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Mini-Monsters (Cookies)

2012-01-24T14:45:00.002-05:00

There's a recipe from Kraft for Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies. They remind me a lot of Monster Cookies. But I just don't want such a big cookie. So I tweaked this one a bit and used mini-M&M's and you get the big taste of Monster Cookies in a reasonably sized cookie.

Mini-Monsters

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats (quick or old-fashioned)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mini-M&Ms
1 cup chocolate chips (mini or standard)

Cream sugars, butter, and brown sugar. In another bowl mix flour, oats, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add eggs to butter and sugar mixture one at a time. Gradually add dry ingredients. Mix in M&Ms and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, until just starting to brown around the edges. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Easy Chocolate Cake

2011-11-13T08:55:00.002-05:00

This is a family favorite from my husband's family. He used to request this cake every year.

Easy Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
3 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. cold water
1/2 c. liquid shortening (vegetable oil)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. vinegar

Mix all ingredients. Pour into small ungreased cake pan (double for 9 x 13 pan). (I think if I use an 11 x 7 pan it fits, but the frosting runs over.) Bake @ 325 for 25-30 minutes

Frosting

1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp. cocoa

Stir together. Bring to rolling boil. Cook 2 min. Remove from heat. Beat until spreadable. (I think doing this now I would add the vanilla after removing from heat. I seem to remember beating it with a wooden spoon and then pouring over the cake while it is still hot. A fair amount of frosting soaks into the cake.)

Honey Walnut Cookies

2011-10-04T11:43:00.002-04:00

So I came across a recipe for Honey Walnut Cookies over on Baking Bites the other day. They looked really good so I just had to try them out. They are good with a rich honey flavor. The only complaint I may have is they have an oily taste to me. I'm thinking I would make them again with butter instead of with vegetable oil (I used canola oil so maybe that's my problem). I made a double batch so the boys didn't revolt when we ran out right away. I think they will be a hit. The real test will be from our niece who believes she doesn't like nuts, although I just keep feeding them to her anyway. I used a #60 portion scoop and got 43 cookies. Other than doubling the recipe, I followed the original directions. This is what I think I'll do next time:

Honey Walnut Cookies

2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add honey and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix to combine. Stir in walnuts. Roll into 1 inch balls or use a portion scoop. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on sheet for 2-3 minutes then remove to wire rack.

Shrimp Dip

2011-02-27T14:25:00.004-05:00

Shrimp Dip

1 small pkg. salad shrimp (or use small shrimp lightly chopped)
2-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 bottle Heinz cocktail sauce
3 tbsp. Worchestershire sauce

Mix shrimp, onion, Worchestershire sauce, and 3 tbsp. cocktail sauce. Fold in cream cheese.

Layer bottom a glass dish with cocktail sauce (I use an 8"x8" Pyrex dish). Spoon in cream cheese mixture, spread out. Top with a small amount of cocktail sauce. Refrigerate 6 hrs. or overnight. Serve with crackers.

Spinach Dip

2011-02-27T14:16:00.002-05:00

Spinach Dip

1 12 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
1 pkg. vegetable soup mix
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

Chop all ingredients finely and mix. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.

My sister-in-law likes to serves this inside a hollowed out round loaf of bread. Then serve with the chunks of bread and raw veggies.

Bean Dip

2011-02-27T14:06:00.002-05:00

We hosted an open house yesterday and made lots of munchie food. After requests for some of the recipes I figured I ought to post them to share. Here's an old favorite.

Bean Dip

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can green chilies (optional)
1 can refried beans
1 can Armour No Bean Chili (the Walmart store brand works, but we don't like Hormel)
1 lb. Velveeta
1 lb. Mexican Velveeta (I often just use a 2 lb. pkg. of Mexican Velveeta)

Brown the ground beef with the onion. Add green chilies if using. Mix in taco seasoning according to pkg. directions. (This can be done ahead.)

In a 3 qt. Crock Pot, mix together the taco meat, refried beans, and chili. Cook on high for an hour. Add Velveeta (if in a time crunch skip the hour of cooking and just add the cheese). Stir occasionally. Once the cheese has melted, turn down to low and serve with tortilla chips.

Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

2011-01-15T18:54:00.002-05:00

Wow it's been a long time since I've posted. I know I've cooked, but nothing has been noteworthy. I'm surprised I've never posted this pasta dish before. I've kind of been perfecting the sauce though and my technique varies. Here's what I did the other night:

Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

1/2 lb. pasta (can use whole wheat), we prefer small shapes that hold the sauce

florets from 1 bunch broccoli (may use half cauliflower)

1 lb. chicken breast, cubed

Sauce:
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups milk
4 ozs. shredded parmesan
nutmeg

Put on water to cook the pasta, cook until nearly done.

Get chicken started in a skillet with some olive oil. Season with salt & pepper.

For the broccoli, there are options. Usually I throw the broccoli in for the last 4 minutes with the pasta. The other night I put it in the skillet with the chicken after the chicken had browned a bit but was still pink in the middle. The chicken and broccoli were all cooked through at nearly the same time. I added a bit of water to add a little steam to help the broccoli along at the end.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until you start smelling it. Add the flour and salt and pepper to taste. After about a minute stir in the milk. Cook until it starts to thicken. Add the cheese. At this point you can probably turn off the sauce and let the cheese melt, stirring once in a while. Add a little nutmeg at the end to round out the flavor.

Once everything is cooked, add the pasta to the skillet with the chicken and broccoli reserving some of the pasta liquid. Add the sauce to the skillet. Stir and let come together for a couple minutes. If it gets too thick, add some of the reserved pasta liquid.

Serve with a salad and you've got a meal. If there are leftovers, add some of the reserved pasta water to the dish when you put it away. The extra liquid with help keep it from getting too dry when reheating.

Upside Down Pizza (Skillet Pizza)

2010-06-09T09:36:00.002-04:00

We tried this "pizza" a month or so ago. It was better once we realized that we should have served it flipped over (crust side down). It calls for using jarred pizza sauce, but I used half a batch of sauce found in Cook's Country.

Upside Down Pizza

12 ServingsPrep: 20 min. Bake: 25 min.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jar (14 ounces) spaghetti sauce
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until the
meat is no longer pink; drain. Add spaghetti sauce. Cover and simmer
until heated through. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking
dish. Sprinkle with cheese.

In a blender, combine the milk, eggs, oil, flour and salt; cover and
process until smooth. Pour over cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400°
for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 225 calories, 12 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 79 mg cholesterol, 373 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 15 g protein.

Pizza Sauce

2	tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3	garlic cloves , minced
1 1/2	teaspoons dried oregano
1/4	teaspoon red pepper flakes
2	tablespoons tomato paste
1	(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2	tablespoons chopped fresh basil
	Salt

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Cook garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer until reduced to 3 cups, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and season with salt.

Hamburger Macaroni

2010-06-05T16:39:00.004-04:00

I had found a recipe for Skillet Macaroni with Zesty Meat Sauce in an issue of Cook's Country. I tried it but substituted some pickled jalapenos instead of the jarred banana peppers (I didn't have banana peppers). I later learned that this is similar to one of my husband's family recipes for Hamburger Macaroni. The next time I made it I added a diced onion because I put onion in nearly everything. I also had to add a bit more water. If its looking fairly dry before the pasta is cooked, it gets gummy. Add a little extra water and the pasta cooks through and you avoid the gumminess.

Hamburger Macaroni

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
3 tbsp. dried basil
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
12 ounces elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat pasta and just used the full box-13.25 oz.)
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese

Brown ground beef in a large skillet. When nearly browned, drain some of the grease if needed. Add onion, some salt and pepper. When onion is tender add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add basil.

Stir in tomatoes, water, and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often until macaroni begins to soften, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until macaroni is al dente, about 7 more minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, cover and cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Serve.

Quick Soft Breadsticks

2010-06-05T16:20:00.002-04:00

I found this recipe over on Cookie Madness. My boys eat too many breadsticks and biscuits to buy the ones in the tube at the grocery. And really, these are far better. There isn't much work involved as they can be made with a mixer using a dough hook. I only kneaded by hand a few times. Then roll out and cut to bake. I only got 13 breadsticks, but I probably could have cut them a bit narrower. They rose more than I expected in the oven. I'd say these were a hit and will likely make them many times in the future. I just need to make sure I leave about 2 hrs. lead time to allow for the rise and bake times.

Quick Soft Breadsticks

3 cups bread flour or all purpose flour (13.8 oz)
1 packet fast rising yeast (instant yeast)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
optional — 2 tablespoons melted butter mixed with a clove of crushed garlic or garlic powder

Mix the flour, yeast, brown sugar and salt together in bowl of a stand mixer. Add the water and stir until almost blended, then add the oil and stir well. Using the dough hook (you can also do it by hand, of course), knead until smooth and elastic. With the dough hook, this is only takes a few minutes.

Rub a second bowl with olive oil. Turn dough into bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, set in a warm place and let rise for 30 minutes. Punch down dough. Roll out into a 10×12 inch rectangle. Cut into strips (I cut mine lengthwise for long bread sticks) about 3/4 inch wide. Twist the strips and place on a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Let rise for 20-30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Brush with butter or garlic butter.

Butterscotch Brownies with Brown Sugar Butter Icing

2010-06-05T16:13:00.002-04:00

I've been drooling over these for a week now. I found the recipe over on Culinary in the Desert. I made a half batch and baked them in an 11" x 7" pan. I probably should have used a 13" x 9" pan to stay true to the recipe. These puffed up much more than I expected, but the icing didn't all sink down into the center, so it worked well. I'll likely make these again another day.

Butterscotch Brownies With Brown Sugar Butter Icing

For the batter:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla

For the icing:

16 tablespoons (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon vanilla

To prepare the batter:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until well combined after each. Mix in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Pour mixture into a 13" x 18" half-sheet pan coated with nonstick spray, smoothing the top with an off-set spatula. Place pan into the oven and bake until the bars are set and slightly puffed, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

To prepare the icing:

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar and salt over medium heat. As soon as the mixture is lightly bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together confectioners' sugar, half-and-half and vanilla until smooth. Pour in the melted butter mixture and beat until combined. Immediately spread icing over brownies and allow to sit for 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

Makes about 30 brownies (though you could get away with cutting them smaller as they are fairly rich).

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-05-16T16:16:00.002-04:00

Really they are not exaggerating on this recipe I found over on Cookie Madness. I made some of these today and was quite pleased with the result. I made them bigger than the original recipe. It made 4 dozen cookies. I used a #40 scoop (2 Tbsp.) and yielded 26 cookies. I baked them for about 13 minutes and left them on the sheet for 3-5 minutes to cool. The result was a soft peanut butter cookie with a bit of chocolate. Not too much chocolate and not too much peanut butter. The oatmeal is also barely noticed, but does add a nice little chewiness. Might be good with chunky peanut butter instead of creamy. May have to try that next time. I would say this cookie is definitely a winner.

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (use ¼ if using salted butter)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream both sugars and butter. Beat in peanut butter, vanilla and egg. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to batter and stir until incorporated. Stir in oats and chips. Drop by tablespoons on to lightly greased (or parchment lined) cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.
Let sit on cookie sheet for about 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Herbed Lime Chicken

2010-05-07T09:25:00.002-04:00

I found this recipe many years ago in an issue of Light & Tasty. It's very easy to throw together and is wonderful on the grill. I have found that there is plenty of marinade to do more than 1 lb of chicken. I usually make a full batch and put half of it on 1 lb of chicken and put the other half back in the dressing bottle for another time. We also skip the basting step. It grills up quickly and doesn't really need it.

Herbed Lime Chicken

4 Servings
Prep: 5 min. + marinating Grill: 10 min.

Ingredients

1 bottle (16 ounces) fat-free Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup lime juice
1 lime, halved and sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 pound)

Directions

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Remove 1/2 cup for basting; cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8-10 hours.
Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn chicken; baste with the reserved marinade. Grill 5-7 minutes longer or until juices run clear, basting occasionally. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals 162 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 718 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 0.55 g fiber, 27 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 very lean meat.

Herbed Lime Chicken published in Light & Tasty June/July 2001, p29

Salisbury Steak Meatballs

2010-03-19T21:12:00.002-04:00

So I was at it again. I was thinking I'd do something like barbecued meatballs from some ground pork I found on sale at the store. I also had a bunch of ground beef, so I though a mix of the two would be good. After cooking the meatballs in a skillet, I tried one before saucing and realized they tasted a lot like Salisbury Steak, but made with real meat. I have always been a sucker for Salisbury Steak, but it just doesn't chew quite like it is made from real meat. This had a nice flavor and I was really chewing something. I basically ended up with meatballs in a brown gravy. It was pretty good served over mashed potatoes.

Salisbury Steak Meatballs

1 lb ground chuck
1 lb ground pork
4 bread heals (saved in the freezer) pulsed in the food processor to make fresh bread crumbs
1 egg
1 larger onion, minced in the food processor (or grated on a box grater)
2 cloves garlic, minced with the onion
1/2 tsp chipolte powder (could use cayenne or leave it out)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and form into small (1-inch) meatballs. Brown in a skillet in batches (draining on paper towels after cooking). Once all the meatballs are cooked there should be about 4 Tbsp grease in the pan. Add enough flour to the pan to make a thick grainy-looking paste (about equal parts grease and flour, but I didn't actually measure). Brown the flour for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in 1 can (approx. 2 cups) chicken broth, stirring frequently until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Add meatballs back to the skillet and simmer until cooked through and the sauce has thickened to your liking (maybe 5 minutes).

We served this with mashed potatoes, but I really should have had some peas too so that it was just like the TV dinners of old. You remember, the ones that were in a foil tray and went in the oven. I must admit, I really liked those. The microwaved ones are just not that good.

Rattlesnake Brownies

2010-03-18T19:28:00.003-04:00

No I didn't put snake in the brownies. A rattlesnake is a layered shot with equal parts Kahlua, Creme de Cocoa, and Irish Cream, although I prefer them mixed and chilled (thanks McNugget). This recipe is based on the Boozy Irish Cream Brownies found on Baking Bites. I figured if Bailey's brownies were good, Rattlesnake brownies would be even better. I did change the glaze recipe, though. It was just coming out too thick for me. And the extra booze can't hurt.

Rattlesnake Brownies

Brownies:
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Rattlesnakes (or just shy of 3 Tbsp. Kahlua, 3 Tbsp. Creme de Cocoa, and 3 Tbsp. Irish Cream)

Glaze:
2 2/3 Tbsp. butter (just us the remainder of the stick from the brownies)
2 Tbsp. Rattlesnakes (or 2 tsp. Kahlua, 2 tsp. Creme de Cocoa, and 2 tsp. Irish Cream)
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x9-inch square baking dish. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Mix in sugar and cocoa powder until smooth. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix in cocoa mixture. Add egg, vanilla, and rattlesnake mix.

Bake for 22-26 minutes, until it tests done with a toothpick.

While the brownie bakes make the glaze. In your saucepan (no need to wash, we're starting with butter, cocoa, and sugar anyway), melt butter. Add cocoa. Off the heat add Rattlesnake mix and powdered sugar. (If it's too thick, thin a bit more with milk or more Rattlesnake mix.) Pour the glaze over the brownies as soon as they come out of the oven. Spread the glaze out to the corners and let cool.

Better than Hamburger Helper

2010-03-02T17:26:00.005-05:00

So I had a good bit of sauce left from the Roast with Red Gravy I came up with the other day. I figured I could add some basil and oregano and have an Italian-ish dish. So I browned a pound of hamburger and added about a tsp. each of basil and oregano, then added about 3 cups, or so, of sauce. It didn't really taste Italian. It seemed like something better than Hamburger Helper. I guess real vegetables in the sauce will do that. I served this over a box (13.5 oz.) of cooked whole wheat pasta. The sauce was flavorful enough that no one noticed that the pasta was whole wheat. Even better, all of the boys liked it, which is more than I can say for most pasta dishes.

Hot Chili

2010-02-24T09:59:00.001-05:00

I'm just making things up today. We wanted some chili but didn't have a pork shoulder for Ranch Chili. I had out a pound of ground beef, so I started adding things I had on hand that sounded good for chili. I had a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes and a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes. I think next time I'd prefer to have two big cans of crushed tomatoes. There were also cut veggies in my fridge and great northern beans in the pantry. Two dried jalapenos, canned diced green chilies, and half a can of chipoltes in adobo brought on a nice heat. The heat came after the initial bite, but didn't linger. This was a thick chili. Looked very meaty, but was mostly veggies. It was hearty and left us satisfied (especially with the cornmeal biscuits I baked to go with it).

Hot Chili

1 lb. ground beef
2 onions, diced
1-2 stalks celery, diced
1-2 carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. chili powder
1-2 tsp. chipolte powder (substitute cayenne, if preferred)
2 tsp. oregano
salt & pepper, to taste
2 - 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 - 7 oz. can diced green chilies
3 chipoltes in adobo sauce, minced + 1-2 tsp. adobo sauce
2 - 15 oz. cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained (use whatever bean you like, I think red kidney beans may have been better)

Brown ground beef, add diced veggies and cook until softened. Add garlic, and saute until fragrant. Add seasonings and let cook a couple minutes. Add tomatoes and chilies. Add beans and simmer until ready to serve (at least 15 minutes - I think I went half an hour).

Roast with Red Gravy

2010-02-20T09:37:00.004-05:00

So I was trying to make something along the lines of barbecued beef. I had a rump roast so it didn't shred like I would have liked, but that's okay because the sauce wasn't quite up to barbecue standards although it was quite good. I ended up with far more sauce than we will use for the roast, but I'm thinking the remainder will be good on pasta if I throw in some Italian sausage and some basil and oregano. Some also liked the extra sauce over mashed potatoes although it was a bit weird for me.

Roast with Red Gravy

rump roast (or whatever cut you have)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2-3 carrots, diced
1-2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (or one dried jalapeno, crushed-if you're lucky enough to have one)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. chipolte powder, optional
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Mix everything but roast together in the crock pot. Add roast and cook on low for 8 hrs or so. When in roast is done,remove the bay leaf and puree the vegetables in the blender (probably best to do in two batches-careful, it's hot). Slice the roast and serve with sauce.

Black Bean & Chicken Soft Tacos

2010-02-08T16:33:00.002-05:00

We've used this recipe for years. It came from one of the early issues of Quick Cooking. Using leftover cooked chicken makes it really quick, but doesn't take much more time if you cook the chicken fresh, just dice before cooking.

Soft Chicken Tacos

"I came up with this healthy chicken and bean filling for tacos since my husband needs to watch his cholesterol level," relates Ruth Peterson of Jenison, Michigan. "Sliced radishes make a unique crunchy topping."

6 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 20 min.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
6 fat-free flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
Shredded lettuce, shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, sliced radishes, chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions and fat-free sour cream, optional

Directions

In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken over medium heat until no longer pink. Stir in the beans, salsa and taco seasoning; heat through.
Spoon the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up.
Serve with the toppings of your choice if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 taco (calculated without toppings) equals 271 calories, 2 g fat (0 saturated fat), 42 mg cholesterol, 1,077 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 23 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 starch, 2 very lean meat.

Barbecue Chicken Meatballs

2010-02-05T20:49:00.003-05:00

Tonight I made Barbecue Chicken Meatballs kind of like the recipe suggested on Epicurious. It used grated onion, but I just don't like grating onions, so I finely minced them and the cooked them in a skillet just until softened. There were a bit difficult to work with. They didn't hold together all that well, but it may have just been the ground chicken. That is just not something I have worked with often. They were really good though, so we'll probably have them again.

Barbecue Chicken Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken
2/3 cup corn-bread crumbs or bread crumbs (I used 3 saved bread heels)
1 egg
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 small onion, grated and drained (I minced and sauteed until softened)
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's)
1/2 cup water

1. Combine the first 7 ingredients. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls.

2. Place the oil in a wide frying pan. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Add the barbecue sauce and water. Cook until it reduces and sticks to the meatballs, about 1 minute. Serve.

Chocolate Chip Stuffed French Toast

2010-02-01T10:26:00.002-05:00

This weekend we tried a different variation on stuffed french toast. I modified another Cooks Country recipe. I used miniature chocolate chips instead of regular chocolate chips as the recipe called for and I use an extra egg in the batter so I could make 6 instead of the original 4 in the recipe.

Chocolate Chip French Toast

Serves 6

4 ounces cream cheese , softened
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
12 slices sandwich bread
2 large egg
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple syrup for serving

1. Combine cream cheese, sugar, and chocolate chips in medium bowl. Spread on 6 bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices, pressing down gently, forming 6 sandwiches.

2. Combine eggs, water, flour, and vanilla in shallow pie plate. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Dip both sides of 2 sandwiches in batter and place in skillet. Cook until deep golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining butter and bread. (I used an electric griddle and cooked all 6 at once but it did take more than 3 minutes per side.)

Custard Pie

2010-01-21T11:37:00.002-05:00

This recipe comes from my mom's copy of the Better Homes and Gardens cook book (probably from the mid '70s). My newer copy of the book says to par-bake the pie crust before adding the filling. That is really an unnecessary step, so I follow this one now.

Custard Pie

4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups milk, scalded
1 unbaked pie shell
nutmeg

Blend eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Gradually stir in scalded milk. Pour into pie shell. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 350 for 3540 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack then chill.

Maple Bun Bars

2010-01-21T11:24:00.003-05:00

My mom got this recipe from a friend many years ago. The original recipe used only 1 cup each of the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter and used a 9"x5" loaf pan instead of a 9"x13" pan. I like to stay with the traditional peanuts in the top layer, but my dad prefers almonds instead.

Maple Bun Bars

2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups butterscotch chips
2 cups peanut butter (I like crunchy, but creamy is fine)

Melt chips and peanut butter over low heat. Line a 9"x13" pan with waxed paper. Spread half of the chocolate mixture into the pan and freeze for 12 minutes (or refrigerate for a hour).

Meanwhile, combine in a saucepan:

1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp. vanilla non-instant pudding

Cook over low heat until just boiling. Add:

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. maple flavoring

Beat mixture until smooth. Spread on top of chocolate layer.

Add:

1 cup dry roasted peanuts

to other half of the chocolate mixture. Spread over maple layer. Chill for at least 1 hour. Cut into small bars. Keep chilled.

Cream de Menthe Bars

2010-01-21T11:07:00.002-05:00

This has long been one of my favorite candies to make during the holidays. I did have a thought this year that it may be good to try with Cream de Banana instead of Cream de Menthe. The bottom layer didn't have any baking directions but I baked it this year and ended up with a crisp crust that offset the creamy top layers.

Cream de Menthe Bars

Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 cups graham cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 375. Combine butter and cocoa in a saucepan. Heat and stir until well blended. Remove from heat and add sugar, egg, and vanilla. Stir in crumbs. Mix and press into a 9" x 13" pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely before adding middle layer.

Middle Layer:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup Cream de Menthe
3 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter. Add Cream de Menthe. Beat in sugar until smooth. Spread over chocolate layer. Chill 1 hour.

Top Layer:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

Melt butter and chocolate chips over low heat. Add sugar and milk. Pour over middle layer. Chill 1-2 hours. Cut into small bars. Keep refrigerated.

Fudge

2010-01-21T10:59:00.002-05:00

I found this fudge recipe 9 years ago. It usually works really well for me, although this year we moved and I was using an unfamiliar electric stove vs. the gas stove I has always used before. This time it turned out a bit grainy. I will blame it on not being used to the stove, so I'll be sure to use it again next year. I usually use various chips and nuts to make different kinds of fudge. This time I did milk chocolate chips with no nuts, semi-sweet chips with walnuts, peanut butter (chunky), and white chips with almonds (using 1/2 tsp. almond extract instead of the vanilla). I'm posting the basic recipe, but follow the link for many variations.

SKAARUP'S FANTASIA FUDGE
© 1997 T. P. Skaarup, original recipe. May be copied unaltered. All
rights reserved.

This is a medium chocolate fudge with creamy texture. It serves as
the backbone to dozens of other fudges. Experiment yourself.
Follow the rules I’ve laid down on this web site and you'll do fine.

1/2 cup Butter
2 1/2 cup Sugar (extra-fine granulated preferred)
5 oz. Evaporated Milk (one small can)
12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Hersheys or Nestle)
6-7 oz. Marshmallow Creme/Fluff (1 Jar)

(may substitute 2 cups mini-marshmallows)

1 cup Walnuts (chopped) -or- 4 oz. bag (optional item)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:
Line a 9” x 9” pan with aluminum foil and set aside. Place
chocolate chips, vanilla, and marshmallow cream into a 3-quart
saucepan (or Pyrex bowl) and set aside. Chop walnuts and set
aside (optional). Heat milk at Medium setting until warm then add
sugar. Bring to a rolling boil (Medium-High), stirring constantly with
a wooden spoon. Continue to boil for [8] full minutes -or- if using a
candy thermometer continue boiling until the boiling temperature
reaches 235°F but do not exceed 9 minutes rolling boiling total.
Remove from heat and add butter. Stir until dissolved (but no more
than 30 seconds).

Pour hot mixture over chocolates, vanilla, and marshmallow cream
without scraping the sides of the hot saucepan. Mix until the
chocolates are melted. Add walnuts if desired. Mix thoroughly and
cast into prepared pan. Cool at room temperature. Chill in
refrigerator prior to cutting. Remove from pan, remove foil, cut into
squares.

Chicken Quesadillas

2010-01-20T19:36:00.002-05:00

So we're in the grocery store yesterday and I asked the boys what they wanted for dinner. The oldest chirped up that he wanted Taco Bell. As we're trying to cut costs, I told him we'd try to make something like it. He usually just gets the cheese quesadilla, but last time he tried his brother's chicken quesadilla. He discovered that chicken is better. So that's what he wanted, with some spice and melty cheese, but not too melty. This it the task I was given. I didn't do too badly, but I think I'd marinate the chicken for a few hours instead of the half hour I had available.

Everyone but the oldest likes a side of rice from Taco Bell. so I threw together a quick Cheater's Spanish Rice. I think it actually turned out better than some of the box mixes. It's nowhere near authentic, but it's not too bad in a pinch. Add a jar of queso and some tortilla chips and the boys all got what they would have had at Taco Bell less than half the cost and there is some left over.

Chicken Quesadillas

2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup vinegar
few dashes Liquid Smoke
1/2 pkg. Mexican Velveeta, diced
shredded Mexican blend cheese
flour tortillas

Combine the salsa, vinegar, and Liquid Smoke in a quart zip top bag. Add the chicken breasts and marinate 4 hours or so.

Cook the chickens breasts (skillet, grill, whatever) discarding the marinate. If you cook the chicken in a skillet, add some water toward the end of cooking if the pan starts smoking (mine did from the marinate). Slice the chicken thinly and cut into bite-sized pieces.

To assemble the quesadillas, spoon some salsa on the tortilla and spread out. Sprinkle in some of the Velveeta and shredded cheese. Add the chicken to half of the tortilla and fold in half. Cook in a nonstick skillet with cooking spray or on and electric griddle until golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Cheater's Spanish Rice

1 cup Minute Rice
1/2 cup salsa
3/4 cup water
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine the rice, salsa and water. Microwave for 5 minutes. Add a bit more water if needed and cook 1 minute more. Fluff and serve.

Apple Pie Stuffed French Toast

2010-01-20T19:20:00.004-05:00

We tried this French Toast over the weekend. Our oldest, who isn't usually a fan of French Toast, really enjoyed it. The flour added a crispness to the outside that you just don't get with the usual custard batter that I use. This recipe was adapted from Cook's Country.

Apple Pie Stuffed French Toast

Serves 6

4 ounces cream cheese , softened
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons apple butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 slices sandwich bread
2 large egg
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple syrup for serving

1. Combine cream cheese, sugar, apple butter, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Spread on 6 bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices, pressing down gently, forming 6 sandwiches.

2. Combine eggs, water, flour, and vanilla in shallow pie plate. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Dip both sides of 2 sandwiches in batter and place in skillet. Cook until deep golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining butter and bread. (I used an electric griddle and cooked all 6 at once.)

Swope Bread

2010-01-05T20:11:00.002-05:00

I got this recipe from a friend a month or so ago. It sounded really good, but I hadn't gotten around to making it until tonight. I wish I would have tried it sooner. It is easy to prepare and tastes great. I don't usually like bread that has more wheat than white flour, but the sweetness makes it really good, although I think I'd like to try it with honey instead of sugar, and perhaps a bit less sweet. If you follow the link to All Recipes, you can see the discussion of tweaking the recipe a bit. But it's quite good as is.

Swope Bread

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons baking soda
4 cups buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, stir together bread flour, whole wheat flour, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, dissolve baking soda in buttermilk. Stir buttermilk into flour mixture. Beat well. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for one hour.

Old School Chili

2010-01-03T18:16:00.002-05:00

This is how my mama taught me to make chili (mostly). She'd use half a can of tomato juice (save the other half for spaghetti sauce), a small can of Brooks mild chili beans, 1 lb. hamburger, some onion, salt, pepper, oregano (I think, or was that my addition), and chili powder. Cook some elbow macaroni right in the pot (before adding the beans) and you have a meal. When we were first married we had to stretch a buck, so we discovered that we could use 1 lb. hamburger with a whole can of tomato juice and 3 cans of chili beans to stretch it over several meals. In those days I still added the macaroni to stretch it further, but this is not a chili-mac loving house (other than me) so now we leave it out. I served the chili with Cornmeal Biscuits with honey butter (mix together equal parts softened butter and honey).

Old School Chili

I lb. ground chuck
I onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste (I went with a heavy hand and adjusted several times through the cooking)
oregano (maybe 1/2 tsp. or so)
crushed red pepper (to taste) or if you're as lucky as I was, 1 dried red chili pepper (compliments of my brother-in-law), crumbled
1 large can tomato juice
1 large can Brooks mild chili beans (sometimes we use hot, but the boys are not fans)

Brown the beef seasoned with salt, pepper, and chili powder. As the meat cooks, dice the onion and add to the pot. When the meat is nearly browned, add the garlic. Little more salt, pepper, chili powder, oregano, and red pepper. Add the tomato juice and simmer for a while (maybe 30 minutes). If you like chili-mac, add about 1 cup uncooked macaroni while the tomato juice simmers. Add the chili beans. Cook for 15 minutes or so and enjoy.

Monkey Bread

2010-01-03T14:15:00.003-05:00

This recipe is compliments of Cook's Country (which I highly recommend). It takes some work, but is so much better than using refrigerator biscuits for the dough.

Monkey Bread

Serves 6 to 8

The dough should be sticky, but if you find that it's too wet and not coming together in the mixer, add 2 tablespoons more flour and mix until the dough forms a cohesive mass. Make sure to use light brown sugar in the sugar mix; dark brown sugar has a stronger molasses flavor that can be overwhelming. After baking, don't let the bread cool in the pan for more than 5 minutes or it will stick to the pan and come out in pieces. Monkey Bread is at its best when served warm.

*For the Dough*
2	tablespoons unsalted butter , softened, plus 2 tablespoons melted
1	cup warm milk (about 110 degrees)
1/3	cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1/4	cup granulated sugar
1	package rapid-rise yeast or instant yeast
3 1/4	cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for work surface
2	teaspoons table salt
*For the Brown Sugar Coating*
1	cup packed light brown sugar
2	teaspoons ground cinnamon
8	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
*For the Glaze*
1	cup confectioners' sugar
2	tablespoons milk

For the Dough:

1. Adjust oven rack to medium-low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Butter Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside.

2. In large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. Mix flour and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook, (see below for making Monkey Bread without a mixer). Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball. Coat large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.

For the Sugar Coating:

3. While dough is rising, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in bowl. Place melted butter in second bowl. Set aside.

To Form the Bread:

4. Gently remove dough from bowl, and pat into rough 8-inch square. Using bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces.

5. Roll each dough piece into a ball. Working one at a time, dip balls in melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into bowl. Roll in brown sugar mixture, then layer balls in Bundt pan, staggering seams where dough balls meet as you build layers.

6. Cover Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough balls are puffy and have risen 1 to 2 inches from top of pan, 50 to 70 minutes. (or let the dough do the final rise in the refrigerator over night)

7. Remove pan from oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap pan and bake until top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

For the glaze:

8. While bread cools, whisk confectioners' sugar and milk in small bowl until lumps are gone. Using whisk, drizzle glaze over warm monkey bread, letting it run over top and sides of bread. Serve warm.

Monkey Bread Without a Mixer:
In step 2, mix flour and salt in large bowl. Make well in flour, then add milk mixture to well. Using wooden spoon, stir until dough becomes shaggy and is difficult to stir. Turn out onto lightly floured work surface and begin to knead, incorporating shaggy scraps back into dough. Knead until dough is smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. Shape into taut ball and proceed as directed.

"Cajun" Pasta Alfredo

2009-04-06T18:52:00.002-04:00

So I found a recipe for Lite Pasta Alfredo in the April 2009 issue of Cuisine at Home (#74) It used chicken, kielbasa and some cajun seasoning. Other unusual additions to pasta alfredo were peas, green onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Sounded pretty good (except for the mushrooms) but there was only 4 oz. of pasta for my carb hounds. So it was going to need some tweeking. I also didn't want to leave a partial pkg. of chicken and kielbasa hanging around so I kind of doubled the recipe but didn't double the veggies. The alfredo sauce itself is also unusual. The recipe called for 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and 1 egg yolk for the sauce. I kind of followed that part of the recipe. Here's what I did:

"Cajun" Pasta Alfredo

1 box bow tie pasta (I had a 12 oz. box, but 16 oz. might be better)
12 oz. evaporated milk
3 oz. grated Parmesan (looked like about half a cup or so)
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning (I actually used some of Emeril's seasoning)
1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips (I had about 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 lb. kielbasa, sliced into half moons
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
salt & pepper to taste
2 sliced green onions

Get the pasta water going. Heat a large skillet (mine's a 12 inch) over medium high heat with a couple tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and bell pepper, sprinkle with some salt and saute until translucent (6-8 minutes). Add chicken and cajun seasoning and saute until mostly cooked through (6-8 minutes). Add kielbasa and cook another 5 minutes. Add garlic and peas and cook until all is heated through (3 minutes or so).

Meanwhile, combine the evaporated milk, Parmesan, and egg yolks. Turn skillet down to medium when the peas and garlic are heated through. Add the milk mixture and cook, stirring often. Hopefully the pasta water is boiling by now and cook pasta until al dente. When pasta is done and sauce has thickened some, drain the pasta and put back in the pot. Add the sauce and green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy.

I think the most surprising part about this meal is that Bubba (who seems to be the pickiest) liked it.

Shredded Barbecued Beef

2009-01-30T10:46:00.002-05:00

Here's one I had totally forgotten about. I pulled a package out of the freezer expecting Pulled Chicken or Pulled Pork and found Shredded Barbecued Beef. I had forgotten all about it. We made it back in August and this was a great surprise. We really like smoking meats in the warm months and pulling them out when it's cold. Starts off a great busy night meal. I would highly recommend giving this one a try. We'll have to do it again when it warms up.

As a side note, if you have any interest in cooking magazines, I would highly recommend Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country. I have subscriptions to both magazines and websites. I like being able to leaf through the magazine and the website gives full access to all recipes and product tests from past issues. Then I don't have to go find the issues, I can just search the site.

Shredded Barbecued Beef

Serves 8 to 10

If you prefer a smooth barbecue sauce, strain the sauce before tossing it with the beef in step 4. You will need a disposable aluminum roasting pan for this recipe. We like to serve this beef on white bread with plenty of pickle chips.

*Spice Rub and Beef*
1	tablespoon salt
1	tablespoon pepper
1	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	boneless beef chuck-eye roast (5 to 6 pounds)
3	cups wood chips , soaked for 15 minutes
*Barbecue Sauce*
1	onion , chopped fine
4	garlic cloves , minced
1/2	teaspoon chili powder
1 1/4	cups ketchup
3/4	cup brewed coffee
1/2	cup cider vinegar
1/2	cup packed brown sugar
3	tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2	teaspoon pepper

1. For the spice rub and beef: Combine salt, pepper, and cayenne in small bowl. Following photo 1, quarter roast and remove excess fat and gristle. Rub meat all over with salt mixture and transfer to large disposable aluminum roasting pan. (Salt-rubbed meat can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for 24 hours.)

2. Seal soaked wood chips in foil packet and cut vent holes in top. Open bottom vent on grill. Light 50 coals; when covered with fine gray ash, pour in pile on one side of grill. Arrange foil packet directly on coals. Set cooking grate in place and heat, covered, with lid vent open halfway, until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. (For gas grill, place foil packet directly on primary burner. Heat all burners on high, covered, until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and shut other burner[s] off.) Arrange roasting pan with beef on cooler side of grill and barbecue, covered, until meat is deep red and smoky, about 2 hours.

3. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Following photo 3, flip meat over, cover pan tightly with foil, and bake until fork inserted into meat can be removed with no resistance, 2 to 3 hours. Transfer meat to large bowl, tent with foil, and let rest 30 minutes. While meat rests, skim fat from accumulated juices in pan; reserve 2 tablespoons fat. Strain defatted juices; reserve 1/2 cup juice.

4. For the barbecue sauce and to finish: Combine onion and reserved fat in saucepan and cook over medium heat until onion has softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in remaining ingredients and reserved meat juices and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Using 2 forks, pull meat into shreds, discarding any excess fat or gristle. Toss meat with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Serve, passing remaining sauce at table.

Hearty Beef Stew

2009-01-30T10:33:00.002-05:00

This is a good go to recipe for feeding a hungry crew. According to Cook's Country, this serves 6 to 8. Maybe if they're lumberjacks. We fed 10 and still had leftovers. The recipe calls for parsnips, but I only find them about half of the time that I want them, so I just double the carrots. It also calls for only 1 lb. of red potatoes. I use whatever I have on hand and probably closer to 2 lbs. With 5 lbs. of beef, we like some extra potatoes. The stew is thickened with instant tapioca. According to my mom, my dad hates tapioca, so we don't tell him it's in there. He really likes the stew. The addition of soy sauce (don't tell my dad that one either) helps bring out the beefiness. I think my favorite part about this recipe is that it's a slow cooker recipe, so I do all the work in the morning and have very little fuss at mealtime. The downside is it takes about an hour for all the cutting, pealing, chopping and browning to get it going. I like to add the veggies back in with the stew half and hour or so before serving so they can soak up the flavor. Oh, I used dried thyme instead of fresh with no ill effects.

Hearty Beef Stew

Serves 6 to 8

If you’re going to be away from your slow cooker for more than 10 hours, cutting the vegetables into larger, 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces will help them retain their texture.

5	pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast , trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
	Table salt and ground black pepper
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
4	medium onions , chopped fine
1	(6-ounce) can tomato paste
2	cups low-sodium chicken broth or beef broth
3	tablespoons soy sauce
1	pound carrots , peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1	pound parsnips , peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1	pound red potatoes , cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2	teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2	bay leaves
2	tablespoons Minute Tapioca
2	cups frozen peas , thawed

1. Dry beef with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to slow-cooker insert and repeat with remaining beef (you shouldn’t need more oil).

2. Add 1 tablespoon oil, onions, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to empty skillet and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring well, for 2 minutes. Add broth and soy sauce, bring to simmer, and transfer to slow-cooker insert.

3. Toss carrots, parsnips, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap vegetables in foil packet that will fit in slow cooker. Stir bay leaves and tapioca into slow-cooker insert; set vegetable packet on top of beef.

4. Set slow cooker to high, cover, and cook for 6 to 7 hours. (Or cook on low for 10 to 11 hours.) Transfer vegetable packet to plate. Carefully open packet (watch for steam) and stir vegetables and juices into stew. Add remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and peas and let stand until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Make Ahead

You can do most of the prep for this recipe the night before the ingredients go into the slow cooker. Prepare the recipe through step 2 and refrigerate the browned beef and onion mixture in separate containers. In the morning, just transfer everything to the slow cooker and proceed with step 3. The cooking time will run to the high end of the ranges given in the recipe.

Shepherd's Pie

2009-01-11T18:25:00.005-05:00

So the first time I had Shepherd's Pie was at the cafeteria at the bank where I was working. It was awful. Canned vegetables, hamburger, and beef broth (that may be too generous, probably mostly water) topped with instant mashed potatoes and served. Did I mention it was bad? This recipe from Cook's Country (can you tell I like this one?) has many layers of flavor and no mushy veggies. The only change I made this time was to bake the pie before brushing the top with egg and broiling. This worked much better. Usually the brush knocks down the potatoes and makes an eggy mess. Still very tasty when it's done, but it was much easier to brush with egg after the potatoes were firm. The only really annoying part of this recipe is that the potatoes are really thick. It is hard to spread them on top of the filling. So I drop on little spoonfuls and try to smear them together. But the consistency at the end is very good, so I haven't tried thinning the potatoes. I'm thinking smushing them through a hole in the corner of a gallon bag may be the easiest way to go. But I haven't tried it yet. We usually use Guinness, but I would guess whatever beer you like to drink would work.

Shepherd's Pie
2/2006

Although just about any mild beer will work in this recipe, we particularly enjoyed the sweet flavor of O’Doul’s nonalcoholic amber.

Serves 6 to 8

Filling
2	tablespoons unsalted butter
1	large onion , chopped fine
2	medium carrots , peeled and chopped fine
2	pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
	Table salt and ground black pepper
5	tablespoons all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon tomato paste
1/4	cup heavy cream
1 3/4	cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4	cup beer (see note above)
2	tablespoons soy sauce
2	teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1	cup frozen peas
Topping
2 1/2	pounds russet potatoes . peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
	Table salt
2	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
1/3	cup heavy cream , warmed
	Ground black pepper
1	large egg , beaten

1. For the filling: Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until foaming. Add onion and carrots and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add meat, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, about 12 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste and cook until paste begins to darken, about 1 minute.

2. Add cream and cook until it spatters, about 1 minute. Add broth, beer, soy sauce, and thyme and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick but still saucy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in peas, adjust seasonings, and transfer to broilersafe 2-quart casserole dish.

3. For the topping: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water to cover to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, return to saucepan, and mash potatoes with butter and cream until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Spread potatoes over filling, using spatula to smooth top (see photo). Brush with egg and drag fork across top to make ridges. Bake until filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Turn on broiler and cook until top is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Serve.

Make Ahead

Make the filling through step 2, but do not add the peas. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. When ready to proceed, reheat the filling in a large saucepan, stir in the peas, and transfer to a broilersafe 2-quart casserole. Proceed with the recipe from step 3.

Red Beans & Rice

2009-01-11T17:18:00.003-05:00

I've made this Red Beans and Rice several times before. I found it in Cook's Country (Feb. 2006) and it does not disappoint. Previously, I have just followed the directions and made the rice separately then tossed it together at the end. It is intended to be served over the rice but we like it all mixed together. This time, I thought, why make the rice on the side and then stir it all together. I'll just make the rice in the pot. There was lots of liquid remaining. So I used 1 lb. long grain rice (about 2 1/2 cups) straight in the pot when there was about half an hour to go on the beans. It sucked up all the water and I added another two cups. So I think next time I'll start with 16 cups liquid (I use all water, we don't really notice the chicken broth with all the other flavors). Then if it gets too thick just add a bit more water as it cooks. I am also happy that we can now find andouille at Scroger's (you know, Scott's bought out by Kroger's; sound better than Krott's). But it is good with Kielbasa as well. We like to serve it with hot sauce as desired. All of the boys but Bubba like this dish. He just doesn't think he likes rice.

Red Beans and Rice
2/2006

Andouille is the traditional sausage for this dish, but we also had good results with kielbasa.

Serves 8 to 10

4	slices bacon , chopped medium
1	small onion , chopped fine
1	green bell pepper , chopped fine
1	rib celery , chopped fine
4	cloves garlic , minced
	Ground black pepper
1	teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
1	teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2	teaspoon cayenne pepper
4	bay leaves
	Table salt
1	pound dried red kidney beans , rinsed and picked over
7	cups low-sodium chicken broth
7	cups water
1/2	pound andouille sausage or kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
6	cups cooked long-grain rice (from 3 cups raw rice)
	Hot pepper sauce

1. Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned and fat has rendered, about 7 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 teaspoon pepper, oregano, thyme, cayenne, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, beans, broth, and water, and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain vigorous simmer (mixture will be steaming and several bubbles should be breaking the surface) and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beans are soft and liquid thickens, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

2. Stir in sausage and cook until liquid is thick and creamy, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over hot cooked rice with hot pepper sauce, if desired. (Leftover beans can be refrigerated in airtight container for several days.)

Apple Crisp Oatmeal

2009-01-04T15:05:00.002-05:00

I came across this recipe about a month ago, shortly after Buster was asking for oatmeal for breakfast. I usually do Alton's Steel Cut Oatmeal, but it takes too long for a school day. So this morning I tried this recipe I found on Kids Cuisine. It uses regular rolled oats, some apples and pecans. With the low fat milk and a pretty small amount of added sugar, I can feel good feeding the guys a surprisingly hearty breakfast. This recipe called for two large apples. The ones I had were huge. I think they are intending two large bagged apples. The apples selected individually at the grocery are really big. So I probably could have gone with just one apple. But it was really good with all those apples. And we have leftovers to use during the week. Buster was excited about that.

Apple Crisp Oatmeal
Servings: 4

3 cups water
1 cup lowfat 1% milk
2-1/2 cups rolled oats
2 large apples, peeled and diced
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch salt

Bring water and milk to a boil over medium high heat.

Add oats, apples, and pecans. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cook for one more minute, uncovered.

Serve immediately.

Steel Cut Oatmeal

2009-01-04T14:55:00.002-05:00

We're not real bit fans of oatmeal around here. But we do have it more than I did growing up. And by that I mean we sometimes have oatmeal for breakfast. It's not just a cookie ingredient. We started having oatmeal when we saw Alton Brown's episode on oatmeal and he made Steel Cut Oatmeal. I pretty much follow the recipe as printed, but I tend to use closer to 2/3 cup buttermilk and 1/3 cup whole milk instead of 1/2 cup of each. I really like the added tanginess. I also stir in about 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon in the pan before serving, instead of doing it individually. Much easier with the boys that way.

Steel Cut Oatmeal

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Serves: 4 servings

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large sauce pot, melt the butter and add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes to toast. Add the boiling water and reduce heat to a simmer. Keep at a low simmer for 25 minutes, without stirring.

Combine the milk and half of the buttermilk with the oatmeal. Stir gently to combine and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with remaining buttermilk, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Cornmeal Biscuits

2009-01-02T18:00:00.002-05:00

There will be no more dry cornmeal muffins around here. They have been replaced by the recipe I found in Cook's Country (Feb. 2009) for Cornmeal Biscuits. These are a tender biscuit with a nice cornmeal flavor. I did use an extra splash of buttermilk in mine as I like regular biscuits a bit more moist and tender from an addition of extra buttermilk. But else wise it was great as is. Serve with honey and butter and it's a great accompaniment to chili or bean soup.

Cornmeal Biscuits
2/2009

If you don’t have buttermilk, whisk 1 tablespoon lemon juice into 1¼ cups of milk and let it stand until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Avoid coarsely ground cornmeal, which makes gritty biscuits.

Makes 12 biscuits

1	cup cornmeal
1 1/4	cups buttermilk
1	tablespoon honey
2	cups all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon salt
12	tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

1. SOAK CORNMEAL Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk cornmeal, buttermilk, and honey in large bowl; let sit 10 minutes.

2. PROCESS DOUGH Pulse flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and butter in food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add to bowl with buttermilk mixture and stir until dough forms.

3. KNEAD Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 8 to 10 times. Pat dough into 9-inch circle, about ¾ inch thick. Using 2½-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out rounds (dipping cutter in flour after each cut) and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Gather remaining dough and pat into ¾-inch-thick circle. Cut rounds from dough and transfer to baking sheet.

4. BAKE Bake until biscuits begin to rise, about 5 minutes, and then reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake until golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes more. Let cool 5 minutes on sheet, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or let cool to room temperature. (Biscuits can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.)

Adventures in Pumpkin II

2008-12-13T18:44:00.003-05:00

So this year we found ourselves with three smallish pumpkins that had not been carved. Seemed wasteful to not do something with them. And our oldest had gotten one of the pumpkins from a pumpkin farm on a class field trip. He really wanted a pie from that pumpkin. So we cracked open the pumpkins (with a rubber mallet and knife for one of them) emptied out the seeds (saving them for toasted pumpkin seeds) and steamed them in the skin. Once the pumpkin was soft, I scooped the pumpkin from the skin and pureed it in the food processor (do not overfill or it won't all get pureed). Then I lined a large strainer with paper towels and put the pumpkin puree in it to drain for an hour or more. I then used two cups of the puree with the recipe from the Libby's pumpkin can to make pie. The consistency was nice and had a mild, fruity flavor that you just don't get with canned pumpkin. I put the remaining pumpkin in the freezer in two cup portions for later use. The pies made from the frozen pumpkin were just as good.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Rinse pumpkin seeds and remove any attached pulp. Simmer in salted water (about 1 tbsp. salt per 2 cups water) for 15-20 minutes. Drain. Put on a cookie sheet in an single layer. Toast at 425 for 15-25 minutes, stirring once or twice. (I did this while a pie was cooking, so 15 min. at 425 then turned down to 350 for another 10 to 15 minutes.)

Turkey & Noodles

2008-12-13T18:06:00.004-05:00

So I learned this evening that my husband really didn't like the way I made turkey and noodles. I would usually cook the noodles in broth then add the turkey and maybe some veggies. It was more of a thick turkey noodle soup. Today I cooked the noodles in water and basically made turkey gravy instead of a can of creamed soup to do more of a tuna and noodles kind of thing. Other than the carrots being under done it was pretty good. Although I think next time I should start with some onion at the beginning of the sauce. If you have leftover gravy (about 2 cups or so), by all means use it instead of the butter, flour and broth. Cook the carrots and peas with the pasta instead of in sauce.

Turkey & Noodles

4 tbsp. butter (or use half butter half oil)
1/4 cup (or so) finely diced onion
1/4-1/2 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded turkey
2 cups turkey (or chicken) broth
1/4-1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 lb. cooked egg noodles

Melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute onion and carrots for a few minutes to soften onion. Add flour, salt and pepper. Cook until bubbly, 2 minutes. Stir in turkey. Add broth and peas. Bring to a boil, then simmer until thickened, stirring often. Stir in noodles. Season to taste and serve.

Chocolate Chip Pie

2008-12-09T13:54:00.002-05:00

If you're from Louisville, Kentucky you'll know what this pie is really called. But due to copyright laws we'll go with Chocolate Chip Pie. But if you go to the Kentucky Derby you can find the restaurant that started this one.

Chocolate Chip Pie

1 stick melted butter, cooled
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cups walnuts, chopped

Mix all together and pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Serve warm or at room temp.

Bourbon Balls

2008-12-09T13:44:00.003-05:00

This is a favorite of my husband's family. They store nicely at room temperature, so they're easy to have around.

Bourbon Balls

2 1/2 cups crushed Vanilla Wafers (about half a bag)
1 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for rolling
2 tbsp. cocoa
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup bourbon
3 tbsp. white corn syrup

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Kneed together with hands until well blended. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar until well coated. Chill at least 5 hours before storing at room temperature. Let set 24 hours before eating. May be stored in an airtight container for 3 weeks.

Buckeyes

2008-12-09T13:30:00.004-05:00

These go fast, if you have a big crowd you may need a double batch. My first batch is nearly gone (we already did one Christmas party) so I'll need to make another. The chocolate used for dipping can be saved for the next time. I just put mine in a container in the back of the fridge and save it for next time.

Buckeyes

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
2 sticks butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar (approx. 4 3/4 cups)

Mix and shape into balls. Chill.

12 oz. chocolate chips (2 cups)
1 bar paraphine

Melt over water. Dip ball in leaving a small circle at the top to resemble buckeyes. (I usually use a toothpick to to dip them.) Put on a cookie sheet to firm up. (I usually put them in the fridge.) Store in an airtight container in a cool place.

Old Fashion Cream Pie

2008-12-09T13:05:00.005-05:00

This recipe is from my husband's family. My mother-in-law recreated this recipe from a restaurant she used to work in. You need to use a heavy pie plate. A Pyrex plate may work, but I would avoid any metal pie plates. We use Louisville Stoneware pie plates for best results. This pie can make a mess of your oven though. Mine always bubble over, but my sister-in-law doesn't have that problem. Not sure why. If it does bubble over, run a knife around between the pie plate and pie crust to keep it from sticking to the pan when it cools. For easier cleanup, put a rimmed baking sheet on the shelf beneath the pie to catch any overrun.

Old Fashion Cream Pie

unbaked, single pie crust in heavy pie pan

4 tbsp. flour
1 cup sugar
pinch of butter (I use 1 tsp. cut into small pieces)
pinch of salt

Mix above ingredients in the pie pan.

Fill with 1 pint Half & Half (I have used whipping cream with good results.)

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 300 and bake for another 2 hours.

Grandma's Pie Crust

2008-12-09T12:52:00.003-05:00

This is an old family recipe credited to my Great-Grandmother, Genevieve Girard. My mom has been using this recipe forever. And I have never found another recipe that works without a lot of fuss. It tends to roll best if it sets for a while before rolling it out. This makes enough for 3 single crust pies. Any extra crust feezes nicely for later use. Just thaw in the refrigerator.

Grandma's Pie Crust

4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups shortening (I use butter flavored)
1 egg
1/2 cup cold water
1 tbsp. vinegar

Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add egg, water, and vinegar. Mix well. Makes 3 pie crusts.

Peanut Butter-Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

2008-06-10T13:41:00.003-04:00

So it's been a really long time since I've posted. Life has been crazy. We have remodeled our kitchen. I don't really recommend doing this as a DIY project with four boys 7 and under. But my kitchen is so much more useful now.

Today I actually made up a recipe. I've never really done this before so I figured I better write it down before I forget. I started with my Banana Nut Bread recipe. But I thought I would try it with peanut butter and banana. I think next time I'd go with a bit less sugar. And I was short an egg from my base recipe so I went with a bit less flour. Next time I'll try 4 eggs with 4 cups flour, but this is what I did today.

Peanut Butter-Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 ripe bananas, pealed
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mash bananas in the mixer and set aside. Cream sugar and peanut butter (this was more crumbly than butter or shortening, but it seemed to work). Add bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Mix. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips. Scoop out into greased muffin tins. I used a number 20 scoop and made 36 muffins. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks.

Adventures in Pumpkin

2007-11-15T14:50:00.001-05:00

So today JB is home and wants Pumpkin Pie for dinner. I just bought a big can of pumpkin thinking that I would just make two whenever I made one. But since we're making one early, I had to figure out what to do with the rest. We're off to see family tomorrow so I decided to make the Libby's Pumpkin Roll from the inside of the label. Then I'm left with about 3/4 cup pumpkin, but I remembered seeing a recipe in a magazine for Pumpkin Muffins recently. So sure enough in Simple & Delicious there is a recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins that uses 3/4 cup pumpkin. It just doesn't get much better than that. So lots of baking today and JB has lots of dishes to do. That's what he gets for sending me out into the kitchen.

LIBBY'S® Famous Pumpkin Pie
Estimated Times:
Preparation - 15 min | Cooking - 55 min | Cooling Time - 2 hrs cooling | Yields - 8 servings

This is the traditional holiday pumpkin pie. This classic recipe has been on LIBBY'S® Pumpkin labels since 1950. This pie is easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy. Just mix, pour, bake for a delicious homemade tradition.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

NOTES:
1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, ginger and cloves; however, the taste will be slightly different. Do not freeze, as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.

LIBBY'S® Pumpkin Roll
Estimated Times:
Preparation - 45 min | Cooking - 13 min | Cooling Time - 1 hrs refrigerating | Yields - 10

Dazzle family and friends with Libby's® Pumpkin Roll; moist and creamy, with a tantalizing aroma and beautiful presentation.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions:
FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

COOKING TIP:
Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

“Here’s a recipe that your readers will love!” writes Jennifer Jackson of Charlottesville, Virginia. “It’s simple, yet filling and delicious.”

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Dash ground allspice

1 egg

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

2/3 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips


	SERVINGS	12

	CATEGORY	Breads

	METHOD	Baked

	PREP	15 min.

	COOK	20 min.

	TOTAL	35 min.

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine the egg, brown sugar, pumpkin, milk, butter and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.

Cheerio Cookies

2007-09-12T11:58:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I'm a bad, bad blogger. Haven't been doing much cooking with recipes. It's been hectic and we've just been pulling things out of the freezer that we made before. Cook up some veggies and call it a meal. I could pretend I'll do better, but it's not likely. But for now here is a recipe for Cheerio Cookies from Cookie Madness. Some of the comments said they were crisp cookies. We tend to like a softer cookie, so I substituted 4 tbsp. shortening for half of the butter. I used a #40 disher to make just over 2 dozen cookies. The cookies turned off chewy with a bit of crunch from the Cheerios. I recommend them highly. So here it is with my modification.

Cheerio Cookies

4 tablespoons butter, room temp.
4 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cups Cheerios
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (a little more if you like chocolate)

Cream the butter, shortening, and both sugars with an electric mixer. Stir in the peanut butter, egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together the baking powder, baking soda and salt, then add the flour mixture to the butter mixture; stir until incorporated. Add the oatmeal, cheerios and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes.

Beef and Bean Burritos

2007-08-10T10:14:00.000-04:00

Sorry, long time no post. Haven't been making much from recipes. Doing simple grilled fare and some meatloaves. Couldn't tell you exactly what I put in them. But they're good. The main thing is that I use bbq sauce instead of ketchup.

So to get to the burritos. We had a leftover grilled steak and some leftover rice from chinese takeout the other night. So I took the rice, added it to a pan with a can of refried beans. Added about 1/2 cup mild salsa, some chipolte powder (just a sprinkling), salt, pepper, and about 1/2 tsp. cumin. Then I diced the steak and added it to the pan and let it heat up fully. Then I put the mixture into tortilla wrappers with some shredded cheese. Add some more cheese on top and pop them in the oven at about 375 until the cheese melts. The cumin brought out the right Mexican flavor I was going for.

Taco Salad

2007-07-09T10:26:00.000-04:00

Here's an easy one. I don't even need the recipe any more, but I'll post it so others can enjoy. We got this recipe from one of my aunts many moons ago. And we love it because it's salad with Doritoes. Who wouldn't like that. Okay, my boys don't like salad, but some day they'll change their tune. They're just too young to appreciate it.

Taco Salad

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 heads lettuce, cored and torn or chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped (I like to seed them too)
1 lb colby cheese, cubed (the texture is nicer, but you can use a shredded cheese if you prefer)
1 bag Doritoes, crushed a bit (flavor of your choice, I use nacho cheese, but Ranch is good too)
1 bottle Catalina dressing

Brown ground beef with onion. Prepare with taco seasoning as directed. (I usually do this step a day ahead and leave the meat cold, but you could use it hot.) Just before serving toss together the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, taco meat, and Doritoes. Add as much dressing as you like and toss. (I like to make half of the taco salad at a time and put more together as needed. Soggy Doritoes are just not good.) Enjoy.

French Toast

2007-07-03T22:47:00.000-04:00

I've gone and done it. I made Alton's French Toast for the first time in a good while. Found a loaf of Italian Bread for $.80 at the store and thought it would work. I have had trouble finding the challah or brioche in this area, but I usually get a loaf of French bread and use the whole thing with a double batch of the custard. I used a double batch of custard this morning with the Italian bread and had enough for all but one slice of bread. This is a fussy recipe so I don't make it much, but oh my is it good. We could really taste the honey in this batch. And the texture is unmatched. We like to serve this with maple syrup, but I think you could get by with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

French Toast
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003

1 cup half-and-half
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread
4 tablespoons butter

In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Smoked Pork Chops

2007-06-26T20:58:00.000-04:00

Another winner from Cook's Country. This may be my favorite cooking magazine, followed closely by Cook's Illustrated. We've made these pork chops twice now and really like the smoke flavor. The only issue is that the rub becomes a dry crust that is not great. So this time we spritzed some water on the chops during the last few minutes when they go over direct heat. But we're thinking apple cider or apple juice would be better. We had thick cut chops the first time, but they were boneless. They cooked up nicely though. This batch was a more standard cut chop, boneless also. And since I didn't have ground fennel I left it out. Really didn't miss it at all. They were done in about 30 minutes. They were nice and juicy and had a great smoke flavor.

Smoked Double-Thick Pork Chops on a Gas Grill
6/2007

Ground fennel can be found in the spice aisle of most supermarkets. We prefer blade chops, which have more fat to prevent drying out on the grill, but leaner loin chops will also work. These chops are huge and are best sliced off the bone before serving.

Serves 6 to 8

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground fennel seed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 bone-in blade-cut pork chops (20- to 24- ounces each), about 2 inches thick
2 cups wood chips, preferably hickory

1. Combine sugar, fennel, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, and pepper and rub mixture all over pork chops. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

2. Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes, seal in foil packet (cutting vent holes in top), and place over primary burner. Turn all burners to high and close lid, keeping grill covered until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 15 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean. Turn primary burner to medium and turn all other burners off, adjusting temperature of primary burner as needed to maintain average temperature of 275 degrees. Position chops over cooler part of grill, cover grill.

3. Arrange chops, bone side toward fire, on cooler side of grill. Cover, positioning lid vents directly over meat, and cook until chops register 145 degrees, 50 to 60 minutes (if your chops are less than 2 inches thick, start checking them for temperature after 30 minutes). Slide chops directly over fire and cook, uncovered, until well browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and let rest 20 minutes. Serve.

Creme Brulee

2007-06-26T19:59:00.000-04:00

So on Sunday we finally used the ramekins we got oh probably a year ago. We got them to try Alton Brown's Creme Brulee. The creme was wonderful, but we had problem with the brulee. The instructions said to get the dishes out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before caramelizing the sugar. Then we were to use 1/2 cup sugar over 6 ramekins, so 4 tsp. for each. The creme became thin because it was too warm and the caramel layer was too thick. We only used 4 on the first try, so on the remaining 2 we put on the sugar and poured off whatever didn't stick. And we caramelized it straight out of the fridge. Then the creme was cold and thick and the layer of sugar was thin and crisp. The only problem was that the creme layer seemed too thick for the amount of sugar. So next time we'll probably divide the creme into 8 cups so the creme to sugar ratio will be better. Either that or we need oval shaped ramekins.

Creme Brulee
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya

2007-06-25T16:11:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend we had some friends over, so JB wanted to make "his" (Emeril's) signature Jambalaya. We found this recipe many years ago and make it every year for Superbowl. This may be the first time we've made it during the rest of the year. And it makes for great leftovers. In this area we do have trouble finding Andouille or Chorizo (the smoked variety), so we have made it with Kielbasa or the fresh ground chorizo that we are seeing more often in the stores. But we did find the Andouille at the World Market. I think the hardest part may be not stirring while the rice is cooking. I always want to mess with it.

Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya
Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped bell peppers
3 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne
1 pound andouille, chorizo, or other smoked sausage cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/2 pounds boneless white and dark chicken meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 bay leaves
3 cups medium-grain white rice
6 cups water
1 cup chopped green onions

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne. Stirring often, brown the vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until they are caramelized and dark brown in color. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pt to loosen any browned particles. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often for 10 to 15 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Add the chicken and the bay leaves to the pot. Brown the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, scrapping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to coat it evenly. Add the water, stir to combine, and cover. Cook over medium heat for 30 to 35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the green onions and serve.

Caramel Dumplings

2007-06-15T22:27:00.000-04:00

So somehow we stumbled across the site for the Hillbilly Housewife. I looked around the recipe to see what as there and came across Caramel Dumplings. JB always talks about his aunt's dumplings so I thought I'd give these a try. I made them with butter instead of margarine, and the turned out really well. We served them with vanilla ice cream and enjoyed them thoroughly.

Caramel Dumplings

Syrup:

2 cups water
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt

Dumplings:

1-1/4 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk

You will need a 3 quart saucepan with a good lid in which to cook this dessert. Begin by combining all of the items listed for the syrup inside the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. While it is heating, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in the shortening, until the mixture resembles very coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the sugar over the flour mixture and blend briefly. Stir in the milk, making a soft dough. Pinch off marble sized pieces of the dough and drop them into the gently boiling brown sugar syrup. Fill the entire pan with these small dough balls. When you have used up all of the dough, place the lid on the pot. Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, without peaking. The dumplings will steam while they cook, and if you peak they will fall and you will wind up with soggy dumplings instead of fluffy ones. After cooking, serve the dumplings with a large dollop of their cooking syrup and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. These are very inexpensive and absolutely delicious to eat. I recommend serving them with a light supper in the summertime. Because they cook on the stove top instead of in the oven, the kitchen doesn't heat up quite as badly as with baked desserts. This recipe serves 6.

French Style Yogurt Cake with blueberries

2007-06-13T11:01:00.001-04:00

So I had some blueberries that were left from the pancakes over the weekend. I though they would work well in the French Style Yogurt Cake. And it worked pretty well, although I should have backed off on the lemon. I think the zest in the cake was fine, but I should have used milk or water in the glaze instead of lemon juice. I also added a bit of vanilla to the cake and glaze. It was a nice addition. And poking the cake with a fork helped the glaze soak in.

I didn't want the cake to turn purple so I put about half the batter in, sprinkled in some blueberries (I had about 1 cup), poured on the rest of the batter and sprinkled on the remaining blueberries. I didn't need to be so fussy with the blueberries though. The all sank to the bottom of the cake. So note to self, just put the blueberries on top and they will find their way.

French Style Yogurt Cake

2007-06-12T14:40:00.000-04:00

Last week we made the French Style Yogurt Cake from alpineberry. It turned out really well. It must have been good because there was none left. I did make it without the poppy seeds though. And I used closer to 1/2 cup powdered sugar in the glaze. It just seemed too thin. I'm thinking of trying a vanilla one and serving it with berries, but that's a task for another day.

French Style Yogurt Cake (with Lemon & Poppy Seeds)
(adapted from Orangette)

Cake
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1/3 cup canola oil

Glaze
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Line with a parchment circle and butter the paper.

In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, sugar, and lemon zest with a wooden spoon. Mix in eggs (all 3 at once is okay).

Add the flour, baking powder, and poppy seeds. Mix until flour is just incorporated.

Add the oil and mix well. The batter will look curdled at first but it will come together.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, until your cake tester is clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched.

Allow cake to cool in pan on a rack for about 15 minutes.

Gently remove cake from the pan and set on a rack to cool completely.

Combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar and spoon it gently over the cake. The glaze will be thin and will soak in like a syrup.

Elvis Gooey Butter Cake

2007-06-09T21:47:00.000-04:00

We tried this one out last week after the Chess Cake. It seemed like it should be a similar cake. It turned out really well, but I think I would have liked to have 2 eggs in the cake part instead of the one Paula uses. The cake layer was a bit dry. We enjoyed the moistness in the Chess Cake. But I would try this one again.

Elvis Gooey Butter Cake
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
Mint leaves, for garnish
Whipped cream, for garnish

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 whole banana
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter together and mix well. Pat into a lightly greased glass 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare the filling.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the peanut butter; beat. Add the banana and butter and mix well. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over the cake mixture. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not over bake. Top each cake slice with a mint leaf and dollop of whipped cream.

Beer Brats

2007-06-09T21:39:00.000-04:00

So my husband decide to make brats the way a friend had done it. We simmered uncooked brats in beer with some onions for about 1 1/2 hrs. We wanted to make this on the grill so we didn't stink up the house with simmering beer. We we took a disposable foil pan, sliced up an onion into thick slices, laid the brats over the onion, covered with beer, and cooked on a grill on medium low for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. They cooked up nicely. We thought about putting them directly on the grill for a few minutes to give them some nice marks, but skipped that part. They were very good straight out of the beer bath. And they had a pink hue similar to the ring you would see when smoking meats.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

2007-06-09T21:27:00.000-04:00

This is an outstanding cheesecake. Not overly rich, but very good. And the sauce over the top is so indulgent. I pretty much followed the recipe on Taste and Tell. But I cooked it in a water bath, as per my usual cheesecake procedure, then let it stand in the oven, turned off, with a wooden spoon handle in the door to keep it open and let it finish setting up for an hour before removing to cool. I tried to make the Dulce de Leche using the procedure I saw on Slashfood. It seemed simple enough, simmer 3 cans sweetened condensed milk for 3 hours. It didn't work as well as I would have liked. Maybe I didn't have the water hot enough, but it simmered for at least 3 hours and didn't look much different than sweetened condensed milk. So I did the microwave method below. It worked pretty well. But I think next time I'll try Alton's method that we just saw on Good Eats.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 c crushed vanilla wafers
4 T melted butter

Filling:
24 oz cream cheese
1 c sugar
2 T all purpose flour
2 t vanilla
3 eggs
1/3 c milk
1/2 c Dulce de Leche (see recipe below)

For Serving:
Extra Dulce de Leche

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix crust ingredients together, and press into the bottom of a lightly buttered 9-inch springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes, until it is lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
3. Reset oven temperature to 325°F.
4. With an electric mixer beat cream cheese, sugar and flour together until well mixed and smooth. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth. Add milk and mix until well blended.
5. Measure 1/2 cup of the cheesecake batter and pour into a small bowl. Add Dulce de Leche sauce and stir until well combined.
6. Pour plain batter over crust. Top with Dulce de leche batter by placing rounded spoonfuls over the cheesecake batter and gently swirl into plain batter with the tip of knife or spatula.
7. Bake in preheated 325°F (160°C) oven for 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and gently run metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cheesecake (this helps prevent cracking). Let cool 20-25 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours or overnight before serving. If desired, serve each slice drizzled with a little bit of dulce de leche sauce, or pass around a bowl of dulce de leche sauce for guest's to help themselves. Makes 16 servings.

Dulce de Leche

1 can sweetened condensed milk

There are several ways you can do this. I removed the label, poked a couple of holes in the top of the can and put the can in boiling water for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Next time, I would open the can and cook in a double boiler. Mine cooked more at the bottom and not enough at the top, so I ended up microwaving it to get it to the right consistency. With the double boiler, you would be able to stir it, and I think the consistency would be much better. You could also just microwave it from the beginning, cooking on 50% power and stirring every minute or so. You can tell it is ready when it thickens and becomes a tan or light brown color.

About us

2007-06-01T09:31:00.000-04:00

So is probably time to fill you all in on our little family here. Jollyboy and I have been married 11 years. I am a stay-at-home Mom to 4 boys. Bubba is 6 and just finishing Kindergarten. Buster is 4 and stretching his boundaries. Kodo and Podo are 7 months and rolling all around. Twins were definitely a new wrinkle to the family, but we're working it out. Finding the new normal, because nothing will ever be normal again. And if it was, we would be bored anyway. And to round out the group, Kyra (Chocolate Lab) is 8.

It's no secret that we like to eat around here. And we like trying new recipes. I subscribe to too many cooking magazines but just when I think about canceling one there is a stellar recipe in it. So I keep them all. (See the link on the side for the magazines I subscribe to.) I really do enjoy cooking, I just wish those pesky dish fairies would come during the night to do their jobs and clean up. But no, it's left for me. I would cook even more if I didn't have to clean up the mess. But I guess it's part of the job.

Penne a la Carbonara

2007-06-01T09:11:00.000-04:00

Last night I made Penne a la Carbonara, from Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis. I really wasn't expecting the boys to like it at all. They don't think they like eggs and are not really big fans of pasta. I know kids who don't like pasta, weird but true. Anyway, Bubba, the six year old, was through his portion before I had gotten a couple bites myself. He wanted seconds. And he is adamant that he doesn't like eggs. Even after I told him about the eggs he was still digging in. So this one is definitely a keeper.

I do have a problem with this recipe though. I just can't find pancetta at any of the local grocery stores. But probably 10 years ago when we first learned about Spaghetti Carbonara, there was a hint from Biba (sorry I don't remember the last name but she had a cooking show back then) to use regular bacon and blanch it in water to remove some of the smoke flavor of the bacon. And it really works. Although if given the choice, it is probably preferable to use thick cut bacon. But I just used what I had on hand and sliced it 1/2 to 3/4 inch before separating it and blanching. Then I drained it and put it back in the skillet to brown. That's really the only change I made to the recipe and it turned out really well. I was going to use wheat pasta this time but was afraid that the sauce would be to delicate to handle it. But I think next time I'll try it with wheat pasta. The sauce is hearty enough to handle it.

Penne a la Carbonara
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pound dried penne
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat a large saute pan, until hot. Add pancetta and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and remove pan from heat.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.

In a large pot, boil 6 quarts of salted boiling water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will stick. While the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pot. Add the browned pancetta and mix well. Add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Add remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.

Fool-Proof Classic BBQ Chicken

2007-05-26T08:22:00.000-04:00

For my inaugural post, I though I should mention that all of the grilling I do is on a gas grill. I do not have any real experience in cooking over Charcoal, but may give it a go when my current gas grill dies. All of the recipes I post will thus be based upon a gas grill, but are easily adapted to charcoal.

Last night, I made my BBQ chicken. This recipe is really a conglomeration of several different recipes and procedures, but it turns out really well. The only place where this recipe can really go wrong is if you are over-zealous with the heat when trying to get the chicken completely cooked through, so be careful and your patience will be rewarded.

Fool-Proof Classic BBQ Chicken

1 Whole cut-up chicken (8 pcs.)

Rub:
1 1/2 t. Sweet Paprika
1 1/2 t. Kosher salt
1 1/2 t. Brown Sugar
1 t. Black Pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. celery seed.

2 C Wood chips or chunks

1 1/2 C. BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's)

Dry the chicken and apply the rub, reserving 1T of the rub. Let set in the fridge for an hour.
Soak wood chips (I prefer Hickory for chicken) for 30 minutes
Use a smoke box, or a beggar's purse made out of aluminum foil and put the soaked wood chips in. Put this on one side of the grill and turn all burners of the grill on high, until smoke starts.
Turn off one side of the grill.
Clean and oil the grill grates
Place chicken on the cool side of the grill, away from the heat. Cook for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken begins to brown.
Mix the reserved rub into the BBQ sauce.
Move the chicken as close to the hot side of the grill as possible, without actually being on the hot side of the grill. Slather the Chicken pieces with the BBQ sauce every 5 minutes for 20 minutes.
Move the chicken over the hot part of the grill (I just turn the cold burner back on to Medium-Low) and continue slathering with BBQ sauce every 5 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches required temperature (White Meat ~160, Dark Meat ~170)
Remove chicken from the heat and tent with foil for 10 minutes before serving.

Our six year old greets nearly every meal, whether we have had it or not, with a rousing "I don't like that." Last night, he could barely contain himself and did not say a word, except asking for napkins, until the thigh he was eating had been completely disassembled. He really loves this chicken.

Brined Pork Chops

2007-05-23T09:54:00.000-04:00

Last night we had Brined Pork Chops. I used Alton's Stuffed Grilled Pork Chop brine, but didn't stuff the chops. These always turn out well. I use whatever chops I have on hand. Last night it was butterflied chops. I used the brine as instructed and grilled about 7 minutes on a side. They turned out really well.

Brined Pork Chops

4 double thick bone-in loin end pork chops
1 cup salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon mustard powder
2 cups cider vinegar, heated
1 pound ice cubes

In a plastic container put the salt, sugar, peppercorns, and mustard powder. Add the hot vinegar and swirl to dissolve. Let mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes to develop flavor. Add ice cubes and shake to melt most of the ice. Add chops and cover with brine. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Remove chops from container and rinse. Grill 6-7 minutes on a side. Let rest a few minutes and enjoy.

Chess Cake

2007-05-21T19:01:00.000-04:00

We tried a Chess Pie over the weekend. It was good, very lemony and not really what we were after. My husband remembered something from when he was young in Louisville, Ky. So I looked up a Chess Cake and found several recipes to try. I settled on one from Allrecipes. This cake seems very much like Paula Dean's Gooey Butter Cake, although I've never made one. This recipe uses 2 eggs in the crust layer, many only use 1; and 4 cups powdered sugar in the filling, most use 1 lb. (approx. 4 3/4 cups) powdered sugar. So this is probably one of the more gooey Chess Cakes. I also added about 1 tsp. vanilla to the filling. It was really good. Our 4 year old thought we should make it again, so I guess it's a winner.

Chess Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 x 13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, 2 eggs, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Put into prepared pan.
In another bowl, Beat cream cheese until smooth. Blend in 1/2 cup melted butter, vanilla, and 2 eggs. Gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar. Pour over the crust mixture already in the pan.
Bake for 1 hour. Cool.

Blackened Chicken

2007-05-21T18:32:00.000-04:00

Tonight we had Blackened Chicken. This is a summertime go to recipe from Quick Cooking (now Simple & Delicious). I make at least a double batch of the rub and keep it in a spice jar in the cupboard. I even printed out the ingredient list on a sticker on the side of the bottle so it's easy to mix up some more. The mayonnaise sauce is really tasty and goes well instead of sour cream on potatoes. I keep some on hand in the refrigerator. I usually only start with about 1/2 cup of the sauce for basting. We usually have some grilled potato wedges (quartered length-wise, oiled, seasoned with salt and pepper; grill, covered 9-12 minutes; turn twice).

Blackened Chicken

This spicy standout from Stephanie Kenney packs a one-two punch of flavor. The grilled chicken is basted with a peppery white sauce. "Plus there's plenty of extra sauce left over for dipping," writes the Falkville, Alabama reader.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon paprika

4 teaspoons sugar, divided

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons pepper, divided

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1-1/3 cups mayonnaise

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine paprika, I teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, thyme, lemon-pepper, cayenne and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle over both sides of chicken. Set aside. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, water, vinegar and remaining sugar, salt and pepper; cover and chill 1 cup for serving. Save remaining sauce for basting. Grill chicken, covered, over indirect medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting frequently with remaining sauce. Serve with reserved sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

Maple-Glazed Pork Roast with Smoked Paprika

2007-05-17T09:45:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, for Mother's Day, we made the Maple-Glazed Pork Roast from Cook's Illustrated (3/2003). It turned out really good. No real surprise from Cook's Illustrated. We had made this one once before, so I had some idea what I was doing. The only problem I had was at the end when you reduce the sauce. I got away from the pot for a minute and it started to burn. I did the same thing and had to make more sauce the first time I made it. This time I was able to salvage enough sauce for the meal. And I took the smoking pan right outside so the house wouldn't be filled with smoke. So, note to self, stay with the pan while the sauce reduces. But this is a really good recipe.

Maple-Glazed Pork Roast with Smoked Paprika
3/2003

A nonstick oven-proof skillet will be much easier to clean than a traditional one. Whichever you use, remember that the handle will be blistering hot when you take it out of the oven, so be sure to use a pot holder or oven mitt. Note that you should not trim the pork of its thin layer of fat. The flavor of grade B maple syrup (sometimes called "cooking maple") is stronger and richer than grade A, but grade A syrup will work well, too. This dish is unapologetically sweet, so we recommend side dishes that take well to the sweetness. Garlicky sauteed greens, braised cabbage, and soft polenta are good choices.

Serves 4 to 6

1/2	cup maple syrup , preferably grade B
1/8	teaspoon ground cinnamon
2	teaspoons smoked paprika (hot)
	pinch ground cloves
	pinch cayenne pepper
1	boneless pork loin roast , preferably blade-end, (about 2 1/2 pounds), tied at even intervals along length with 5 pieces butcher's twine
3/4	teaspoon table salt
1/2	teaspoon ground black pepper
2	teaspoons vegetable oil

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Stir maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves, smoked paprika, and cayenne together in measuring cup or small bowl; set aside. Pat roast dry with paper towels, then sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed oven-proof 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke, about 3 minutes. Place roast fat-side down in skillet and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, rotate roast one-quarter turn and cook until well browned, about 2 1/2 minutes; repeat until roast is well browned on all sides. Transfer roast to large plate. Reduce heat to medium and pour off fat from skillet; add maple syrup mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds (syrup will bubble immediately). Off heat, return roast to skillet; using tongs, roll to coat roast with glaze on all sides. Place skillet in oven and roast until center of roast registers about 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 35 to 45 minutes, using tongs to roll and spin roast to coat with glaze twice during roasting time. Transfer roast to carving board; set skillet aside to cool slightly to thicken glaze, about 5 minutes. Pour glaze over roast and let rest 15 minutes longer (center of loin should register about 150 degrees on instant-read thermometer). Snip twine off roast, cut into 1/4-inch slices, and serve immediately.

Lisa's Decadent and Ohhh So Evil Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Caramel Ripple Cheesecake

2007-05-13T21:28:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness gracious. I made Lisa's Decadent and Ohhh So Evil Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Caramel Ripple Cheesecake from La Mia Cucina. This was oh so over the top wonderful. It's rich, moist, yummy... The words just escape me. Thank you Lisa. If you enjoy an over the top, fabulous cheesecake, this is one to try. Please check out Lisa's post for her comments and pictures.

Lisa's Decadent and Ohhh So Evil Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Caramel Ripple Cheesecake - or LDOSEPBDCCRC.

For the crust:
2-3 c. chocolate wafer cookies, crushed finely (I used chocolate graham crackers, 2 pks.)
1/2 c. salted butter, melted + butter for greasing pan

For the cheesecake:
2 lbs. cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 c. white granulated sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 c. sour cream
1/3 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. peanut butter
10 mini Butterfingers, crushed in food processor
1/2 jar of store bought butterscotch-caramel ice cream topping
1/3 semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

For the peanut butter sauce:
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Crush the wafer cookies in a food processor. Set aside. Repeat process with the mini Butterfinger bars, crushing them as finely as you'd like.

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease 11" springform pan with butter. Double layer foil wrap the bottom of the pan.

Mix the crushed wafer cookies with the melted butter and press into the bottom and up the sides of your springform pan. Set aside.

Blend the cream cheese until it's creamy. Gradually add the sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, and only blend until each egg is incorporated. Add the sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla. Remove 1 1/2 c. of the cream cheese mixture and set aside in a bowl. Add the peanut butter to the original mixture and blend until incorporated. Add the crushed Butterfinger bites.

Blend the melted chocolate into the reserved 1 1/2 c. batter and then spread evenly over the cookie crust. Pour the peanut butter batter over the chocolate layer and spread evenly. Dollop the butterscotch-caramel sauce over the top and then using a toothpick or the tip of a thin knife, swirl the sauce into the batter.

Place the springform pan into roasting pan then fill the roasting pan with 1 1/2 - 2 inches of hot water. Carefully place roasting pan onto middle rack and bake for 1 hour, 5 minutes or until the cake is set. Be careful to not over bake. Cool the cake at room temperature for about an hour, then using a very thin knife, run along the edges of cake to loosen it from the springform pan. Remove the ring of the springform and place cake on dish or serving platter and chill over night.

To make the sauce:
Cook the milk and peanut butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring often until thickened (less than 3 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Drizzle over slices of cheesecake. Leftover sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2007-05-10T14:23:00.000-04:00

Last night was a simple meal of brats, dogs, leftover Baked Beans and Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese. This was a new recipe for us. It took a little longer to get together than I thought, but only by a few minutes. It was really nice to have macaroni and cheese that really tastes like something. I enjoyed it. Now if only my boys would eat it. I think they had a problem with the onion, so next time I may leave that out. There was a good bit of onion flavor, but in a good way. I'm not a huge onion fan either. I like them cooked in foods, but generally not as a major flavor component. But this was really good.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show:	Good Eats
Episode:	For Whom the Cheese Melts 2

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.
Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.
Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.

Baked Beans

2007-05-10T14:11:00.000-04:00

With the BBQ chicken, we had Alton Brown's Once and Future Beans. This was our second try at this recipe. I'm just not a big bean fan. But these were really good. The first time we made them the cast iron pan was pretty new and the beans picked up a metallic taste. A couple years and lots of cooking later, the beans turned out really good and did not have any metallic taste. I would strongly recommend getting preseasoned cast iron. They cost more, but you don't have as much problem with foods coming out tasting of iron. Although I seem to be more sensitive to the taste than anyone else at our house. As far as the recipe goes, we followed it more or less. I covered the beans to soak them and added more water a couple hours later so they were still covered. And it seems that 6 hours was plenty of time for cooking. At closer to 8 hours, the beans were starting to break up.

The Once and Future Beans

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

1 pound dried Great Northern beans
1 pound bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
Vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Heat oven to 250 degrees F.

Soak beans in a plastic container overnight in just enough cold water to submerge them completely.

Place a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and stir in the bacon, onion, and jalapenos until enough fat has rendered from the bacon to soften the onions, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, dark brown sugar, and molasses.

Drain the beans and reserve the soaking liquid. Add the drained beans to the Dutch oven. Place the soaking liquid in a measuring cup and add enough vegetable broth to equal 4 cups of liquid. Add the liquid to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in cayenne, black pepper and salt. Give them a stir and cover with the lid. Place the Dutch oven in the oven for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beans are tender.

Foolproof Barbecued Chicken

2007-05-10T13:47:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday we made one of our summer favorites, Foolproof Barbecued Chicken from Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA. We pretty much follow the recipe, but we use cut up chicken instead of cutting down the bird ourselves and we use Sweet Baby Ray's regular sauce instead of the optional Dr. Pepper Barbecue Sauce. This chicken is far better than any roadside cooker you'll find.

Foolproof Barbecued Chicken

Method:
Indirect grilling

Advance Preparation:
1 to 2 hrs for curing the chicken

For the Chicken and Rub:
3 - 4 lbs. cut up chicken
1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. celery seed

For the Mop Sauce:
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. rub reserved from above

2 cups prepared barbecue sauce

You'll also need:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferable hickory), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained

Blot dry the chicken pieces with paper towels.
Make the rub: Combine the salt, paprika, brown sugar, pepper, onion and garlic powders, and celery seed in a small bowl and stir to mix. Set aside 1 tbsp. of the rub for the mop sauce. Sprinkle the remaining rub over the chicken on both sides, patting ti into the meat with your fingertips. Let the chicken cure in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 to 2 hours.
Make the mop sauce: Combine the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and remaining 1 tbsp. of rub with 1/2 cup water in a nonreactive mixing bowl and stir until the salt and brown sugar dissolve.
Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. (Gas grill)Place the wood chips or chunks in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
When ready to cook, place the chicken halves in the center of the hot grate, skin side up, away from the heat. Cover and grill until cooked through, 40 to 60 minutes. The dark meat should read 180 degrees. After the first 20 minutes of grilling, baste the chicken with the mop sauce every 10 minutes while it cooks. Be sure to baste both sides of the chicken.
During the last 3 minutes brush the chicken with 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce. Move the chicken pieces directly over the fire to sizzle and brown the sauce on both sides.
Transfer the chicken to a platter and let rest 3 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce.

Chicken Salad and Chicken Mole Enchiladas

2007-05-07T13:57:00.000-04:00

Saturday we tried the Chicken Mole Enchiladas from Kirsten's Home Cooking Adventures. They were pretty good. I think they might need a bit of salt but otherwise a good recipe. I think we could have used 2 cups of chicken and made closer to 12 enchiladas. I got 9 out of it and they were well filled. There was plenty of sauce for more enchiladas.

I had some extra chicken left over from the enchiladas so I decided to make some chicken salad for lunch the next day. I didn't actually measure anything for the chicken salad, but this should be about what I did:

Chicken Salad

1 cup cooked chicken
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1 1/2 tsp. mustard
1 stalk celery, diced
salt & pepper to taste

Mix together and serve on bread of your choice. If it's too dry, add some more mayo.

We sometimes add a chopped hard boiled egg too.

Banana Pecan Buttermilk Pancakes

2007-05-04T14:17:00.001-04:00

I've been using this recipe of about 6 years now. It came from Food TV's Cooking Live with Sara Moulton. I did enjoy her show. The only problem I've had is that it's just too thick so I end up using some extra buttermilk to get it to the consistency I want. And then I still usually spread them out with the back of the scoop. We usually just use maple syrup for serving, but the recipe came with Berry/Maple Syrup. I've never tried to make that though.

Banana Pecan Buttermilk Pancakes

Recipe courtesy of Georgia Downard

2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, or to taste
2 very ripe medium bananas (about 12 to 14 ounces)
2/3 cups pecans, toasted lightly and chopped
Softened butter or vegetable oil, for cooking the pancakes

In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, butter and vanilla. Whisk the dry ingredients into the liquid until combined well.

Chop fine the banana and add it to the batter along with the pecans.

Heat a griddle over moderate heat until hot enough to make a drop of water scatter over surface and brush with butter or oil. Working in batches, drop 1/4 cup measures of batter onto griddle to form pancakes and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip pancakes with a metal spatula and cook until undersides are golden brown and pancakes are cooked through, about 1 minute.

Serve with Berry-Maple Syrup, recipe follows.

BERRY/MAPLE SYRUP
Recipe courtesy of Georgia Downard

1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup picked over berries, such as blackberries or strawberries, stemmed and
halved or raspberries or blueberries

In a saucepan set over moderate heat combine the syrup with the cinnamon stick and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the berries and simmer for 1 minute. Remove and discard cinnamon stick. Yield: about 2 1/2 cups

Milk Chocolate Strawberry Banana Muffins

2007-05-03T15:24:00.000-04:00

So I looked in the fridge and there were strawberries well past their prime for eating uncooked and bananas that were calling out to make banana bread or muffins. I had 1 lb. strawberries and 4 bananas so I modified the recipe for a double batch of Banana Nut Bread. I thought I might have to add extra flour to make up for the liquid in the strawberries, but the texture was fine without any adjustment. Here's what I did:

Milk Chocolate Strawberry Banana Muffins
makes 3 dozen muffins

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 lb. strawberries, hulled and mashed
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
4 cups flour
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips; stir in lightly. Do not overbeat. Spoon into greased regular or mini muffin cups. (I use a #20 scoop for regular muffins and a #60 scoop for mini muffins.) Bake for about 30 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick. I usually smell them when they're about done. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

Yeasted Waffles

2007-04-30T13:52:00.001-04:00

My guys love these waffles. I tried making chocolate waffles as a treat, and the oldest one told me, "Next time make the regular waffles." I was shocked. He likes these over chocolate. Once again, we're using a Cook's Illustrated recipe (March 2004). The ingredients are on the mark, but the original procedure was a nightmare. You had to heat the butter and milk until the butter melted then let it cool to about 110 degrees. So I'd get it heated up, then let it cool, forget about it, heat it up, let it cool. You get the idea. So I didn't make them very often. Until I messed with the procedure. It's a great help in the morning to have the batter already made and this recipe is great for that. It needs to sit in the refrigerator over night to let the yeast do it's thing.

Yeasted Waffles

Seven 7-inch round or four 9-inch square waffles

1 3/4	cups whole milk , or low-fat milk, or skim milk
8	tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 8 pieces
2	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1	tablespoon granulated sugar
1	teaspoon table salt
1 1/2	teaspoons instant yeast
2	large eggs
1	teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Melt butter in the microwave in a two cup measure. In small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until combined. Pour the melted butter into the eggs while whisking to combine. Heat the milk in the two cup measure in the microwave for about 1 minute, so it's just warm to the touch. Add to butter and eggs. Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in large bowl to combine. Gradually whisk warm milk/butter mixture into flour mixture; continue to whisk until batter is smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 24 hours.

2. Following manufacturer’s instructions, heat waffle iron; remove waffle batter from refrigerator when waffle iron is hot (batter will be foamy and doubled in size). Whisk batter to recombine (batter will deflate). Bake waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions (use about ½ cup for 7-inch round iron and about 1 cup for 9-inch square iron). Serve waffles immediately or hold in low temperature oven.

General Tso's Chicken

2007-04-30T13:40:00.000-04:00

The first Chinese dish I actually had that I liked was General Tso's Chicken. When we were first married, we used to get some from a now closed place in Muncie, Ind. We found a recipe online probably 10 years ago and tweaked it until it suited our liking. Then Cook's Illustrated put out the recipe for Orange-Flavored Chicken (see prior post) and we used that procedure and modified the sauce/marinade to make General Tso's Chicken.

General Tso's Chicken
Serves 4

*Marinade and Sauce*
1 1/2	pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
3/4	cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4	cup pineapple juice
6	tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/4 1/4	cup soy sauce chili sauce, from the Asian foods isle, not the ketchup isle
1/2	cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	piece fresh ginger (about 1 inch), grated (1 tablespoon)
1/2	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	tablespoon cornstarch , plus 2 teaspoons
2	tablespoons water (cold)
8	small whole dried red chiles (optional)
*Coating and Frying Medium*
3	large egg whites
1 1/2	cup cornstarch
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
3 1	cups peanut oil bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces, steamed

1. FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE: Place chicken in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; set aside. Combine chicken broth, pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne in large saucepan (with at least 3-quart capacity); whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup mixture and pour into bag with chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, but no longer.

2. Bring remaining mixture in saucepan to boil over high heat. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water; whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in chiles (sauce should measure 1 1/2 cups); set sauce aside.

3. FOR THE COATING: Place egg whites in pie plate; using fork, beat until frothy. In second pie plate, whisk cornstarch, cayenne, and baking soda until combined. Drain chicken in colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place half of chicken pieces in egg whites and turn to coat; transfer pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly. Place dredged chicken pieces on wire rack set over baking sheet; repeat with remaining chicken.

4. TO FRY THE CHICKEN: Heat oil in 11- to 12-inch Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan with at least 3-quart capacity over high heat until oil registers 350 degrees on instant-read or deep-fry thermometer. Carefully place half of chicken in oil one piece at a time; fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning each piece with tongs halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to large plate lined with paper towels. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken.

5. TO SERVE: Reheat sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Add steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Not-Fried Rice

2007-04-30T13:29:00.000-04:00

So when we go out for Chinese I always like to get the fried rice. I just like the extra veggies and bit of seasoning over the plain white rice. I don't usually have cooked rice left over to make fried rice so here's what I make instead.

Not-Fried Rice

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups liquid (If I have leftover chicken broth, I use that and add water to make up the rest.)
1/2 cup diced veggies, (I usually use carrots and frozen peas, but last time I added peeled, diced broccoli stems too)
1 tbsp. soy sauce

In a sauce pan, add oil and rice. Saute until translucent. Add liquid, veggies and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Orange-Flavored Chicken

2007-04-29T18:51:00.000-04:00

So the other night we made Orange-Flavored Chicken. This recipe was taken from Cook's Illustrated (May 2005). We made slight modifications in cutting the chicken smaller and increasing the cornstarch for coating the chicken and adding steamed broccoli at the end. (I like to steam the broccoli in the microwave with a couple tablespoons of water. Cook on high for 4 minutes.) This is a fussy recipe, but it's well worth the effort. To save some time, I cut up the chicken when I get it home from the store before freezing. Then when I want to make this dish (or General Tso's Chicken) I just pull out a bag the night before to thaw. It doesn't seem like much, but with all that is going on it helps a lot. I like to serve this with Not-Fried Rice. It has veggies like fried rice, but it's not fried.

Orange-Flavored Chicken
Serves 4

*Marinade and Sauce*
1 1/2	pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
3/4	cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4	cup orange juice , plus 1 1/2 teaspoons grated zest, and 8 strips orange peel (each about 2 inches long by 1/2 inch wide) from 2 oranges
6	tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/4	cup soy sauce
1/2	cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	piece fresh ginger (about 1 inch), grated (1 tablespoon)
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	tablespoon cornstarch , plus 2 teaspoons
2	tablespoons water (cold)
8	small whole dried red chiles (optional)
*Coating and Frying Medium*
3	large egg whites
1 1/2	cup cornstarch
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
3 1	cups peanut oil bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces, steamed

1. FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE: Place chicken in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; set aside. Combine chicken broth, orange juice, grated zest, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne in large saucepan (with at least 3-quart capacity); whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup mixture and pour into bag with chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, but no longer.

2. Bring remaining mixture in saucepan to boil over high heat. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water; whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in orange peel and chiles (sauce should measure 1 1/2 cups); set sauce aside.

3. FOR THE COATING: Place egg whites in pie plate; using fork, beat until frothy. In second pie plate, whisk cornstarch, cayenne, and baking soda until combined. Drain chicken in colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place half of chicken pieces in egg whites and turn to coat; transfer pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly. Place dredged chicken pieces on wire rack set over baking sheet; repeat with remaining chicken.

4. TO FRY THE CHICKEN: Heat oil in 11- to 12-inch Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan with at least 3-quart capacity over high heat until oil registers 350 degrees on instant-read or deep-fry thermometer. Carefully place half of chicken in oil one piece at a time; fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning each piece with tongs halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to large plate lined with paper towels. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken.

5. TO SERVE: Reheat sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Add steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

2007-04-25T18:46:00.000-04:00

So I took my mom's Banana Nut Bread recipe, added chocolate chips, and portioned it out into muffins. I usually end up making a double batch and freezing the extras. The last double batch I made yielded 3 dozen muffins plus a couple extra made in oven proof custard cups (because I can't stand to waste the extra batter that wouldn't fit).

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (Mom uses walnuts, but I prefer pecans)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add nuts and chocolate chips; stir in lightly. Do not overbeat. Spoon into greased regular or mini muffin cups. (I use a #20 scoop for regular muffins and a #60 scoop for mini muffins.) Bake for about 30 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick. I usually smell them when they're about done. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

Banana Nut Bread

2007-04-25T18:31:00.000-04:00

So my mom has been making this Banana Nut Bread for as long as I can remember. I don't know which book she got the recipe out of, maybe the old faithful Better Homes and Gardens book. But it works out well every time.

Banana Nut Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (Mom uses walnuts, but I prefer pecans)

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add nuts; stir in lightly. Do not overbeat. Pour into 2 greased 4" x 9" loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until they test done with a toothpick. Makes 2 loaves.

Pulled Pork

2007-04-22T22:31:00.000-04:00

So this is a great recipe to put in the freezer for quick meals. And it's actually better once it's been sauced and frozen or refrigerated. Although it's really good when freshly made. Once we started making this pulled pork, we rarely find ourselves without a package in the freezer. We've modified the procedure but use the ingredients as written in Cuisine at Home, June 2003, pgs. 18-21. We usually make at least a double batch of the rub so that it's ready for the next batch.

Pulled Pork
Combine:
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cayenne
Coat:
1 8 lb pork shoulder (Boston Butt)

Soak wood chips for 30 minutes. Set up smoker. Coat shoulder with rub. Once the smoking begins, place the shoulder in the smoker. Smoke fat side up at about 200 degrees for 7-8 hrs. Let rest 30 minutes, or until cool enough to shred.

While the pork is smoking, make the sauce:

Root Beer BBQ Sauce
Reduce:
1 2-liter bottle root beer
Add and Simmer:
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Finish with:
2 tbsp. butter

Reduce root beer to 1 cup over medium heat in a deep skillet (it takes about 1 hour).
Add vinegar, ketchup, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine. Simmer 20 minutes.
Finish with butter to give the sauce extra body and flavor.

Finishing up the pork:
Shred the pork by hand or with forks (pieces that are difficult to shred can be pulsed in a food processor). Mix in sauce. Serve on bread or as is. Enjoy!

Newbie

2007-04-22T22:20:00.000-04:00

So I'm new to all of this. But I've been threatening to start some kind of post to get myself organized. We tend to cook seasonally, grilling in the warm months, using one dish and crock pot meals in the cold months. But when the seasons change I always find myself wondering what we made before that we enjoyed so much. And we're always trying new recipes from magazines, online, or in cookbooks. This is my attempt to get those recipes in order. And hopefully others will enjoy the recipes we've found.