Always Eat On the Good China

FARMERS MARKET SALAD

2012-02-16T01:08:00.001-06:00

FARMERS MARKET SALAD
1 Kiwi, sliced
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
1/2 cantaloupe, sliced thin
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup rotisserie chicken pieces
4 green onions, sliced thin
4 large romaine leaves, torn
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons thousand island dressing
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Layer salad ingredients together.
Whisk together vinegar and dressing. Pour over salad ingredients.
Toss & Enjoy.

GREEN CHILE TUNA CASSEROLE

2012-02-12T22:22:00.000-06:00

GREEN CHILE TUNA CASSEROLE
2-5 ounce cans tuna, REALLY well drained
2 cups cooked egg noodles
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 can chopped green chiles, well drained
1 can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
1 cup whole milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375˚.
Blend together milk and soup until well blended.
Fold tuna, onions, green chiles, garlic, salt and pepper into soup mixture.
Fold in cheese.
Gently fold in egg noodles.
Pour into a generously greased baking dish.
Top with potato chips.
Bake for 30 minutes.

MAPLE VANILLA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2012-02-12T21:36:00.001-06:00

One of hubby's favorite cookies is chocolate chip. I've experimented for years on getting the right combo of flavors. According to hubby I've finally done it.
MAPLE VANILLA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
3 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/3 cups butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 Jumbo eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple extract
pinch cinnamon
12 ounce package milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375˚,
Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
Cream butter.
Add sugars and cream again.
Add eggs and cream again.
Add vanilla and maple, beating until smooth.
Gradually add the flour mixture until we blended.
Add chocolate chips and nuts if desired.
Drop by spoon fulls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10 minutes.

KIWI ORANGE GLAZED CHICKEN with SCALLION RICE PILAF

2012-02-12T20:42:00.000-06:00

KIWI ORANGE GLAZED CHICKEN with SCALLION RICE PILAF
1 roasting chicken (6-7 pounds)
3 oranges
1 kiwi
1/4 cup honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, sliced and divided
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon roasted corriander, ground
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees˚.
Quarter 1 orange, set aside.
Grate 1/2 teaspoon zest and juice remaining oranges to 1/2 cup.
In a small saucepan bring juice, honey and zest to a slow boil.
Cook about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Thinly slice scallions.
Place chicken in roasting pan.
Fill cavity with orange quarters and scallion slices.

In a small food processor combine oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic, ginger and corriander until well blended.
Rub over chicken.
Roast 1 hour 45 minutes.
Brush reserved honey mixture all over chicken.
Roast another 15-20 minutes or until 180˚.

Meanwhile prepare rice according to package directions.
Add remaining salt.
Stir in sliced scallions, cashews and parsley.

MARRY ME CHAMPAGNE CHICKEN

2012-01-12T18:25:00.000-06:00

MARRY ME CHAMPAGNE CHICKEN
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons safflower oil
2 1/2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup champagne

Generously salt and pepper each breast.
Lightly dredge chicken breasts with flour.
In a large skillet, lightly brown chicken breasts to a nice golden brown in oil.
Once browned on both sides, add onions, mushrooms and champagne.
Cook over medium heat, champagne should boil a little, for approximately 1/2 hour. When chicken is tender, transfer chicken to a platter.
Pour cream into skillet. Simmer about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Pour sauce over chicken breasts. Serve.

CROQUE PASTRAMI

2012-01-07T13:36:00.000-06:00

In my opinion the key to a good sandwich is all in the layering. Make sure that your layers are complimentary to each other. I put the cheese on the bottom so it melts better.

I've made my version of Croque Madames before, but today with it snowing like a banshee I am making a new version with what I have on hand and calling it :

CROQUE PASTRAMI
per person
2 slices bread
2 large slices pastrami
1 slice Havarti
2 thin slices red onion

1 1/2 tablespoons of French Island
1 fried egg, basted

Make a basted egg.
Saute the onions until slightly caramelized.
Layer a slice of cheese followed by pastrami pieces to fit the size of the cheese on the first slice of bread.
Spread the French Island evenly on top.
Layer onions in the dressing and top with the fried egg.
Gently break the yolk.
Top with remaining piece of bread and grill until toasted.

**1/2 1000 Island 1/2 French Remoulade

TUNA CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE~CRAB or SALMON

2011-12-31T17:46:00.011-06:00

TUNA CAKES with FRENCH REMOULADE SAUCE
CAKES
12 ounce can all white albacore tuna, drained well**
1 large egg
1/8 cup mayonnaise
panko crumbs
sea salt, to taste
white pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon green Tabasco sauce

SAUCE
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup safflower oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a medium mixing bowl whisk egg until golden and consistency is smooth.
Add mayonnaise, salt, pepper and green Tabasco sauce, whisking until well blended.
Add enough panko crumbs to make a paste.
Add tuna and blend well.
Form 6 cakes or logs.
Set cakes on paper towels and chill 30 minutes. The paper towels will draw out excess moisture

In a cast iron pan melt butter.
Roll cakes in panko crumbs.
When butter is frothy, add tuna cakes.
Brown each side until golden.

In a food processor mix together all the sauce ingredients until well blended.
Microwave 1 minute until hot.
Pour over tuna cakes and enjoy.

**Crab or Salmon works well too.

Submitted to:

SWEET CORN SOUP

2011-12-30T22:50:00.000-06:00

Until recently Chilis restaurant had a sweet corn soup that was fantastic! Then they took it off the menu and I was forced to try and recreate it! I am very happy with the results. Today I made a grilled turkey and cheese with caramelized redonioons - YUM!

SWEET CORN SOUP
Safflower oil
7 ears sweet white corn, kernels removed
1 large leeks, whites only, chopped
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Juice of 1 lime

In a large stock pot saute' the corn, onion and leeks until translucent. 5 minutes or so.
Add sugar and cook a few minutes more.
Add stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or so.
Add heavy cream and simmer 15 minutes more.
Whisk together water and cornstarch until well blended.
Add lime juice, salt, pepper and cornstarch mixture until well blended.
Puree and strain.
Enjoy.

TEX MEX MEATBALL SOUP

2011-12-29T07:48:00.001-06:00

It's cold here and snowing like a banshee so I whipped up some warm (heat and spice) soup to have with some fresh baked beer bread!

TEX MEX MEATBALL SOUP
MEATBALLS
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 Jumbo Egg
1 cup cooked rice
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
SOUP
2 pounds Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small sprigs of cilantro, minced fine
1/2 small Vidalia onion, diced
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups chicken stock
1 avocado
white cheese or sour cream for garnish

MEATBALLS

In a small food processor grind together the garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and onion until well blended.
In a large mixing bowl combine the beef, pork, egg, breadcrumbs, rice and seasoning mixture until well blended.
Roll into 1 - 1 1/2 inch balls and set aside.

SOUP

In a sauce pan heat the oil ad add the onions and garlic. Saute' until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, cooking for 5 minutes until soft and tender.
With a slotted spoon remove the tomatoes to a blender and puree with chicken stock.
Return the tomato and chicken stock to the sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a slow simmer and add the meatballs, cooking for 30 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.
To serve, place a few meatballs in each bowl and cover with ladles of soup.
Garnish with a sprinkle of white cheese or sour cream.

APPLE RHUBARB BROWN BETTY

2011-12-26T17:02:00.001-06:00

2 to 3 stalks rhubarb, trimmed well (3 Cups)
1 small loaf white bread (6 ounces), crusts removed (3+ cups)
1 stick butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons sliced thin
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into thin wedges
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut rhubarb into 1/4-inch-thick cubes.
Tear bread into 1/2-inch pieces.
Spray a shallow 1-quart baking dish with PURE.
In medium bowl, combine melted butter and bread pieces; cover bottom of dish with 1 to 1 1/2 cups bread pieces.
In another bowl, combine rhubarb, apple, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Grate zest; add to mixture.
Let sit until juices begin to run, about 5 minutes.
Spread half of rhubarb mixture over bread pieces.
Sprinkle with 1 cup more bread pieces.
Add remaining rhubarb mixture and juices; cover with remaining bread pieces.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar.
Dot with 2 tablespoons butter slices.
Cover; bake 25 to 35 minutes on the middle rack, until rhubarb is tender.
Increase heat to 400 degrees; uncover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until rhubarb is soft, top is crusty, and juices begin to bubble at edges of baking dish.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

BEEF TENDERLOIN

2011-12-24T15:57:00.001-06:00

BEEF TENDERLOIN
1 (3 pound) beef tenderloin roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4-5 mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sprinkle garlic on bottom of shallow, glass baking dish and then layer green onions on top.
Place roast on top of onions.
Whisk together soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and butter.
Pour over the tenderloin.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then turn the roast over, and continue cooking 35 to 40 minutes, basting occasionally until the internal temperature of the roast is at 140 degrees for medium.
Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing

ALMOND WALNUT DANISH

2011-12-23T15:31:00.000-06:00

ALMOND WALNUT DANISH
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons yeast
4 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup + walnut crumbles

In a saucepan melt butter.
Add milk and water whisking until smooth consistency and JUST boiling.
Cool 5-10 minutes so you don't kill the yeast.
Add the sugar, salt and yeast to form a sponge like blob.
Add the eggs until uniform consistency.
In a mixer with a dough hook attached, combine flour and yeast mixture.
Knead well. Put in refrigerator for at least several hours, but overnight is better.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll a ball of dough the size of a golf ball into a rope and coil into a circle. Make sure the center is thinner than the outer edges to hold the filling in. Sometimes I prefer squares, but you just have to work with your dough after you have it coiled.
Fill with a heaping tablespoon of filling per danish (recipe below).
Let rise an hour in a warm place.
Bake 15 minutes.
Frost with drizzle.

ALMOND DRIZZLE
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoons butter, melted

Whisk together butter, milk, almond extract and orange peel until well blended.
Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until desired consistency.
Drizzle all over danish, sprinkling with walnut pieces.

GARLIC CHICKEN & NOODLES

2011-12-22T15:27:00.001-06:00

1 ½ + 1 ½ tablespoons safflower oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
½ cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 teaspoon water)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 egg white

bok choy

1 can water chestnuts, drained well

1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin

1/4 cup sliced yellow pepper

2 chicken breasts, sliced thin

noodles for 2

Whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and egg white.
Coat chicken with cor starch mixture and let rest for 1 hour.

Drain cornstarch mixture from chicken pieces.
Cook noodles.
Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in wok.
Stir fry chicken pieces until just about cooked through.
Remove with slotted spoon to mixing bowl.
Add bok choy, yellow pepper and onions cooking until just done.
Add to platter also.
Add drained noodles to mixing bowl.
Heat oil in your wok.
Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds.
Add salt, honey, vinegar, and water. Mix well.
Combine 1 teaspoon of water with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Add to the sauce and Simmer for 2 minutes.
Coat chicken with the sauce and toss well.

MEXICAN HOT POCKETS

2011-12-20T21:33:00.006-06:00

I had some CHICKEN ADOBO left over, but it wasn't enough for a meal by itself. So I added some veggies and cheese to make some pockets. It went over fantastic. We will be having this again soon!

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE BRAID

2011-12-20T18:20:00.000-06:00

This month I was paired with ANGRY ASIAN CREATIONS. I love being paired with someone I've never been paired with before I inevitably learn sooooooo much, and find great new recipes. I chose her SWEET BRAIDED BREAD recipe which she adapted from KING ARTHUR FLOUR. I chose it because I was having a serious chocolate craving at the time and it seemed holidayish too. I used a cream cheese (honey nut) chocolate chip filling.

BEEF BARLEY PASTA SOUP

2011-12-19T22:31:00.000-06:00

3 tablespoons butter
1 pound stew meat, in 1/2 inch pieces
flour
1 large carrot, diced
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup barley
1 cup pasta
1 cup White Grenache Wine
1-28 ounce cans Contadina crushed tomatoes
4-14 ounce cans beef broth*
salt and pepper to taste

Over low heat melt the butter.
Stir in carrots and saute until soft.
Add onions and garlic sauteing until fragrant.
Dredge beef pieces in flour.
Add beef to pan and saute' until beef pieces are browned.
Add the wine and simmer 10-15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and broth. Stir well and simmer 1 hour or more.
Add the barley during the last hour and simmer slow.
Add the pasta during the last 15 minutes.

*or make your own with 4 1/2 cups hot water and 3 teaspoons vegetable or beef bouillon.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2011-12-19T15:17:00.000-06:00

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons cocoa
2 large eggs
1 (12 oz) bag semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F.
Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter and peanut butter until well blended.
Add sugar and brown sugar and cream well.
Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Drop dough from rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheets.
Bake 10-13 minutes.
Allow cookies o cool on the sheet for 2 minutes.
Remove cookies to a cooling rack.

CranBlackberry Sauce

2011-12-18T15:44:00.000-06:00

A new twist on an old standard - YUMMY!

CRANBLACKBERRY SAUCE

1 cup orange juice with pulp
1 bag cranberries, washed and sorted

1 box blackberries, washed and sorted

1 kiwi, diced
2 cups sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange peel

Wash cranberries and drain in colander.
Mix orange juice and sugar in saucepan until dissolved.
Add cinnamon and orange peel. Stir well.
Add the cranberries and simmer over medium high heat until bubbling, stirring often.
When the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat. Cook 10 minutes uncovered or until all cranberries have ’popped’.
Sauce will thicken as it cools.
Can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for future holidays.

Yields: 2 cups

***I like to make a double batch at Thanksgiving and freeze half for Christmas.

SLOW COOKER APPLE SAUCE

2011-12-18T15:09:00.003-06:00

Slow Cooker Apple Sauce
8 cups diced apples (peeled and cored)
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 dash freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Put all the ingredient in a slow cooker and mix thoroughly.
Cover and cook on high until apples are tender, about 3 hours.
Add raisins last hour.
This produces a yummy salted-cinnamon-vanilla-caramel sauce that coats the apples and will thicken slightly upon cooling.
Cool uncovered for a thicker sauce.

BAKED PORK STEAKS with BROWN GRAVY

2011-12-15T22:31:00.003-06:00

These are the BEST steaks and are fork tender!

OVEN BAKED PORK STEAKS
4 pork steaks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ACCENT
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Sprinkle meat on both sides with salt, pepper, meat tenderizer and Worcestershire sauce.
Place steaks on foil lined cookie sheet.
Top with onions and garlic
Bake 20-30 minutes, turning once.
Top with gravy.

BROWN GRAVY
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons Better than Beef Bouillon
salt and black pepper to taste

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Whisk together the hot water and bouillon. Set aside
Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until the mixture is golden-brown and fragrant.
Add the garlic and cook a few seconds more.
Whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a low boil.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until desired consistency.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

CHICKEN KIEV

2011-12-10T14:23:00.000-06:00

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 large whole eggs, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
2 cups Panko crumbs + 1/4 cup for filling
1/4 bag frozen broccoli florets, chopped
salt and pepper to taste for chicken pieces
Safflower oil for frying

Combine butter, parsley, tarragon, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Fold in broccoli floret pieces.
Place mixture on plastic wrap or waxed paper and roll into small log; place in freezer.
Place chicken breasts, 1 at a time, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Spray chicken lightly with water as well as the top of the plastic wrap. Pound to no less than 1/8-inch thickness. Season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper.
Lay 1 chicken breast on a new piece of plastic wrap and place 1/4 of the compound butter and 1 tablespoon bread crumbs in the center of each breast. Using the plastic wrap to assist, fold in ends of breast and roll breast into a log, completely enclosing the butter; roll very tightly. Repeat with each breast.
Place chicken in refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to overnight.
Place egg and water mixture in 1 pie pan and 2 cups bread crumbs in a different pie pan.
Heat 1/2-inch of safflower oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat until oil reaches 375 degrees F.
Dip each breast in the egg mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs.
Gently place each breast in oil, sealed-side down, and cook until golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Remove to a cooling rack set in sheet pan and allow to drain for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

CHICKEN ADOBO - MEXICAN PHILIPINO CROSS - CHICKEN ADOBO ala TAMY

2011-12-09T20:18:00.065-06:00

When you look up recipes for Chicken Adobo ou have to choose between either a Phillipino recipe or a Mexican recipe. I couldn't choose so I decided to combine my favorite ingredients from each of them and make my own recipe.

Chicken Adobo
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced VERY thin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon achiote seeds
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cover achiote seeds with boiling water.
Cover and set aside overnight.
Drain seeds discarding water.
Place seeds, orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar, cayenne, paprika, cinnamon, honey, salt, pepper and garlic in a food processor. Grind until well blended.
In a large wok or skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on one side until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and sear the other side for another 5 minutes.
Add the onions over the chicken.
Pour the seed mixture over chicken and heat through.
Serve hot over rice and vegetable sides.

GARLIC AU GRATIN POTATOES

2011-12-07T10:02:00.000-06:00

GARLIC AU GRATIN POTATOES
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic mincecd
2 pounds potatoes, washed, and sliced thin
1 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cup VERY warm 1% milk
1 heaping teaspoon Better than Bouillon Beef Base

Preheat oven 400 degrees.
Grease baking dish and then dust it with the garlic powder.
Dry the potatoes on paper towels.
Layer the potatoes and cheese alternately finishing with a layer of cheese.
Whisk together the milk, garlic, beef base, salt and pepper.
Gently pour the beef mixture over the potatoes, coating them evenly.
Bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING

2011-11-29T15:07:00.001-06:00

This month I was paired with Jennifer from FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS. I love being paired with someone I've never been paired with before I inevitably learn sooooooo much, and find great new recipes. I chose her TACO SEASONING recipe. I chose it because I too am always looking for the perfect homemade seasonings.

She's right it works great for chicken, beef, pork–whatever you are trying to spice up for Mexican night!

I'm ditching my old go to recipe and using this from now on!

Jennifer's Recipe

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
1 tablespoon of chili powder
2 teaspoons of onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup water

Mix all the dry ingredients together and use with your taco meat.
Pour the water in the pan and cook just like you would for tacos.
The amount above is the same amount that is in one packet of taco seasoning mix at the store.

KEY LIME CHEESECAKE with BLUEBERY CARAMEL SAUCE

2011-11-07T23:16:00.004-06:00

When I was a little girl my great aunt, Looney Louise, (okay we didn't call her looney to her face, but it is what made her such fun) made a blueberry pudding cake with a tart lemon sauce that was out of this world! When Ron asked me to review NuNatural's products Aunt Louise's recipe was the furthest thing from my mind. After reviewing all the wonderful products that NuNaturals was gracious enough to send me and perusing the hundreds of recipes they also sent me, I settled on the blueberry cheesecake recipe. The more I thought of blueberries, the more I thought of Louise and so I made the requisite recipe changes to make it my own and bring me close to the reverse of Looney Louise's recipe.

Recipe aside, I have to say that every NuNatural's product I tried is excellent. I am a total convert! I was forced years ago to give up any chemically altered sugars so only had full bodied sugar to live on. NuNatural's products are not chemically altered, but based on Stevia, a natural plant!

KEY LIME PIE with CARAMEL BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons butter

15 drops NuNatural's liquid stevia extract

Filling:

16 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup key lime juice

1 egg

1 teaspoon NuNatural's white stevia powder

Crush about 12 graham crackers to make 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs.
Combine graham cracker crumbs, stevia extract and 6 tablespoons of melted butter in a medium mixing bowl.
Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom and sides, pressing it to make it firm.
Bake at 350° until golden brown (about 10 minutes).
Allow to cool completely before using.
Using a mixer, mix the ingredients in a bowl until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Don’t overdo it.
Pour the mixture into the sugar-free graham cracker crust, spreading evenly and bake at 350° until lightly browned (about 30 minutes).

Sauce:

2 cups fresh blueberries
5 tablespoons water, divided
Pinch of coarse kosher salt
4 teaspoons NuNatural's white stevia powder
7 drops NuNatural's liquid Vanilla stevia
2 tablespoons Hershey's caramel sauce
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine berries, 1 tablespoon water, and coarse salt in medium saucepan.
Stir and mash over medium-low heat until reduced to sauce consistency, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
Combine sugar, 4 tablespoons water, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in large saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.
Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is golden amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, 9 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in blueberry sauce; let stand 5 minutes.
Cool sauce to room temperature.
Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

I was not paid for this review, but did receive free products to try. All opinions are my own. Their products are all natural, easy to convert and taste great!

CHICKEN CACCIATORE - THE EASY WAY

2011-11-05T16:08:00.001-05:00

CHICKEN CACCIATORE
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
4 tablespoons light olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons minced jar garlic
1 cup white Zinfandel wine
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons Classico spicy tomato pesto*
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon marjoram

*if this is not available use 1 can Contadina Italian tomato paste

Dissolve the tomato paste into the wine and chicken broth. Sift together the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Brown chicken, turning regularly until browned on both sides, for 5-10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic while browning the chicken. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thickened. Serve over prepared pasta**.

**I prepare the pasta in chicken broth for added flavor.

THE PERFECT APPETIZER

2011-10-30T23:51:00.000-05:00

THE PERFECT APPETIZER
1 large rich, ripe tomato, sliced 1/4 inch and then halved
1 ripe kiwi, sliced
several large red seedless grapes, halved
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
coarse fresh ground black pepper
Himalayan pink sea salt
Parmesan cheese, grated

Slice and arrange fruits on small appetizer plates.
Sprinkle each plate generously with the sugar, salt and pepper.
Whisk together the lemon juice, lime juice and white wine vinegar.
Pour vinegar mixture over each plate.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Server immediately.

BBQ BAT WINGS & CAVE MOLD SAUCE ~~ HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-30T00:00:00.001-05:00

BBQ BAT WINGS & CAVE MOLD SAUCE

BBQ BAT WINGS
2 pounds chicken drumettes
3/4 cup orange teriyaki marinade

CAVE MOLD SAUCE**
1 cup sour cream
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed jalapenos (Penzey's dry spice)
generous pour of Frank's honey lime hot sauce 2 times
salt & pepper

In a large ziploc bag combine the drumettes and marinade.
Refrigerate overnight.

Combine sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth. I do a generous pour of the hot sauce and blend and then repeat,
Season to taste.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cover a jelly roll pan with foil (for easy clean-up),
Spray foil with PURE.
Bake for 45 minutes.

**I like to make this a few days in advance for better flavor melding.

MUSHROOM GRAVY ~ TASTE AND CREATE

2011-10-24T07:16:00.036-05:00

This month I was paired with PJ from Seduce Your Tastebuds. I love being paired with someone from another country as I inevitably learn sooooooo much, not to mention get to use my metric conversions. I chose her Mushroom Gravy recipe. I chose it because I love mushrooms, but also for the unique way she makes it - in the pressure cooker! Genius, pure genius! I made pork cutlets and mashed potatoes for it to go on. And everyone loved it!

PJ's recipe:

Button mushrooms - 200grams , washed , pat dried and quatered
Onion- 1, chopped
Tomato - 1, chopped
Curry leaves- a few
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder -1 teaspoon
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste

Saute with a little oil and grind to a smooth paste with a little water

Pearl onions- 5 numbers
Green chilli - 1
Aniseed- 1/2 teaspoon
Poppy seeds- 1 teaspoons
Cashewnuts- 5 numbers
Ginger- 1" piece
Garlic- 2 cloves

In a pressure cooker, heat oil and saute onion till translucent
Put in tomato and cook till soft.
Add the curry leaves, ground paste, coriander powder, chili powder, salt and mix well.
Cook for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle a little water if the mixture is very dry.
Put in the mushrooms and add 1/2 cup of water. Take care in this stage as water oozes out of mushrooms while cooking so adding too much water will make the gravy very watery.
Pressure cook this for 1 whistle or 8- 10 minutes.

Once the pressure releases,transfer into a serving dish and serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Note :

If the gravy becomes watery, cook uncovered for some time till the gravy reaches the desired consistency.
Instead of cashew/ poppy seeds, grated coconut can be used.
For a different flavor, garam masala/ sambar powder can be added in step 3

BALSAMIC PEACH CHICKEN

2011-10-24T00:07:00.000-05:00

This recipe was originally this. Hubby liked it so well that I have written an alternative version that allows me to clean out the fruit drawer, freezer and eat it too! This version also allows me to make the flavorful part the night before while I'm cleaning up the kitchen and throw it together quickly the next night and no one knows I cheated a little.

BALSAMIC PEACH CHICKEN ~ 6 servings

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 peaches
1 kiwi*
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon plum sauce*
1 tablespoon KARO syrup
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon chicken base
1 pound chicken tenders, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups prepared brown rice

In a small saucepan bring the water, vinegar, bouillon and brown sugar to a boil. Add the chopped fruit pieces and boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer for several minutes more.
Spray a skillet with pure. Stir fry the chicken pieces until heated through.
Transfer to a medium size bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over chicken pieces and chill several hours.
Prepare rice.
In a large skillet heat through the chicken mixture.
Add the rice and heat through.
Serve and Enjoy.

*The plum sauce and kiwi made a nice tropical taste that was a little more tart than the original recipe.

OVEN BBQ PORK CHOPS

2011-10-16T20:26:00.001-05:00

OVEN BBQ PORK CHOPS
1 1/2 to 2 pounds pork rib chops, trimmed of fat  
1/4 teaspoon sea salt  
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons safflower oil, divided
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup orange juice  
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
2-3 cups prepared white rice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Generously sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat.
Add the pork chops and sear to brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan.
Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened.
Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant.
Add orange juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Stir in barbecue sauce until well blended.
Return the pork chops to the pan, turning several times to coat with the sauce.
In a large baking dish layer the rice on the bottom, smoothing the top.
Add pork chops to top of rice.
Pour remaining sauce over the chops and rice.
Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the pork chops are barely pink in the middle and an instant-read thermometer registers at least 145 degrees. 10-15 minutes.

GREEN CHILI CHICKEN ROLL-UPS

2011-10-10T17:08:00.001-05:00

GREEN CHILI CHICKEN ROLL-UPSadapted from Shay @ Paper Plates & China Jalapeno Popper Chicken Roll-ups

1 1/2 pounds of chicken tenderloins
8 ounces of cream cheese**
1 (4 ounce) can of diced green chilies, well drained
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
Bacon slices (same amount as tenderloins)
About 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke
toothpicks
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix cream cheese, green chilies, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce together until well blended. You can roast your own jalapenos if you'd like.
Spread about 1-2 Tablespoons of cream cheese mixture over one side of chicken tenderloin.
Roll each piece of cream cheese layered chicken up like a sleeping bag and then roll a bacon strip around it, securing it with a toothpick.
Spray a casserole dish with PURE.
Layer any remaining cream cheese mixture in the bottom.
Top the chicken roll-ups.
Salt and pepper as desired.
Bake 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and bacon is crisp.

**I used philly cream cheese savory sauce because I was out of plain and it worked well.

STUFFED SHELLS

2011-10-05T18:37:00.008-05:00

STUFFED SHELLS adapted from Weight Watchers
15 large shells, cooked and drained**
1 pound lean ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoon Pampered Chef Italian seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Classico tomato pesto
1 cup shredded cheese

Brown meat and onion, Drain.
Whisk together tomato sauce, water, bouillon, garlic, pesto and seasoning.
Stir 1/2 cup of tomato sauce mixture and 1/2 cup of cheese into beef mixture.
Stuff shells with meat mixture.
Pour 1/2 of remaining sauce on bottom of the baking dish.
Put shells on top of sauce.
Pour remaining sauce over shells.
Top with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

**If you prefer the shells and beef mixture can be tossed and cooked as a casserole. When I do this I use the smaller shells, but same proportions.

CREAMY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE

2011-10-04T16:45:00.001-05:00

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 stick butter
16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
¼ +¼ cup chardonnay
sea salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1-½ cup whole milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup roasted red peppers, minced
1 pound Thin Spaghetti

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet.
Add mushrooms, 1/4 cup white wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until liquid has totally evaporated.
With a slotted spoon remove mushrooms from skillet. Set aside.
Bring broth to a boil. Break spaghetti into thirds (shorter pieces). Add spaghetti pieces to boiling broth and cook.
Drain when al dente reserving broth.
Return large skillet to medium-low heat.
Add 6 tablespoons butter.
Sprinkle flour over butter, whisking to combine until roux turns golden.
Add broth gradually and whisk to combine.
Pour in milk, additional 1/4 cup wine, salt and pepper to taste, then cook and bubble until thick.
Turn off heat, add Parmesan cheese, stirring until well blended.
Add in the mushrooms, chicken, and roasted red peppers.
Stir to combine and check seasonings.
Add cooked spaghetti and toss until well blended.
Turn into a 9 x 13 casserole pan.
Bake at 350 degrees or until golden brown and bubbly.
Serve with salad and warm, crusty bread.

CRY BABY BURGERS and ROASTED PAPRIKA POTATOES

2011-10-02T19:50:00.002-05:00

CRY BABY BURGERS
1 pound ground chuck
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 small can jalapenos, drained and chopped (save a small amount for the mayo)
1 small can green chiles, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 slices pepper jack cheese
jalapeno mayo (small amount of minced jalapenos whisked into mayo)
caramelized onions - 1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

Combine ground chuck, jalapenos, green chiles, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.
Form into 3 patties. Refrigerate for several hours.
Whisk together mayonnaise and minced jalapenos. Refrigerate until chilled.
Sear and brown patties, turning frequently until cooked through.
While cooking the patties, melt a small amount of butter in another pan and caramelize onions to desired doneness.
When burgers are done, top with cheese, mayonnaise and caramelized onions.
Enjoy!

ROASTED PAPRIKA POTATOES
2 pounds baby red potatoes
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup melted butter

Scrub potatoes.
Boil for 10-15 minutes.
Drain the potatoes until cool enough to handle.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray a 9x9 shallow baking dish with PURE.
Place potatoes on bottom in an even layer.
Smash each potato slightly.
Evenly sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.
Pour melted butter evenly over top.
Bake 30 minutes until crunchy and bubbling.

BLACK BEAN CHICKEN BURRITOS

2011-10-02T14:28:00.000-05:00

BLACK BEAN CHICKEN BURRITOS
corn tortillas
black beans, drained well
KNORR creamy rice mix
4 ounce green chiles, drained well
2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
15 ounce can HATCH green enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cojack cheese
sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a large baking dish.
Prepare KNORR rice mix as directed.
In a large bowl combine chicken pieces, black beans, green chiles, rice and 1/3 of the cheese.
Spread sour cream on each tortilla.
Add a scoop of the chicken mixture.
Layer in baking dish seam side down.
When baking dish is full, evenly pour the enchilada sauce over the enchilads.
Sprinkle cheese evenly over all enchiladas.
Bake 30 minutes.
Enjoy.

CHICKEN COUNTRY CASSOULET

2011-10-02T14:03:00.000-05:00

CHICKEN COUNTRY CASSOULET
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
1 pound fat sausages of choice, cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1 large Vidalia onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, sliced
1/2 pound snap peas, washed and deveined
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
1 14-ounce can petit diced tomatoes, basil, garlic & oregano
1 tablespoon Classico sun-dried tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
2 +/- cups chicken stock
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs**
salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Brown the bacon until browned and crumbly in Dutch oven casserole dish. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Add chicken and sausages and brown on all sides. Remove from fat and set aside.

Add the onions and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes until softened.
Add the carrots, snap peas and parsley, sauteing 3-4 more minutes.
Add tomatoes, tomato puree, spices and salt and pepper to taste.

Add meat back in.
Add enough of the stock to just cover the meat and veggies, you don't want things swimming around too much. You can always add more stock during the cooking if needed.

Cover dish and cook 1 hour.
Add more stock if necessary. Spread crumbs over the top and cook uncovered for 40 more minutes or until browned.
Try adding other vegetables such as broccoli or white beans for variety.

**I used crushed ritz crackers today and they worked reallllllllllllllly well as a substitute!

PAN SEARED CHICKEN TENDERS & TRI-COLOR COUSCOUS with COCONUT LOBSTER SAUCE ~ MARX FOOD CHALLENGE

2011-10-02T09:46:00.004-05:00

I ran across a MARX foods Recipe challenge - what fun! I signed up and they sent me a box full of yumminess. My box included tri-color couscous, coconut sugar, dehydrated lobster mushrooms, DeArbol chilies and Pasilla Negro Chilies.

The rules are that I had to use at least two ingredients from my box to create a new recipe. I really wanted to try and use all five ingredients, but was only able to work in four of them.

Now for full disclosure. hubby hates mushrooms, especially cooked mushrooms. He goes out of his way to avoid mushrooms. He declared he would hate this recipe before its inception. Seeing a pattern here? I HAD to use the mushrooms just to prove him wrong, plus I LOVE mushrooms even more than he hates them. This recipe is proof that you can mount your dislikes and change them with the right combination of ingredients.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN TENDERS & TRI-COLOR COUSCOUS with COCONUT LOBSTER SAUCE

2 pound chicken tenders

3/4 cup chardonnay

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup MARX tri-color couscous

2 tablespoons MARX coconut sugar

2 ounces MARX dehydrated lobster mushrooms, chopped

1 dried MARX Pasilla Negro Chilie, chopped

safflower oil

salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

5-7 tablespoons heavy cream

Whisk together the chardonnay and chicken broth until well blended.
In a medium bowl combine mushroom pieces and chile pieces. Pour the chardonnay mixture over the mushroom mixture. Allow to set for 2-3 hours to rehydrate the mushrooms and chilies. Stir them around every now and then so all surfaces are able to absorb the liquid.
When ready, drain mushrooms and chiles through a sieve, reserving the liquid.
Whisk coconut sugar into reserved liquid. Set aside.
In a small food processor pulse mushroom and chile pieces into a fine grind.
In a medium sauce pan, melt butter.
Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until roux is a golden brown.
Gradually add the reserved liquid until well blended.
Add in the mushroom and chile pieces, stirring until well distributed.
Add cream 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.
Simmer gently while preparing couscous and chicken.
Coat a large skillet with safflower oil.
While oil is heating, wash and pat dry chicken pieces.
Pan sear chicken pieces, salt and peppering as needed until golden outside and cooked through.
Pour 1 cup of couscous in a large bowl. Pour 1 ¼ cups boiling water over top. Cover the bowl and let it sit for five minutes, then fluff with a fork to separate the granules.
Plate couscous in the in the center of serving platter.
Arrange chicken pieces around the couscous.
Spoon sauce over couscous and chicken.
Serve immediately.

By the way, hubby who was so dead sure this recipe would suck gave it 2 thumbs up and then proceeded to eat it 2 nights in a row.

PO' BOY BEEF WELLINGTON & TASTE and CREATE

2011-09-25T17:51:00.001-05:00

This month my partner is Kat from STUDY FOOD. She has some really interesting recipes, but I settled on one that my family would eat LOL without asking. "What's in this?" I get a bit too creative at times so wanted to treat them to a straight forward home style meal. So I chose her Po' Boy Wellingtons because I just loved the irony of students eating beef wellington, a previously reserved for the rich recipe. Hubby gave them 2 thumbs up! They were wonderful and I think I'll make them again using hamburger steaks next time. Even more PO Boy!! LOL

Kat's recipe in black, my adaptations in red:

Beef: Here, I only had bolar (blade) roast - which I cut a 350g steak from. Because bolar has a reputation of sometimes coming out tough - I marinaded it in the juice of two lemons, a tsp of olive oil, salt and pepper for an hour a side - hoping that the acid in the lemon juice would break down some of the fibres while the oil would stop the meat from drying out too much... If you're using rump steak, or another, more tender mean you can leave that bit out... If using Bolar Beef: Bake your beef, SLOWLY for 45ish minutes @ 150 degrees while wrapped in foil - this'll make your Beef Wellington a little dryer than strictly desirable (unless you like your meat well done, in which case it'll be just the same as normal....) but it should also make it somewhat more tender than partially or fast baked Bolar.

If using not Bolar Beef: Before browning the meat I like to rub a little more olive oil, salt and pepper into each side - just to add flavour. Brown the meat on all sides over LOW heat. You are only browning the beef NOT cooking it - so don't leave it on the heat for too long! Once all sides of the steak are browned wrap it in foil and leave it to cool before shrouding in pate, mushrooms and pastry...
The purpose of browning the meat first is not only to add flavour but also to prevent it from leaking onto the pastry later.

LOL Kat didn't quite know what my flank steak was all about and I really didn't know what her Bolar beef was about, but I did google it and then set off to buy my meat, but was distracted by the wonderful manager's special markdowns that were going on at the end of my local store's meat counter. OOH, top sirloin at rock bottom prices - SOLD!

Duxelles: hubs won't eat mushrooms so I had to get creative here. I had some left over roasted carrots and some sauteed brussels sprouts. I was making dinner for 3 so opted to make each one a different flavor, but boy did I mess up the kitchen!!
10 grams butter
1 teaspoons oil
1/2 a tiny onion (or shallot, I guess...) diced as fine as you can
3 cloves garlic, minced or very finely diced
80 grams mushrooms - chopped into the finest dice you can manage
1 teaspoons dried, mixed herbs
2 tablespoons milk

Melt the butter in a frying pan with the teaspoon of oil over LOW heat...
Briefly fry the onion and garlic until fragrant before adding the finely chopped 'shrooms. When cooking the mushrooms you may notice that they soak up all the butter pretty quickly - keep stirin' 'em over low until they release the butter again and begin to brown. At this point add the dried herbs.
Continue to fry the mushrooms/onions etc until the pan starts to dry out a little - now pour in the two tablespoons of milk. Cook until as much of the milk has evapourated as you think will happen and the mixture is a dry-ish paste.
I tip mine out of the frying pan and into a sieve over a bowl - just in case there's anymore liquid to drip off...

Crepes: (Kat advises against cooking these in a bowed pan - it makes life very difficult) I skipped this as I used Pepperidge Farm Puff pastry and this was just more than we needed.
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon oil

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and allow to sit for and hour or so. The mix will be fairly liquid - but it will thicken over time.
Once rested, fry 1/2 of the mix at a time in a non-stick frying pan until cooked through on both sides. Set aside to cool.

Pate: I skipped this too - just more than we needed.
Kat borrowed some homemade pate from a flatmate - she loosely followed this recipe for Chicken Liver Pate from this month's Foodtown Magazine.

Pastry:
Kat used shop bought pastry - because that's what she had! And so did I!

Final Assembly:

Cut cooked steak into two. I cut them before cooking.
Cut pre-rolled pastry square into two.
Butter, egg or water the edges of your pastry with whatever you have handy... I used egg
Lay your pancakes on each of the pastry pieces and cut to fit. I omitted.
Spread half of the pate (I omitted) and half of the duxelles over each of the pastry/pancake halves.
Plonk steak pieces in the middle and wrap pastry over it sealing all edges/gaps...
Place on a cookie rack on a baking tray - seam side down.
Make slits half-way through the pastry (purely aesthetical) and brush with egg or butter or milk... I used a butter egg mixture
Bake @ 220 for 20-30 minutes, until pastry is golden and crispy. I used 400 F.

This recipe was a raving success!! Tasty, yummy and well worth the time and effort to make the 3 different veggies!

CHICKEN MILANO

2011-09-20T20:07:00.003-05:00

CHICKEN MILANO
4 tablespoons butter, divided*
2 pounds chicken tenders
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped**
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
1 pound fettucini
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped basil

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
Add onions and saute until soft.
Add tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the chicken broth. Simmer 10minutes.
Add the cream and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until sauce is thickened to desired consistency.
Meanwhile prepare pasta per package directions.
In another skillet melt remaining butter over medium heat.
Wash chicken pieces and pat dry.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper generously.
Add chicken to butter and saute on both sides until cooked through.
Plate chicken.
Toss fettuccini and sauce together until well coated. Add to plated chicken.
Sprinkle with basil.
Enjoy.

* I use butter or safflower oil

**next time I will probably puree them slightly

ROCKY ROAD FLUFF CAKE

2011-09-20T08:08:00.000-05:00

** this picture depicts a half portion of the recipe.

ROCKY ROAD FLUFF CAKE **
1 package milk chocolate chips
4 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pint whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup marshmallows
1/2 cup Heath Bar pieces
1 angel food cake broken into bite sized pieces
optional ~ sliced strawberries added throughout
optional ~ serve with French vanilla ice cream

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave 30 seconds at a time so they don't burn. Cool slightly.
Beat the egg yolks and add to chocolate mixture.
Beat egg whites. Add sugar.
Add egg white mixture to chocolate mixture also.
Stir in vanilla and salt until well blended.
Stir in nuts and Heath Bar pieces.
Whip the cream until soft peaks form.
Fold cream into chocolate mixture.
Place a layer of angel food pieces on the bottom of the pan.
Pour 1/3+ of chocolate mixture over top.
Sprinkle marshmallows over top.
Top with the rest of the angel food cake pieces.
Pour remaining chocolate mixture over top.
Chill overnight.
Invert on a plate.
Enjoy.

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

2011-09-18T12:14:00.001-05:00

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP
3 tablespoons butter
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
6 cups hot water
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
6 large Yukon potatoes, peeled 3 potatoes diced and 3 potatoes finely grated
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, sliced thin

Whisk together the hot water and bouillon base.
Melt butter in a skillet and saute onion until tender.
Stir in flour until golden.
Gradually add 1 cup of the broth.
Bring to a boil.
Cook and stir until thickened.
Transfer to slow cooker.
Add the remaining broth and blend well.
Add in the bacon, potatoes, salt, pepper, basil and thyme.
Cook on low 6-8 hours or until potatoes are tender.
Stir in heavy and sour cream and heat through.
Garnish each bowl with green onions and cheese.
Serve with buttermilk biscuits and maple honey.

PICKLED EGGS

2011-09-11T19:15:00.002-05:00

I used to make these for our VFW and they were a favorite!

PICKLED EGGS
1 dozen JUMBO eggs
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 onion, sliced into thin rings
1 whole dried chile pepper

Hard boil the eggs.
Drain and fill with cold water. Allow eggs to sit in cold water for 20 minutes.
Peel the eggs and place in a glass jar, alternating with the onion rings. Add the red pepper.
In a medium saucepan combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Pour the hot vinegar solution over the eggs. Cover tightly and let stand in refrigerator for several days before serving.

GREEN TABASCO CHICKEN

2011-09-08T08:38:00.004-05:00

GREEN TABASCO CHICKEN
2 pounds chicken tenders
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 orange halved
1 teaspoon Penzey's California crushed jalapenos
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Green Jalapeño Tabasco Sauce
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup melted butter
1-1/2 chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Juice 1/2 of orange.
Section other half of orange.
In a small sauce pan whisk together the orange juice and green Tabasco sauce.
Add the butter, garlic and chicken broth.
Simmer 10-15 minutes until well blended and slightly reduced.
Spray a baking pan with pure.
Toss together the chicken and green onions. Arrange in baking dish. Add orange sections.
Pour sauce over top.
Bake 30 minutes. Serve with Parmesan Potatoes and tortillas.

PERFECT BROWNIES

2011-08-28T01:18:00.000-05:00

Taste and Create was started as a food event by Nicole from For the Love of Food. The whole purpose of Taste and Create was, and has been, and continues to be to create a community of bloggers who test each others’ recipes and share links. The participants of the event are paired together and try a new recipe from one another's blog. My partner this month is Laura from Tasteful Diversions. I spent a lazy afternoon perusing her recipes and was intrigued by her recent brownie recipe. Laura had adapted the recipe from Cook's Illustrated and I opted to follow her version. These brownies were awesome. Hubby gave them 2 thumbs up! I added a Mocha cream cheese frosting and they really were perfect!

PERFECT BROWNIES

1/3 cup Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces Baker’s unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons safflower oil
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces dark chocolate chips (those melty ones you get in bulk to make fondue with at the grocery store) I used Whole Foods brand

Preheat oven to 350°.
Line 13×9 pan with foil; spray lightly with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk cocoa and boiling water together until smooth.
Add in unsweetened chocolate and continue to whisk until chocolate is melted.
Whisk in melted butter and oil. (CI notes at this point that the mixture may look curdled; I have not had this issue.)
Whisk in sugar.
Stir in eggs, yolks, and vanilla until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Fold in chips.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350° 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan on a rack for 1 1/2hrs.
Using foil, remove brownies from pan and place on rack to cool another hour before serving.*

*Laura said, "Okay look, this is 2 1/2 hours of cooling time. I don’t know about you, but there is no chance in hell that fresh brownies are going to get that much alone time at my house. I usually make it about 45 minutes before I start cutting" and I wholeheartedly concur!

CHICKEN SCALLOPINI IN BRANDY SAUCE

2011-08-22T20:16:00.003-05:00

CHICKEN SCALLOPINI IN BRANDY SAUCE
For 4 People
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in 1/2 horizontally**
3+ tablespoons butter
½ cup brandy
Juice of 1 lemon
flour
salt and pepper

Wash and dry the slices after slicing them in half and removing any excess fat.
Melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter in large skillet.
Dredge the chicken slices and place in the pan.
Brown them, salt and peppering them generously.
Set aside, keeping warm.
Add the remaining butter, brandy and juice of a lemon to the pan, scraping the bottom for any chicken pieces. Blend well. Let sauce start to thicken.
When sauce has just about reached desired thickness, return the chicken slices to the pan, covering well with the sauce.
Serve immediately.

** I used breast tenders this time and it was great!
Recipe Rundown
Taste: Both savory and sweet, tangy and rich.
Texture: Tender caramelized onions on top and fork tender.
Ease: Super easy and quick.
Appearance: Appetizing and visually appealing.
Pros: Addicting and wonderful for entertaining.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Yes.

PASTRAMI BURGERS

2011-08-18T23:56:00.002-05:00

These couldn't have been much simpler and were super tasty!

PASTRAMI BURGERS
1/2 pound ground beef per person
1 slice BOAR'S HEAD pastrami per person
1 green onion, minced per person
1 clove garlic, minced per person
1 slice provolone cheese per person
1/3 cup bread crumbs per 4 burgers
1 JUMBO egg per 4 burgers
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together except cheese.
Form burgers by hand.
Chill 2 hours.
Pan fry or grill.
Top with provolone cheese and serve.

ITALIAN BAKED CHICKEN

2011-07-28T08:20:00.002-05:00

ITALIAN BAKED CHICKEN serves 8

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in halves)
salt and pepper to taste
provolone cheese slices
prosciutto slices
1 large bunch green onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
fresh basil
1 cup white wine (I used zinfandel)
3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Generously salt and pepper each piece of chicken.
In a large skillet melt butter until frothy.
Add chicken pieces, searing each side quickly. Drain on a paper towel. Do not discard butter.
Warp each piece of chicken in a slice of prosciutto and then lay a slice of provolone on top.
Arrange chicken pieces in a baking dish.
In the skillet add the garlic and green onions, sauteing until soft and fragrant.
Add the wine and lemon juice, simmering until starts to thicken.
Pour sauce over and around chicken pieces.
Bake 30 minutes.
Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

CHICKEN PUFFS

2011-07-24T10:10:00.002-05:00

I'm not quite sure where I originally found this recipe, but we fell in love with it and it makes a wonderful presentation for company. The pictures are from when I originally made it with whole chicken breasts, but I have since changed it to using bite sized pieces. Using chicken tenders works best. It bakes better and is much easier to eat!

CHICKEN PUFFS

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders

4 Pepperidge farm puff pastry sheets, defrosted

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 pound bacon, cut into quarters

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 handful flat leaf parsley

sea salt and white pepper to taste

1 large egg, beaten

PURE

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Add cream cheese, green onions, parsley, salt and pepper to a small food processor and process until well blended. Set aside.
Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Cut chicken into bite size pieces.
In a large bowl, toss chicken pieces with cream cheese mixture until well coated.
On a large jelly roll pan that has been sprayed with PURE, lay out your puff pastry pieces and seal any stray seams.
Divide chicken evenly among the 4 sheets.
Top evenly with the bacon.
Pull up all four corners and give them a little twist in the center.
Brush with beaten egg.
Bake 30 minutes until golden brown.
Serve immediately.

POLLO DIABLO CASSEROLE

2011-07-17T17:12:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the lousy picture, but dinner was over and it was already in the tupperware on the way to the fridge before I remembered to take it. While the picture is only so-so, the casserole was AWESOME!

POLLO DIABLO CASSEROLE
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips
1 pound lean hamburger, browned and drained
6 cups grated potatoes
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
scant 1/2 cup Frank's buffalo hot sauce
1 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
PURE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 13x9 inch baking dish with PURE.
In a medium bowl, toss chicken strips and ground beef with the buffalo sauce until well coated. Set bowl aside to be used again. Do NOT rinse.
Layer chicken and ALL the sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.
In a small saucepan melt butter. Whisk in flour until well blended. Gradually add milk until well incorporated and begins to thicken. Remove from heat.
In the same bowl, stir together the potatoes, onions, dressing, 1/2 of each cheese and soup mixture until well blended. Spread over the meat mixture.
Sprinkle the panko and then remaining cheeses over top evenly.
Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes until potatoes are tender an d chicken is cooked through.

COCOA FUDGE CAKE FOR JULY TASTE & CREATE

2011-07-11T08:11:00.001-05:00

Taste and Create was started as a food event by Nicole from For the Love of Food. The whole purpose of Taste and Create was, and has been, and continues to be to create a community of bloggers who test each others’ recipes and share links. The participants of the event are paired together and try a new recipe from one another's blog. My partner this month is Kat from Study Food. I spent a lazy Sunday afternoon perusing her recipes and decided on her COCOA FUDGE CAKE because I also had a lot of fun with the Joanne Fluke books. Kat's recipe is here. Kat had halved the sugar which I didn't do to try and keep it original. I then added a hershey's milk chocolate icing.

COCOA FUDGE CAKE

1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 stick butter
1 cup water
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs, beaten

Set oven to 350 degrees, and grease your cake pan. Kat used a silicon Bundt pan, but the original recipe calls for a 9"x13" tin. I decided to also use a Bundt pan.
Sift the flour and sugar together into a large bowl. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, mix the milk, vanilla, baking soda and eggs. Set aside.
Bring the butter, water and cocoa to a boil over medium heat.
When done boiling gradually pour into the flour/sugar mixture and stir to combine.
Follow this with the milk mixture and fold all ingredients together.
Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Because this is a fudge cake - you don't want the center to be cooked all the way through, but the outside should be firm enough to hold its own when removed from the pan. Joanne Fluke suggests this should take 20-25 minutes.
Best served warm, and reheats brilliantly. Enjoy!

OLD FASHIONED MACARONI & CHEESE

2011-07-09T20:22:00.002-05:00

1 2/3 cups dry, small elbow or shells macaroni cooked and drained
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
3/4 cup 1% milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 + 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease 2-quart casserole dish.
Combine evaporated milk, 1% milk and butter in medium saucepan.
Stir in flour and pepper.
Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.
Boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
Stir in 2 cups cheese until melted.
Add macaroni and onions, blending well.
Pour into prepared casserole dish.
Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

CHICKEN DIVINE

2011-07-08T19:02:00.003-05:00

I have a genetic disorder. Really, I do. It is just genetically impossible for me to follow a simple recipe! This started out as me making Chicken Divan from a recent issue of Cook's Country on skillet suppers, but it turned into something completely different.

Hubby loved it so much, he ate it for 3 nights in a row with no complaints!

CHICKEN DIVINE
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 pounds broccoli crowns, chopped large
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup cream sherry
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
3 + 3 tablespoons butter
flour for dredging

Dredge chicken pieces.
In a large skillet melt 3 tablespoons of butter.
When butter is sizzling add green onions and garlic, cooking a few minutes until garlic is fragrant.
Add chicken pieces, generously salt and peppering. Saute' until cooked through.
Clean and rinse broccoli pieces. In a large sauce pan heat chicken broth and add a vegetable strainer with the broccoli. Steam until al dente. Reserve chicken broth.
Arrange broccoli and chicken on platter and keep warm.
Add remaining butter to skillet, scraping bits of chicken from the bottom of the skillet. Add the chicken broth, sherry and Worcestershire sauce, cooking until slightly reduced.
Add heavy cream gradually, whisking all the while. Cook until starts to thicken.
Remove from heat.
Add egg yolks, lemon juice and half of the cheese, blending well.
Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli.
Top with remaining cheese.

SNICKERDOODLES with TASTE & CREATE

2011-07-03T17:08:00.002-05:00

Taste and Create was started as a food event by Nicole from For the Love of Food. The whole purpose of Taste and Create was, and has been, and continues to be to create a community of bloggers who test each others’ recipes and share links. The participants of the event are paired together and try a new recipe from one another's blog. My partner this month is Carol from NO REASON NEEDED for our 3rd pairing. I spent another lazy afternoon perusing her recipes again and was still intrigued by her unusual recipe titles like elephant ear cookies, zippy slow cooker chili, pizza stuffed pretzels and super easy strawberry and lime ice cream but opted for a comfort favorite of ours snickerdoodles. Carol's recipe is here.

SNICKERDOODLES
1 1/2 cups sugar + 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 400ºF.
Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter and eggs in large bowl.
Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls.
Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set.
Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

While our recipes varied quite a bit, the result was the virtually the same in taste and completely the same in that the plate was empty in no time flat!

Asparagus & Pea Soup

2011-06-27T23:09:00.002-05:00

Asparagus and Pea Soup
1 bunch asparagus (about one pound)
2 cups snap peas (fresh or frozen)

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4 gloves garlic, skin removed

Sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Clean and snap the ends off the asparagus. Rinse well.
Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil over high heat.
Blanch asparagus until tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and with a slotted spoon remove the asparagus. Do not discard the cooking water.
Bring the water back to a boil, toss in the snap peas and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and remove the peas and garlic with a slotted spoon.
Reserve the cooking liquid.
Place pea mixture in the blender with the asparagus and puree until smooth.
You might need to add some of the cooking liquid to reach the consistency that you like.
Season with salt and pepper and serve either hot or room temperatures.
Top with green onions and a dollop of sour cream.

BEACH PARTY!!!!!!! & MEXICAN COBB SALAD with JALAPENO RANCH DRESSING

2011-06-04T23:25:00.005-05:00

It's beach party time at Seaside Simplicity. Time to grab your virtual beach towels and flip flops, and head on over to the beach! You can follow me over. This week I'm taking my MEXICAN COBB SALAD with JALAPENO RANCH DRESSING! Perfect to accommodate Martha's Jalapeno Poppers.

MEXICAN COBB SALAD
Bed of Lettuce
Grilled chicken breast, chilled and chopped
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 avocado chopped
1/8 cup chopped green chiles
1/4 cup grated jack cheese
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Juice of 1 lime

JALAPENO RANCH DRESSING
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon crushed parsley flakes
2 tablespoons Penzey's California crushed jalapenos
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Whisk all together and chill overnight before serving

Linked to Cookbook Sundays

MOROCCAN BEEF & NOODLES

2011-06-04T20:41:00.002-05:00

As always, I saw a recipe that looked reallllllllllllllllllllllllly good. I stashed it away while I thought about it and then got a bee in my bonnet today and had to make despite the 100 degree heat! As always I had to make my own modifications for our likes and dislikes, but we loved it.

MOROCCAN BEEF and NOODLES adapted from Taste of Home

1 1/2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 leek, sliced thin
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (undrained)
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup vegetable broth (I used Better than Bouillon base + water)
flour for dredging
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons paprika
2 cups wide egg noodles

Melt butter in the bottom of a saute pan.
When sizzling, add leeks and garlic. Saute until fragrant.
Toss beef pieces in flour until well coated.
Add beef pieces to pan and saute several minutes.
Sprinkle all the spices over the beef and stir well.
When beef is browned, add broth and tomatoes. Simmer 15 minutes or so.
Add noodles and simmer another 10 minutes or so until noodles are tender.

Linked to Cookbook Sundays

Brown Butter Cupcakes with Apricot Pineapple Frosting

2011-06-04T10:59:00.024-05:00

my picture sucked so this one is compliments of google images and looks almost identical!

Brown Butter Cupcakes with Apricot Pineapple Frosting

Cupcakes:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk (low fat is ok)

Frosting:
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter softened
1/4 cup Smuckers apricot preserves
1/4 cup Smuckers pineapple preserves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Apricots for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or spray well with PURE.
Melt butter in a small saucepan and cook over low-medium heat until butter has turned an amber color and smells toasty, but not burnt. Butter will darken quickly once it begins to turn.
Pour butter, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom with a spatula, into a small bowl to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar.
In a medium bowl, whisk together cooled butter, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts with the milk. Pour into flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 16-19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

For the Frosting:

In a small bowl stir together the preserves until well blended.
Mix Cream Cheese and Butter in a medium sized bowl using an electric mixer until creamy.
Add vanilla and almond extracts and blend well.
Add half the preserve mixture until well mixed. Add half the powdered sugar and mix well, alternate between the preserves and the powdered sugar until the frosting is at a good spreading consistency.
Garnish with Apricot wedges.

Adapted from The Baker Chick

CRAB APPLE BOATS

2011-06-03T21:17:00.002-05:00

CRAB APPLE BOATS
2 large cucumbers
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained really well
4 ounces flaked crab
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vinegar

Peel cucumbers. Halve them and spoon out seeds. Dry the insides.
In a bowl toss apple pieces with the well drained pineapple and then with the krab.
In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Fold into krab mixture.
Spoon into cucumbers and chill several hours before serving.

PARMESAN GLAZED TOMATOES

2011-06-02T19:10:00.001-05:00

PARMESAN GLAZED TOMATOES
3 medium sized firm tomatoes
3+ tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan Cheese
3 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
salt and pepper
flat leaf parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spray pan with PURE.
Arrange tomatoes in a single layer.
In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Spread on tomatoes evenly.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Turn on broiler and brown tops.
Remove from oven and top with parsley.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with BROWNED PARSLEY BUTTER

2011-06-02T10:39:00.000-05:00

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with BROWNED PARSLEY BUTTER
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
flour for dredging
4 tablespoons butter
1 large green onion, sliced thin
salt, pepper and paprika to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime

Place chicken between the folds of a clean cheesecloth towel.
Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thick.
Cut each breast in half.
Generously season both sides of chicken breasts.
Dredge chicken in flour.
In a large skillet melt butter over medium high heat.
When butter is sizzling, but not browning, add onions and chicken pieces.
Generously season AGAIN!
Cook chicken 4-5 minutes on each side.
Plate chicken and keep warm.
Add parsley, lemon and lime juices, cooking until browned.
Pour over chicken pieces.
Garnish with parsely.

LUAU BENEDICTS

2011-06-02T01:32:00.000-05:00

LUAU BENEDICTS
1 English muffin per person
2 eggs per person
enough leftover sweet and sour pulled pork
hollandaise sauce

Prepare Hollandaise sauce.
Toast English muffins.
Poach eggs.
Layer together starting with English muffin, pulled pork, poached egg and the hollandaise sauce.
Enjoy.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
1/2 cup butter
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons hot water
finely chopped fresh parsley, if desired

•    Heat butter in a heavy saucepan until hot and foamy, but not browned.
•    In a small bowl, whisk or beat egg yolks with lemon juice, salt, and hot sauce.
•    Gradually beat in butter, then water.
•    Return mixture to saucepan and beat over very low heat until mixture is slightly thickened.
•    Serve immediately or let stand over warm water for up to 30 minutes.
•    If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Makes about 2/3 cup of hollandaise sauce.

APPLE RUM RAISIN NOODLE BAKE

2011-06-02T01:31:00.001-05:00

Apple-Raisin Noodle Bake
1 pound wide egg noodles

2 teaspoons sea salt

6 tablespoons butter, softened + 1/3 cup butter, softened for topping

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar

2 cups small curd cottage cheese

2 cups sour cream

6 eggs, separated

1 cup golden raisins

3 teaspoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons rum

11/2 cup apples, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup golden brown sugar

PURE

Set oven to 350 degrees.
Set shelf to lowest position.
In a small bowl pour the rum over the raisins. Set aside.
Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with PURE.
Cook noodles with 2 teaspoons salt in boiling water; drain well, and toss with the 6 tablespoons of softened butter in a large bowl while still warm.
In a mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until light.
Add in the cottage cheese and sour cream; blending well.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until consistent in texture and color then add to the cream mixture with the cinnamon; blending well.
Pour this mixture over the egg noodles in the bowl; mix to combine.
Mix in the chopped apples and raisins (rum and all); blend well.
In a bowl beat the 6 egg whites until stiff; with a spatula, fold the egg whites into the noodle mixture.
Pour into prepared baking dish.
Add a loose foil tent to prevent pasta from crisping.
Bake for 45 minutes.

While casserole is baking:

In a small bowl, mix together the 1/3 cup butter and 1/4-1/3 cup brown sugar.
After 45 minutes of baking, remove the casserole, and sprinkle the butter/brown sugar mix over top of casserole.
Return to oven and bake another 30-45 minutes.

KRABBY CHICKEN CASSEROLE & ASPARAGUS with LIME BUTTER

2011-05-28T20:31:00.000-05:00

KRABBY CHICKEN CASSEROLE
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
1 1/2 cups flaked Krab
1 cup diced celery
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
1 small can french fried onion rings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toss together the chicken, krab, celery and onions.
Whisk together the sour cream and mayonnaise.
Fold sour cream mixture and cheese into chicken mixture.
In a small saucepan melt butter.
Whisk in flour until golden.
Add milk and whisk until well blended.
Fold roux into chicken mixture.
Pour into a greased 2 quart episode.
Top with french fried onion rings.
Bake 30 minutes.

5-6 spears of asparagus per person
2-4 tablespoons butter
1 lime, juiced

Clean and snap asparagus.
Spray a flat cookie sheet with PURE.
Arrange asparagus in a single layer.
In a small bowl melt the butter.
Add the lime juice and whisk well.
Pour lime juice evenly over the asparagus.
Increase oven temperature to broil.
Broil asparagus until just done.
Turn off oven and serve both dishes immediately.

TURKEY MILANESE

2011-05-23T14:50:00.003-05:00

8 turkey cutlets, pounded down to about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness
Salt and black pepper
1 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons butter
Oil for frying

Generously season the turkey cutlets with salt and pepper and set aside.
Sift together the bread crumbs, panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil oregano and parsley until well blended.
Set three shallow bowls side by side on your counter. Fill the first one with the flour, the second one with the beaten eggs and the third one with the bread crumbs mixture.
Dredge cutlets, one at a time, first in the flour, then in the egg and finally, in the bread crumb mixture. Shake off any excess crumbs and reserve on another plate.
Chill the cutlets in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This will help the coating stay intact when you fry it.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to come up about 1/4-inch high. Add butter. Add cutlets and fry until cooked through and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Do NOT crowd the pan. If necessary, do this step in batches. As each cutlet is cooked, transfer to a platter. You can keep the cutlets warm in a low oven.
Serve with rice pilaf, mashed potatoes, buttered parsley noodles or some lemon wedges.
Top with minced parsley.
Serves 4.

BUTTERMILK RAISIN BRAN MUFFINS

2011-05-15T18:56:00.000-05:00

BUTTERMILK RAISIN BRAN MUFFINS
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoons salt
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 of a 14 ounce box Raisin Bran (about 2 1/2 cups)
PURE

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray muffin tin with PURE.
Beat together the eggs and sugar. Beat well.
Add oil to egg mixture and blend well.
In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Merge together the wet and dry mixtures until blended well.
Fold in raisin bran and golden raisins. If a bit dry add milk until desired consistency.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.
Bake 15 minutes.

CARROT CAKE PANCAKES & CREAM CHEESE SYRUP

2011-05-15T14:24:00.002-05:00

I love carrot cake. If you asked me what I wanted for my birthday cake I would say Carrot Cake! So when we found this cute little diner, Babycakes Cafe, recently and they had carrot cake pancakes on the menu I had to give them a try. And then I had to duplicate them. YUMMY!!!!!!!!!

So I started with my basic pancake recipe and added lots of carrots and spices. Their cream cheese syrup at the restaurant was really more like a glaze, so I used maple syrup as my liquid ingredient to make an actual syrup and like it even better!

The carrot cake pancakes were easy to make and tasted great! And it is always nice to have dessert for breakfast!

CARROT CAKE PANCAKES & CREAM CHEESE SYRUP
1 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups buttermilk
2 JUMBO eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup carrot (very finely grated)
4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
4-6 tablespoons maple syrup (use enough for desired consistency)
powdered sugar to taste
crushed pecans or walnuts

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together in a large bowl.
Whisk together the milk, egg, sugar and carrot in another bowl.
Mix together the wet and dry ingredients making sure to not over mix them.
Heat a griddle and melt some butter on it to coat.
Pour 1/3-1/4 cup of the mixture onto the griddle for each pancake and heat until the surface starts to bubble and the bottom is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
Flip the pancakes and cook the other side until the bottom is golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.

Blend together the cream cheese and maple syrup and add powdered sugar to get desired sweetness.
Pour the cream cheese onto the pancakes.
Sprinkle with crushed nuts.

NOT YOUR MOM'S TUNA CASSEROLE

2011-04-25T22:44:00.014-05:00

NOT YOUR MOM'S TUNA CASSEROLE
1/2 rotiserrie chicken, cut into small pieces or 2 large cans albacore white tuna
1 can cream of mushroom soup or substitute
1 can chopped green chiles, drained
1/2 cup milk
1 large can French's French fried onion rings
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups wide egg noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large sauce pan of water to a roiling boil. Add noodles and simmer 5 minutes.
Whisk together soup or soup substitute and milk.
Add onions, celery, chiles and chicken pieces blending well.
Add in 1/2 can French's onion rings, blending well again.
Add in drained noodles and cheeses, blending again until well mixed.
Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with remaining Frnech's onion rings.
Bake 30 minutes.
Enjoy.

TATER TOPPED MEAT CUPCAKES

2011-04-21T08:39:00.000-05:00

I recently read Martha's recipe for Tater Topped Mini Meatloaves and thought how neat they were. So, I made them too! :) Only I made them with the ingredients I had around and I only got 18 of them.

TATER TOPPED MINI MEAT CUPCAKES

made 18

1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground chicken
1 box of Stove top Chicken stuffing
1 package KNORR Spring Vegetable Mix
2 eggs
1 cup water
3 tablespoons BBQ sauce

4 cups mashed potatoes
leftover pot roast gravy

Mix the meat, stuffing mix, broth, eggs and BBQ sauce well and press into muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until done.
While the mini meatloaves are cooking prepare mashed potatoes (I used Idahoan brand loaded mashed potatoes).
Top each mini meatloaf with mashed potatoes and bake for another 5 minutes just to set the potatoes well.
Top with gravy.

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO with BBQ SAUSAGE

2011-04-20T22:19:00.001-05:00

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO
1/2 of a rotisserie chicken pieces
1/2 pound sausage, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces and then quartered
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small Vidalia onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh green beans, cleaned and chopped
2 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter and oil over medium high heat in a large saute' pan. Add flour and whisk continuously until golden brown.
Add onions, garlic and celery stirring continuously for 3-5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Add thyme. salt and pepper.
Add green beans, stirring to coat.
Add broth, chicken and sausage pieces and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until desired consistency.
Add parsley and stir well.
Serve over mashed potatoes.
I coated the remaining sausage pieces with barbecue sauce and broiled them for a few minutes as an appetizer/compliment.

HAM SPREAD DIABLO

2011-04-17T16:00:00.002-05:00

Remember when we were kids and there were all these neat spreads and sandwich makings? Things Like ~~Under World~~ um I mean Underwood Deviled Ham.

Hubby loved it, but now that we are really watching what we put into our bodies I make everything fresh. So, I set out to make a homemade ham spread for hubby's lunches. Now back then we also ate things like this on processed white bread, but today's sandwiches were served on Oatnut bread. I toyed with the idea of adding pineapple but hubby put the kibosh on that and ate it on the side. I still think it might be good!

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup ham chunks
2 teaspoons Frank's Red Hot Pepper Sauce

Process in batches in a small food processor until well blended.
Adjust hot sauce to taste.
Spread on sandwich.
Enjoy!

We're going Krazy... to the KrAzY Kitchen that is!

2011-04-17T10:15:00.001-05:00

If you like to try new recipes (and who doesn't?!), we have the gig for you! Our Krazy Kitchen is looking for hosts for the ~~2nd and~~ 4th Tuesday of each month. Haven't been to Our Krazy Kitchen lately? Then it's time for a visit! You know you want to. We'd love to have you join our staff!

Martha and I started Our Krazy Kitchen almost two years ago. It's turned into a great foodie blog with some seventeen awesome rotating hosts - some post weekly, some bi-weekly, some once a month, and some for fill ins and guest posts.

I currently host the Classic Good Eats theme on Thursdays. In the past I have hosted Simply Delicious Sunday and various fill in posts. As you can see we are always open to new themes and ideas.

We'd love to have you join us!

If you are interested in being part of Our Krazy Kitchen just leave me a comment and I'll get back with you as soon as possible. Come on and get KrAzY with us!

WEEKLY MENU

2011-04-17T01:59:00.000-05:00

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie

	DATE	BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER
Monday	4/18	YOGURT	SANDWICHES	WHITE COQ AU VIN
Tuesday	4/19	TOAST	LEFTOVERS	TOASTED ONION SALISBURY SLIDERS
Wednesday	4/20	YOGURT	SOUP	SOUTH WESTERN CHICKEN CASSEROLE
Thursday	4/21	FRUIT	CHEESE & FRUIT	TWISTED PEPPER STEAK
Friday	4/22	OATMEAL	C.O.R.N.	FRENCH ONION CHICKEN
Saturday	4/23	GERMAN PANCAKE	leftovers	MANDARIN CHICKEN & NOODLES
Sunday	4/24		PAPPASITO'S BRUNCH

SOUTH WESTERN CHICKEN CASSEROLE

2011-04-08T21:33:00.006-05:00

SOUTH WESTERN CHICKEN CASSEROLE
3-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups frozen hash brown potates
1 large can Durkee's french fried onions, divided
1 can Old El Paso green enchilada sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
1 can white niblets corn, drained
1 cup grated sharp white cheddar, divided
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
PURE

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray large casserole dish with PURE.
Spread potatoes along the bottom.
Top with first half of french fried onions.
Top with first half of cheese.
Salt and pepper chicken breasts layering them over cheese seasoned side down.

Salt and pepper top sides of chicken.
Layer corn and tomatoes over top of the chicken.

Melt the butter in heavy saucepan.
Blend in flour and salt. Cook until bubbly.
Remove from heat and gradually stir or whisk in liquid.
Return to heat and cook, constantly stirring until smooth and thickened.
Whisk in enchilada sauce.
Pour over corn and tomato layer.

Top with remaining cheese.
Ring French fried onions around the edge.
Bake 30-45 minutes covered.
Bake another 15-30 minutes uncovered.
Let stand 5-10 minutes.

These were our wonderful potato leftovers below and they tasted better and more full of flavor on day 2 and 3.

I participate in the following memes and this recipe may be linked to one or all of them :) Cookbook Sunday, Decidedly Healthy or Horribly Decadent, Eat.Live.Be. @ Eats Well With Others, Family Friendly Friday, Fat Camp Friday, Feed Me Friday, Food Friday, Food Trip Friday, Foodie Wenesday, Fresh, Clean, and Pure Friday, Friday Favorites, Friday Potluck, Full Plate Thursday, Fun with Food Friday, Garden Variety Wednesday, Hearth and Soul, It's a Keeper Thursday, Just Another Meatless Monday, Let's Do Brunch, Made it on Monday, Magazine Mondays, Midnight Maniac Meatless Monday, My Meatless Monday, Our KrAzY kitchen, Recipe Swap Sundays, Saturday's Party, Saturday Swap, Seasonal Saturday, Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen, Sundays at One Food Club, Tailgating Time!, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, This Week's Cravings, TMS Show & Tell, Tuesdays at the Table, Vintage Recipe Thursday, What's on the Menu Wednesday, What's on Your Plate?, Wicked Awesome Wednesday

TOMATO SPAGHETTI CUPS

2011-04-01T01:08:00.005-05:00

Renata of Testado, Provado & Aprovado! was our Daring Cooks’ April 2011 hostess. Renata challenged us to think “outside the plate” and create our own edible containers! Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 17th to May 16th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!

This recipe has been floating around so long in the box of scraps that I have no idea where it originated (but it look like a page from an old Lawry's magazine from when I worked there) which based on all my changes doesn't matter. Some days I feel like an archaeologist, but come up with oldies that were favorites and will now be revived. I originally made the tomatoes for Ivonne's Magazine Monday and they were a HUGE hit with the family for a spring or summer meal. Perfect in fact for the new Daring Cooks challenge. I can't wait to come up with a sweet version of an edible container for Daring Bakers.

TOMATO SPAGHETTI CUPS

6 firm medium tomatoes
6 ounces cooked cappelini
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
+2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
~~1/4 cup plain yogurt~~1/4 cup sour cream or ricotta cheese
1/4+ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 celery stalk, minced
2 teaspoons fresh chives*
1 teaspoon ~~Lemon Pepper~~ Spice Hunter salt-free Key Lime Pepper
1 teaspoon ~~Seasoned Salt~~ McCormick Salad Supreme

Cut the stem ends from the tomatoes and carefully scoop out the seeds and pulp (I saved these for sweet and sour tomatoes tomorrow night).
Toss the pasta with the oil and lemon juice and allow to cool.
Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon pepper, salad supreme and Parmesan cheese.
Toss the pasta mixture with the mayonnaise mixture and gently spoon into the tomato shells.
Sprinkle the tops with ground parsley and paprika.

*I increased the lemon juice to 2 tablespoons and revived dried chives in the lemon juice before I began assembling the tomatoes.
+Not in the original recipe

HELP WANTED

2011-03-29T20:56:00.001-05:00

Over at OUR kRaZy KITCHEN We are looking for an avid foodie to host Tuesdays for the "TRY A NEW RECIPE" theme, an anecdotal/tutorial style post with pictures. If you are interested or know anyone who might be, please leave a comment on this post or over at OUR KrAzY kitchen and Martha or Tamy will get back to you ASAP.

BANANA JUICE the key to perfect BLACKBERRY BANANA BREAD

2011-03-29T10:43:00.001-05:00

Did you know that Banana's have juice? Don't worry, most people don't. But, they do and the juice is the best part of making a moist banana bread. The key to banana juice is using a banana that is "JUST RIGHT", one that is heavily speckled, in my opinion, one that is just short of rotting. I take it one step farther many times and when they are "JUST RIGHT" remove them from their skins and freeze them in recipe ready proportions. Freezing them yields the liquid readily without the steps I'm about to tell you about. I didn't even know I'd been doing "JUST RIGHT" for years with the freezing process and then I read an article about how to juice a banana.

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
5 large very ripe bananas
1 cup blackberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 medium not so ripe banana, thinly sliced
1/2 cup butter, melted & cooled
2 JUMBO eggs
3/4+ cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons crsytalline sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease your loaf pan with the butter wrapper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Dust with flour.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Place 5 bananas in a microwave safe bowl and cover with a food cover lid with the vents open.
Microwave on high for 5 minutes - until the bananas are soft and have released their juice.
Transfer bananas to a sieve and allow them to drain over a small saucepan for about 10-15 minutes.
Place bananas, raisins and blackberries in a medium mixing bowl.

Cook juice over a medium high heat for about 5 minutes until juice is reduced to 1/4 cup.
Stir reduced liquid into the banana/blackberry mixture and mash together until well blended.
Add butter, eggs, vanilla and brown sugar and mix to a smooth consistency.
Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and with a wooden spoon fold together until just combined.
Fold in walnuts gently.
Pour into prepared loaf pan.
Layer banana slices around the edges.
Sprinkle with crystalline sugar.
Bake 50-60 minutes based on loaf pan size.

WEEKLY MENU

2011-03-29T10:02:00.002-05:00

I'm still on restricted duties, but am going to try AGAIN and at least cook a bit this week. I've missed cooking more than just about anything during this time down!

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie

	DATE	BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER
Monday	3/28	YOGURT & FRUIT	SANDWICHES	OUT
Tuesday	3/29	TOAST & FRUIT	LEFTOVERS	GRILLED MEATBALL KEBABS & PARMESAN PUFFS	CHOCOLATE QUICKIE STICKIES
Wednesday	3/30	YOGURT	SOUP	GRILLED CHICKEN SUPREME	PINEAPPLE STACKS
Thursday	3/31	FRUIT	CHEESE & FRUIT	PEPPER STEAK BEARNAISE & CHEDDAR CHEESE GRITS
Friday	4/1	OATMEAL	C.O.R.N.	PASTA BUNDLES
Saturday	4/2	RASPBERRY JAM OMELETTE	leftovers	CRAB CAKES & CAESAR SALAD
Sunday	4/3	BREAKFAST QUICHES	RACING FOOD	PORK NORMANDY

CUCUMBER STRAWBERRY SALAD

2011-03-24T09:33:00.001-05:00

CUCUMBER STRAWBERRY SALAD

1-2 large cucumbers, sliced thin

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin

10-12 strawberries, quartered

Champagne Salad Dressing

Arrange cucumbers, green onions and strawberry pieces on serving plate.
Generously salt and pepper.
Pour dressing over top. Tonight I had extra strawberries that I pureed and added into the dressing.
Chill.
Enjoy!

GARLIC HERB ROAST CHICKEN with ROASTED ORANGES & RED ONIONS

2011-03-17T20:12:00.002-05:00

GARLIC HERB ROAST CHICKEN with ROASTED ORANGES and RED ONIONS
1 chicken, 4-5 pounds
2 navel oranges, sliced in thick slices or wedges
2 red onions, sliced or wedged (zest one orange)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons butter, softened + 2 tablespoons butter, cubed or thinly sliced
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 + 1 teaspoons fresh thyme
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mash garlic and 1 teaspoon salt into a paste.
Combine garlic paste, 2 teaspoons thyme, butter and zest until well blended.
Gently separate the skin from the chicken and rub one half of the butter mixture all over.
Season the outside with the remaining salt and some pepper.
Fill the cavity with a few of the orange slices, onion wedges and remaining thyme.
Place chicken, breast side up on a rimmed baking sheet with the wings folded in and legs banded together.
Scatter the remaining orange and onion pieces around the chicken.
Dot onions and oranges with the 2 tablespoons of butter pieces.

Roast for 30 minutes. At this point I added some potatoes also.
Brush chicken with remaining garlic butter mixture.
Flip oranges and onions.
Rotate the baking sheet and roast 15 minutes more.

Remove the onions and oranges if caramelized.
Roast chicken 15 minutes more or until juices run clear.
Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Linking to:

Friday Potluck

Fresh, Clean and Pure Friday

Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent

Foodie Friday

Friday Favorites

Fun w/ Food Friday
TMS Show &Tell

STUFFED PAN SEARED CHICKEN BREASTS with CHILI GARLIC CARROTS

2011-03-12T23:06:00.001-06:00

STUFFED PAN SEARED CHICKEN BREASTS with CHILI GARLIC CARROTS
4 chicken breasts,
4 green onions, sliced thin
2 cups halved baby carrots
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons herbs de provence
1 small can chopped green chiles, drained
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup Philadelphia Cream Cheese Garlic Sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
2 + 2 tablespoons butter
sea salt and white pepper

Carefully slice open a pocket area of each chicken breast.
Combine sugar, chili powder and herbs de provence in a mortar and grind fine with pestle.
In a small food processor combine green chiles and goat cheese until well blended. Add 1/2 of herb mix and blend again.
In a small skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic, sauteing until soft. Add carrots and saute until tender.
Add remaining spice mixture to carrots while sauteing.
In a medium skillet melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter over medium high heat.
Fill the pocket in chicken breast with the green chili mixture. Add to skillet. Salt and pepper chicken generously. Cook until cooked through and browned on both sides.
Pour lemon juice over the chicken and simmer a few minutes.
Stir cream cheese sauce into the carrots.
Plate chicken breasts.
Add carrots to chicken pan and blend sauces together.
Serve immediately.

CHICKEN SALAD STUFFED AVOCADO with LEMON GARLIC VINAIGRETTE

2011-03-11T21:00:00.000-06:00

CHICKEN SALAD STUFFED AVOCADO with LEMON GARLIC VINAIGRETTE
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
4 green onions, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon blood orange vinegar*
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado or tomato per person

Combine chicken and celery in mixing bowl.
Salt and pepper generously.
In a small food processor blend garlic, green onions, lemon juice, vinegar, oil and sugar until well mixed.
Pour vinegar mix into mixing bowl and toss well.
If using tomatoes carve out centers with sharp knife. Slice insides onto plate. Salt and pepper generously.
If using avocados carefully scoop out of shell with a large spoon and arrange on plate with tomato slices. Salt and pepper generously.
Fill centers with chicken salad.
Serve with garlic toast points.

*or flavor of your choice

STUFFED PORK LOIN ~ FORK TENDER

2011-03-08T15:30:00.000-06:00

OOPS wrong adage, but the try, try again really fits. I like to succeed, but I also LOVE to experiment. My dear friend Jenn and hubby both gave yesterday's Bleu cheese spread for the DANISH CUBE STEAK REVISITED two thumbs up, but I couldn't stop there - I still had spread left! I also had a fresh pork loin and had just read Martha's STUFFED FLANK STEAK recipe and voile' just like ~~Melanie Griffith~~, er Tess McGill in Working Girl combining Trask and radio to succeed, I had an idea! I combined pork roast, our new favorite Bleu cheese spread and Martha's flank steak style with superb results - true success!

STUFFED PORK LOIN - serves 4

1 small pork roast, cut in half

1 1/2 ounces Bleu cheese crumbles
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup minced green onions

In a small food processor blend together the mayonnaise, bleu cheese crumbles and green onions until smooth.
Cut volcano shaped slice out of the center of each pork half. Next time I will buy a large roast and have it butterflied, but today I worked with what I had.
Fill with bleu cheese mixture.
Salt and pepper generously.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour- 1 1/4 hours.

Now nothing goes to waste at our house. We use it until it can be used NO more. If it's a sauce, it may become a dressing for hubby's salads by adding flavored vinegars or oils or a filling for a casserole, but it gets used. I had a tiny bit of BBQ sauce left and it is one of our favorites, but it wasn't enough to do much with, so I used it as a rub on the baked potatoes and then mixed the last couple of tablespoons with some butter and sour cream and darned if it wasn't super yummy and flavorful too!

Grown Up Mac & Cheese with updated Danish Cube Steak

2011-03-08T15:29:00.000-06:00

GROWN UP MAC & CHEESE
12 ounce package pasta
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Frank's hot sauce
3/4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese
3 ounces bleu cheese crumbles
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain Well.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add salt.
In a small food processor pulse bleu cheese crumbles until fine. Set aside.
Add flour and whisk constantly over medium heat until smooth.
Gradually add milk, whisking constantly.
Add hot sauce. Bring to a slow boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and whisk in all cheeses, salt and pepper to taste until smooth.
Mix pasta and cheese mixture together until well blended.
Scoop into a casserole or ramekins.
Bake 15-20 minutes.
Top with chopped chives.

DANISH CUBE STEAK REVISITED
3 ounces bleu cheese crumbles
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced green onions
6 pork cube steaks
1/2 cup panko crumbs
2 tablespoons butter

In a small food processor blend together the mayonnaise, bleu cheese crumbles and green onions until smooth.
Coat steaks on both sides with mayonnaise mixture.
Dredge through panko crumbs.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add cube steaks and brown on both sides.

MARDIS GRAS KING CAKE via SERIOUS SPRING COMMITMENTS

2011-03-02T21:54:00.001-06:00

Last Monday Martha got us thinking about serious spring commitments over at THE MOTIVATION STATION and I wanted to expound on that theme with a little background of the season and the holidays within it and a great recipe to finish off the indulgences before our fast/lent begins. You don't have to be religious or Catholic to join us.

A king cake (sometimes rendered as kingcake, kings' cake, king's cake, or three kings cake) is a type of cake associated with the festival of Epiphany in the Christmas season in a number of countries, and in other places with Mardi Gras and Carnival.

The "king cake" takes its name from the biblical three kings. Catholic tradition states that their journey to Bethlehem took twelve days (the Twelve Days of Christmas), and that they arrived to honor the Christ Child on Epiphany. The season for king cake extends from the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas (Twelfth Night and Epiphany Day), through to Mardi Gras day. Some organizations or groups of friends may have "king cake parties" every week through the Carnival season.

Related culinary traditions are the tortell of Catalonia, the gâteau des Rois in Provence or the galette des Rois in the northern half of France, and the Greek and Cypriot vasilopita. The galette des Rois is made with puff pastry and frangipane (while the gâteau des Rois is made with brioche and candied fruits). A little bean was traditionally hidden in it, a custom taken from the Saturnalia in the Roman Empire: the one who stumbled upon the bean was called "king of the feast." In the galette des Rois, since 1870 the beans have been replaced first by porcelain and, now by plastic figurines; while the gâteau des Rois Also known as "Rosca de Reyes" in Mexico.

In the southern United States, the tradition was brought to the area by colonists from France and Spain and it is associated with Carnival, which is celebrated in the Gulf Coast region, centered on New Orleans, but ranging from the Florida Panhandle to East Texas. King cake parties in New Orleans are documented back to the eighteenth century.

The king cake of the New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition comes in a number of styles. The most simple, said to be the most traditional, is a ring of twisted bread similar to that used in brioche topped with icing or sugar, usually colored purple, green, and gold (the traditional Carnival colors) with food coloring. Cajun king cakes are traditionally deep-fat-fried as a doughnut would be, and there are many variants, some with a filling, the most common being cream cheese and praline.

It has become customary in the New Orleans culture that whoever finds the trinket must provide the next king cake or host the next Mardi Gras party.

Some say that French settlers brought the custom to Louisiana in the 18th century where it remained associated with the Epiphany until the 19th century when it became a more elaborate Mardi Gras custom. In New Orleans, the first cake of the season is served on January 6. A small ceramic figurine of a baby is hidden inside the cake, by tradition. However now, the tradition is giving way to the baby being supplied and the customer placing the baby were ever they wish in the cake. Whoever finds the baby is allowed to choose a mock court and host the next King Cake party the following week (weekly cake parties were held until Mardi Gras).

The classic king cake is oval-shaped, like the pattern of a racetrack. The dough is basic coffee-cake dough, sometimes laced with cinnamon, sometimes just plain. The dough is rolled out into a long tubular shape (not unlike a thin po-boy), then shaped into an oval. The ends are twisted together to complete the shape (HINT: if you want to find the piece with the baby, look for the twist in the oval where the two ends of the dough meet. That's where the baby is usually inserted.) The baby hidden in the cake speaks to the fact that the three Kings had a difficult time finding the Christ Child and of the fine gifts they brought.

The cake is then baked, and decorated when it comes out. The classic decoration is simple granulated sugar, colored purple, green, and gold (the colors of Carnival). King cakes have gotten more and more fancy over the years, so now bakeries offer iced versions (where there's classic white coffee cake glaze on the cake), and even king cakes filled with apple, cherry, cream cheese, or other kinds of coffee-cake fillings.

King Cake is traditionally served with chicory coffee' as Coffee' au lat'. It is best eaten warm and if you must break tradition, it can be eaten with ice cream, preferably chocolate.

King cakes are available at bakeries all over South Louisiana, but only after January 6 through Mardi Gras Day.

Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" (in ethnic English tradition, Shrove Tuesday), referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which started on Ash Wednesday. Related popular practices were associated with celebrations before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the penitential season of Lent. Popular practices included wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades, etc. Similar expressions to Mardi Gras appear in other European languages sharing the Christian tradition. In English, the day is called Shrove Tuesday, associated with the religious requirement for confession before Lent begins.

MARDI GRAS KING CAKE (makes 2 cakes)

PASTRY
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup melted butter

FROSTING/GLAZE
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon water

Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of the butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
When yeast mixture is bubbly, add the cooled milk mixture.
Whisk in the eggs.
Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg.
Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil.
Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with SILPATS or parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins.
Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.
Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10x16 inches).
Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side.
Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings.
Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet.
With sharp knife make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Push the doll into the bottom of the cake.
Decorate with beads.
Frost while warm with the glaze.

CHICKEN PASTA IN GARLIC CREAM SUN-DRIED TOMATO SAUCE

2011-02-25T22:24:00.003-06:00

While this sounds like a complicated recipe, it's an easy and quick weeknight recipe when you use the rotisserie chicken. I buy rotisserie chickens often and when I get home from the store and they are relatively cool I de-bone the chicken and portion out the pieces for week night recipes. I then take the remaining bones and skin and simmer for about an hour to create stock. I then freeze the stock in 2 cup portions for use in those same week night recipes.

Chicken Pasta in Garlic Cream Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
1 pack vermicelli noodles or pasta of your choice
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 chicken breasts or 2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
1 cup milk or heavy cream
2-3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons classico sun dried tomato pesto
1/2 large white Vidalia onion, diced
4 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons flour
salt
pepper
olive oil
fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta in large pot.
While pasta boiling preheat large deep skillet to medium low.
Cube chicken to bite size pieces if using raw chicken.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter and add chicken, salt and pepper to taste.
Cook until chicken is JUST done. Remove to a warm plate.
Add remaining butter.
When melted, add flour to center of pan, whisk until mixture turns golden in color, creating a roux.
Add in the first cup of chicken stock raising heat to medium high, stirring until sauce thickens. Sauce will be very thick.
Whisk in second cup of stock until desired consistency.
Taste sauce at this point and add in more salt and pepper to taste. Heavy pepper is good in this dish.
Add chicken pieces.
Add in sun dried tomato pesto, reduce heat to low and allow sauce to continue cooking and thickening.
At the very end add in your milk or cream starting with just half to begin with.
Drain pasta and add to sauce, coating pasta with chicken and cream sauce.
Top with Parmesan cheese and enjoy.
If sauce gets to thick it is better to add more stock then milk, as milk or cream will make the dish to rich and take away from the flavor. If your sauce is not thick enough turn up the heat and quickly whisk in more flour.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE COOKIES

2011-02-17T10:50:00.030-06:00

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

A very rich chocolate cookie for any true chocoholic. This recipe uses relatively little flour, resulting in dense, fudge-like cookies. These cookies keep well in the freezer.

Yield: 3 dozen

4 (1 ounce) squares semi-sweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 + 1 cup milk chocolate chips

6 tablespoons butter

3 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

In the microwave or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt semi-sweetened chocolate, 1 cup of the chocolate chips, and the butter stirring occasionally until smooth.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whip eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the vanilla and the chocolate mixture until well mixed.
Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually stir into the chocolate mixture.
Fold in remaining 1 cup chocolate chips. Cover dough and chill for at least an hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll chilled dough into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

VALENTINE'S DAY ~ WEEKEND OF ROMANCE FOODS

2011-02-16T22:49:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we rolled out the Valentine's Day of Romance Menu for 2011 over at OUR KrAzY kitchen, but I needed to write about something fun and upbeat over here and thought I'd share this fun menu with you. So what did you do for Valentine's Day this year?

Valentine's Day is a truly subjective menu. Not everyone wants or dreams of the same foods. So awhile back when we were just sitting around I quizzed hubby in a round about way and was able to come up with his favorite romantic menu to create a romantic meal. At that time I obviously planned on doing the cooking, but unfortunately since I'm still not allowed to cook, he'll be the one preparing the recipes, but all is good and we'll make it work. I did borrow a few photos from google images since hubby has yet to make the meal, the rest are from my archives, but the recipes are all ours.

STRAWBERRY MARGARITAS

2 cups crushed ice

1/2 cup fresh strawberry puree

1 cup tequila

2 limes, juiced

Splash Triple Sec

Splash simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water heated until sugar dissolves completely and then cooled)

Combine in a blender, ice, strawberry water, tequila, lime juice, Triple Sec and simple syrup.
Puree until smooth.
Pour into rocks glasses, garnish and serve.

CAJUN SHRIMP COCKTAIL

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely minced onion
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon (save your rind to make the cute serving dish)
2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Frank's red pepper hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste

plenty of fresh medium-large shrimp, cleaned and chilled

I use my mini food processor to mix it all in until well blended.
Chill for a day or so before needed to allow flavors to meld together.

CAESAR SALAD DRESSING
6 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Champagne Vinegar
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/3 cup canola oil
Sea Salt
White Pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Minced anchovy fillets (optional - I usually leave them out)

Combine garlic, mustard, vinegar and two pinches of salt in a blender and mix thoroughly.
Add mayonnaise and blend together to form a thick base.
In a slow stream add oil.
Scrape dressing with spatula into a bowl and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Optional - Add anchovies to dressing to create a deeper, saltier taste.

PARMESAN CHEESE CROUTONS
6 slices thick sourdough bread
butter, melted, enough to coat bread
½ cup Fontina Cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place bread slices on oven rack and bake until dry and golden.
Melt butter in flat bowl.
Combine cheeses in flat bowl.
Dip first in butter and the cheese mixture.
Bake on cookie sheet 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.
Cut to desired size*

*If I'm in a hurry I will sometimes cut these ahead of time and toss with the butter and cheese which coats all the sides better.

GARLIC STEAK

Steak of choice (hubby choose T-bones)

2 cloves of garlic per steak, minced fine

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar per steak

1/2 tablespoon canola oil

sea salt

white pepper

Pierce each steak with a marinater.
Whisk together the garlic, oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Place steak side by side of a large plate.
Pour marinade over top.
Turn steak and make sure each is well coated.
Cover and marinate overnight.
Take steak out of refrigerator an hour before grilling, turn several times making sure still well coated in marinade.
Firmly press garlic pieces into the steak.
Grilled to desired doneness - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, medium rare....

TWICE BAKED POTATOES

4 large baking potatoes

8 slices bacon

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

8 green onions (tops and all), sliced and divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour or until done through.
Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; saving skins.
To the potato pieces add the sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
Bake for another 15 minutes.

SOUR CREAM DUTCH APPLE PIE

PIE
3+ cups apples, cored, peeled and chopped
lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 small egg, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream (not light)
9 inch pastry shell, pre-baked and cooled
TOPPING
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, sliced extremely thin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Chop the apples and combine with just enough lemon juice to coat and prevent browning in large bowl.
In a small bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Fold in the sour cream, egg, vanilla and maple extract until well blended.
Fold the sour cream mixture into the apples until well coated.
Carefully pour into the pie shell, mounding towards the center.
Toss together the topping ingredients until well blended.
Sprinkle topping evenly over the apple mound.
Lay the pieces of butter all over the top.
Bake 30 minutes or until apples are tender.
Best served with ice cream or fresh whipped cream. If you want to be really decadent try it with Caramel Sauce.

HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 jumbo eggs
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

Warm the milk in a small pan.
Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl.
Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking the mixture.
Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and heat slowly, stirring continuously until mixture thickens to loose pudding texture. DO NOT BOIL! Let it cool to room temperature.
Whisk in the cream and vanilla.
Follow your ice cream maker directions for freezing.

DECADENT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES & RASPBERRY SAUCE

2011-02-15T17:54:00.000-06:00

DECADENT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES (make 4 ramekins)
2 Tablespoons butter + 1 Tablespoon butter
1 ounce Baker's Bittersweet Chocolate
1 ounce Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 1/4 ounce Baker's sweet German chocolate
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon flour
1/8 scant teaspoon baking powder
1/8 scant teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in microwave safe ramekin for 30 seconds, add the bittersweet & semi-sweet chocolate and microwave in 30 second increments until you can stir it smooth.
Set aside to cool slightly.
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
Mix together the egg and sugar and beat on high with a hand mixer until slightly thick and turns a dull yellow.
Lower speed and add chocolate mixture to egg mixture.
By hand stir in the flour mixture until consistent in color.
Spoon into ramekins and bake on cookie sheet for 25 minutes or until centers are set.
Just after you put these in the oven, prepare the topping.
Melt the other tablespoon of butter and then add the German sweet chocolate and melt until you can stir smooth.
Just after the brownies come out of the oven, pour the topping over.
Then top again with raspberry sauce and raspberries.

RASPBERRY SAUCE
2 cups fresh raspberries
1/4 cup kirsch or framboise (raspberry liqueur) or eau-de-vie
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Puree all the ingredients in a food processor
Strain the sauce to remove the seeds.
Store the sauce in the refrigerator in a covered container.

WARNING: THESE ARE RICH & DECADENT!

SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE

2011-02-15T10:49:00.000-06:00

SLOPPY JOE CASSEROLE

1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
1 1/2 pound beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon beef base

2 cups prepared rice

1 cup grated cheese

Heat olive oil and add ground beef.
Generously salt and pepper.
Brown beef, onion and garlic. Drain.
Add brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, steak seasoning and beef base. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste and tomato sauce.
Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.