Dec 17, 2009

Parmesan Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 grated parmesan cheese
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
6 boneless chicken breast halves (2 lbs)
1/2 t garlic powder

Directions:
Mix cheese, garlic powder, and salad dressing mix. Moisten chicken with water; coat with cheese mixture. Place in shallow baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Dec 16, 2009

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F .In a small bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg,vanilla and milk. Slowly add the flour mixture; mix well (at this point you can store the dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the cookies). Shape the dough into approximately 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan; the chocolate will be runny for several hours.

Ginger-Pumpkin Ice Cream Cookies

Pumpkin Ice Cream
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups light cream
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin

Directions:
Scald light cream in a heavy saucepan. Whisk yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the light cream, add the spice. Return to saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes; do not boil. Removed from heat. Whisk in the heavy cream and the pumpkin. Strain into bowl. Refrigerate until well chilled. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Cranberry Pistachio Bars


Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

Topping:
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts
powdered sugar

Directions:
Heat oven to 375°F. Combine 1 cup flour and 1/3 cup brown sugar in small bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press onto bottom of ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, combine egg, sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and vanilla in same small bowl. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Pour over hot, partially baked crust. Continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; cut into bars with sharp knife.

Dec 11, 2009

Bunco Salad

Ingredients:
3+ stalks of torn Romaine lettuce
1 medium apple (I used a gala)
1 medium pear
1/2 C dried cranberries
1 C chopped cashews
lemon juice
1/2 C shredded cheese (parm or swiss)

dressing:
1/2 C sugar
1/3 C cider or red wine vinegar
1 T onion powder
2 T poppyseeds
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t salt
2/3 C oil

Directions:
Peel apple and pear and cut into small cubes. Soak in lemon juice to keep from browning. Put all ingredients in a salad bowl, adding cashews just before serving.

Mix the dressing and add as desired. I found it made more dressing than was needed.

Dec 3, 2009

Black Bottom Cheesecakes

Ingredients:
Filling:
1 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
Cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp soda
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
Topping: cherry pie filling

Directions:
In small bowl, blend filling ingredients until smooth, with mixer. Set aside.
In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients.
In large mixing bowl, beat egg, water, vinegar, oil and vanilla.
Stir in dry ingredients, until smooth.
Fill well greased cupcake tins, 3/4 full - if using mini size (1/2 full if using large size). This recipe will make about 48 tiny cupcakes.
Drop a 1/2 tsp of cheese filling in center of each cupcake. (1 tsp for larger size)
Bake at 350ºF for 15 min ( 20-25 min for larger size)

Dec 1, 2009

Split Pea Soup (Weight Watchers)

Ingredients:
2 cups split peas, washed
1 bay leaf
2 quarts water
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 teaspoon crushed oregano
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 teaspoon crushed basil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 cup diced potato
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch cayenne

Direcctions:
Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduced heat, cover and simmer 1 hour or until split peas are cooked through. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Yield: 10 servings1 POINT per serving

Nov 21, 2009

Pumpkin and Maple Gingerbread Bundt Cake

Ingredients:
In one bowl, mix:
3 eggs
1 C canned pumpkin
1 C sugar
1/2 C oil
1 T cinnamon
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 C milk
2 C flour
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla

In another bowl, mix:
3 eggs
1 1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C molasses
1/2 C oil
1 T ginger
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 C milk
1 3/4 C flour
1/2 t salt
1 t maple extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat all ingredients together. Pour each batter in rotating layers into a well greased & floured bundt pan. Run a knife through the layers to marble the batters together. Bake bundt for 52-55 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched.

Nov 15, 2009

Sticky Popcorn (aka Bunch popcorn)

Ingredients:
1 1/3 c suger
1 c butter
1/2 c Karo syrup
1 t vanilla
1 large bowl popped popcorn (2 bags of no butter microwave popcorn)

Directions:
In a saucepan, mix together the sugar, butter, and Karo; boil together for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Pour over the popcorn and mix well.

Nov 10, 2009

Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter (1/2 a stick)
6 tablespoons chopped onions
3/4 cup diced celery
2 1/2 cups hot water
2 cups cubed potatoes (1/2 inch pieces)
3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 dash white pepper
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart half-and-half cream

Directions:
1 Melt butter in large saucepan. Once melted add celery and onion and saute for 5 minutes (not til brown, just til soft).
2 Add water, potatoes, corn, sugar, salt and pepper, making sure water covers everything, adding more if not covered completely. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, usually about 30 minutes.
3 Whisk flour into 1 cup of the half and half and then stir into soup.
4 Add remaining half and half and simmer until soup is thickened to a creamy consistency (usually about 15 minutes).
5 Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if wanted. If the chowder is too thick, add some milk, if it is too thin, simmer for 5-10 minutes more.

Mimi's Cafe Buttermilk Spice Muffins

Ingredients:
Muffin Batter:
1 cup Sugar
½ cup Butter or margarine
3 Eggs
2-½ cups Flour
2 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Nutmeg
½ tsp. Cinnamon
¾ cup + 1 tbsp. Buttermilk

Nut Topping:
½ cup Sugar
1 cup Walnuts (finely chopped)
½ tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and the butter together with an electric mixer. When they are thoroughly mixed, add eggs and beat one more minute.
2. Sift the flour into a separate bowl, together with the baking soda, nutmeg and the cinnamon.
3. Add the flour and the buttermilk to the first mixture, mix at low speed until smooth. To avoid lumps in the batter, add the wet and dry ingredients alternately, in small amounts.
4. Make the nut topping: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
5. Grease muffin tins with butter or margarine. You can also use paper baking cups. Fill each cup 3/4 full of batter. Add a full, rounded tablespoon of nut topping on top of each muffin cup of batter. Bake immediately or the topping will sink to the bottom of the muffin.
6. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin should come out dry. Home ovens heat differently from commercial ovens so you may need to adjust the temperature or the baking time accordingly.Recipe yields 12 standard-size muffins, or six Mimi's-size muffins. If using the jumbo muffin pans, reduce the oven temperature by 25° and increase the baking time 5-10 minutes.

Nov 9, 2009

Maple Brown Sugar Ham

Ingredients:
7-8 pound bone-in spiral-cut ham
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup all natural maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
2 cups pineapple juice

Directions:
Use a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham and discard flavor packet. Place the ham into the slow cooker stoneware, flat-side down. Rub brown sugar on all sides. Pour on maple syrup and pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. An hour before serving, baste ham with the collected juices from the bottom of the slow cooker. When cooking is done, remove carefully and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.

Nov 3, 2009

Baked Pasta With Chicken Sausage

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni
10 ounces frozen baby spinach, thawed and drained well (can substitute 1 9-oz. bag fresh spinach)
12 ounces precooked smoked chicken (or turkey) sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (I find this in the same section/aisle as the hotdogs next to the precooked kielbasa and chorizo - I use the Jennie-O brand and it is precooked in a U-shape.
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 4 ounces shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for another minute.Stir in tomatoes, oregano and basil; simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. (If using fresh spinach, add it to the pot of boiling pasta right at the end and cook until wilted.) Drain, and return contents to pot.Add tomato sauce, sausage, spinach and cubed mozzarella to the pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop pasta into lightly greased 9X13-inch pan (or divide evenly between two 8X8-inch pans). Top with grated fontina and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

*Freezable Meal: Prepare recipe right up until the baking step and then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. To bake, increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours. If baking from frozen, bake covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, uncover and bake 30 minutes longer.

Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda3
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
2/3 cup mashed (canned) pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15 X 10-inch jelly roll pan. Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of the pan and leave an inch overhang on each of the short ends of the pan. Lightly grease the wax paper and sides of the jelly roll pan.Mix the sugar, flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, eggs and pumpkin in a large bowl. Once mixed, pour mixture over the waxed paper. Sprinkle the walnuts, if using, on top of the mixture. Bake for 14-15 minutes until edges pull away from the sides of the pan and center is done.Lay a large dishtowel on the counter top (it is best to use a dishtowel without any texture - a tea towel or similar towel works best). Spread a thick dusting of powdered sugar all over the towel. When the cake comes out of the oven, turn the pan upside down on the powdered sugar-laden towel so the wax paper is on the top. Gently peel off the wax paper, being careful not to tear the roll. Starting at one of the short ends, roll the pumpkin cake up with the towel to cool. While the roll is cooling, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until it is light and creamy. Once the roll is cool, unroll and with an offset spatula, carefully spread filling in an even layer over the cake. Roll it up without the towel and place in the refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap or wax paper) for about an hour before serving.

Baby Food Spice Cake

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups flour
1 small jar (stage 2 size) baby food carrots
1 small jar (stage 2 size) baby food applesauce
1 small jar (stage 2 size) baby food peaches or apricots
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:
Mix the above ingredients. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 X 13 pan.
Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes.

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 C butter
4 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Sunni: When I make it I usually double it, pour it in a sheet pan that's like 2" thick. I don't use all the batter. This cake rises a ton so be careful. With the leftover batter I make cupcakes. You will definitely want to double the frosting though! It's the BEST cream cheese frosting ever! Play with the baking times. This cake cooks kinda dark so it's hard to judge when it's done.

Coconut & Cashew Granola

Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup cashews
3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut and brown sugar. In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine maple syrup, oil and salt. Combine both mixtures by slowly pouring the liquid over the oatmeal mixture and stirring well. Divide in half and pour onto two 11X17-inch rimmed baking sheets, spreading out into an even layer on each sheet. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and transfer into a large bowl, slightly breaking up the clumps. Add the raisins and gently mix until even distributed.

Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup peeled and chopped baking apple (I used granny smith)
heaping tablespoon of raw sugar (demerara, turbinado or Sugar in the Raw)
extra cinnamon for sprinkling

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about two minutes. Add vanilla and egg and beat well. With the mixer set to low speed, beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Add half the buttermilk and continue beating on low speed until incorporated. Scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, beat in another 1/3 of flour mixture then remaining buttermilk. Finally beat in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture until just combined.
3. Scrape batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Scatter apple pieces evenly over the top of the cake batter then sprinkle evenly with raw sugar. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.
4. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pan for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool until warm. Invert onto a plate.

Top with Salted Caramel Sauce if desired:

1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
Stir together sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Let boil until amber in color, about 3 minutes.
Immediately add butter and stir to incorporate. Remove from heat, add cream and salt, and mix well. Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate.

Pasta Rosa

Ingredients:
7 oz. penne pasta
3 oz. pancetta, diced
9 oz. bag of baby spinach leaves
2 oz. pine nuts
4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, in oil and cut into 1/4 inch strips (or Julienne Cut)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
Goat Cheese, crumbled
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pine nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake the nuts for 3-4 minutes, or just until they start to brown and become fragrant. Remove the pine nuts from the oven, and set to the side.
Next, in a large pot or Dutch Oven, drizzle about 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Add pancetta and cook for 5 - 7 minutes, stirring often...until the pancetta becomes brown and is cooked thoroughly. Next, add the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan of pancetta, along with the flavored oil from the sun-dried tomato jar (about 1-2 tbsp). Continue to cook until the tomatoes begin to soften.
While the pancetta and tomatoes cook, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Let the pasta cook while you finish the rest of the recipe (10-11 minutes).
After 3-4 minutes, the sun-dried tomatoes will begin to soften. At this point, add the entire bag of spinach to the pot. Begin stirring the mixture, completely mixing the ingredients. Continuously saute/stir the mixture in the oil until the spinach is completely wilted and shiny. It should be a beautifully green color. Season with salt and pepper.
The spinach mixture should look like this...
Remove the spinach mixture from the pot and place on a platter, putting it to the side.
Next, drizzle a little more olive oil into the pot, if needed. Add the shrimp and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes. Once the shrimp is cooked through, add the spinach mixture back to the pot.
Add the pine nuts, stirring well. At this point, the pasta should be just about finished. Drain the pasta and add it to the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Give it one final stir.
Plate the pasta and top with the crumbled goat cheese.
Serve immediately!

Oct 12, 2009

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper. (I used one 14 X 20 and was able to get all 20 cookies on one sheet. Place about 3 inches apart and they won’t bake into each other.)
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a mixer, cream butter, shortening, and sugar on medium for about 2 minutes.
Add egg and mix until combined.
Add the flour mixture and beat until combined.
In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon.
Use a small 1 1/4 inch ice-cream scoop to form balls. Release in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll until covered. When coated, you can shape them in a nice round ball and place on the baking sheet. (reserve any leftover cinnamon sugar to top the cupcakes)
Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cookies begin to crack. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

Sep 30, 2009

Cranberry Coconut Bars


Ingredients:
BASE:
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup flour
pinch of salt

TOPPING:.
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs flour
½ tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1½ cups fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries
½ cup shredded coconut
powdered sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 8×8-inch pan with nonstick spray.
2. Prepare base: In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Stir in flour and salt until well combined and crumbly. Press into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake about 12 minutes until just barely golden around the edges.
3. Prepare topping: In the same bowl (no need to wash it) combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add egg and egg white, lemon juice and stir until well-blended and smooth.
4. Smooth cranberries and coconut evenly over the base. Pour lemon filling over top. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until golden and set. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if using, before cutting into squares.

Cracker Jacks


Ingredients:
½ cups Unpopped Pop Corn Kernels
2 cups Spanish Peanuts
1-½ cup Brown Sugar
⅓ cups Light Corn Syrup
½ cups Butter
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Directions:
In an air popper, pop the kernels according to your machine’s manual. My machine only allows you to pop 1/3 cups at a time, so make sure you follow your machine’s capacity instructions. You should have almost 4 quarts of popped popcorn using 1/2 cup of kernels.
Dump the popcorn and the Spanish peanuts in a clean tall paper grocery bag. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a medium sauce pan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt over medium heat and allow to gently boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn off heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Carefully and immediately pour caramel sauce into the paper grocery bag and stir the sauce, popcorn, and nuts with a wooden spoon until the sauce is evenly distributed. Take the popcorn mixture and evenly scatter it between both greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring the popcorn every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Allow to cool and break up the pieces (if desired). Store in Ziploc bags or airtight containers.

Praline-Apple Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
1 (8oz.) container sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples(about 3/4 pound)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*. Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 min. or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 min.
2. Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until blended.
3. Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in apples and 1/2 cup toasted pecans. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9-x5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.
4. Bake at 350* for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.
5. Bring butter and brown sugar to boil in a 1-qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely(about 1 hour)

Quaker Oats Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture, beat well.
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.
5. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; then remove to wire rack.

Sep 9, 2009

Cauliflower Soup

http://cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2009/09/cauliflower-romano-garlic.html

Game Day Chile

Ingredients:
1 TB olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 lb mild turkey sausage, casings removed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
1 cup of grilled corn kernels, about 2-3 ears of corn
1 can chili beans, drained but not rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained but not rinsed
3 TB chili powder (I did a combination of regular chili powder, chipotle chili powder and New Mexico chili powder)
1 TB smoked paprika
1 TB cumin
1 TB garlic powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3 good pinches of salt
1 dried New Mexico chili, whole
1/2 bottle Sam Adams Octoberfest (if you prefer not to use beer, sub 1 cup red wine, chicken broth or water)
1 28 can of diced tomatoes
4 squares dark chocolate (about 1 oz), rough chopped

Directions:
Heat Dutch oven with 1 TB olive oil. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened, season with salt and pepper. Add turkey sausage and crumble. Cook through, then add chopped peppers. Cook for about 10 minutes until peppers begin to soften. Add chili powder, spices, salt and dried chili and stir. Once all the spices have combined with veggies and meat, pour in half a bottle of Sam Adams Octoberfest (or any other beer you are drinking) and deglaze bottom of pot. Cook for 1-2 minutes then add in tomatoes and stir. Bring chili up to a boil then simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Add chocolate to chili and stir. Continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes on low heat. Taste for salt.Serve with your favorite toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, grilled corn kernels, chopped cilantro, green onions.

Aug 19, 2009

Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Divide turkey into 4 equal sized rounds. Make 2 equal sized patties out of each round so you have 8 patties total. Sprinkle 4 of the patties with 2 tablespoons red peppers and cheese, and top with remaining patties, working the turkey around the edges to seal burgers closed. Season with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Grill or broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Harissa Steak Sandwich

Jeffrey Saad's runner-up recipe on "The Next Food Network Star"
Ingredients:
1 10-12 oz. New York strip steak or steak of your choice
3 Tb Harissa (Can buy it in the tube at many grocery stores or on line at http://www.kalustyans.com/ or http://www.surfas.com/ )
Salt and pepper
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 C. mayo
1/4 C fresh chopped mint
1/4 C chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic chopped
Pinch of salt
Sandwich rolls or bread of your choice
1 yellow tomato or tomato of your choice
2 C arugula leaves (watercress is good as well, spinach if you want less spice)

Directions:
Heat up your grill, grill pan or sauté pan to medium high.Season the steak with salt and pepper. Rub 1 Tb of the harissa on each side of the steak.Wipe down grill with a little oil. Place steak on grill and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip. Cook 3 more minutes (this will yield MR depending on the thickness of the steak. Adjust for your taste and for the size of the steak).While the steak is cooking place the mayo in a medium size bowl.In a small sauté pan over med heat add the olive oil. Once hot add the mint and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds just until you smell the perfume of the garlic and mint. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat off and stir. Stir mixture into the mayo. The warm mixture will immediately permeate the mayo with flavor and give it a beautiful color. Stir the remaining 1 Tb of Harissa into the mayo.

Grill the bread if you like. Spread mayo on both sides of the bread.Slice the steak and lay across the bread.Top with sliced tomato and arugula.

Makes 2-4 tasty sandwiches depending on how much meat you like.

*New York, Rib eye or Filet mignon will be a treat and will be very tender. The thicker the steak the better because you can get a nice crust on the steak and still have a MR, juicy center. A thin steak will often over cook by the time you get a crust. You can use a less expensive cut that will also be flavorful but I would recommend cutting it thin before grilling so it is more tender. The key is to not overcook the meat or you will lose the juiciness and tenderness. Also, make sure to let the steak sit for ten minutes before slicing to allow the juices to re-absorb. They will then absorb into your bread instead of being left on the cutting board.
*Don’t let the mint and garlic turn brown unless you like the more toasted flavor. I like to preserve the delicate perfume of the mint and garlic which then permeates the mayo and creates a fresh, bright balance to the deep, spicy richness of the harissa.
*Make sure your grill, grill pan or sauté pan is hot and oiled before you place the meat down or the moisture of the harissa will make the steak stick.

Aug 10, 2009

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:
4 whole Egg Whites
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1-½ cup Sugar
1-½ cup Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form about 5 minutes. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Prepare cookie sheet (either with grease, or parchament paper, or aluminum foil). Drop by heaping teaspoon-fulls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Undersides of cookies should be lightly tanned.

***In case you’ve never worked with egg whites and “soft” and “stiff peaks” before, don’t be intimidated! It’s a piece of cake (or…mmm…cookie). The way to test for those stages to just take some sort of spoon (or your mixing beater) and dip it into the batter and lift straight up. If the peaks curve down slightly when the spoon is lifted, you have “soft peaks”. If they stand straight up and don’t move, congrats — you have “stiff peaks”.

Spicy Shrimp Cakes with Corn and Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:
Cakes:
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided

Salsa:
2 ears of fresh corn, roasted and cut from the cob
1 diced peeled avocado
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
To prepare cakes, cook shrimp (salted and peppered) in a skillet sprayed with Pam until pink, place shrimp in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until finely chopped. Set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic to pan; sauté for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Place bell pepper mixture in a large bowl. Add shrimp, green onions, and the next 6 ingredients (through egg), stirring well. Stir in cilantro and 1/4 cup panko. Divide shrimp mixture into 5 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Pat panko bread crumbs on each side of the cakes while holding in your hand. The mixture is too loose to dredge. Chill at least one hour (I chilled them overnight).

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 3 cakes to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Be careful will flipping the cakes. They crumble easily. Press down on the cakes with the back of the spatula a couple of times before flipping.

Remove from pan; cover and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining cakes.
To prepare salsa, combine corn and remaining ingredients, except for the avocado; stir gently. Add the avocado and toss very gently. Serve immediately with shrimp cakes.

Soft Wrap Bread

Makes about 8-9 breads


Ingredients:
3 to 3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup potato flour OR 1/2 cup potato buds or flakes (I used potato flakes)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast*

Directions:
Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes or buds) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes (by hand, mixer or bread machine) to form a soft dough.

Note: You can allow the dough to go through the entire kneading cycle(s) in the bread machine, but it's not necessary; about a 5-minute knead in the machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky (the dough is fairly stiff, so don't be worried - just be careful not to overflour the dough).

Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour (I let mine rise up to 2 hours). Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) on a griddle or frying pan over medium heat for about 1 minute per side (I cooked mine about 2-3 minutes per side and they didn't dry out), until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out.

Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.*This recipe works best with instant yeast because it dissolves during the kneading process, so you don't have to knead liquid into the dough. If you really prefer to use active dry yeast, use only 1 cup boiling water for the initial dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, and add this mixture to the dough along with the potato flour mixture. It'll be somewhat "slippery" at first, but will knead in and eventually become smooth.

Chicken Gyros

Makes enough chicken and tzatziki for approximately 4-6 gyros.
Ingredients:
For the tzatziki sauce:
16 oz. plain yogurt (not fat free unless it is Oikos or Fage or another Greek-type yogurt)
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil
For the chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
fresh tomatoes, seeded
dicedRed onion, sliced thin
Directions:
To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible. (You won't believe how much liquid drains from the yogurt - it makes the yogurt much thicker and creamier. If you want to splurge on Greek yogurt, like Oikos or Fage, you won't need to strain it like this.)
Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. (I sauted them in a hot skillet.) Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Jul 31, 2009

Pesto Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:
1 pound bow tie pasta
3/4 cup Pesto
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
fresh basil
salt and pepper
olive oil, as needed
grilled chicken, cut into cubes

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Stir in the bow ties and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water just until it stops steaming. Bounce the pasta around to get rid of as much water as you can.Dump the pasta into a large serving bowl. Stir in the pesto until the pasta is coated. Toss in the cherry tomatoes and cubed chicken. Taste the salad and season it as you like with salt and pepper. Trim basil leaves into thin strips (about 5-7 leaves). You can make the salad up to about 1 hour before you serve it. Check out the salt and pepper just before you serve the salad. If it's looking a little dry, add some olive oil and stir it around.

S'more Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 20)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1 cup milk chocolate chips
7 Minute Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix flour, crushed graham crackers, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk and beat until batter is almost smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
5. Frost cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with grated milk chocolate or graham cracker crumbs or decorate as desired.


7 Minute Frosting
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Use a culinary torch to brown the tops.

Jul 30, 2009

Chocolate Toffee Rounds

Ingredients:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 TBS unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup toffee bits or chopped Heath bars
1 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease (or line with parchment paper) two baking sheets.
In the microwave or in a saucepan over very low heat melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Set the mixture aside to cool to lukewarm.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the melted chocolate, then stir in the flour, toffee bits, and chocolate chips.
Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes or until the tops are cracked and dry, but the cookies are still soft to the touch. Don’t overbake these; they’ll become firm as they cool.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

Coconut Butter Thins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground coriander
2/3 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lime
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup finely chopped macademia nuts (don't be afraid to use salted nuts)

Directions:
Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and coriander.
If you want to get a little more flavor out of the lime zest, put the sugar and zest in the mixer bowl and, using your fingertips, work the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and the mixture fragrant.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and zest on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Add the coconut and nuts and pulse to incorporate them. There will probably be some dry ingredients in the bottom of the bowl--don't work them in with the mixer, just reach into the bowl and knead them in.
Transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9-x-10 1/2-inch rectangle that's 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn't cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or for up to 2 days.
GETTING READY TO BAKE: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the dough out onto the board (discard the bag), and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut it into 32 squares, each roughly 1 1/2 inches on a side. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them, and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies to the sheet.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale--they shouldn't take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool to room temperature.

Mushroom Smothered Steak

Ingredients:
2 (10-ounce) filet mignon (or in my case, Ribeye steaks)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, optional

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Heat a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, 5 to 7 minutes.Brush the steaks with the vegetable oil on each side and season with salt and pepper.When the skillet is ready, add the steaks and sear them evenly on both sides for about 1 1/2 minutes per side.Top each steak with a tablespoon of butter, if using, and place the skillet in the oven. Cook the steaks until they reach 120 degrees F for rare or 125 degrees F for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer. (To test the steaks, insert the thermometer sideways to be sure you're actually testing the middle of the steak.)Remove the steaks to a serving platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Top with mushroom cream sauce (recipe below) and serve.

Mushroom Cream Sauce
2 pounds baby Portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream (you could also use half and half)
1 tablespoon dry red wine

Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the butter, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until they are tender and begin to release their juices, stirring often. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, red wine and cream and cook for 2 more minutes. Serve warm over steaks.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake


Ingredients:
3 .5 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk, room temperature

Cream Cheese Icing
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk
Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and milk until thoroughly combined.Spread on top of cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.Using a mixer, cream butter, cream cheesea nd sugar for about 6 minutes.Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.Add vanilla and milk until combined.Add flour mixture until completely combined.Pour into two greased and floured 9x5 loaf pans. Stir in 2-cups hulled and diced strawberries for each loaf if desired. Bake for about 60 minutes or until done.

Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup sour cream

cherry frosting (recipe below)
chocolate dipped cherries (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan. In bowl combine ¾ cup flour, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture. Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Bake until a toothpick inserted in comes out clean. Heap on frosting, swirling in peaks. Refirgerate. To serve, top with Chocolate-dipped Cherries. .

Cherry Frosting
In a large mixing bowl combine one 8-ounce carton sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream (already whipped-trust me, it doesn’t turn out with just the cream!) 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, and 2 Tablespoons maraschino cherry juice. Beat on medium-high until fluffy.

Chocolate Dipped Cherries
Drain 12 maraschino cherries with stems; pat dry with paper towels. In small microwave-safe bowl combine ½ cup semisweet chocolate pieces and 1 tsp. shortening. Cook on 50% power 1 ½ to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Dip cherries in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set.

Blueberry-Coconut-Macadamia Muffins


Ingredients:
2 tbsp plus 3/4 c all-purpose flour, divided
2 tbsp plus 1/2 c brown sugar, divided
5 tbsp chopped macadamia nuts, divided
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
1 c whole-wheat pastry flour or whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 large egg white
3/4 c nonfat buttermilk
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1-1/2 c fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Combine 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 2 tablespoons macadamia nuts in a small bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; stir to combine. Set aside.
Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, egg, egg white, buttermilk, butter and coconut extract in a medium bowl until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients; stir until just combined. Add blueberries and the remaining 3 tablespoons nuts; stir just to combine. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the reserved coconut topping and gently press into the batter.
Bake the muffins until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack at least 5 minutes more before serving.
Store, individually wrapped, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic wrap, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30-45 seconds.

Individual Orange and Chocolate Cheesecakes

Ingredients:
1/3 cup finely crushed chocolate wafers
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
2 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 orange, zested
1 egg
Butter, for greasing

Special equipment: mini muffin tin
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the crushed chocolate wafers and the melted butter.
Place a tightly packed teaspoon of the wafer mixture into each mini-muffin cup and press down firmly.
In a food processor combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, half of the orange zest, and the egg.
Blend until smooth. Lightly grease the sides of the mini muffin tin with butter. Fill the cups with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheesecake mixture.
Place the mini muffin tin in a baking dish and pour enough hot water in the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the mini muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Transfer the mini muffin tin to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Use a small knife to gently pop the cheesecakes out of the cups.
Just before serving, combine the remaining orange zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Top each individual cheesecake with about 1/4 teaspoon of the orange zest mixture and serve.

Caprese Salad Skewers

Ingredients:
Ciliegine (little cherry size fresh mozzarella)
20 Basil Leaves
1 Pint of Grape Tomatoes
6-8" skewers
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:
Skewer 1 Cherry Tomato onto a skewer. Roll 1/2 of a Basil leaf and skewer it on on top of the tomato. Skewer 1 Ciliegine on top of the basil. Arrange Caprese sticks on a platter and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Mix 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and pour on top of the Caprese Sticks and serve.

Pizza Bites

Ingredients:
2 cans refrigerated pizza dough
1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz thin sliced pepperoni
2 tsp Italian seasoning (combine oregano, basil, parsley, and garlic)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
pizza or marinara sauce

Directions:
Prepare pizza dough and roughly chop pepperoni.If you are going to bake some (or all!) right away preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 3 pie pans.If using refrigerated pizza dough: roll one dough out into a large rectangle and cut into 24 pieces. Don't make them as rectangular as I did (see below). I should have made them more square, it would have made them easier to fold around the filling. Repeat with 2nd pizza dough. If using homemade dough just pinch off walnut sized pieces as you go.In each dough piece place a couple pieces of chopped pepperoni and a tablespoon of cheese. Seal dough around meat and cheese and place seam side down in pie pan.Repeat, placing approximately 16 dough balls in each pie plate. Once assembled, combine oil and spices and brush over the dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Now you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze or you can bake right away.When ready to bake: bake at 400°F for 16-20 min. Serve with warm pizza or marinara sauce.

Chicken and Rice Casserole with Spinach and Shiitakes

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 medium onion, halved vertically and thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound shiitake or other mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced
2 (12-ounce) bunches spinach, tough stems removed and coarsely chopped OR 2 (5-ounce) packages prewashed spinach, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
8 ounces Gruyère, shredded (2 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups hot cooked brown or wild rice
3 cups cooked chicken breast meat, shredded (12 ounces)

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, until softened. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms, and cook 8 minutes or until softened. Add half of spinach, and cook, stirring constantly, until spinach begins to wilt. Add remaining spinach, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until all spinach has wilted.
2. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, about 5 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat, and slowly whisk in Gruyère, whisking until smooth. Whisk in salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture, rice, and chicken; transfer to a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch (4-quart) casserole dish.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or bake, covered with foil, at 375° for 45 minutes or until bubbly and hot. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Turkey Mini Meat Loaves

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces ground turkey breast
1 large egg white
3 tablespoons ketchup, divided
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
Combine onion, breadcrumbs, and next 7 ingredients (through egg white) in a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons ketchup. Spoon about 1/2 cup meat mixture into each of 3 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; place muffin tin on a baking sheet. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon ketchup and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl. Brush ketchup mixture over meat loaf tops. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°.

Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
1 (6.75-ounce) package thin rice sticks (rice-flour noodles)
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:
1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic to pan; cook 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Place in a large bowl. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon oil, chicken, and next 6 ingredients (through sambal).
2. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain. Cut noodles into smaller pieces. Add noodles to bowl; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Cheesy Baked Tortellini

Directions:
Olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 pound purchased cheese tortellini
2 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish.
Whisk the sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend. Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Add the tortellini to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the tortellini mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about 30 minutes.

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 cup crabmeat
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
4 tablespoons Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1/4 teaspoon crab boil
6 baby portobello mushrooms caps
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine the crabmeat, cream cheese, parsley, green onions and Parmesan. (Next time I will cook the green onions and parsley in a pan with a little cooking spray first. I found the parsley to have to strong of a taste.)
Season with Salt and Pepper, to taste. Add Crab boil and blend thoroughly.
Remove stems from mushrooms and using a teaspoon, carve out a cavity large enough to stuff filling inside. Be very careful to not break the mushroom caps while making the cavity.
Stuff the mushroom caps with the mixture and top with bread crumbs.
Spray the tops with nonstick spray to help them brown.
Transfer to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the filling is hot and melted.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Loaf

Ingredients:
6 oz of low fat cream cheese
1 egg - separated
3 tbsp of powder sugar
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 (11 oz) tube of bread stick dough

Glaze
1/2 cup of powder sugar
2 tbsp of lemon juice

Directions:

1) Preheat over to 350 degree F. In a bowl combined soft cream cheese, powder sugar and egg yolk. Mix until well combined.

2) Remove breadstick dough from the tube, unroll it and separate the dough and you will have two rectangles. Join the dough up by placing both dough rectangles horizontally on a lightly greased baking sheet. Press the steam together.

3)Spread cream cheese mixture onto the centre of the dough. Sprinkle the blueberry on top of the cream cheese. Separate the dough perforations up to the cheese mixture (You might need a scissors for this) Slightly pull and stretch the dough strips.

4) Start from the top and bring and braid dough strip to cover the filling. Make sure to tuck and seal both ends of the loaf.
5) Beat the egg white and brush it all over the loaf. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool the loaf.

6) Combined the powder sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle all over the cool loaf before serving.

Balsamic Shrimp Skewers

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
40 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 1/2 pounds)
16 1/4 inch thick lemon slices
cooking spray

Directions:
Combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip lock bag or bowl. Add shrimp to bag or bowl and seal or cover. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove shrimp from bag and reserve marinade. Thread shrimp and 2 lemon slices on skewers.Grill each skewer for 3 minutes each side basting with reserved marinade during cooking.

Spinach and Artichoke in Puff Pastry

Ingredients:
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry

Directions:
Drain spinach well, pressing between layers of paper towels.
Stir together spinach, artichoke hearts, and next 5 ingredients.
Thaw puff pastry at room temperature 30 minutes. Unfold pastry, and place on a lightly floured surface or heavy-duty plastic wrap. Spread one-fourth spinach mixture evenly over pastry sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll up pastry, jellyroll fashion, pressing to seal seam; wrap in heavy-duty plastic wrap. Repeat procedure with remaining pastry and spinach mixture. Freeze 30 minutes; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. (Rolls may be frozen up to 3 months.)
Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Ham 'n Cheese Skewers

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (3/4-inch-thick) sliced smoked Virginia deli ham
1 (5-oz.) blue cheese wedge
1 large Gala apple, sliced
1 bunch fresh watercress
60 (4-inch) wood or metal skewers

Directions:
1. Cut ham into 3/4-inch cubes. Carefully break cheese into 60 small pieces. Cut apple slices into thirds.
2. Thread cheese, apple, watercress leaves, and ham onto skewers. Stand skewers upright, ham ends down, on a serving plate.

Jul 22, 2009

Chicken Chile

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream

Directions:
Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Barefoot Contessa Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients:
3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.
In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.
For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.