Sunday, May 30, 2010

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

My husband and I really wanted chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast this morning. When I went to the kitchen, much to my dismay, I found that our pancake mix was expired. :( My husband suggested that we look up a recipe to make pancakes from scratch and I found this wonderful chocolate chip pancake recipe by Joyful Abode. They were really easy and we had all the ingredients on hand. We both agreed that we won't be buying another box of mix anytime soon.

Puffy pancakes

Ingredients:
■3 cups flour
■6 Tablespoons sugar
■1/4 tsp. salt
■2 Tablespoons baking powder
■3 eggs
■1/3 cup canola oil
■1+ cup milk
 
Mix the dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add milk if needed. Cook in a pan over medium heat (or on a griddle if you’re fancy like that). Enjoy!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Throw together bean salad

I had some left over black beans in the fridge that I wanted to use, but since my cook books are all still in boxes from the move and I was too lazy to get online, I just deicded to throw some things together. I started with the black beans and some diced white onions in the fridge. I cooked some frozen corn then strained it and ran it under cold water. I added that to the bead. Add a dash of olive oil and fresh lime juice (half a lime or so). Also add some salt, pepper, cayenne, and cumin. Mix and serve. I think this would be good with lots of other things so I suspect we will play around with this one.

New Grill Shrimp

We got a new grill this spring and wanted to make some seafood. I saw a link to a recipe recently called "Spicy Lime Chicken." I didn't read it and sent it to myself to make later. When we decided on making shrimp, I was too lazy to look up the recipe so I thought I would take a stab at it and it turned out pretty good.

Put shrimp in a bowl and add lime juce from half a lime, a but of olive oil, some diced up garlic, and salt, pepper, cayenne and let it set for a while. Then skewer and grill.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

This year was my husband's golden birthday and I wanted to make him something special. I made him parmasean-crusted pork chops and whipped sweet potatoes. For dessert I made bread pudding with whiskey sauce. I have never made bread pudding before, but I knew he loved it and I thought it would be a good suprise. And I was right! He loved it! The only change I made was that I threw in a handful of raisins.

Bread pudding with whiskey sauce by Cherry195 posted on allrecipes.com
Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup chopped pecans


1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup whiskey

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan.

2.In a large bowl, stir together eggs, butter, vanilla and milk. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and mix thoroughly until sugar is dissolved.

3.Place bread cubes in bottom of prepared pan. Pour liquid over bread, fully saturating all bread. Sprinkle pecans on top.

4.Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, until golden. Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup butter, cream and whiskey in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is gently boiling. Pour sauce over baked bread pudding and serve.

Tandoori Chicken with Yogurt Sauce

This is another great, fast recipe from Martha Stewart. The flavor is great and it is really easy to make. The sauce is delicious, even with dried cilantro. This is quickly becoming a go-to dish on week nights.

Ingredients

Serves 4
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 bone-in, skinless chicken breast halves (10 to 12 ounces each)
2 Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup yogurt, garlic, turmeric, ginger, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat.

2.Transfer chicken to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 160 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.

3.Meanwhile, peel apple; coarsely grate into a medium bowl. Add cilantro and remaining 1/2 cup yogurt; season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce alongside chicken, with rice, if desired.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Rigatoni with Sausage and Parsley

While standing in line at Macy's one day, I saw Martha Stewart Everyday Food cookbook called "Great Food Fast." I picked it up and paged through it and decided it looked like it would be good. The first recipe I made was Rigatoni with Sausage and Parsley. I couldn't find it online, but here is the recipe:

Rigatoni with Sausage and Parsley (from "Great Food Fast" and everyday food cookbook from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living; published by Clarkson Potter, copyright 2007):
Ingredients:
1 pould bulk spicy Intalian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
2 medium red onions, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1 pound rigatoni (or other short tubular pasta)
3 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish, if desired

Directions:
1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage until browned, breaking apart any large pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add teh onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized and the sausage is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the broth; cook until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain; return to the pot.

3. Add the sausage mixture, parsley, and Parmesan to the pasta; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Fudge!

My grandma always made the BEST fudge. My mom also makes great fudge (although she doesn't think so). This year at Christmas, mom decided she wasn't going to make fudge, so I decided to try my hand at it. I did some research on fudge making and thought I could handle it. Unfortunately, my grandma never used a recipe to make her fudge, so I had to find a recipe. I decided on Sweet Dreams Chocolate Fudge Candy by Max Brenner (on one of Paula Deens shows).

It took me 3 tries to get some good fudge that was attractive. The first batch separated so there was what appeared to be oil pooling on the top. I blotted it off. The fudge tasted okay, but it was really hard and grainy. I made a second batch. This one was separated too, but I left it on hoping that it might soak in. It didn't. Instead, it hardened into ugly pools of butter on the top. Once that was picked off, the fudge was okay.

I tried one last time and it turned out pretty good. I was overthinking it the first few times. I was bringing it to the soft ball stage even though the recipe didn't call for that. Apparently it was too hot and that is what was causing the separation. So really just cook for 5 minutes. I also poured the hot sugar mixture over the chocolate chips and mixed. Then I let it sit to cook a while. Then I beat it for quite a while with a mixer, until it started to loose its shine. Then I added nuts and vanilla and mixed a bit more. Then I poured into the pan and let it cook.


Sweet Dreams Chocolate Fudge Candy by Max Brenner (as appears on Foodnetwork.com)
Ingredients

1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow cream (clouds)
1 1/2 cups white sugar (princess's diamonds)
2/3 cup evaporated milk (mountain snow)
1/4 cup butter (candy bricks)
1/4 teaspoon salt (the lost sea)
3 cups milk chocolate chips (from the milky way)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (hidden forest)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (magical island)

Directions:
Line an 8 by 8-inch pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt. Bring to a full boil, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until thick.
Remove from heat and pour in the milk chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm. Cut to small squares and wrap in the "dream" or parchment paper.

Cauliflower Gratin

I was assigned to bring the vegetables to a family gathering. I wanted to try something a little different and I came across this recipe and it got great ratings. It was delicious and I will make this one again! Even my uncle, who doesn't like cauliflower, liked this.

Cauliflower Gratin by Ina Gartner (Barefoot Contessa) as found on foodnetwork.com
1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Apple Turnovers

These turnovers are super easy and really tasty! I have made them by cutting the puff pastry into 9 smaller squares. I have also used canned cherry pie filling and that was really tasty as well. People are always impressed with these turnovers and they don't have any idea how easy they are!


Apple Turnovers by MAU-COLUMBUS (as on allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups water
4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1.Combine the lemon and 4 cups water in a large bowl. Place the sliced apples in the water to keep them from browning.

2.Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain water from apples, and place them into the hot skillet. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Pour into the skillet, and mix well. Cook for another minute, or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat to cool slightly.

3.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4.Unfold puff pastry sheets, and repair any cracks by pressing them back together. Trim each sheet into a square. Then cut each larger square into 4 smaller squares. Spoon apples onto the center of each squares. Fold over from corner to corner into a triangle shape, and press edges together to seal. Place turnovers on a baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.

5.Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until turnovers are puffed and lightly browned. Cool completely before glazing.

6.To make the glaze, mix together the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Adjust the thickness by adding more sugar or milk if necessary. Drizzle glaze over the cooled turnovers.

Paula Deen's Pumpking Bars

As you know, I love Paula Deen! I made these pumpkin bars at my sister-in-laws for everyone to enjoy. They turned great! Nice and moist like pumpkin bars should be.

Pumpkin Bars recipe courtesy Patty Ronning as adapted by Paula Deen as found on Foodnetwork.com
Ingredients


Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Snow Covered Almond Crescents

I saw this recipe for almond crescents and was hoping they would be like the Keebler crunchy almond crescents. They weren't quite like that, they were actually pretty soft due to the cream cheese. After I got over the fact that they weren't like the Keebler cookies, I decided that they were pretty good too. I put the cookies on cooling racks and sifted the powder sugar on with a flour sifter.

Snow Covered Almond Crescents from Kraftfoods.com
What You Need:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened 1
 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2-1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Slivered Almonds
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Make It:

BEAT first 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add flour and baking soda; mix well. Stir in nuts. Refrigerate 30 min.

HEAT oven to 350°F. Roll dough into 60 (1-inch) balls; shape each into crescent shape. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Flatten slightly.
BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until lightly browned. Cool 3 min. on baking sheets; transfer to wire racks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; cool completely.

Italian Cookies

These italian cookies were a new Christmas cookie that my mom and I tried this year and I loved them! They have a really mild yellow cake flavor and the coconut on the top was great. When we dipped them in the icing, we put them on cooling racks to the excess could drip off. These will definately be regulars in my house!

Italian Cookies from Taste of Home (June/July 2009)

Ingredients

1/2 pound butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla or anise extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder

ICING:
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 to 6 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DECORATIONS:
Flaked coconut or assorted sprinkles

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For icing, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Dip cookies, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; decorate as desired. Let stand until set. Yield: 7 dozen.