recipe and it made a bit more batter than I needed. I think one and a half of the batter would be enough to fill the heart shaped pan. The extra batter was used in a smaller heart bundt pan and I froze it for one day when we need an extra treat but I don't have time to bake.

for the cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coffee extract
1 tbsp espresso

for the topping:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp light corn syrup
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup salted peanuts

butter a 8 inch springform pan. line bottom of pan with parchment paper. butter and cocoa powder over the parchment. put the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

to make the cake:

sift the flour, baking soda and salt together.

melt chocolate and butter together using a double boiler. stir occasionally. take off heat just before all the chocolate is melted. whisk again.

in a large bowl beat the eggs and sugars together until well blended. add in the corn syrup, followed by the vanilla, espresso and coffee extract.

slowly add in the melted butter and chocolate. gently fold in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated.

you will have a thick, smooth, shiny batter. pour the batter into the pan and jiggle the pan a bit to even out the batter.

bake the cake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out almost clean. transfer the pan to a rack and cool he cake for 15 minutes, then run a knife between the cake and the pan and remove the sides of the pan.

during baking the cake probably will have puffed to the top of the pan don't be concerned if tit sinks a little or it if develops a crater in the center.

cool the cake to room temperature.
when the cake is completely cool, invert it, remove the base of the pan and peel off the paper. wash and dry the springform pan, and return the cake to it right side up. refasten the sides around the cake.

20 minutes before serving make the topping:
put the sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, stir just to combine the ingredients and then put the pan over medium-high heat.

heat, without stirring, until the caramel turns deep amber, 5-10 minutes.

lower the heat a bit and, standing back from the saucepan add the cream and butter. when the spatters are less vehement, stir to calm down the caramel and dissolve any lumps.

stir in the peanuts, and pour the caramel and peanuts into a 1-quart pyrex measuring cup or heat proof bowl.

spoon the peanuts on top of the cake. then spoon the caramel on top of those. you will have extra caramel leftover to use on something else - like ice cream! you'll have a layer about ¼ inch high. allow the topping to set to room temperature.

to serve, run a blunt knife between the caramel and the pan and simply remove the sides of the springform. if this isn't the case, hit the sides with some hot air from a hairdryer or wrap the sides in a towel moistened with hot water.

My 100th post!! Let's celebrate with a Chocolate Overload!

2009-02-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

One Hundred Posts! Wow. Who knew? When I started my blog it was a way to keep track of things I'd made and to share recipes with a few friends. I don't have a following, and that is ok, this blog is still very much for my friends and me. I do wish more friends and family would leave comments just so I know you're still out there, but I still appreciate you taking the time to view the blog.

This cake is the one I made for my mom's birthday. She is such a chocoholic, this was the perfect cake for her. It is a Chocolate Velvet Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting decorated with dark and white chocolate curls and pirouette cookies. It is rich, chocolaty, and DELICIOUS.

The recipes for the cake and frosting both came from MYRecipes

Chocolate Velvet cake layers

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16-ounce) package light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 cup hot water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation
Melt semisweet chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total time). Stir until smooth.

Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer, beating about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Spoon cake batter evenly into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients

* 3 cups white chocolate morsels
* 3 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
* 3/4 cup butter, softened
* 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Microwave white chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 3 minutes; stir until smooth.

2. Combine cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add melted chocolate, beating well. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at medium speed until mixture reaches desired spreading consistency.

Chicken with artichoke and spinach dip

2009-02-05T16:36:00.000-05:00

We love artichoke dip but since it is more of a party food, I rarely make it. Then one day I was trying to figure out something different to do with chicken breasts. I was looking in the pantry at a can of artichoke hearts and remembered I had purchased them to make artichoke and spinach dip for New Year's Eve but never made it. What if I put the two together? Chicken topped with artichoke and spinach dip? Turns out, it is divine.

Since it was after the new year and everyone has started watching their calories, I wanted to do a lighter version of the artichoke and spinach dip. This does not contain cream cheese like most artichoke dip but it does have a little mayonnaise and a bit of cheese, but when you divide it up as a topping for the chicken, it is not really a lot of it per serving.

Place four chicken breasts in a 8x8 pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Season with salt and pepper.

For the dip:

Artichoke and Spinach Dip
1 Tbl. olive oil
½ cup yellow onion, small chopped
6 – 9 oz. fresh spinach, chopped
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbl. mayo
3 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz. sharp white cheddar, shredded
pinch salt and pepper
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs, dry
1 Tbl. butter, melted

Preheat the olive oil in a medium high-sided sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, or until slightly translucent. Toss the spinach with the onions and sauté for an additional 1 – 2 minutes, or until completely wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss the artichoke hearts, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, Dijon mustard, mayo, Parmesan cheese, white cheddar and cooled spinach mixture until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour mixture over chicken breasts.

Toss the bread crumbs and melted butter in a small mixing bowl until the butter is completely absorbed. Evenly distribute the bread crumbs on top of the dip mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until the the chicken breast reaches 170 degrees.

I served this with couscous and roasted carrots.

Stuffed French Toast at home

2009-01-30T12:28:00.008-05:00

I love stuffed french toast at IHOP but we are really trying to cut back on our eating out. I know I can make it cheaper. Plus we can have it more often because the closest IHOP to us is almost an hour away.

It is so simple, it's crazy I have not made it before. If you love it in the restaurant, give it a try.

For the custard:
Eggs and cream. Just like any other french toast. How much french toast you are making will determine how much eggs and cream you will need. I also put a splash of vanilla in my custard.

For the stuffed toast:
I used brown sugar bread made by pepperidge farms. You could use any bread you like, but this added another flavor to the french toast. Spread a layer of cream cheese on each slice of bread. Top one slice with jam. You can make flavor you love depending on what ever jam you want to use. We love strawberries, so we used strawberry jam. Top with a slice of bread and dunk into the custard mix.

Cook it on a griddle until it's browned and crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside. Top with powdered sugar and you can syrup or more jam.

We served this with sausage and grits. Three of us had this meal for the cost of one stuffed french toast meal at IHOP.

Chicken Noodle Soup for a snowy day

2009-01-22T17:12:00.005-05:00

I live in eastern North Carolina where we do not get snow normally. We may get a few flakes during the winter, but it is rare for us to have accumulation. This week was one of those odd times where we actually got real snow. In our area, they are saying we received right around 5 inches.

What could be better than soup for a snow day? (Other than hot chocolate when you come in from playing) We love chicken noodle soup, so I started it early so it could cook and be delicious.

When I roast chicken, I save the bones and when I get a pot full, I boil them to make my own chicken broth. I had two gallon bags in the freezer I pulled out. I added sliced carrots and celery to the broth so they could cook and flavor the broth. I also added some chicken I had pulled from those same roasted chickens I had in the freezer. Those things warmed slowly in the broth because I kept it on low all afternoon.

After coming in from playing outside and warming up with hot chocolate, I turned the heat up on the burner and brought the broth to a boil. I added a box of orzo to the broth and cooked it until it was tender.

It is so nice to have items on hand in the freezer and pantry to make a delicious dinner. I loved not having to rush in from the fun we were having in the snow to make dinner.

Now the snow is melted, but we have wonderful memories of the snowball fights and sledding we tried to do. I must say, with as much fun as we had, I hope this is the only snow storm of the season for us.

Baked Ravioli with Italian Sausage

2009-01-16T11:08:00.005-05:00

This is a great week night dinner. It is hearty and delicious, and great for these cold nights we have been having lately. We love lasagna but who has the time on a week night to put one together. Using cheese ravioli baked in spaghetti sauce gives you a lot of the same tastes of lasagna with little work.

The brand we love best is Buitoni found in the refrigerated section of the store. They taste much better than the frozen or shelf stable ones. For the lasagna taste, I use the four cheese ravioli which is filled with Parmesan, Romano, ricotta and mozzarella.

I used the recipe from Great Food Fast.

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, or oregano
* 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
* 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
* 2 pounds store-bought ravioli
* 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.
3. Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

You can also use your favorite pasta sauce. This night, I used some sauce I had in the freezer so it really did make for a quick and easy meal. Also for my carnivore husband, I threw Italian sausages on the grill while the ravioli baked.

Chicken and Beef Stir Fry

2009-01-12T13:18:00.000-05:00

We are trying to cut out a lot of restaurant eating because while we do not eat out that often, I feel guilty when we spend $40 on a meal I can easily make at home. There was a time I used to make stir fry pretty frequently but for what ever reason, I stopped. I am not sure why because we both love it and it is healthy unless you add a lot of sauces to it. Another good thing about stir fry is you can use whatever is on hand, so it does not have to be the same thing every time you serve it.

This stir fry went a little something like this:

3 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 sirloin, thinly sliced
broccoli
snow peas
onions
peppers
mushrooms
garlic

Marinate the meat in hoisin and soy sauce. With your pan smoking hot, add a little vegetable oil and cook the meat quickly and stir constantly. Remove the meat from the pan and add the vegetables, cooking them the same way. Add a little toasted sesame oil, more hoisin, and soy sauce. Mix about a tablespoon of cornstarch in 1 cup of beef broth. Mix it all together adding the meat back to the pan.

Serve over jasmine rice.

Chicken Flautas

2009-01-08T13:54:00.005-05:00

We lived in San Antonio, Texas for a few years and while we always loved Mexican food, it became a staple to us there. I was amazed when the grocery stores had tortilla makers in the store where you could watch and then buy hot, fresh tortillas. We would usually buy two packs and eat part of one on our way home. We were in heaven.

We tried to visit as many taquerias and try many different meals there. One of my favorite things I found out our most visited taqueria was Flautas. Crispy fried corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken which was topped with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.

They are quite simple to make.

I marinated chicken breasts in my favorite mexican flavors then grilled it. When it came off of the grill, I shredded it and filled corn tortillas. I rolled them and secured them with toothpicks. They are then deep fried until golden brown.

Serve them 4-6 per person and top with your favorite things. Serve with refried beans and rice, and ice cold margarita, turn on some mariachi music and you will be transported to a taqueria of your own.

Candied Cocktail Wieners

2009-01-01T21:48:00.007-05:00

It was only three of us hanging out after the pickle drop on New Year's Eve but we decided to make it festive and still have lots of party food. One new thing we tried was Candied Cocktail Wieners. They are easy and so yummy. The three of us ate all of them and that was with all the other appetizers we had.

Simple. Delicious. We'll be looking for an excuse to make them again soon.

Wrap cocktail wieners in half a slice of precooked bacon. I used precooked to cut down on the grease and to make sure the bacon got crispy. Roll them in brown sugar and sprinkle a little extra on top. Make sure to use reynold's release because it is sticky and would be a mess to clean up. Cook them about 15 minutes at 350.

However many you think you need, make at least that many more. Seriously, you'll thank me later.

Happy New Year!! Time for the Pickle Drop!

2008-12-31T21:47:00.007-05:00

Tonight we went to the Pickle Drop at Mt Olive Pickles. It was so much fun. It's great because it is New Years Eve tradition and they do the drop at 7pm, which is Greenwich Mean Time (or zulu time) so the whole family can enjoy it. Plus you can be back home before all the party goers get out on the roads.

We arrived around 5:30. They were handing out pickles (of course), hot chocolate, hot apple cider, and cookies. It was nice but the combination of everyone eating pickles and drinking hot chocolate was strange but funny because everyone was doing it. They were handing out party hats and horns which the children loved. We, being kids at heart, got our hats and horns so when we counted down to zero and shouted HAPPY NEW YEAR! we were ready.

Into the barrel:

There was a good crowd, especially for such a small town. It is so nice to have a fun family activity which can become a fun tradition for all.

Braised Chicken Thighs and Vegetables

2008-12-27T20:18:00.005-05:00

I received a wonderful new 6.5 quart cast iron dutch oven for Christmas from my dad. I love it! We have other dutch ovens, but they are used for camping and have feet on them. I wanted one I could use in the oven and on the stove top. I've already used it twice with great results both times.

Tonight's dinner came from a Cooking Light recipe but it doesn't taste like a light meal. I didn't even realize it was "light" until I was already making it. This may have to be one of the New Year dishes when everyone is trying to watch their diet.

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 8 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skinned
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1 1/2 cups (2-inch-thick) slices carrot
* 1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
* 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered

Preparation

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag, shaking to coat.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and remaining flour mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly brown. Add carrot and onion; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth, wine, and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

(I put mine in the oven at 375 for an hour with the lid on, the vegetables were perfect and the chicken was as tender as could be. Delicious!)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T22:38:00.004-05:00

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas. Just remember, it's not just about the food and the presents. It's about spending time with family and most importantly about the birth of Jesus. Merry Christmas friends.

This is a lemon sour cream pound cake made in a nordic ware Christmas wreath pan. I do love my nordic ware. I colored the lemon glaze to "paint" the holly leaves and bow.

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies

2008-12-18T11:06:00.006-05:00

Add this to your holiday baking. It is delicious and easy. Everyone who love peanut butter will love this. They are very rich so make sure you have a glass of milk handy. I left out the coconut because I made these for our youth group and most kids are not coconut fans.

I found this recipe at myrecipes.

Yield

28 small bars or 18 large bars

Ingredients

1 (16-oz.) package peanut-shaped peanut butter sandwich cookies, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 (1.5-oz.) packages chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies, coarsely chopped
2 (2.1-oz.) chocolate-covered crispy peanut buttery candy bars, coarsely chopped (we tested with Butterfinger)
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Preparation

Combine crushed cookies and butter in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture into bottom of a greased aluminum foil-lined 13" x 9" pan, allowing foil to extend over ends of pan. Bake at 350° for 6 to 8 minutes.

Combine condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth.

Sprinkle chopped candy bars, chocolate morsels, peanuts, and coconut over crust. Drizzle condensed milk mixture over coconut.

Bake at 350° for 27 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool in pan. Use foil to lift uncut brownies out of pan. Peel foil away from sides of uncut brownies, and cut into bars.

Shrimp Scampi over Spaghetti Squash

2008-12-13T10:57:00.004-05:00

Garlic. Lemon. Butter. Shrimp. Delicious.

This is one of our favorite "Date Night" dishes. I make this when I want something special and to get us out of our chicken rut. One thing I do to make it different from most shrimp scampi dishes is to use spaghetti squash in place of regular pasta. My family actually likes it over the spaghetti squash better. It provides a nice contrast to the shrimp but still holds the sauce.

My favorite recipe for this comes from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined if desired
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium cloves garlic , minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
cayenne pepper
Table salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat 12-inch skillet over high heat until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add 1 pound shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until just opaque, about 1 minute; transfer to medium bowl. Return pan to heat and repeat process with remaining oil and shrimp.

Return empty skillet to medium-low heat; melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, add lemon juice and vermouth. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter; add parsley and cayenne, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return shrimp and accumulated juices to skillet. Toss to combine; serve immediately.

For the spaghetti squash:

Cut it in half and remove the seeds. Put in a glass dish cut side down with about 2 inches of water in the bottom. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in the microwave. Depending on your microwave and the size of your squash, the time will vary. It takes generally about 20-30 minutes.

Big Thick Hearty Thighs with Chorizo

2008-12-10T15:58:00.001-05:00

No I don't mean mine, though they could be described as big and hearty. As long as I have a love of cooking and food, plus keeping this blog, my thighs will forever be big and hearty.

This is another recipe from the Rachael Ray 365 book. Oh how this book saves dinner for us over and over. They are quick, they are easy, and they are almost always delicious. (We tried a pumpkin/sausage thing and it was horrible.)

We eat a LOT of chicken and I am always looking for something different to do with it. This will be one of my go to chicken dinners because it is easy to keep the ingredients on hand. Plus my husband kept saying how good it was when he was eating it, that makes it an A+.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt & pepper
1 lb chorizo, casing removed and sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
4 cups chicken stock or broth
5-6 medium to small red bliss potatoes, cut in half and then thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1 6oz jar roasted red peppers
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Crusty bread

Preheat a large skillet or wide soup pot over medium-high heat and add the EVOO. Season the chicken thighs liberally with salt & pepper. Add the chicken in the skillet and brown on both sides for 3 minutes. Scoot the browned thighs to the edges of the pan, making some space in the center of the skillet. Add the chorizo, onions, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

Add the wine and chicken stock, turn the heat up to high, and bring the mixture up to a simmer. Add the potatoes and stir everything together. Cover the pan with a lid or a piece of aluminium foil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the roasted red peppers, peas, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley, and cook for 1 more minute to just head the peas through. Serve with crusty bread. Really. Don't forget the bread.

Study for exams or make sugar cookies?

2008-12-06T22:33:00.007-05:00

which one would you pick? Yep that's the one I picked too. I haven't posted much lately because I had exams this weekend. I finished them today but yesterday before I took the first one, I made sugar cookies for our church youth Christmas party. Sure I could have been studying, but I HAD to make these cookies ya know?

The sugar cookie recipe is the same one I posted in October when I made the candy corn cookies. These cookies were Christmas themed for the party. I used a wilton pan you filled with dough to make the shapes instead of rolling out and cutting. It was so much easier and was not messy at all.

This is the pan:

Now that exams are over, I hope to be blogging a lot more so keep checking back for new recipes.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

2008-11-23T06:26:00.000-05:00

I made chutney but I still had some fresh cranberries left. I have been wanting to try new cranberry recipes so I went on a search. This one looked easy and delicious. I decided to give it a try, on a week night even. After all, who doesn't come home after working all day and having an afternoon class to make dinner and bake a cake for dessert? Don't look at me, this was a one time moment of crazy, but a tasty crazy.

Actually this came together easily and it had time to bake while I put the pork tenderloins on the grill, made dirty rice, and steamed some broccoli. Multitasking is the only way to get things done, especially on week nights.

This will probably be the dessert I take to our Thanksgiving feast.

Recipe found on recipezaar
Ingredients:

4 tablespoons sweet butter, very soft
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon orange zest, finely grated (optional)
2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (If using frozen, thaw first)

Cake

* 12 tablespoons sweet butter, very soft
* 7/8 cup white sugar (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons)
* 1 large egg yolk
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 3/4 cups cake flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place 4 tablespoons of butter in a 9 inch cake pan. (The pan should have at least a 2 1/2 inch rim.) Place the pan in heated oven for 4 to 5 minutes until the butter is fully melted. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and orange zest (optional). Spread the sugar mixture evenly across the bottom of the cake pan. Spread out the cranberries in an even layer over the butter and sugar mix.
3. To make the cake, begin by using a wooden spoon to cream together the butter, sugar and egg yolk for about 30 seconds. Switching over to a whisk, stir in the eggs one at a time. Continue to whisk another minute until the sugar crystals dissolve. Whisk in the vanilla extract, salt and sour cream.
4. Sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Whisk everything together until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
5. Pour the batter over the cranberries and bake for 50 to 65 minutes. When done, the center of the cake should be dry to the touch and spring back when lightly poked.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and set on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes (no longer as the bottom begins to set as it cools).
7. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Invert cake onto a serving plate and remove pan. Let it rest an additional 15 minutes before serving.
8. Best served warm.

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake and my love for Nordic Ware

2008-11-19T19:52:00.000-05:00

I love Nordic Ware. I have so many different Nordic Ware bundt pans and other shapes. I love all the different shapes. They have pans for ever season, every occasion. I have big bundt pans, baby bundt pans, Christmas pans, Snowman pan, and many other shapes. Hopefully there will be more pictues of these to come on my blog. Have I mentioned that I love them.

One of my favorite cakes to make in my bundt pan is a lemon sour cream pound cake. My family loves it, especially the lemony glaze I put over the cake.

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake (baked in my chrysanthemum pan)

Ingredients

* 3 cups cake flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
* 3 cups sugar
* 6 eggs, room temp
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon rind
* 1 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease 16-cup tube pan.
Dust with cake flour; tap out excess flour.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.
Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy.
Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes.
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition.
Beat in lemon juice and peel.
Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients.
Mix in sour cream.
Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 90 minutes.
Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes.
Cut around cake in pan.
Turn out cake.
Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely.

The glaze is simple. Lemon juice and powdered sugar. I mix quite a bit and let it sit over night. Then I add a bit more before I serve it. It's delicious.

Marmalade Glazed Chicken

2008-11-14T14:45:00.000-05:00

Remember I said we eat a lot of chicken? We're going to be having even more because I came across whole chickens for 60¢ per pound so we will be having even more chicken. Good thing chicken is so versatile so we can have it a few nights a week but still it doesn't have to be the same old boring thing every time.

Tonight's chicken dinner:

Marmalade Glazed Chicken

1 (3-3.5lb) chicken, cut up

Marinade/Glaze

1 cup orange juice
3 TBS honey
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 TBS light soy sauce
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 (12 oz) jar orange marmalade
1 TBS cornstarch
1 TBS water

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl except for marmalade, cornstarch and water. Place chicken in a ziploc bag. Pour in marinade. Seal bag and refrigerate 3-4 hours or overnight. (Overnight is best) Heat grill and cook chicken until juices run clear, turning once. In a small saucepan combine reserved marinade with cornstarch mixed with water and a jar of orange marmalade. (I'm always afraid to reuse marinade even though boiling it is supposed to kill any bacteria. I just can't do it. I always make up another batch of the marinade recipe to put in the sauce) Whisk over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Baste chicken with glaze. Serve remaining sauce with chicken.

With this chicken, I served jasmine rice and roasted acorn squash.

Cranberry Chutney: A Seasonal Favorite

2008-11-11T15:24:00.001-05:00

Cranberries have such a short season and you can only find them in the markets here in November and December. I love seeing those little red orbs of goodness in stores. I know it's time to make more cranberry chutney. Last year I made it in batches and froze part of it. Only I didn't freeze enough because we ran out a couple of months ago. We use it on chicken, turkey, and pork all year long. Plus we take a big bowl of it to my Grandmother's for Thanksgiving.

Tonight we had it on roasted chicken. (I told you there would be a lot of chicken posts since it was on sale)

Ingredients:

Cranberry/Apple Chutney

1 cup Water
1 3/4 cup Sugar
1-12 oz. bag of Fresh Cranberries
1 Apple, peeled, cored, and chopped (I used Granny Smith)
1/2 cup Cider Vinegar
1 Orange, zest grated and juiced
1 Lemon, zest grated and juiced
3/4 cup Golden Raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground Allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground Cloves
3/4 cup chopped Pecans

1. In a medium saucepan combine the water and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.

2. Add the cranberries, apples, cider vinegar, orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, raisins, and spices. Bring to a boil, than simmer gently for 10-15 minutes stirring often.

3. Remove from heat and add the pecans. Pour mixture in a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the chutney.

4. Cool to room temperature and serve, or, cover and refrigerate. Bring chutney to room temperature before serving.

I leave out the raisins because we don't love them and the pecans because we have someone in our family who is allergic. This time I made a triple batch. I know there will be one more triple batch in my near future because it keeps well in the freezer all year. Plus I'll probably throw a bag of cranberries in the freezer for later.

Another reason to make this, it makes your house smell SO GOOD.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

2008-11-08T16:30:00.001-05:00

What could be better on a cool rainy fall day than a spicy bowl of gumbo? No much. Only the day turned out to warm and sunny. The weatherman was all wrong but the gumbo was all right. We fell in love with gumbo on our first trip to New Orleans. I think we ate it at least four times that week. Every place it was a little different, just like mine. Every time it turns out a little different but it's always tasty.

The recipe I use is a variation of a Southern Living recipe and it is not an all day affair like most gumbos. I try to still make it early so it has time to cook on the stove for a couple of hours. The flavors seem to come together and leftovers are just as good (if not better).

Ingredients

* 2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
* 3 to 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1.5 cup coarsely chopped onion
* 1.5 cup chopped celery
* 4 large garlic cloves, pressed
* 2 medium-size red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
* 4 cups chicken broth
* 2 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 2-3 tablespoons Creole seasoning
* 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
* 1-2 cups frozen okra slices
* Hot cooked rice

Preparation

Cook sausage over high heat in Dutch oven 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.

Add enough oil to drippings in Dutch oven to equal 5 tablespoons, and whisk in flour; cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in broth and next 2 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add sausage and chicken; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Ten minutes before serving, drop okra in and allow it to cook. Serve over rice.

Roasted Cauliflower: our favorite vegetable

2008-11-05T14:37:00.000-05:00

I can not believe have not done a blog about roasted cauliflower. It is something we have probably once a week. Everyone loves it. My seven year old nephew asks for it when he comes over for dinner.

It's super easy and who doesn't love roasted vegetables?

Cauliflower sliced into planks
olive oil
salt and pepper

Roast at 400 for 20-25 minutes until tender and starting to brown. We love the little brown bits, so sometimes I leave it in a few minutes longer. For three of us, I usually do two heads of cauliflower because we love it so much.

Fall: Roast Chicken with Apple Cider Gravy

2008-11-03T13:37:00.000-05:00

Tonight I made roast chicken. Two roast chickens to be exact. Half of one was dinner tonight and leftovers for my husband's lunch and the remaining chicken and a half was deboned, cut up and stored in the freezer. That chicken will find it's way into gumbo, chicken pot pie, and taco soup.

Tonight's chicken needed something new. Just plain roast chicken can get tiring. I had a bottle of apple cider in the refrigerator and decided to add some to the pan gravy. It was delicious and a great way to use fall flavors.

To the pan juices, I added a little flour to thicken. I then added 1 cup of apple cider and 1 cup of chicken stock. I let it thicken and served it over the chicken and with mashed potatoes.

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

2008-10-29T08:21:00.000-04:00

Aren't these super cute? And they are really easy which makes them even better. Just whip up your favorite sugar cookie dough, add food coloring, and you have a cute cookie. I made these for our church youth group meeting this month. They were a big hit with the teens and adults there.

Sugar Cookies

1 Cup Butter, Softened
¾ Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Milk or Cream
1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla
3 Cups of Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Add the egg, milk/cream, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix only until blended.

For basic sugar cookies:
Form into 2 balls and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I usually make my dough the night before and let it warm up at room temp for a bit.

Roll out flat, cut into desired shapes. Bake for 5-8 Minutes

For Candy Corn cookies:
Divide dough (I made two batches, one colored orange, the other batch divided with 3 oz melted chocolate chips added to make it brown) Line a loaf pan with wax paper and leave some wax paper hanging over the side of the pan. Layer the colors into the loaf pan. Put it in the refrigerator to firm. When firm, make slices and then cut them into triangles.

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Breasts

2008-10-27T17:11:00.000-04:00

I rarely make anything fried, but every now and then we just have to have something fried. I don't dare make regular southern fried chicken because there is no way mine will match up to my grandmother's chicken. We have dinner with her almost every Sunday after church and she makes fried chicken regularly because we all love it.

For my pretzel fried chicken you need:

10 oz bag of pretzels, crushed finely
2 eggs beaten
4 chicken breasts, pounded flat

vegetable oil for frying

Flatten out chicken breasts. Dip in pretzel, then egg, and the pretzel again. If possible, do this at least an hour in advance so you can refrigerate it before frying. This will help the crust stay on during frying. Fry the chicken about 4 minutes on each side or until done.

One of our favorite sides with this dish is macaroni and cheese. I make extra cheese sauce for dipping the chicken or sometimes we'll have honey mustard or other mustard dip.

Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

2008-10-24T13:33:00.001-04:00

I've said before one of my go to cookbooks is Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats. I do not like to watch Rachael on TV, but I do love her recipes. I love how she takes every day ingredients but switches them around to make new dishes, dishes that come together quickly.

This recipe is one I've made a few times. My husband rarely asks for certain dishes, he is just happy to have a wife who likes to cook, but this recipe he actually asks for by name. It's one of his favorites.

Ingredients

* Salt
* 1/2 pound orzo pasta
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 ounces
* Pepper
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
* 12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
* 12 white mushrooms, sliced
* 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped
* 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, eyeball it
* 3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half, a couple turns of the pan
* 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful

Directions

Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add orzo pasta. Cook to al dente.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.

To serve, pile orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.

Black beans and corn

2008-10-22T09:17:00.000-04:00

You know when you ask someone for a recipe and they say, I don't really follow a recipe, I add a little of this and a bit of that? This "recipe" is one of those. I've made it several times for a crowd because it always goes over well and I've received many requests for the recipe. This recipe is great for a crowd, you just keep doubling the amounts until you have the amount you need. This particular time, I made it for an 80th birthday party for 80 people.

Here's the recipe as best as I can put it down on paper:

2 cans black beans, rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeño, diced
1-2 yellow, red or orange bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups chicken broth (depending on how thick it gets)
1 TBS or so cumin
1 TBS or so chili powder
1 TBS or so chipotle chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the onion, jalapeño, pepper,garlic, and spices in a little olive oil until softened. Add the corn and beans and allow to cook for at least 30 minutes but it's really better when you can cook it on low for a few hours. Toss in a handful of chopped cilantro at the end. You can adjust the spices to taste, add more jalapeño if you want it spicier.

This is a picture from the Texas barbeque style dinner for 80 where I made these. It's not the greatest quality picture, but it's the best I could get since I was busy working in the kitchen. I grabbed a 12 year old who was at the party and asked himto shoot a picture of it for my blog since I'd been asked by several people for the recipe.

There was about 2 quarts left from this party and I put it in the freezer. I'm going to add more broth, rotel style tomatoes, and shredded chicken to make what I hope will be similar to taco soup.

Grocery shopping and meal planning

2008-10-17T16:09:00.001-04:00

Back when we first got married, we were living in New Jersey. We lived almost an hour from the base, so I started making a menu plan and shopping once a month. It was easier to go to the commissary once a month than go weekly, and the commissary was then (and still is) a better bargain. The only bad part about the monthly shopping when we were first married was the three flights of stairs I had to climb taking the groceries up to our apartment. I turned what was supposed to be the linen closet into a pantry and we put a small chest freezer in the dining room.

This monthly shopping is something I've continued throughout our being married even at times when we lived on base or the commissary was just around the corner. I usually spend a couple of hours going through my favorite cookbooks and recipe sites online and create the menu. I create my grocery list from this and go shopping. It takes a couple of hours to shop and put things away, but I like knowing I have everything I need (save some fresh fruit and vegetables) for at least a month's worth of dinners.

This is the menu plan I made for this month. (click on the menu for a bigger picture so you can read it)

It has 35 different dinner ideas on it and really this plan will probably last us at least six weeks. We don't eat at home on Sundays and I didn't plan for quick meals like hamburgers, hotdogs, or brats when we're late from work or nights I have class and don't have time to cook.

One thing if you try this you have to look out for is sticker shock. When they finish scanning everything and you get your total, it seems like so much. It really is a lot, but when you figure for our family, we feed three adults three meals a day (we take leftovers for lunches), it really is not a lot. The total for today was $365. There are a couple of things I'll have to pick up at the regular grocery store because they do not carry them at the commissary. If you take $365 and divide it by only the 35 meals planned, it is $10.50 per meal. Remember, this feeds three adults with 1-2 servings leftover. It is certainly cheaper than eating out.

If you make a menu plan, leave me a note and let me know how you do your plan.

365:# means the recipe comes from Rachael Ray's 365 cookbook, C Ill comes from Cook's Illustrated.

Cider Vinegar Chicken and Garlic Smashed Potatoes

2008-10-04T21:17:00.005-04:00

Don't let the picture fool you. It may look white and plain, but trust me it has a ton of flavor. This is a Rachael Ray recipe from my favorite 365 book I've mentioned here before.

4 6oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I cut mine into bit size pieces)
coarse black pepper
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 TB thyme leaves
3 TB honey
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups chicken stock

Preheat skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 TB EVOO. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to hot skillet. Brown chicken. Remove and reserve the meat. Cover it with foil. Add another TB of EVOO to the pan then the onions, thyme, honey, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions are brown and caramelized. Add the cider vinegar and stock. Turn up the heat to high and bring liquids to simmer. Add chicken to skillet, cook for about 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite garlic mashed potatoes. The sauce it delicious on the potatoes.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling

2008-10-04T21:04:00.003-04:00

First let me say, thank you to the bloggers who emailed me asking where I've been. It's nice to know someone missed me :) I started school and work at the same time after a couple of years of being a stay at home wife. It's been a transition for everyone. Plus for the last couple of weeks any of my extra time has been working on my grandmother's 80th birthday party. I hope to have pictures for the blog when it finally gets here.

Now on to the whoopie pies. I haven't had a lot of free time to cook, but I still find a little time to surf some of my favorite blog sites. When I saw the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling on Culinary Concoctions, I could not wait to make them.

It's homecoming at our church tomorrow and everyone will be bringing lots of cakes and pies. I wanted to make something a little different and this recipe fits the bill. I usually would not make a new recipe to take somewhere, but since this made little bites, I knew I could give it a taste before taking it to church. Now I just hope everyone else loves them as much as we do.

We love Greek flavors

2008-09-25T09:19:00.006-04:00

and this is another way to have them so we don't get tired of souvlaki and Greek salad.

This dinner was a roast cut sirloin steak put in a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, and salt and pepper. It was grilled to medium and sliced into thin strips. It was tender, flavorful, and juicy.

On the side there is couscous with chunks of feta, chopped kalamata olives, and thin strips of roasted red peppers. There is also a mix of yellow and zucchini squash and halved grape tomatoes cooked together with garlic and oregano. Of course we can't have Greek without pita, so there was grilled pita also.

It was a tasty and healthful meal.

Quick and Easy: Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

2008-09-14T19:55:00.000-04:00

I had to make pies the day after our vacation for a church dinner. We stopped at the grocery store before we even went home so I had to make something I knew the ingredients by heart. Cherry cream cheese pies filled the bill. A quick stop at the grocery store for cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, a few lemons, cherry pie fillings and graham cracker pie crusts is all that's needed. The pies turned out great and when the dinner was over, all that was left was the pie tins.

They may not be gourmet but they're mighty tasty.

1 9 inch graham cracker pie crust
1 8oz block of cream cheese
1 15 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 can cherry pie filling
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

Whip room temperature cream cheese until fluffy and gradually add the condensed milk. While continuing to beat, add lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into prepared crust. After chilling for a couple of hours, garnish with cherries.

**I use the extra serving pie crusts and for two pie crusts, I mix 3 times the recipe so the crusts are completely full and thick. Plus sometimes I'm lucky enough to have some extra to eat out of a bowl.

It's a Pioneer Woman Day

2008-09-12T12:08:00.000-04:00

Homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast.
Marlboro Man Sandwich with Hot Crash Potatoes for dinner.

Thank you Ree for your great recipes.

I wasn't fast enough with the camera to get a picture of the cinnamon rolls. They disappeared pretty quick.

Vacation breakfast: Fruit Fritters

2008-09-07T11:33:00.000-04:00

On our last day of vacation, we stopped at Yana's in Swansboro, NC. It's a cute little restaurant full of 60s memorabilia. Meeting you at the door is Elvis strumming on his guitar. Elvis is cool, but we go there for the fritters.

The fruit fritters are TO. DIE. FOR. They have them in apple, strawberry, banana and peach when in season. Since there were four of us at this meal and peaches were in season, we got an order of each one. It was the delicious. I have to say, the peach and strawberry are my favorite with apple following close behind. The banana is also very good but the others would win out if I had to pick.

No we didn't eat all of them or we would have been in diabetic shock, but they did provide enough sugar to get us through our shopping. Yana's has take out boxes with the directions how to reheat them right on the box. They heat up very well.

Vacation dinners: Shrimp stuffed with crab, Drunken Shrimp and Scallops

2008-09-06T11:06:00.000-04:00

Our absolute favorite place to have dinner at the beach is Frank and Clara's in Salter Path, NC. It is small and every visit we've ever made the quality of the service and food is always excellent. They bring cheese and crackers to your table while you view your menu. By now, I don't even use the menu, I get pretty much the same thing every time. The shrimp stuffed with crab or the crab cakes are the best I have ever eaten. The crab cakes are almost pure crab. They have so little filler in them, they are free form cakes because they wouldn't hold together like what most people think of crab cakes. They are so rich and delicious. They also have a wonderful homemade clam chowder that comes with every meal.

My choice on this visit was the shrimp stuffed with crab:

You get six shrimp with what amounts to six small crab cakes. It's to die for, really.

My aunt got the Drunken Shrimp and Scallops which was shrimp and scallops cooked in a wine sauce and topped with mushrooms and cheese. It was also very good.

The Omnivore's Hundred

2008-09-04T09:49:00.006-04:00

The Omnivore’s Hundred

This started at a Very Good Taste blog and has been going through all the food blogs. I finally had a chance to do it. It's interesting because there are things I'd forgotten about and things I've never heard of before. Plus I have been putting off my assignments for one class and this is more fun than that homework.

I was surprised at how many I've had, but it's only because of our living and meeting new people while my husband was in the air force. I must say thanks to Oy for all the Thai and Vietnamese flavors and Patrice for some of the other items.

If you want to play, here’s what you do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or ~~head cheese~~
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. ~~Curried goat~~
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. ~~Chitterlings,~~ or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. ~~Roadkill~~
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. ~~Horse~~
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Vacation dinners: shrimp and grits, crab cakes

2008-09-02T10:45:00.001-04:00

On our vacation to the beach we ate out a couple of times. This dinner was from Clawson's on the Beaufort, NC waterfront. It's one of our favorite places to have dinner when we're at the beach.

My dinner was shrimp and grits: The spicy deep South recipe with bacon, garlic, onion, mushrooms, and sweet pepper, served with house vegetable

My mom's dinner was crab cakes: Homemade, with pineapple-red pepper salsa

Sweet Pickles: in 30 minutes and 30 days

2008-08-29T13:03:00.000-04:00

I started to call these cheater pickles, because making these takes shortcuts found in the store. You don't have to worry about getting the cucumbers and getting them ready. Or buying the vinegar or spices or jars. Or days of soaking, rinsing, and canning. These start out with a gallon jar of sour pickles. Some people use dill pickles too but I prefer the sour because they don't have any spice added.

Ingredients:
1 gallon jar of sour pickles
4-5 pounds of sugar

Take one gallon jar of sour pickles

Drain them.

Slice them.

Stack them in the jar alternating pickles and sugar.

Pack it as tightly as possible and top with as much sugar as you can fit in the jar.

Be sure to wipe down the rim of the jar so the lid does not stick. Allow these to sit for at least 30 days for the pickles to soak in all the sugar. The sugar will melt and draw out some liquid turning these into the next best thing to homemade pickles. These are great because they are easier and cheaper. And delicious. Give them a try and let me know how they turn out.

What's for dinner?

2008-08-22T20:12:00.000-04:00

As I said last time, there will be a lot of these posts in the future. I'm going back to school. I'll still be cooking dinner, but I don't know how often I'll get to bake or create anything special. Here is where I should say something cheesy like every dinner with my family is special, but I'll spare you.

Dinner was grilled salmon with lime (we seem to be on a lime kick), roasted brussels sprouts, and spicy roasted potatoes. The potatoes were made spicy by adding a tablespoon or so of Texas Pete to the olive oil before mixing it with the potatoes.

What's for dinner?

2008-08-19T19:43:00.001-04:00

You may start to see a lot of these kinds of posts when I don't have a lot of time to blog but I'm still cooking something.

Tonight dinner was from Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats. I can't guarantee no repeats because I do repeat our favorites. This is one of them. This cookbook has become one of my favorites. I'm no where close to making all 365 recipes, but we've probably made 25 or 30. So far they've all been good except one.

This recipe is #169. Cumin and Lime Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Creamed Corn.

SERVES 4 -6

* 2 1/4 lbs pork tenderloins
* 2 limes, juice of
* 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon ground coriander
* salt
* fresh ground black pepper
* 6 garlic cloves (4 cloves cracked, 2 cloves chopped)
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 large yellow onion, chopped
* 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
* 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
* 2 (10 ounce) boxes frozen corn kernels (or kernels cut from 5 ears fresh corn)
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Preheat oven to 500°.
2. Trim the sliver skin or connective tissue from the tenderloins using a very sharp, thin knife.
3. Place tenderloins on a rimmed nonstick cookie sheet; coat them with the lime juice, rubbing the juice into the meat.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the tenderloins, just enough to coat (about 2 tablespoons).
5. Season the meat with the cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper.
6. Cut small slits into the meat and disperse chunks of the cracked garlic cloves into the slits.
7. Roast for 20 minutes; remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes, tented loosely with foil.
8. While the pork is cooking, preheat a skillet over med-high heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter.
9. Add in the onions, jalapenos, bell pepper, chopped garlic, corn, salt, and pepper; cook 4-5 minutes, or until the onions are tender.
10. Sprinkle with the flour, and continue cooking 1 minute.
11. Whisk in the chicken stock and heavy cream; bring mixture to a simmer and then lower the heat to medium-low; cook until it is thick and creamy, about 5 minutes.
12. Add in the parsley and cilantro; taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
13. Slice the rested roasted pork; serve with spicy creamed corn.

We all scream for ICE CREAM! when it's homemade

2008-08-17T17:21:00.000-04:00

One of summer's greatest pleasures is sitting under Grandma's carport listening to the whir of the ice cream freezers.

We usually make it a few times a summer, but so far this year we have only made it once. Our family is growing so it is becoming hard to find flavors everyone loves. This time we didn't succeed because one of the kids doesn't like any fruit ice cream, so he ended up with store bought. Oh well, more for me!

This time we made peach and banana. They were both wonderful, but the banana was my favorite.

This is the way our family makes ice cream. I have made a custard first, but this was is easy and delicious.

2 packages instant pudding (vanilla for fruit flavors)
1-2 can evaporated milk
1 quart half and half
mashed fruit (5-6 bananas, 10-12 peaches)
sugar to taste
milk to fill the freezer

A lot of the measurements will depend on what size freezer you are using. The banana we made in a one gallon freezer so we only used one can of evaporated milk. The peach was made in a six quart freezer so we used two cans of evaporated milk.

Follow the directions for your ice cream freezer. This also works well in the kitchen aid ice cream attachment but you just have to scale down the recipe.

There are no pictures of the finished product because once the tops were taken off, the bowls were filled and the ice cream disappeared. I'll try to do better if we get a chance to make some more before the summer is over.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2008-08-12T12:50:00.003-04:00

This weekend was Bible School at our church. I signed up to make cookies. The next question was then, what kind of cookies would go over well with the kids? Of course chocolate chip was the first to come to mind, but since I didn't know what everyone else was making, I figured there would some chocolate chip cookies made by someone else. (And there was) My next favorite cookie is peanut butter so those would be it. Of course I had to figure out a way to make plain old peanut butter cookies more fun. Thanks to a bag of hershey kisses, I knew peanut butter blossoms would be it.

Here is the recipe I used, it was on the back of a bag of unwrapped hershey kisses. Boy I'm glad I didn't have to unwrap all those kisses. I made a double batch of these cookies and they were almost all eaten. The kids and the adults seemed to love them.

Peanut Butter KISSed Peanut Blossoms
Ingredients:

* 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates filled with Peanut Butter
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Granulated sugar

Instructions:

1. Remove wrappers from peanut butter filled chocolates; place in freezer overnight.

2. Heat oven to 375°F. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 48 balls (about 1-inch each). Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 3 to 4 minutes. Press frozen peanut butter filled chocolate piece into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove cookies from sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. 48 cookies.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls

2008-08-08T15:26:00.000-04:00

I'd never had anything Vietnamese until a few years ago. We were living in San Antonio and our neighbors were Thai. I learned about and tasted a lot of wonderful homemade Thai food during those couple of years they were our neighbors. They also took us to different restaurants. One of our favorites was a Vietnamese place where we fell in love with summer rolls. I found a recipe online and decided to give it a try. They were good and they really are a great summer meal.

Since these turned out, I'm excited to try more new recipes, both Vietnamese and Thai.

I found this recipe at Chow.

INGREDIENTS

* 12 medium shrimp in their shells
* 2 ounces dried rice sticks or rice vermicelli
* 8 (8-1/4-inch) round rice paper wrappers
* 1/2 cup mung bean sprouts, rinsed
* 24 small mint leaves (from 1 small bunch)
* 16 basil or Thai basil leaves
* 8 small sprigs cilantro
* 1 Thai hot pepper, serrano pepper, or other small hot chile pepper, seeds removed and sliced into very thin matchsticks
* 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-by-1/4-by-2-inch sticks
* 2 large scallions, trimmed, halved, and sliced into 3-inch lengths
* 4 Boston lettuce leaves, cut in half
* Peanut Sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add shrimp and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until they are bright orange and just cooked. Drain shrimp in a colander and run cold water over them until they are cool. Peel shrimp and halve them lengthwise down the center. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Cook the rice sticks according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. Clear a work surface, such as a large wooden cutting board, for rolling the summer rolls and prepare a pan that is roomy enough to hold the finished rolls in a single layer. Place all filling ingredients in separate containers, and arrange them in the following order around the board: rice paper wrappers, shrimp, rice noodles, bean sprouts, mint, basil, cilantro, hot pepper, cucumber, scallions, and lettuce.
4. Fill a wide, shallow dish, large enough to hold the rice paper wrappers, with hot water. Evenly submerge one rice paper in the water for about 30 seconds, or until it is soft and pliable. Remove from the water and place on the work surface.
5. Working quickly, lay three shrimp halves in a row, cut side up, just above the center of the wrapper. Layer a scant 1/4 cup of noodles over the shrimp, followed by a few bean sprouts, 3 mint leaves, 2 basil leaves, 1 sprig of cilantro, and 2 pieces of the hot pepper (if using). Place 3 to 4 cucumber sticks and 3 to 4 scallion pieces on either side of the noodle pile. Roll one piece of lettuce into a cigar shape, and place it on top of the noodle pile.
6. Fold the bottom half of the rice paper wrapper over the filling. Holding it firmly in place, fold the sides of the wrapper in. Then, pressing firmly down to hold the folds in place, roll the entire pile up to close the top. (Don’t despair, this takes some practice!)
7. Turn each roll so that the rice paper seam faces downward and the row of shrimp faces up. Place in the prepared container.
8. Serve summer rolls with Peanut Sauce.

Peanut Sauce:

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup natural-style creamy peanut butter
* 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
* 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 1 small garlic clove, mashed to a paste
* 1 teaspoon chile-garlic paste
* 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
* Juice of 1 lime
* 1/4 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until well combined, adding more water to thin the sauce if necessary.

Chocolate Velvet Cake with Butter Pecan Frosting

2008-08-06T15:20:00.000-04:00

Yes it is as delicious as it sounds. It makes a great ending to a meal or heck around here, it could be the actual meal itself. This is my go to cake when I have to make something for a church dinner or holiday meal. Everyone loves it, plus it's a simple recipe. The recipe came from Southern Living, December 2003. I've been making it since I first got the recipe and it's still a family favorite.

Sadly I don't have a picture of the cake sliced because this one had to go to a church function.

For the layers:
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16-ounce) package light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 cup hot water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation
Melt semisweet chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total time). Stir until smooth.

Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer, beating about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Spoon cake batter evenly into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.

For the frosting:

Ingredients

2 cups chopped pecans
1/4 cup cup butter, melted
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 (16-ounce) packages powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation
Stir together chopped pecans and 1/4 cup melted butter. Spread in an even layer in a 13- x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until pecans are toasted. Remove from oven, and let cool.

Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in pecans and vanilla.

Hoisin Pork Tenderloin

2008-08-02T19:35:00.000-04:00

Dinner was grilled pork tenderloin marinated in hoisin sauce, pineapple juice and garlic. It was served with jasmine rice and a broccoli slaw stir fry. It was delicious and quick, almost as quick as getting chinese take out. Plus we know all the ingredients and it's made pretty healthy unlike some chinese takeout.

This is super simple.

1/2 jar hoisin sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
3 cloves chopped garlic

Mix together and marinate pork tenderloins. Grill to your preference of doneness.

See, it's super simple.

For the broccoli slaw stir fry:

Put a tablespoon olive oil in pan, add broccoli slaw and sliced scallions. Add salt, a bit of sesame oil, and red pepper flake. Cook until just wilted.

Asian Turkey Salad; A Quick and Cool dinner for summer

2008-07-30T19:31:00.000-04:00

What could be a better dinner on a hot and humid July night than a loaded salad? It's full of great vegetables, a tangy dressing, and leftover turkey breast. The original recipe which came from Everyday Food used a rotisserie chicken but I had grilled a turkey breast yesterday so we used some of the leftovers instead of chicken. It was quick, cool and delicious.

Ingredients

Serves 4

* 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems
* 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
* 1/4 medium red cabbage (8 ounces), cored and thinly sliced crosswise
* 1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
* 2 scallions, thinly sliced
* 1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
* 1/2 cup cashews

Directions

1. Make dressing: In a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, bell pepper, and scallions; season with salt and pepper. In another large bowl, toss lettuce with 1/2 cup dressing. Divide among four bowls, and top with chicken mixture. Drizzle all with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with cashews.

Is anything better than gooey chocolate brownies?

2008-07-27T20:31:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure there is, especially if you add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a big glass of milk. I love gooey brownies where some people prefer a more cake like brownie. This recipe makes a gooey brownie if you make sure not to over cook them.

Brownies:

1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
6 T melted butter
3/4 cup self rising flour
3 T cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nut (pecans or walnuts)

Sift sugar, flour and cocoa together. Add eggs, butter, vanilla and mix with a spoon. Add chopped nuts. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

I always double the recipe because really, an 8x8 pan is never enough. If you double it, bake in a 9x13 and adjust your cooking time. But remember, don't over cook it because they are wonderful when gooey.

Rustic peach tart

2008-07-24T18:48:00.000-04:00

Remember my love for peaches? I still had a few and wanted to make something else with them. I started to make a peach cobbler, but decided to make a peach tart instead. The recipe I used called it rustic because the pie crust didn't have to be perfect when you pulled the sides up. I call mine rustic because it made such a mess. The syrupy juice ran all over the place. I don't know if it's because I didn't use enough flour or if the peaches were just that juicy. It didn't matter. It was delicious. We were scooping up the syrup with our fingers once it cooled so it would not go to waste.

Ingredients

Parchment paper
Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup peach preserves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 (15-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation
1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; coat parchment paper with cooking spray.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together peaches and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Unroll piecrust on prepared baking sheet. Roll into a 12-inch circle.

4. Drain peach mixture, reserving liquid. Toss peach in flour.

5. Mound peaches in center of piecrust, leaving a 3-inch border. Fold piecrust border up and over peaches, pleating as you go, leaving an opening about 5 inches wide in center.

6. Stir together egg and 1 Tbsp. water. Brush piecrust with egg mixture, and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. sugar.

7. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden. Carefully transfer tart on parchment paper to a wire rack; cool 20 minutes.

8. Meanwhile, bring reserved peach liquid to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Boil 1 to 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let cool slightly. Brush or drizzle 1 to 2 Tbsp. hot peach liquid over exposed fruit in center of tart. Serve immediately with remaining peach syrup.

Tex -Mex Turkey Burgers! YUM!

2008-07-21T19:32:00.000-04:00

My friend was telling me about a recipe for
Tex-Mex turkey burgers in this month's Everyday Food. She sent me the recipe but it wasn't what I was thinking when I thought Tex-Mex. I was thinking of something a little spicier than chili powder and pepper jack.

I had some ground turkey in the freezer so I was determined to come up with a recipe for a tex-mex burger. I finally settled on adding chipotles in adobo, garlic, onion, cilantro, and lime with my turkey. It turned out wonderful. Hubby and my mom both loved them and so did I. We had them on lightly toasted ciabatta rolls with avocado and fresh sliced tomatoes. This will be a new staple on our table.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground turkey
2-4 chipotles in adobo, depending on how much heat you like
3 garlic cloves
1 med onion
1 bunch cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice

Mix everything but the turkey in the food processor so it is chopped finely. Mix in the turkey and patty out burgers. I got 10 out of mine.

Grill until done. They are juicy and delicious.

We had them with grilled yellow squash and a sweet potato mash. The sweetness of the sweet potato mash was a great counter to the spicy of the burger.

On the grill with the squash:

Butterscotch Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

2008-07-19T19:12:00.001-04:00

This recipe comes from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook: Old-Fashioned Recipes From New York's Sweetest Bakery . The Magnolia Bakery is famed for starting the cupcake craze and for appearing in Sex and the City.

These brownies are delicious, just like ever other Magnolia Bakery recipe I've tried. They were a good choice because my husband loves butterscotch better than chocolate. I made these treats with him in mind. Plus the recipe was easy. That makes them even better.

Makes 24 (3-inch) brownies

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
FOR THE BROWNIES:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 /2 teaspoon salt
2 cups butterscotch chips
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12x18-inch jellyroll pan.

TO PREPARE THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
In a medium-size bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg and beat well. Add flour and beat until incorporated. Set aside.

TO PREPARE THE BROWNIES:
In a medium-size saucepan over low heat, melt butterscotch chips and the butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in brown sugar until well blended. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Beat eggs one at a time into the butterscotch mixture. Add vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients, beating until well combined. Stir in walnuts. Pour the batter into prepared pan.

Drop the cream cheese mixture by teaspoonsful over the batter. Using a small knife, swirl the cream cheese mixture by teaspoonsful over the batter. Using a small knife, swirl the cream cheese into the batter, forming a decorative pattern.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of pan comes out with moist crumbs attached. Do not overbake. Allow to cool to room temperature, or overnight, before cutting and serving.

Grilled Turkey and what to do with the leftovers

2008-07-16T19:23:00.001-04:00

We have a Holland Grill. Yes it is a gas grill and we love it. I have always had trouble with charcoal so for me to use the grill, gas it is. Plus this one is so easy, you can regulate the temperature and it cooks without a lot of watching. As the Holland grill company says, "if you're lookin' you ain't cookin'."

I have a few turkeys in the freezer so we decided to cook one up to make room in there. Cooking it on the grill all I had to do was clean the turkey, rub with olive oil and poultry seasoning. I put it on the grill and two hours later it was brown, juicy and delicious.

To go with the turkey, we had dirty rice, green beans and cranberry chutney I had made and frozen in the fall.

A recipe for the leftovers:

The next night we didn't want another plate of leftover turkey because leftovers were packed in lunch boxes. To change up the leftovers, I made a turkey casserole. I got this recipe from my aunt who makes it with chicken. It's very good with turkey too.

Ritz Cracker Chicken Casserole

1 chicken cooked and torn into pieces (or 3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. sour cream
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1½ sticks margarine, melted
3 T poppy seeds (or just sprinkle until desired covering)

Mix together soups and sour cream.

Crush crackers and combine with melted margarine.

Layer ingredients in the following order in a 9x13 baking pan:
1. chicken
2. soup and sour cream mixture
3. crackers
4. poppy seeds

Bake at 350o for 20-25 minutes.

30 Minute Meal: Strawberry Cream Crepes

2008-07-14T18:39:00.000-04:00

You can make crepes and have the meal on the table in 30 minutes. Crepes are easier than you think, especially these. Everything in this recipe is something you probably have on hand all the time except maybe the strawberry glaze but it is easy to find in any store.

Crepes are very thin and similar to pancakes. Get your pan medium hot and butter it well. Pour in the batter and cook until it is dry. It will be much easier to flip when it is dry. Double your crepe batter and it will make a dozen crepes. The first one will probably not turn out, my first one never does.

These are delicious and can be made for breakfast, brunch or even dinner. Serve with your favorite breakfast meat and enjoy.

INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup biscuit/baking mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Softened butter
• 2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen sweetened sliced strawberries, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup strawberry glaze
DIRECTIONS
For crepes, in a bowl, whisk biscuit mix, egg, milk and vanilla. Grease an 8-in. nonstick skillet with a small amount of softened butter; pour 2 tablespoons batter into center of skillet.
Lift and tilt pan to coat bottom evenly. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter to skillet as needed.
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Spoon 2 rounded tablespoonfuls down the center of each crepe; roll up.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine strawberries and glaze. Cover and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Serve over crepes. Yield: 4 servings.

Salami Pasta Salad, perfect for a hot night

2008-07-11T15:05:00.001-04:00

You know when you see a recipe and you just know it's something you need to make? This is one of those recipes. It was in the July/August 2008 Simple and Delicious magazine. I first saw it on one of our 100+ degree days. I knew it would be a great summer time dinner. It's something you can make without even turning on your stove or grill.

This is also a recipe that can be easily adapted. Just think of what you love on your favorite sub sandwich and toss it in there. You could change out the meats for a different taste. I think next time we'll do it as a club with turkey, ham, and bacon to replace the salami and pepperoni. Maybe even add in some avocado.

I picked up my salami, pepperoni and provolone at the deli counter. Get them to slice it thick (I asked for number 8 on the meat and 5 on the cheese) This gets the meat and cheese thick enough so you can cube it.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups uncooked small pasta shells
* 3/4 cup chopped green pepper
* 3/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
* 1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
* 1/2 cup cubed hard salami
* 1/2 cup whole ripe olives, quartered
* 2 ounces provolone cheese, cubed
* 1/3 cup chopped onion
* DRESSING:
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add the green pepper, tomatoes, pepperoni, salami, olives, cheese and onion.
In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the dressing ingredients; shake well. Pour over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yield: 9 servings.

I used a pound of pasta, a half pound each of salami and pepperoni. I doubled the dressing also. I left out the peppers because I didn't have any on hand but added diced cucumber (I love cucumbers on my sandwiches from Subway) Next time I think I'm going to add some banana peppers because it's just like a sub sandwich changing the bread for pasta.

If you need a quick cool dinner for a hot and humid night, this is perfect. Add some rolls and fruit and you have a perfect summer meal.

Salmon with Peach Salsa

2008-07-09T19:36:00.002-04:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year. I love peaches. The fresh peaches of summer, the flavor, the scent, even the way the fuzzy skin feels. I just love everything about it. They are so good and since they are in season, they are inexpensive. I had five pounds of peaches so I tried to figure out what to do with them other than eat them whole.

I had some salmon filets to cook and I knew they would go on the grill. I started thinking how I could incorporate peaches in to a salmon meal. Peach Salsa! Perfect idea. Thanks to my garden and herbs,I had jalapenos and cilantro already. I still had vidaila onions left and I always keep limes. I knew then the salsa was meant to be.

For the salmon, I rubbed a little olive oil on and then sprinkled with a citrus seasoning blend. I grilled it until it was medium well and topped it with the salsa. It was delicious. We paired it with a pasta salad and steamed sugar snap peas.

Simple and Delicious: Banana Split Pie

2008-07-07T13:01:00.001-04:00

Banana splits scream summer. This is another quick and easy recipe. For a crowd it is easier to make this pie than to have a banana split bar. It is much less mess and the addition of the graham cracker crust gives it another texture banana splits don't usually have.

Step 1: Pour chocolate sauce (I used hot fudge) in the bottom of a graham cracker crust and freeze.

Step 2: Slice bananas and sprinkle with lemon juice so they don't turn brown. Add bananas over chocolate sauce.

Step 3: Top with pineapple sauce and maple walnuts.

Step 4: Add ice cream. I used a 5 quart container of chocvanstraw (neopolitan) ice cream. I allowed the ice cream to get a bit soft, took it out of the container and sliced it off. It was just the right size to cover the toppings.

Step 5: Top with whipped topping and freeze.

Step 6: When you are ready to serve, allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Slice and serve. You can add more chocolate sauce, walnuts, and maraschino cherries if you'd like. Caramel sauce would also be delicious.

This recipe idea came from the July/August 2008 Simple and Delicious magazine.

Crash Hot Potatoes

2008-07-03T09:19:00.003-04:00

These are so simple and delicious. I found this recipe at The Pioneer Woman. She has easy and great tasting recipes on her site. This recipe is so simple, I could not believe I'd never thought of it before. My grandmother taught me to save leftover boiled potatoes and make hash browns out of them but I'd never thought to boil potatoes just to make them crispy. I promise this is not going to be the only time we have these potatoes. Make more than you think you will need. We were fighting over the last of the crispy bits on the platter. Thanks Ree!

I've made these with both red and white potatoes. We prefer white potatoes.

Chicken Kabobs - Grilling for Summer

2008-06-30T20:50:00.001-04:00

It's hot. It's time to crank the grill and leave the oven off. We look for meals where almost everything can be cooked on the grill. One of our favorites is chicken kabobs. You get your meat and veggies all in one. It takes a little prep, but you can make it the night before and let it marinate so the night you throw it on the grill, it's a quick dinner.

You can use any vegetables you like, but our favorites are onion, peppers, mushrooms, squash, and grape tomatoes. Cut everything in relatively the same size. Cut chicken breasts into one inch cubes.

Remember to soak your wooden skewers in water so they don't burn. Stack your skewers in any way you want, if someone doesn't like squash or loves tomatoes, you can make the skewers to match each person or you can do them all the same. I tend to be random when I'm making the skewers. I try to make sure I have all the colors on the skewers.

For the marinade, I usually use a zesty Italian dressing. I use full fat for the oil to keep the kabobs from sticking. You could use low fat but you would have to be sure to oil your grill grates. Sometimes I will use the a Greek style marinade (olive oil, oregano, lemon juice and garlic)

These are delicious. You'll have to take my word for how good they look when they come off of the grill. They looked and smelled so good, folks were diving in before I could get my camera out. Give them a try and see how quick they will fly off of your plate.

Cream Cheese Banana Muffins

2008-06-27T08:53:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I'll buy bananas just to let them get soft and brown to make banana bread. If I haven't bought them specifically for banana bread but I have one or two get brown before I can use it, I'll put it in a freezer bag and pop it in the freezer. Then when I have four or five bananas in the bag, I'll make bread or muffins.

I found this recipe in Southern Living a couple of years ago and it's been my go to banana bread since then. The cream cheese keeps it moist and adds to the richness of the bread.

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (1 1/4 pounds unpeeled bananas, about 4 medium)
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loafpans.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browning, if necessary. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.

Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Muffins: To bake muffins, spoon batter evenly into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Makes 24 muffins. Prep: 15 min., Bake: 25 min.

Chicken Fra Diavolo

2008-06-23T17:29:00.001-04:00

We've eaten Fra Diavolo in restaurants, both chicken and seafood. We both really like it so I've been on the lookout for a good recipe we could try at home. "Fra Diavolo" means Brother Devil. This dish receives it's name due to the heavy use of red pepper flakes in a tomato sauce.

I was watching Food Network and saw Giada De Laurentiis make Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Lemon Spaghetti. I just knew this would be a dish I would have to make soon. I didn't have any shrimp on hand but since we've had this as a chicken dish in restaurants, this would be how I make my dish.

Chicken Fra Diavolo

1 pound large chicken breasts, cubed in 1 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste!)
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 medium onion, sliced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Toss the chicken in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes. Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large plate; set aside. Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture; toss to coat, and cook for about a minute so the flavors meld together. Stir in the parsley and basil. Season with more salt, to taste, and serve.

Gyros at home

2008-06-20T22:48:00.001-04:00

Sure I don't have a spit at home to roast the formed pork, lamb and beef usually found in a gyro. Instead we used steak. It wasn't as traditional as a true gyro which I love in Greek restaurants but it was still very good. It is also a meal which can be prepared in less than 30 minutes minus the marinating time. Of course if you want it be more like a gyro found in a Greek diner, serve it with fried potatoes.

Ingredients:
Steak (I used top round sirloin)
lemon juice
olive oil
oregano
garlic
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients but the meat in a plastic storage bag. Add the steak and allow it to sit for 1-3 hours.

Grill steak as desired. Throw a couple of pitas on the grill at the end of cooking time.

Slice the meat thinly and serve on pita with cucumbers, onions, lettuce and tomatoes. And Tzatziki. Lots of Tzatziki. (yogurt, cucumbers, olive oil, garlic, and a bit of lemon juice)

Cherry Cobbler French Toast

2008-06-17T17:11:00.000-04:00

Doesn't that sound delicious?

I can tell you, it was. We were in the grocery store and saw in the bakery section cherry cobbler bread and peach cobbler bread. We decided to try the cherry. It is very good on it's own but from the time it went into the cart at the store, I was thinking french toast.

Slice the bread thin because it's a quick bread and if it is thick, it won't cook up good without getting too dark on the outside.

For the custard:

2 eggs, beaten
2 cups of half and half
2 Tablespoons vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix well together. Soak bread in custard mixture and fry in a pan with a little butter. Serve with bacon or sausage, real maple syrup, and powdered sugar.

If you can find this bread, give it a try and let me know how you like it.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

2008-06-14T22:30:00.002-04:00

Peanut Butter Jelly. Peanut Butter Jelly. Peanut Butter Jelly. Peanut Butter Jelly Time.

Now that you hate me for putting that earworm up there, I'll tell you this entry is really about Martha Stewart's Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars. See, now you can't hate me because they sound too good. Right?

They really are scrumptious. It takes the childhood favorites of PB&J and turns it into dessert. The bars are rich, so cut them small. And have a glass of milk handy.

Ingredients

Makes about 3 dozen.

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
* 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 2 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups strawberry jam, or other flavor
* 2/3 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment, and coat inside of pan with flour; set aside. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs and peanut butter; beat until combined, about 2 minutes.
2. Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Add to bowl of mixer on low speed; combine. Add vanilla. Transfer two-thirds of mixture to prepared pan; spread evenly with offset spatula. Using offset spatula, spread jam on top of peanut-butter mixture. Dollop remaining third of peanut-butter mixture on top of jam. Sprinkle with peanuts.
3. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool; cut into about thirty-six 1 1/2-by-2-inch pieces.

Brussels Sprouts: another misunderstood vegetable

2008-06-11T15:38:00.001-04:00

Brussels sprouts get a bad rap. I think it's because until Food Network came about people were throwing them in a pot of water and boiling them to death. Boiling too long makes them bitter. Now in the Food Network era, everyone is all about roasting vegetables. Brussels sprouts are perfect to add to the roasting pan.

Not only should you try roasting Brussels sprouts just because they're delicious, but they're also very good for you. They are high in potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate and those phytosterols we are hearing so much about in helping to lower cholesterol.

If you've only ever had boiled Brussels sprouts, you owe it to yourself to give the roasted ones a try. They really are delicious. My husband used to say he hated them until he had them roasted. Now they're a favorite on our table.

Look for small brussels sprouts in with the fresh vegetables. If you can't find the fresh ones, you can thaw a bag of frozen ones and roast them. I've done both and get the same results.

Put Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and lightly sprinkle on olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Roll them around to make sure they're all covered. Put in a hot oven, around 450. Roast them for 15-20 minutes depending on their size. Stir them about half way. The outer leaves will get browned. Eat them while they're hot.

Try Tri Tip: It's what's for dinner

2008-06-08T20:09:00.002-04:00

I've heard about tri tip from all of my west coast friends. They all love it and tell me how great it is on the grill. I have looked for it all over. I finally found one the other day at the commissary. I grabbed it as soon as I saw it even though I had no idea what I was going to do with it when I got it home.

I talked to a couple of my friends and they all told me to grill it whole. I decided I'd give it a rub much like that we use on our briskets. I went a little less sweet and a bit heavier on the heat. I let it sit with the rub for about an hour at room temperature so the meat would grill more evenly, plus it gave it time for the rub melted into the meat. I put some hickory chips on the grill and oh man, I wish you could have been here to smell the smoke coming from the grill.

What goes better with steak than grilled mushrooms and onions? (yes more of those vidalias) Now I know why my west coast friends love the tri tip. I'll be keeping my eye out for another one.

How does your garden grow?

2008-06-06T18:28:00.001-04:00

Mine is doing so well and growing bigger almost every day it seems. I'm so excited because it's the first garden we've had since we've been married. We have had a few tomato plants in buckets before, but not a real garden. When my husband asked what I wanted to plant, I told him Salsa! He looked at me crazy until I told him tomatoes, jalapeños, and peppers. We also added in grape tomatoes, yellow squash, eggplant, and cucumbers.

Look! Baby tomatoes! Hopefully we'll be picking those guys by July 4th.

Plus there are the herbs. I love cooking with fresh herbs.

Rosemary, Mint, and Basil in one pot, Cilantro in the other pot

Oregano and Thyme

I can not wait to have pictures of what my garden produces on through the summer. It's turned off hot here, so the garden should really take off now.

Poor misunderstood Okra

2008-06-04T18:26:00.001-04:00

Okra is often thought of as a slimy mess. Most people will say they don't like okra because all they think of is the slime. I'm one of the few who like them slimy, but only if they're really small. I love them thrown into stews and gumbos. The "slime" factor helps to thicken gumbos, not to mention then you can eat the okra.

My favorite way to eat them is fried. Breaded and dropped in hot oil, they get crispy, golden brown and delicious. Not one bit of the slime factor around. Yum!

* 1/2 lb. of fresh okra
* 2 cups of dry corn bread mix
* 1 cup of buttermilk
* Vegetable oil for frying
* Large frying pan

Steps

Rinse and dry okra. Using a sharp knife and cutting board, slice the okra into 1/2 inch slices or discs, discarding the pointed tips and the stem ends.

Begin heating the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Be sure to carefully monitor the oil during this process to ensure it doesn't get too hot.

Put the buttermilk and the corn bread mix into separate bowls. Coat the okra discs first in the corn bread mix, then dip them quickly into the buttermilk, then back into the corn bread mix again.

Carefully put the breaded okra into the hot oil and gently fry until the pieces are golden brown and crispy. Lightly salt the okra after removing it from the oil.

Red Snapper Veracruz

2008-06-01T20:52:00.001-04:00

When I was searching for recipes for all our red snappers in the freezer, snapper Veracruz kept coming up. I wasn't sure about cooking fish with that sauce but it is such a classic I knew it had to be one of the things we tried. After checking out the Veracruz sauce recipe I knew we would like it because it so similar to a puttanesca sauce which we both love.

It was very good. It was served with jasmine rice and baby sugar snap peas.

The recipe I used came from Martha Stewart's website. Everyone knows I love Martha and want to be just like her.

Ok, maybe not just like her unless the rumors of her bitchiness are greatly exaggerated.

Red Snapper Veracruz Recipe

Serves 4 to 5

1 three- to three-and-a-half-pound red snapper, scaled and cleaned
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil, for pan
Veracruz-Style Sauce
2 to 3 dried bay leaves
3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small white onion, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse fish under cold running water, inside and out, being sure to remove all traces of gills and blood. Blot dry with paper towels, inside and out. Lightly season, inside and out, with salt and pepper.
Lightly oil the bottom of a large roasting pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with half of the sauce. Place fish over sauce. Tuck bay leaves, thyme, and onion into the cavity of the fish. Pour remaining sauce over fish.
Bake just until the flesh flakes when tested with the tip of a knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Use two large spatulas to transfer fish to a platter spooning sauce and cooking juices over it. Or remove fish from bone and serve on individual plates, with sauce spooned over it.

Veracruz Sauce

Makes 6 to 7 cups

1/2 cup olive oil
10 garlic cloves, 6 left whole, 4 very finely chopped
2 medium white onions, finely chopped
8 to 10 large ripe tomatoes, (about 4 pounds), finely chopped, or two 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), coarsely chopped, with their juice
24 pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced if large
4 to 6 pickled jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut lengthwise into thin strips
2 teaspoons small capers
4 dried bay leaves
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
4 sprigs fresh marjoram, or 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried marjoram
4 sprigs fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground canela
1 cup dry white wine

In a medium stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add whole garlic cloves, and cook, stirring, until golden on all sides. Remove garlic and discard. Add minced garlic and the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.
Add olives, chiles, capers, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, marjoram, oregano, salt, canela, and wine. Cook until the sauce has thickened to desired consistency, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning. If using fresh whole herbs, remove and discard before serving.

Chicken quesadillas from leftovers

2008-05-29T20:33:00.000-04:00

Remember the margarita chicken? We had half a chicken left over after and I can't let it go to waste.
I pulled the skin off and shredded what meat was left. The dark meat was put in a food saver bag and tucked in the freezer. It will probably be added to soup later. The white meat was frozen to make chicken quesadillas.

These quesadillas are regulars at our house. I always have cheese and tortillas in the house. We usually add whatever leftover meat is in the refrigerator or freezer. Sometimes we just have them like grilled cheese.

If you can make grilled cheese, you can make quesadillas.

Place one tortilla on your work surface. Sprinkle with cheese. Add chicken, bacon bits and more cheese. Top with another tortilla. Butter the top lightly. Toss into pan and butter the other tortilla. I cover my pan with a lid so the cheese melts quicker. Flip and cook other side until lightly browned.

Cut the quesadilla in half and each half into thirds. Serve with your favorite sauces (we had taco sauce and salsa verde with this), sour cream, cilantro and jalapenos.

Grilled Red Snapper

2008-05-27T20:35:00.003-04:00

Grilled red snapper is divine. I think it is even more so when you know you're the one who caught it and you know it is absolutely fresh. Ever since our fishing trip, I've been searching for different ways to cook red snapper. I knew we wanted to try it on the grill. A lot of the recipes I found online with pictures had the heads still on the fish. I didn't think I could cook something that could look back at me, so when my husband cleaned them he removed the heads.

Most of the grilling recipes I found had the fish's cavity stuffed with a citrus, onion or garlic and an herb. For our first try, I went with what was on hand. I sliced up a lime, onion and garlic, and picked some oregano from my herb garden. I rubbed a bit of olive oil on the skin of the fish so it wouldn't stick to the grill then gave a liberal sprinkle of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

It was delicious. I can not wait to cook the others waiting for us in the freezer.