Kerstin & Madeline's Kitchen

Mini German Pancakes

2011-11-29T12:01:00.000-08:00

These were really cute and were good but I think I prefer German pancakes cooked in a big pan. This was just wasn't as buttery since the butter is mixed in instead of melted at the bottom.

Mini German Pancakes
http://realmomkitchen.com/489/mini-german-pancakes/
1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Blend first six ingredients (milk thru orange zest) in a blender. Be careful to see that any flour clumps get well-blended.
2. Blend in butter a little at a time in order to temper the eggs.
3. Grease muffin tins well and distribute batter evenly between 24 tins (I did more like 18. Gimme Some Oven’s tins were slightly less than half-full. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup and filled it almost full.) Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top.
4. Served with your favorite toppings. (Mine was a dusting of powdered sugar and triple berry sauce. I have other suggestions up top)

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

2011-11-29T11:59:00.000-08:00

I thought this was really good but Matt gave it just a good rating. It's like having pie crust all throughout instead of just on the top and bottom.
Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2011/01/chicken-pot-pie-crumble.html
1 1/2 Lbs chicken
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 c. celery, chopped fine
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. flour
1 c. milk
3/4 c. frozen peas

Crumble Topping:
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. heavy cream

FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don't have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes). Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven.

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.

Pour mixture into 9x13 pan (or if you have small individual-sized oven-safe dishes, you can use those-- see picture above). Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake at 400-degrees until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned (about 12-15 minutes). Serve hot and enjoy!

Korean Beef Tacos

2011-11-29T11:55:00.000-08:00

You cook this in the crock pot. It was easy and good.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2011/11/slow-cooker-shredded-korean-beef-tacos.html
Korean Beef Tacos
3-4 pounds beef roast (I used a trimmed chuck roast)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari Wheat-Free are gluten free)
1 head garlic (peeled, but leave cloves intact--approx 10 cloves)
1/2 onion, diced
1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 whole jalapeno, diced (be careful! use gloves!)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Okay. This truly can't be any easier. I didn't brown my meat, but I did trim off the visible fat. I can make these directions complicated and tell you to add this or that first,
but it honestly doesn't matter. This is going to cook on low all day long, and the ingredients will distribute just fine all on their own. Throw everything in however you'd like.

Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat has fully shredded---

Raspberry Lemon Pie

2011-11-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

I made this for Thanksgiving. It was delicious! Lemony and tart.
Raspberry Lemon Pie
http://thimbleanna.com/recipes/rasppie.html

1 (10-oz.) package frozen red raspberries in syrup, thawed
1 T. cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup ReaLemon lemon juice from concentrate
1 (6-oz.) packaged graham cracker crumb pie crust
(I prefer to make my own graham cracker crust - it is not as pretty, but I think it has more flavor. Recipe follows.)
Whipped Topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small saucepan, combine raspberries and cornstarch; cook and stir until thickened and clear. In medium bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Pour into crust; bake 8 minutes. Spoon raspberry mixture evenly over top. Chill 4 hours or until set. Spread with whipped topping and serve.

Graham Cracker Crust

Combine 1 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 c. sugar and 1/3 c. melted butter. Press into the bottom of a pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Hot chocolate on a stick with homemade marshmallows

2011-11-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

I tried a few recipes for hot chocolate on a stick and this is by far my favorite. It's like a chocolate truffle so it's delicious when you eat it off the stick or melted in milk as hot chocolate. The marshmallows are delish and easier than you think!

Homemade Marshmallows
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2008/12/05/homemade-marshmallows-foodie-christmas-gift-4/

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

.75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Confectioners sugar, Cornstarch (optional)

Line 9 x 9-inch pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil it. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute.
Pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, add in the vanilla extract beat to incorporate.
Scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly (Lightly greasing your hands and the spatula helps a lot here). Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.
In a shallow dish, combine equal parts cornstarch and confectioners’ sugar. Remove marshmallow from pan and cut into equal pieces with scissors (the best tool for the job) or a chef’s knife. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners’ sugar mixture.
Store in an airtight container.

Hot Chocolate on a Stick
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/01/06/hot-chocolate-on-a-stick/
Print
Recipe Type: dessert, candy
Author: Rebecca Lindamood Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Serves: 36
This creamy chocolate fudge confection can be nibbled in its pure form, skewered on a stick alone or with homemade marshmallows and simply eaten or swirled into hot milk for a hot chocolate that is second to none.
Ingredients

* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)
* 3 cups semisweet chocolate (3 cups chopped chocolate bars or chips)
* 3/4 cup unsweetened baking chocolate (4 ounces)
* wooden sticks, lollipop sticks, candy canes or bamboo skewers
* optional, crushed candy canes, marshmallows and/or cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan or a 9 x 9-inch pan with foil and set aside.
2. Combine the cream and sweetened condensed milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat until it is steaming, but not boiling, stirring occasionally to keep from scorching.
3. Add all of the chocolate and remove from the heat. Allow the chocolate to melt, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, whisk firmly until it is thick and shiny. You can add a few drops of flavoring extract or oil at this point, or add some powdered espresso or vanilla. Whisk vigorously again to incorporate the flavoring (if used.)
4. Use a rubber or silicone spatula to spread the mixture out evenly in your prepared, foil-lined pan. Allow to cool at room temperature 12 hours or overnight so that it firms slowly.
5. Take the fudge from the pan and remove the foil. Place on a cutting board.
6. Using a knife heated with hot water and wiped dry, cut the fudge into 36 equal-sized cubes. You can either stick a lollipop stick (or candy cane) into the center of each block or leave as is. Additionally, you can press the cut sides of the fudge into crushed candy canes, roll them in cocoa powder or top with marshmallows.
7. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature.

Chicken Parmesan

2011-11-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/02/end-of-chicken-parmesan-as-you-know-it.html

This is a video of making chicken Parmesan with croutons on the top instead of breading and frying. It's delicious and so easy. Mine didn't cook in 35 minutes. I ended up cutting the chicken into chunks and putting it back in the oven for another 25 mins.

You basically put a couple of T of olive oil in the bottom of a casserole pan. Add 1 T of minced garlic and mix it into the oil. Put 5 chicken breasts on top of the oil. Top with a jar of marinara sauce. Then sprinkle on mozzarella and Parmesan. Then spread a package of croutons on top and top with more of the two cheeses. Then bake at 350 until done. For me it was about an hour.

2011-10-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

This recipe was really good. I served it over pasta. In place of the wine I used chicken broth.
Angel Chicken...slow cooker
http://cleverlyinspired.blogspot.com/2011/02/angel-chickenslow-cooker.html

You will need
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds)

1 8-oz. pkg. fresh button mushrooms, quartered

1 6-oz. pkg. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced

1/4 cup butter

1 0.7-oz. pkg. Italian dry salad dressing mix

1 10-3/4-oz. can condensed golden mushroom soup

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 of an 8-oz. tub cream cheese spread with chives and onion

Hot cooked rice or angel hair pasta

melt butter in a saucepan....

add in italian dressing packet

stir in soup , wine and cream cheese until it combines and melts

cut up mushrooms (I used all button...because I had them)

mixture is combined...

place mushrooms on the bottom of slow cooker...top with chicken....pour sauce on top...
close top and cook on low for 5 hours.

Stuffed spaghetti squash

2011-10-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

This recipe was delicious. I filled mine with ground bison, onion, garlic, squash, tomatoes, Italian tomato sauce, bread crumbs, mozzarella and parmesan.

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

http://www.sweettoothsweetlife.com/2011/04/25/sensational-stuffed-spaghetti-squash/

Recipe by Courtney

Ingredients:

* 1 spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise
* 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1/2 tsp minced garlic
* 1/2 cup diced onion
* 2 celery stalks
* 4-5 baby carrots (or one carrot)
* 1/2 cup peppers
* 2 slices turkey bacon
* 1/2 cup each, zucchini & yellow squash
* 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
* 1/2 cup Italian-style diced tomatoes
* 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
* 3/4 cup marinara sauce
* 3 tbsp Chavrie goat cheese
* 1/2 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
* parmesan cheese
* Salt, pepper, dried basil, or any other spices you enjoy

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Halve the squash length-wise and scrape out the seeds. Place the halves of the squash in a large pot of boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large skillet, sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil. Add celery, carrots, peppers, and turkey bacon softened. Add zucchini, squash, tomatoes, and spinach and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Scrape the meat out of the squash and place in a large bowl. Add the sauteed veggies, breadcrumbs, marinara sauce, goat cheese, and spices. Mix and return the mixture to the empty squash halves. Top with extra marinara, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Bake until the top is bubbling and melted. ENJOY!

Granola Bars

2011-10-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

I love this granola bar recipe. I adapted it from a few recipes I found:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C. quick oats
1/2 C. Rice Krispies
1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. canola oil
1/4 C. honey
1 egg

Directions:
Mix all ingredients (except for the chocolate chips). Once everything is combined gently fold in the choco chips.

Press the mixture into a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Check them at 15. When they're slightly golden they're done. Let them completely cool then cut into bars.

Oven Egg Omlet

2011-10-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

This was really good. We had it for dinner last week. I used bacon, cheese and green onion.
Oven Omelet Roll

1 cup milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
10 large eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and ground pepper
3/4 cup cooked ham, sausage, or bacon
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of a jelly roll type pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the two shorter sides. Grease parchment paper. Do not skip the parchment paper on this recipe. You need it to roll the omelet.
In a bowl, whisk together milk and cornstarch. Add eggs, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper; whisk to combine. Pour into pan. Sprinkle meat over top in an even layer.
Bake until edges of omelet are set, 15-18 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar; bake until cheese has melted, 2 to 4 additional minutes.
Beginning at one shorter end, lift parchment, and roll up omelet tightly,
peeling back parchment as you go.
Slice and serve.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

2011-09-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

This cake was really good and much easier than the process of making cinnamon rolls.

http://cookinupnorth.blogspot.com/2011/07/cinnamon-roll-cake.html
Cake:
3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Topping:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Mix everything together except for the butter. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

While warm drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Rigatoni Pie

2011-08-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

I found this idea on pinterest. It looked like such a cool idea to make a simple dinner recipe fancy. It was really easy. Just make sure to put the spring form pan on a large pan with sides because the juices will leak out while baking.

Pasta Pie
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 pound rigatoni
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound ground beef (I used ground sirloin)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 can (28 ounces) good quality crushed tomatoes
Butter, for pan
Salt
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes). One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.

Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more.

Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.

Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. Stuffing the meat into the holes is a weirdly satisfying task. Enough said.

Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold.

Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.

Homemade Auntie Anne's Pretzels

2011-08-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

I don't think these taste exactly like Auntie Anne's, but they're seriously good.

Homemade Auntie Annes Pretzels
Adapted From Korean American Mommy (http://www.koreanamericanmommy.com/2010/12/homemade-pretzels.html)
Makes: 10-12 large pretzels
Prep Time: 1 hour, plus 1 hour and 20 minutes for rising
Cook Time: 10 minutes
http://www.sprinklesofparsley.com/2011/01/homemade-auntie-annes-pretzels.html

Ingredients
Dough
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup bread flour

Baking Soda Bath
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda

Toppings
4 tablespoons butter, melted
rock salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons water

Directions
To prepare your dough, combine 1 1/2 cups of warm water and yeast into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using a spoon, gently stir until your yeast dissolves. Then add your brown sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Add your all purpose flour and bread flour and using the paddle attachment, mix on low for about 10 seconds until combined. Switch your attachment to the dough hook and mix on high for 5 minutes to knead your dough. If you don't have an electric mixer, you can knead by hand. Lightly grease a large pot by brushing the bottom and sides of the pan with olive oil. Place your ball of dough in the center of your pot, cover it, and let it sit for 1 hour in a warm space to rise. I keep my oven at 350 degrees and place the pot on top of the stove.

Immediately after making your dough, prepare your baking soda bath in a large mixing bowl by combining 2 cups of warm water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Stir until dissolved and continue to stir regularly while the dough is rising.

Once your dough is finished rising and has doubled in size. Put your ball of dough on a pastry mat and remove a section about 3/4 cup in size. You can break off as large or as small of a piece as you like depending on the pretzel size you want to make. Roll your section of dough into a long 1/2 inch thick string of dough. The length will vary depending on how big you want your pretzel, but the thickness should be no bigger than 1/2 inch in diameter. When rolling the dough, I found it helpful not flouring my work surface and lightly wetting my hands with water (not soaking wet). To get the right shape, roll the dough up and down with your hands, all the while pushing from the center out to get a long and narrow string of dough. That's what worked for me, but you'll find a good rhythm of your own too I'm sure!

Once you have your long string of dough, bring one end to the center, letting it hang slightly over the edge. Then bring your other end over and weave it underneath the first loop to get a pretty knot. Then dip your pretzel into the baking soda bath water, making sure to hold its shape in place. Place it on a well greased cookie sheet, making sure to put them about 1 1/2 inches in between each other. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and let your pretzels sit for 15-20 minutes before baking to allow for a second rise. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare your dipping ingredients. Melt about 4 tablespoons of butter. Then mix your sugar and cinnamon together if you're making cinnamon sugar pretzels. To make an icing glaze to dip your cinnamon sugar pretzels in, combine your powdered sugar and water together in a bowl. Mix until combined and set aside for dipping. When your pretzels are cool enough to handle, generously brush them all over with your melted butter. Then dip in your cinnamon sugar mixture until coated or sprinkle with sea salt. Serve your traditional pretzels with a side of mustard for dipping or serve your cinnamon sugar pretzels with icing.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

2011-08-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

I found these cookies on pinterest, my new favorite obsession. They're good. Rich and yummy. You definitely don't want to over bake these.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), divided

3 large egg whites, room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided (I used 2 cups)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 (I halved the sugar here) cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme. Whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue. Stir in lukewarm chocolate and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).

Place 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

Yield: Makes about 18

divine-baking.com

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

2011-06-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Holley who's an amazing cook recommended this recipe. It's really good! I didn't have lime leaf so I didn't add it, but I think it would have added a lot to it.

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Prep Time: -- Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: --
Level:
--
Serves:
4 servings
Ingredients
1 quart chicken stock, recipe follows
1 stalk lemon grass, white part only, cracked open with the flat side of a knife
3 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or dried, hand torn
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 small Thai chilies, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 (8-ounce) can straw mushrooms, rinsed
4 limes, juiced
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Bring the stock to the boil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, chilies, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.

Uncover and stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms, lime juice, and chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat the chicken through; season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into a soup tureen or individual serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro. Be careful to avoid chewing the lemongrass, ginger, or lime leaves.

Carrot Cake

2011-06-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

This carrot cake is seriously the BEST carrot cake I've ever had. I just put it in a 9 x 13 pan instead of doing layers to save on time. The buttermilk glaze says to add the baking powder and then boil, but you should add it when you add the vanilla after you've taken the mixture off the heat, otherwise it will boil over the whole time you're boiling it.

Carrot Cake

Cake:
Ingredients
· 2 cups all-purpose flour
· 2 teaspoons baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
· 3 large eggs
· 2 cups sugar
· 3/4 cup vegetable oil
· 3/4 cup buttermilk
· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
· 2 cups grated carrot
· 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
· 1 (3 1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut
· 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
· Buttermilk Glaze
· Cream Cheese Frosting

Preparation
· Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

· Stir together first 4 ingredients.

· Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared cakepans.

· Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Buttermilk glaze:

Ingredients
· 1 cup sugar
· 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (don't add until after you add the vanilla and after the pan is off the heat or it will boil over!)
· 1/2 cup buttermilk
· 1/2 cup butter or margarine
· 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
· Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

Southern Living

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Ingredients
· 3/4 cup butter, softened
· 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
· 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
· 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
· 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation
· Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

2011-05-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is the recipe for Prince William's grooms cake. It was SOO good. It's more like a cookie than a cake. I got digestives brand tea biscuits at world market and they worked great. I melted the chocolate, sugar and egg over a double broiler for a little bit just until the sugar melted and I thought the egg was cooked enough. It doesn't say in the recipe to cook the egg, but I was feeding this to kids and didn't want to worry about the raw eggs sitting out for any period of time. I think next time I will make this in a square pan and cut it into smaller brownie like chunks.

Chocolate Biscuit Cake
Recipe courtesy of Darren McGrady
Oprah.com | April 28, 2011

Servings: Makes one 6-inch round cake (8 portions)
Ingredients
1/2 tsp. butter , for greasing
8 ounces Rich tea biscuits
4 ounces unsalted butter , softened
4 ounces granulated sugar
4 ounces dark chocolate , for the cake
1 egg
8 ounces dark chocolate , for coating
1 ounce chocolate , for decorating
Directions
To make cake: Lightly grease a 6" x 2 1/2" cake ring and place on a tray on a sheet of parchment paper.

Break each of the biscuits into almond-size pieces by hand and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture starts to lighten.

Melt the 4 ounces of dark chocolate and add to the butter mixture while constantly stirring.

Beat the egg into the mixture.

Fold in the biscuit pieces until they are all coated with the chocolate mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake ring. Try to fill all of the gaps on the bottom of the ring because this will be the top when it is unmolded.

Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

To coat and decorate: Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it stand while you melt the 8 ounces of dark chocolate.

Slide the ring off the cake and turn it upside down onto a cake wire.

Pour the melted chocolate over the cake and smooth the top and sides using a palette knife.

Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature.

Carefully run a knife around the bottom of the cake where the chocolate has stuck to the cake wire and lift it onto a tea plate.

Melt the remaining 1 ounce of chocolate and use to decorate the top of the cake.

Pho' and Fried Spring Rolls

2011-05-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

My great friend Becky taught me how to make pho' awhile ago. I've made it several times since she taught me. Each time has been a little bit different. Some better than others. This past time I made it I really liked how it turned out, so I thought I better write it down! Thank you Becky!!

Pho
1 whole chicken, thawed
Beef soup bones (preferably with some meat on them)
3 T chicken bouillon base (if you don’t have base then you need enough bouillon to make 2 quarts of broth)
Large piece of dicon radish cut in half lengthwise
2 large onions peeled and cut in half
2 big pieces of ginger (6 inch pieces) cut in half lengthwise
3 bags of pho hoa (Chinese special spice, it’s a tea bag that has all the spices in it. You can also buy the spices whole in a bag, toast them and put them in cheese cloth to put in the soup pot.)
Package of rice sticks (pho noodles, you can get them in many sizes, I like the smallest size thickness)
2 cubes of chicken (pho ga) soup seasoning (like bouillon cubes)
2 cubes of beef soup seasoning (like bouillon cubes)
1 quarter size piece of rock sugar
Thai basil
Cilantro
Mint (optional)
Hoisin sauce
Siracha (chili sauce)
Lime wedges
Bean sprouts

Put the chicken and beef in a very large pot (I use my canning pot). Cover them with water, bring to a boil, boil 5 minutes then remove chicken and beef from the pot and wash out the pot. This removes the impurities from the meat and bones.
Put the chicken and beef back in the pot. Fill the pot with water. Leave about 4 inches at the top of the pot. Bring the water up to a boil.
While you’re waiting for the water to boil char the 2 onions, dicon and ginger under a broiler.
Once the water is almost to a boil add the charred vegetables, the bags of special spice, the cubes of beef and chicken seasoning and the chicken bouillon base. Bring the soup up to a boil and then turn it down a little so it’s still bubbling, but not at a full boil. Let the soup cook as long as you can, 6-8 hours or more. Leave it uncovered so it can cook down and condense the flavor.
Put the rock sugar in the last 20 minutes of cooking.
Once the soup is done cooking pull the chicken and beef out. Shred the chicken and any beef there might be. Strain out all the veggies and seasoning bags and discard.
Cook the rice sticks in boiling water for 5-7 minutes depending on thickness of the noodle. Strain the noodles and immediately rinse under cold water until they’re completely cool. Set aside.
When you’re ready to serve heat the broth back to boiling.
Put the rice noodles in the bottom of your individual serving bowls. Put chicken/beef on top and pour the hot broth over.
Garnish to taste with basil, cilantro, mint, lime, bean sprouts, hoisin and siracha.

Fried Spring Rolls
1 lb ground pork
2 c diced napa cabbage
½ c grated carrots
¼ c diced green onion
3 cloves garlic minced
2 t grated ginger
I small bunch bean thread noodles, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes until soft, then chopped
6 wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated and diced
2 t fish sauce
¼ t ground pepper
1 egg
1 package of 25 spring roll wrappers
Nuoc cham sauce (recipe follows)

Mix all the ingredients except the wrappers and nuoc cham sauce in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Roll the mixture into the wrappers and fry until golden. Serve with lettuce leaves, thai basil, cilantro, mint and nuoc cham sauce. You wrap the spring roll in a lettuce leaf, top it with the herbs and dip it into the nuoc cham sauce.

Nuco Cham Sauce
¼ c sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 c fish sauce
¼ c water
2 t chili garlic sauce
2 cloves garlic minced
Mix all ingredients and chill until ready to serve.

Okonomiyaki

2011-05-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

My friend Ai taught me how to make okonomiyaki awhile ago. It was SO good! It's like a meat & vegetable pancake. There are 2 different styles of okonomiyaki in Japan. Ai is from Osaka, where they're famous of okonomiyaki, so this is an Osaka style recipe. You can buy okonomiyaki flour that has the nagaimo and other spices in it, but she showed us the scratch recipe.

Ai’s Osaka style Okonomiyaki

(Per person)
1 c cake flour (cake flour is lighter like Japanese all purpose flour)
2/3 c water
¼ c grated nagaimo (It’s a Japanese yam that is a raw egg consistency when grated)
1 egg
Whatever toppings you want:
Bacon, cabbage, green onion, cheese, thin sliced pork, yakisoba noodles, tenkatsu, shrimp, squid etc.
Okonomiyaki sauce
Japanese mayonnaise
Mix the first 4 ingredients together. Portion out a cup of the mixture into medium size bowls, one for each person eating. Add an egg to each persons bowl and mix it in thoroughly. Each person mixes their own bowl after that and can mix in, bacon, thin sliced pork, diced cabbage, green onion, cheese, shrimp, squid tenkatsu, (little fried tempura balls) or whatever else you want.
Once each person has mixed their bowl together you pour their bowl out into a hot oiled pan like you would a big pancake. You want a pan with a lid. Cover and cook until brown and crispy. If you want yakisoba noodles then put them on top of the pancake before you flip it so they will cook on the second side. Once both sides are browned and cooked through put it on a plate and serve it with okonmiyaki sauce and mayonnaise.

Bountiful Baskets

2011-04-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

Kimchi

2011-04-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

I just found this website dedicated to Korean Food. It's awesome!! I made this Kimchi this afternoon. SOO good. I've also made the bulgogi on the website. Very good also!

http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/easy-kimchi

Major Grey Chutney

2011-04-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make the Mar-a-Lago Turkey burger that Oprah raved about but couldn't find Major Grey Chutney at any stores so I decided to make it! Definitely easier if you can find it somewhere but it was fun to make and the burgers were awesome!

Major Grey Chutney For The Mar-a-Lago Burger

Time 40 minutes Serves 12
Ingredients
4 cups prepared mango, about 5-6 medium
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup yellow onion, chopped coarsely
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup lime, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup gingerroot grated
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped orange
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup peeled, seeded and chopped lemon
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp. mustard seed
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
How to make it
Peel, pit and coarsely chop mangos. Measure 4 cups.
Fill boiling water canner with water. Place 6 clean half pint mason jars in canner over high heat.
Combine mangos, sugar, vinegar, onions, raisins, lime, gingerroot, orange, molasses, lemon, garlic, mustard seed, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, cloves and all spice in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan, Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil gently, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
Place snap lids in boiling water; boil 5 minutes to soften sealing compound.
Add cilantro during the last 10 minutes of fruit-vegetable mixtures cooking time!
Ladle chutney into a hot jar to within 1/2" of top rim (head space). Remove air bubbles by sliding a rubber spatula between glass and food; readjust head space to 1/2". Wipe jar rim removing any stickiness. Center Snap Lid on jar; apply screw band just until fingertip tight. Place jar in canner. Repeat for remaining chutney!
Cover Canner; return to boil, process 10 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 ft. Remove jars. Cool 24 hours, Check jar seals. Sealed lids curve downwards.
Store in a dark cool place!

Mar-a-Lago Pear Chutney
Recipe courtesy of Jeff O'Neill
Oprah.com | June 03, 2008 Comments (10) | Print

Recipe courtesy of Jeff O'Neill
This pear chutney topping is the key to giving the Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger that extra zing.

Servings: Serves 6
Ingredients
1 Anjour pear , peeled and diced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 cups Major Grey's Chutney
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.

Toss the diced pears with the cinnamon and salt. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 10 minutes.

Cool and mix with the chutney and currants or raisins.

Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger
Recipe courtesy of Jeff O'Neill
Oprah.com | June 03, 2008 Comments (58) | Print

Recipe courtesy of Jeff O'Neill
Oprah found a new favorite food when she tried this turkey burger at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's private club in Palm Beach. "I believe [it] may be the best turkey burger in the entire world," she says. The Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger will be permanently available at the Trump Bar and Grille in Trump Tower in New York City, open to the public for lunch and dinner. It will also be served during lunch in Chicago at Sixteen, the Trump International Hotel restaurant.

Servings: Serves 8
Ingredients
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 Granny Smith apples , peeled and diced
1/8 cup canola oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. Tabasco® chipotle pepper sauce
1 lemon , juiced and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley , finely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney , pureed
Directions
Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve with a side of Mar-a-Lago Pear Chutney and your favorite toasted bread, pita or hamburger roll.

Make your own craisins!

2011-04-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

A little time consuming, but delish!

Homemade Craisins

Ingredients
1 bag cranberries
1 Cup sugar
2 Cup water
Directions
Cut cranberries in half.

Add sugar to water in a small pan and heat until sugar dissolves.

Add cut cranberries to syrup and soak for 20-30 minutes.

Drain berries and add to dehydrator.

Dehydrate until they are dry.

Beef Vindaloo and Tandori Chicken

2011-04-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Both great recipes! I think the tandori chicken had a little too much spice (the taste of the spices, not heat, so I will scale the spices back a little next time). I love that you don't have to marinate the chicken overnight!

Goan Beef Curry with Vinegar: Beef Vindaloo
Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 30 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak, trimmed of all excess fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
Wet Masala (spice blend):

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 (1-inch) pieces cinnamon bark
6 cloves
4 peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, more if you're feeling feisty!
6 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1-inch thumb fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
1 serrano pepper, sliced in half
Kosher salt
Serving suggestion: Cooked rice and chapatis (whole wheat griddle bread)
Directions
In a small skillet, over medium-high heat, toast the cumin seeds, cinnamon bark, cloves, and peppercorns until fragrant, about a minute or so. Pour into a spice grinder, and process until powdered.

In a small food processor or blender, combine the toasted spice mix and rest of the wet masala ingredients. Process until smooth. Place a large, preferably nonstick pot over high heat, and add oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions and serrano pepper. Stirring frequently, saute onions until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cook's Note: Don't let them burn! Turn the heat down to medium-high if they're starting to burn.

Add the ground wet masala, taking care because it will sizzle wildly, and steam up your glasses if you wear them. Stir quite vigorously, and turn down heat if it's bubbling too furiously. Don't wash the food processor cup yet. Keep stirring, with short pauses, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the masala comes together as one mass, about 2 minutes. Also, you may see little droplets of oil on the perimeter of the masala. That's a good sign!

Quickly add the meat, and stir, coating the meat in the masala. Stir and cook about 5 minutes until the meat browns.

Remember that dirty food processor vessel? Fill it with 1 cup of hot water (from the tap is fine), swirl it around so it picks up any leftover masala, and pour that into the pot. Add 1 teaspoon salt, stir and bring the curry to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Cover and cook 30 minutes. Then cook with the lid ajar for another 15 minutes, to thicken the gravy slightly.

Check the meat at the end of the cooking time; it should be tender, and not chewy at all. Adjust salt if you like, and serve over rice over with chapatis (whole wheat griddle bread).

Tandori Chicken
from America's Test Kitchen
Equipment:

(2) Mixing Bowls
(1) Saute Pan
Chef Knife
Cookie Sheet or Sheet Pan
Aluminum Foil to line pan
Cooling rack or grated roasting rack

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken (Cut in 10 pieces/Breast Cut in Half)
6 Garlic Cloves - minced
2 Tbsp Ginger - minced
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Chili Powder
2 Tbsp Garam Masala
2 Limes
1 Cup Yogurt
2 Tbsp Veg Oil
2 tsp Salt

Procedure:

1. Saute Pan, medium heat
2. Add veg oil - when shimmering
3. Add garlic and ginger - stir constantly to prevent burning - sweat 1 min
4. Add seasoning (cumin, chili powder, garam marsala) and bloom in pan for 1 min with garlic and ginger (stirring constantly)
5. Remove from heat - let cool in pan

1. Once cool, divide mixture between two mixing bowls.
2. To Bowl (A) add 2 Tbsp Lime Juice and 1 Cup Yogurt
3. Mix ingredients in Bowl (A)
4. In Bowl (B) add 2 T lime juice with mixture and 2 tsp salt. So both bowls get half of the mixture and 2 T lime juice. The only difference is one gets the Yogurt and the other the salt.

1. Cut Chicken into 8 pieces, then cut breast in half giving you 10. (Save wing tip and carcass for chicken stock)
2. Skin Chicken pieces except the wings (too much trouble)
3. Score one side of all pieces 1/8" deep with a sharp knife (this allows the rub to get deep in the meet AND gives you a beautiful char on the exposed areas - char equals flavor)

1. Place meat in Bowl (B) with the Salt and Rub.
2. Rub mix deep into the scored meat, coat completely
3. Marinate for 30 mins

1. Preheat oven to 325 F
2. After 30 min marinade, pour contents of Bowl (A) into Bowl (B) with the meat.
3. Work Mix into and around meat
4. Give your rack a little spray with non-stick

1. Put dark meat scored side down on rack over tray and place in oven
2. Set timer for 22 mins
3. After 10 min have elapsed, remove rack, place breasts scored side down and back into the oven.
4. Your breasts need to come to 125 F and Thighs 135 F. You may have to pull one while the other cooks. Ideally they should temp out together.

1. Once timer goes off, and your pieces have arrived at proper temp, remove, set broiler to high, flip chicken and back in oven.
2. Anywhere from 8 - 14 mins under broiler depending on broiler, oven rack height, and desired char
3. We go six inches down from broiler element and watch those things like a hawk. Great to do when the kids are occupied or asleep.

Dark meat needs to be 175 F and Breast at 160 F. Tent and rest at least 10 mins for carry-over cookery.

Muffins anyone?

2011-04-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

I guess I had a craving for muffins last night because I made pear, banana & chocolate!! The pear were very moist, you can't taste the pear, just the cinnamon. The banana is a great recipe from my mom. The chocolate ones are really good from a new blog I just found called Your cup of cake. They aren't dense like normal muffins. They're more like a cupcake texture.

Pear Muffins
from my friend Jen's friend (I will get more info)
2 (15oz) cans sliced pears, drained and mashed. (You can also use fresh pears that you've steamed)
2/3 Cup sugar
4 Tablespoons oil (I actually used unsweetened applesauce and it worked great!)
2 Eggs
2 1/4 Cup flour (all purpose, whole wheat or I use bread flour so the puff up a bit more than normal)
2 Teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon salt

Mix everything together and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes (for muffins) and around 1 hour for "bread". It makes 48 mini muffins or 1 9x9 pan of quick bread.

KAUKI INN BANANNA BREAD

2 c. sugar
1 c butter
1 c nuts
6 bananas(2 cups)
4 eggs well beaten
2 1/2 c flour
1 t salt
2 t soda
Cream butter, sugar and then eggs. Add mashed bananas. Add dry ingredients and do
not over mix.
Bake 350 for 45 min.

Costco-esque Chocolate Muffins

http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2011/03/chocolate-costco-muffins.html
Ingredients:
3 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup oil
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 devil’s food cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) package instant chocolate pudding
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line muffins tins with liners.
2. In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs.
3. Add oil, milk, water, vanilla, and beat again.
4. Stir in sour cream, and then add cake mix, pudding mix and cinnamon. Do not over mix.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and fill muffin liners 3/4 full.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean OR the tops spring back.
7. Remove immediately from muffins tins and let cool for 10 minutes, then store in n airtight container. If the container steams because they are not fully cooled, don’t freak out, that just means they will not dry out.

Salade Nicoise

2011-04-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

This salad from Melissa d'Arabian on the Food Network was filling and flavorful. I served it with fish instead of putting the tuna in the salad.

Salade Nicoise
Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: --
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 servings
Ingredients
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
4 eggs, hard-boiled
2 (5-ounce) cans good quality light tuna in oil, drained
2 green onions, chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 pound green beans, blanched
2 large red potatoes, cubed and boiled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon-Olive Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Directions
On a large platter, place the romaine lettuce and top decoratively with the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle with Lemon-Olive Vinaigrette and serve.

Lemon-Olive Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon vinegar (recommended: white wine vinegar)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup briny olives from salad bar, chopped (recommended: nicoise)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, and vinegar. Drizzle in the olive oil and whisk to create an emulsion. Add the thyme, olives, and salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit at least 10 minutes to marry the flavors.

Tikka Masala and Aloo Gobi

2011-04-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

I love Aarti on the Food Network. I love when she makes Indian food and these recipes did not disappoint. This is the best and easiest Tikka Masala I've tried!!

Chicken in Creamy Tomato Curry: Chicken Tikka Masala
Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time: 35 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Marinade:

1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 3 cloves garlic put through a garlic press or finely minced)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, and cut into large bite-sized chunks
Sauce:

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 6 cloves garlic and 2-inch thumb ginger minced)
2 serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons paprika
8 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 to 2 cups water
Oil, for grilling
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
Cooked rice, naan, or crusty piece of bread, for serving
Directions
For the marinade: In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.

For the sauce: When you're ready to make the curry, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and serrano peppers. Saute until lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and the paprika and saute for about 1 minute to draw out their flavors.

Add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. You may need more water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes give off.

Meanwhile, fire up your grill. When it is nice and hot, lightly brush it with oil. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off some of the excess marinade. Cook until it's charred, about 2 minutes on each side. (Don't worry that the chicken will still be a little uncooked, it finishes cooking in the sauce).

Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring back up to a boil. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Take the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro, and serve over rice, with naan, or a crusty piece of bread!

Ginger-Garlic Paste:
1/2 cup cloves garlic, whole
1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup canola oil
Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don't use in a small glass jar. It should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.

Cauliflower and Potatoes: "Aloo Gobi"
Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 25 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows, or 2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup water, divided
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large serrano pepper, split down the middle leaving halves attached
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (similar size to cauliflower)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly minced cilantro leaves, to garnish
Directions
Mix the Ginger-Garlic Paste, coriander, turmeric, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. This is a simple wet masala (spice mix). Set aside.

In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the serrano pepper, wait 30 seconds, and then add the cumin seeds and wait until they're done spluttering.

Add the wet masala (careful, it will also splutter). Cook until the paste thickens, deepens in color slightly, and oil oozes out of the perimeter of the masala, about 2 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and potatoes, stirring to coat the vegetables with the masala. Season with salt and add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes. Then, remove the lid, stir, and cook until the cauliflower and potatoes are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Ginger-Garlic Paste:
1/2 cup cloves garlic, whole
1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup canola oil
Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don't use in a small glass jar. It should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.

Outrageous Brownies

2011-03-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

The brownies are amazing!!

Outrageous Brownies
Ina Garten

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder (I don't use)
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (1 cup for batter and 1/4 cup in the chips and nuts)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.
Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

Ai's Katdu-don and Miso Soup

2011-03-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

My friend Ai taught me how to make pork katsu-don and miso soup a couple of weeks ago. It was SOOOO good!!

Ai’s Pork Katsu-don

Boneless Pork chops
Flour
Panko breadcrumbs
1 egg + ½ T vegetable oil per egg (you will need however many eggs you need to cover however many chops you’re making)
Salt & pepper
Oil, for frying
1. Lightly tenderize both sides of the chops then squish them back into form on a cutting board and set aside.

2. Wisk the amount of eggs and oil you need in a medium bowl (the oil helps the panko stay on the chops).

3. Line a cookie sheet with the panko crumbs and set aside.

4. Salt and pepper the pork.

5. Sprinkle flour on both sides of the chops.

6. Take each chop and put it in the egg mixture and then place them on top of the panko crumbs on the cookie sheet. Once the cookie sheet is filled or you’ve finished putting the egg on each chop sprinkle the chops with panko and press down so both sides are covered in panko.

7. Put the chops aside until you’re ready to fry, then fry until golden.

Sauce (per person):
¼ small onion, sliced thin
50 mls water (just shy of a ¼ c)
1 T soy sauce
1 T mirin
1 ½ t sugar
1 t dashi (like a fish bouillon)
1 egg (per person)
1. Saute the onion in about a T of vegetable oil until softened.

2. Add the water and dashi, let simmer for about 5 minutes.

3. Add soy, mirin and sugar, taste (should be strong taste since you will add egg that will make it less strong), let simmer.

4. Right before you’re going to serve it lightly beat as many eggs as you have people eating and put the eggs into the sauce ½ at a time. When you put the second half of the eggs in put the lid on and cook just for a minute until the eggs are just done.

ASSEMBLY: You can either put the fried chops into the sauce and then put it over rice if you like the pork soft. If you like the pork crispy then put rice on the plate, then sauce over the rice and the pork on top.

Ai’s Miso Soup
Any vegetables you want, cut thin (dikon, pumpkin, carrot, etc)
(Per person)
1 c water
1-2 T miso (red, white or Koji (Ai’s favorite, it has rice in it)
½ t dashi (it's a fish bouillon base you can get at Japanese markets)
Silken tofu (cut into small cubes)
Green onion (sliced small)
1. Put the water and dashi in a pot at medium heat.

2. Once the water is hot add the vegetables and simmer until soft.

3. Put the amount of miso you need in a large ladle. Put a little of the dashi broth in the ladle with the miso and stir a small amount of the miso into the broth in the ladle. When the miso is mixed into the broth pour that part into the rest of the broth and vegetables and continue the same process until all the miso is in the pot.

4. Add the tofu and green onions (you can also wait to serve until you add the green onions).

IMPORTANT: Don’t boil the miso!! Just heat until hot.

Ai's Sukiyaki

2011-02-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

My friend Ai taught me how to make Sukiyaki a couple of weeks ago. We had so much fun and it was delicious!! Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish that you cook in a hot pot on the stove and then transfer it to the table and put it on a hot plate to keep it hot. Everyone eats out of the communal pot. Each person has a plate of rice to eat their sukiyaki with.

Ai’s Sukiyaki

Prep Work (use as much vegetables as you want)
4 lg carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch by 3 inch long pieces
4 c dicon, peeled and cut into 1 inch by 3 inch long pieces
3 lg yellow onions, cut into strips
Boil the vegetables until just starting to soften, then drain.

8 lg shitake mushrooms, sliced
3 Japanese green onions, sliced on the diagonal in 2-3 inch slices
Enoki mushrooms (straw mushrooms), washed
1 medium head of Napa Cabbage, cut into chunks
Shinjuku (chrysanthemum leaves, herb that looks like parsley), wash, cut hard stems off and roughly chop
Shiratake Noodles, rinse and cut them
Broiled Tofu, rinse and cut the block into 4 strips by 3 strip chunks

SAUCE
1 c Mirin (Japanese sweet cooking seasoning)
1 c Soy Sauce
¾ c sugar (If using Japanese sugar then use 1 c)
Mix until sugar is dissolved

ASSEMBLING
Put 1 T oil in the bottom of the pot. Cook about half the meat. Take out some of the excess oil with a paper towel. Add half the sauce to the meat. Add all the other ingredients into the pot by placing each of them in their own little section of the pot. Don’t put the siratake noodles next to the meat, it will make the meat tough. Put the lid on and steam until all the veggies are softened. Serve with rice.

Chex Mix Arare

2011-02-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

I made this Chex Mix Arare a couple of weeks ago. It was a really fun twist on regular chex mix. I loved it. Some people that tried it loved it & others just thought it was ok. Arare can be an acquired taste. You can get furikake at any Japanese market. It a mixture of seaweed, sesame seeds & all other kinds of flavorings that you sprinkle over rice.

Chex Mix Arare
Adapted from Erin’s (Food For Thought) recipe

Makes about 14 cups of snack mix

Recipe Notes: You can use whatever cereals or snacks that you love in your Chex Mix. Just make sure you use a total of 13 cups! I used a combination of cashews and peanuts, but again, use a total of 1 cup of whatever nuts you love.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup granulated sugar
7 cups Crispix rice cereal
3 cups Honeycomb cereal
3 cups Bugles
1/2 cup salted roasted cashew pieces
1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts
1/4 cup nori komi furikake

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place the oil, butter, corn syrup, soy sauce, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves.

3. Pour the Crispix, Honeycomb, Bugles, and nuts into a large baking pan. Drizzle ¼ of the syrup over the cereal mix and mix well. Sprinkle ¼ of the furikake over the mix. Continue adding syrup and furikake and mixing until all ingredients have been added and the cereal mix is evenly coated.

4. Bake for 1 hour, stirring the chex mix every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

Baked Spinach & Halibut from Jessica Seinfeld

2011-02-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUst4LrGl_s&feature=player_embedded

I've been wanting to try this baked halibut from Jessica Seinfeld for a long time & I finally made it this week. It was really really good! It was super easy too. I think next time I will use more spinach because mine got a little dry and crispy. Also, I had to cook it for double the time she says to get it cooked through. I will definitely be making this again!

Thai Honey Peanut Chicken

2011-01-24T10:40:00.000-08:00

This Thai Honey Peanut Chicken from Tasty Kitchen is really good and really easy. I added some veggies. I think next time I will cook the chicken as is and have the steamed veggies on the side.

Thai Honey Peanut Chicken
http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen-blog/2010/11/a-tasty-recipe-thai-honey-peanut-chicken/

Ingredients
1 pound Chicken, In Chunks
¼ cups Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic (approximately 1 Large Clove)
1 Tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter (heaping Tablespoon Even Better)
½ teaspoons Curry Powder
1 teaspoon Sriracha (optional)
Preparation Instructions
Mix ingredients and marinate chicken for 2-3 hours.
Cook chicken in the sauce over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes or until chicken is done. Reduce heat to medium-low and add precooked veggies if desired. Serve topped with sesame seeds.
To thicken sauce if needed: reduce heat to medium-low and add a cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water).
Substitutions: replace chicken with tofu; replace peanut butter with tahini or another nut butter; if using regular peanut butter (i.e. Skippy) instead of natural peanut butter, reduce honey by 1 tablespoon.

Buttermilk Syrup

2011-01-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

This Buttermilk Syrup from allrecipes.com is really good. It's super sweet so a little goes a long way. It's really good on ice cream too. You really need to let it cook until it's a nice golden/amber color before adding the vanilla.

Buttermilk Syrup

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda. Bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla.

Mongolian Beef

2011-01-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

This Mongolian beef from Home Based Mom's blog is so so so good! & super easy. I added some carrots and broccoli when I made it.

Mongolian Beef
http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/mongolian-beef/

1 lb top round steak or flank steak, cut thinly on the cross grain

1/4 C cornstarch

3 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger or minced ginger

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 C water

1/2 C soy sauce (I used low sodium)

1/2 C brown sugar

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

3 green onions, sliced into 2-3″ pieces

oil for frying

Dry off meat with a paper towel and slice into 1/4″ thick slices against the grain. Add to a bowl with the cornstarch and coat thoroughly.

Add 1 1/2 tsp oil to a wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger, stir until fragrant. Add soy sauce, water, rice vinegar and brown sugar. Cook for about 2 minutes and remove from pan.

Add remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil to pan over high heat. Add the meat and cook until brown on all sides and slightly crispy. Pour sauce back into pan over meat. Add green onions, stir and remove from heat. Serve with rice. EnJOY!

Awesome Granola!

2011-01-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law Holley has gotten me addicted to this granola recipe from Alton Brown. It's the best granola I've ever had! She doesn't add the cashews or raisins and I don't either. Instead of maple syrup sometimes I use half agave nectar and half honey & it's really good that way too.

Granola
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Prep Time: 10 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
6 servings
Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup cashews
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

Gingerbread Muffins

2011-01-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

These gingerbread muffins are SOO good! My kids keep asking me to make more & more.

Gingerbread Mini-muffins
Adapted from the Bed and Breakfast Cookbook by Pamela Lanier
Of course you could make these as normal sized muffins or even a whole loaf, but that’s just not as fun!
Ingredients:
1 cup of dark brown sugar
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup of molasses
1 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup of melted butter
* If you don’t have buttermilk (I almost never do), just add 1 tbsp. of white vinegar to a cup of regular milk and let sit out for about 10 minutes.
The Process:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray/butter muffin tins.
2. Combine sugar, flour, soda, salt and spices in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl mix the egg, molasses, milk, and butter.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just blended.
5. Add to muffin tins (about 3/4 full, these muffins don’t rise too much, so you don’t have to worry about them overflowing) and bake for 15 minutes. If making normal sized muffins, it’ll be more like 20 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick comes out clean.

http://backtothecuttingboard.com/dessert/gingerbread-mini-muffins/

Parker House Rolls

2011-01-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

The first time I made these rolls from Alex Guarnaschelli they were really dry. The second time I made them they were heaven! It's also a really good dough for cinnamon rolls. The second time I made them I put the dough on a very lightly floured surface after it was done rising and I didn't put any flour on the top of the dough. The dough didn't stick at all. It was perfect.

Parker House Rolls
Recipe courtesy Alex Guarnaschelli for Food Network Magazine

Serves:
24 rolls

Ingredients
1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
7 1/2 to 8 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for brushing
2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
Directions
Bloom the yeast.

Measure out 1/2 cup warm water and check the temperature: It should be between 110 degrees F and 120 degrees F (comfortable bathwater temperature). Sprinkle the yeast into a large bowl, add the warm water and whisk in the sugar. Let sit 1 minute (it should bubble and froth slightly), then gently stir in 1 cup flour. Set aside near the stove while you prepare the dough.

Make the dough.

Mix the melted butter and milk in a mixer with the hook attachment on low speed. Add the eggs and mix until blended. Scrape in the yeast mixture and mix until incorporated. Add 6 1/2 cups flour and 1 tablespoon salt; mix until the dough forms a ball, 2 to 3 minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour if the dough is too wet and sticky.

Let it rise.

Brush a large bowl with softened butter. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place, 2 hours to 2 hours, 30 minutes. The dough should double in volume.

Shape the dough.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a clean flat surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Flour your hands; gently press the dough into a 16-by-8-inch rectangle, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (don't use a rolling pin).

Cut the dough.

With the short side in front of you, cut the dough in half lengthwise with a floured knife. Then slice crosswise into 12 strips.

Shape the dough.

One at a time, fold each strip of dough unevenly in half so the top part slightly overlaps the bottom half, then tuck the overhang underneath. Place the rolls seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet in 3 tightly packed rows. (If making in advance, wrap the baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 weeks.)

Bake the rolls.

Bake until the rolls are bursting at the seams and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. (If frozen, bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees F, then 10 minutes at 375 degrees F.) Remove from the oven and brush with softened butter. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Foolproof Rib Roast

2011-01-21T18:05:00.000-08:00

This is a super easy and delicious roast recipe from allrecipes.com
Foolproof Rib Roast

INGREDIENTS:
1 (5 pound) standing beef rib roast
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
DIRECTIONS:
1. Allow roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small cup. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan so that the fatty side is up and the rib side is on the bottom. Rub the seasoning onto the roast.
3. Roast for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Turn the oven off and leave the roast inside. Do not open the door. Leave it in there for 3 hours. 30 to 40 minutes before serving, turn the oven back on at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) to reheat the roast. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F (62 degrees C). Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving into servings.

Panetone

2011-01-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was the first time I tried Panetone bread. I was so so good as French toast!

Green Chile Egg Casserole

2011-01-21T18:02:00.000-08:00

I love green chile, so anytime I come across a recipe with that in it I'm pumped! This was good. It's SUPER cheesy.

Green Chile Egg Casserole

2 – 4 oz. can diced green chiles
1 lb. shredded jack cheese
1 lb. shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs, separated
1 can evaporated milk
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. flour
Tomatoes for topping
Salsa for topping
*This dish must be prepared the night before baking.

Beat egg whites until stiff white peaks form, set aside. In a large separate bowl, beat yolks with a fork. Add one can of evaporated milk, salt, pepper, flour and green chiles. Mix well. Gently fold in egg whites.

Sprinkle mixed cheeses evenly in a 8 ½ x 11 casserole dish. Pour egg mixture evenly over cheeses and spread with a spatula. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake for 55 minutes.

Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve topped with sliced tomatoes and salsa on the side.

Serves 12.

http://www.make-it-do.com/cook-it-bake-it/muy-bueno-green-chile-egg-casserole/

Shamrock Cookies

2010-12-23T20:52:00.000-08:00

These are my friend Diane's shamrock cookies. They're very festive looking and very delish!

Shamrock Cookies

1-1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
5 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350. Cream shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Work with 1/3 to 1/2 of dough at a time -- pinch off small (1/2-3/4 inch) pieces of dough, roll into balls. Four balls per cookie. Roll each ball in green decorator sugar, then place 3 balls touching each other in a triangular pattern on an ungreased cookie sheet. Pinch the 4th ball to make more of a stem, and push it inbetween two of the balls forming the triangle. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set.

Homemade microwave popcorn

2010-11-19T14:16:00.001-08:00

How did I not know you could do this??? Put 1/4 c popcorn kernels in a paper lunch bag. Fold the top over twice. Put it in the microwave on its side for 2 mins! So easy! I like to melt a couple of t of butter & put the butter & salt on it after it's cooked.

Sata Andagi (Okinawan Doughnuts)

2010-11-19T14:15:00.001-08:00

I learned to make these in home ec and haven't made them since. I don't know why I haven't made them since! They're easy & yummy!

Sata Andagi (Okinawan Doughnuts)

allrecipes.com

Ingredients
oil ( for deep frying)
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a deep fryer or deep skillet, heat oil to 350 F or until hot.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, and vanilla. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add to egg mixture; stir until dry ingredients are moistened and dough is smooth.
Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into the hot oil; fry until golden brown and doughnuts rise to the surface.
Drain on paper towel lined plates and serve hot, but they are also good cooled down, you can buy them either way there on Okinawa!'

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2010-10-22T14:01:00.001-07:00

I made this dip for a Relief Society Activity last week. I just took all the things I like in Spinach & Artichoke dip recipes I've had and mixed them all together. It turned out really good.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Kerstin Bates
6 medium portabello mushrooms, diced
1 stick of green onion, diced
3 sliced precooked bacon, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T butter
1 28 oz can artichokes, diced
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
½ c mayo
16 oz cream cheese, softened
½ c parmesan cheese, grated
5 basil leaves, diced
½ t dried dill

Cook the mushrooms, green onion, bacon and garlic in the butter in a skillet until softened. Add the spinach and cook over a medium heat until all the moisture is cooked out of the mixture. In a large bowl mix the spinach mixture, mayo, artichokes, cream cheese, parmesan, basil and dill until thoroughly mixed. Put in a 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for 30 mins. You can also top it with a thin layer of parmesan for a nice crust.

Warm Picnic Burritos ("Burritos De Machaca") Recipe courtesy Marcela Valladolid Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 2 hr 30 min Level

2010-10-22T13:58:00.001-07:00

This burrito filling from Marcela on the Food Network is SO good. It made a lot so I put some in the freezer & had 2 meals. I will definitely be making this again.

Warm Picnic Burritos ("Burritos De Machaca")
Recipe courtesy Marcela Valladolid

Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 2 hr 30 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
12 burritos
Ingredients
Marinade:

2 tablespoons Maggi sauce* or 1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 (2 to 3-pound) skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 3 pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 cup beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Lime wedges, for serving
*Maggi sauce is a popular seasoning in Mexico that can be found in Latin markets
Directions
Combine the Maggi sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, chile, salt, and pepper, to taste, in a medium-size bowl. Slowly add the 1/2 cup of olive oil, whisking constantly.

Add the beef to the marinade, making sure each piece is coated with the mixture. Transfer the meat and the marinade to a quart-size freezer bag. Seal and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight. Allow the meat to come to room temperature before cooking, about 30 minutes. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade.

In a large heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides, a few pieces at a time, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned meat to a platter and set aside.

Add the onions, peppers, garlic, and chiles to the hot pan. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the beef broth, tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well, then return the meat to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer slowly until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and allow to rest until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Continue to cook the onion mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Using your fingers or 2 forks, shred the meat into 2-inch-long pieces. Return the shredded meat to the pot, stir to combine, and cook until meat is very hot, about 3 minutes.

Warm the tortillas over a burner or in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20 seconds. Put about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture in the center of each tortilla, and roll into a thin burrito. Arrange them on a serving platter and garnish with lime wedges.

Super Simple Crock Pot Beef Stew

2010-10-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

I made this last week. It was really good and super super easy.

Simple Beef Stew

1 package beef stew meat
4 small potatoes, cubed
1 c baby carrots
1 package brown gravy mix
1 package onion soup mix
1 c water

Put all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Chunky Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie

2010-10-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

I really like Top Chef:Just Desserts. The judges said over and over that this cookie Erika made was really good so I had to try it. It's a seriously good cookie!!

CHUNKY CHOCOLATE CHIP WALNUT COOKIE
-Erika Davis

Top Chef: Just Desserts, Season 1, Episode 3, Elimination Challenge

INGREDIENTS

¾ c sugar
¾ c brown sugar
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ lb butter
2 ½ c AP flour
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ c chocolate chips
1 c walnuts
DIRECTIONS

1. Cream the butter, sugars, eggs together then add the vanilla, salt and baking soda. Scrape the sides and add the baking powder and flour. Mix till incorporated and add the walnuts and chocolate chips just till mixed.

2. Scoop and bake at 345

Pancakes/Waffles

2010-10-22T13:49:00.001-07:00

This recipe from Allrecipes.com is my go to recipe for pancakes & waffles. Delish!

Fluffy Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
cooking spray
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Spinach Twist

2010-10-22T13:47:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe from Sister's Cafe. It was a little complex, but really good. It's really rich, so be prepared for that.

Spinach Twist
submitted by Erin ~ sisterscafe.blogspot.com
printable recipe
8 Rhodes Texas rolls, thawed and risen (or 12 regular dinner rolls)
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese
3 c chopped fresh spinach
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 egg
1/4 c parmesan cheese
2 c chopped ham
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg, beaten
parmesan cheese, if desired

Press rolls together and roll out to a 10x13 inch rectangle. Mix cream cheese, spinach, basil, rosemary, egg, parmesan cheese and ham in bowl. Spread mixture over dough. Saute mushrooms, onion, garlic, butter, salt and pepper. Spread over cream cheese mixture. Starting with the longest side, roll dough up tightly and place seam side down. Tuck ends under. With a long, serrated knife, cut roll lengthwise in half. Carefully, roll each half so the cut side is facing out. Twist halves together 3 times and then pinch ends together and tuck under. This will form a long twist. Place on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Brush with egg and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise until double. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes. Do not underbake. Cove with foil the last 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.
This is what it looks like before being baked:

Caramel Apple Cake

2010-10-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

This is a really yummy cake from the Food Network Magazine. It's quite a process, but really good.

Caramel Apple Cake
Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:1 hr 0 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:1 hr 30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
8-10 servings

Ingredients
For the Caramel and Apples:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
3 cups sugar
5 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
4 large Golden Delicious apples (1 3/4 to 2 pounds)
For the Batter:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
Directions
Butter a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan. Make the caramel: Cook the sugar and corn syrup in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is dark amber, 7 to 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the cream and 4 tablespoons butter (it will splatter) and cook, stirring, until combined, about 3 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and let sit 1 minute. Pour 1 1/2 cups caramel into a glass measuring cup and set aside. Pour the remaining caramel into the prepared pan and set aside until set, about 30 minutes.

Cut 3 apples into quarters and cut out the cores with a paring knife. Arrange the pieces skin-side down in the pan (overlapping them slightly) to form a ring about 1/2 inch from the edge. Save any pieces that do not fit for later.

Halve the remaining whole apple crosswise. Scoop out the seeds with a melon baller or measuring spoon, leaving the stem on the top half. Chop the bottom and any of the leftover quartered apples into pieces; set aside.

Arrange the apple top, stem-side down, in the center of the pan. If the quartered apples shift, just push them back into place.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, orange juice and vanilla.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Slip them into the mixer bowl, one at a time, and beat until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 5 more minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula.

With the mixer on low speed, add half of the sour cream mixture, then half of the flour mixture. Repeat. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula; finish combining the batter by hand.

Spread the batter over the apples in the pan. Top with the chopped apple. Bake on the middle oven rack until the cake is brown on top and springs back when pressed, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes (don't worry if the top is dark). Cool in the pan on a rack.

Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a skillet wide enough to hold the cake pan. Carefully run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan several times, then rest the pan in the water to soften the caramel, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the water and dry.

Invert a plate on top of the cake, then flip over the cake and plate. Using pot holders or a towel, wriggle the pan off. Soften the reserved 1 1/2 cups caramel in the microwave, about 2 minutes. Drizzle the cake with some of the caramel. Slice and serve with the rest

Cauliflower Gratin

2010-10-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is a really good recipe I tried a couple of weeks ago from Ina Garten. It's a nice change up from the normal potatoes gratin.

Cauliflower Gratin
2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:20 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:30 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
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.

Aloha Chicken

2010-10-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law's family is famous for this recipe. It's so easy & SO good. It's called Aloha Chicken because you use Aloha Brand Soy Sauce.

Aloha Chicken
-Schoen Family

1 c Aloha Soy Sauce
1 c sugar
1 t garlic, minced
1 t ginger, minced
3 lbs chicken thighs

Put the first 4 ingredients in a large pot. Bring them to a boil until the sugar dissolves. Add the chicken and cook at a medium high heat for 45 minutes.

I like to cook everything in the crockpot on low for about 8 hours.

Super Quick No Rise Pizza

2010-10-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

This pizza is great when you don't have time to wait for the dough to rise. It was really good! It's from allrecipes.com

Pizza Dough I

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45
degrees C)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on a large pizza pan. Top as desired.
2. Bake at 375 degrees C (190 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Pasta Bolognese

2010-10-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

This is a time consuming recipe, but it's also delish. It's really hearty and thick. This made a huge amount, so I just put 2/3 in the freezer for another time.

Pasta Bolognese
Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell

Prep Time:45 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:4 hr 30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1 large onion or 2 small, cut into 1-inch dice
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch dice
4 cloves garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan
Kosher salt
3 pounds ground chuck, brisket or round or combination
2 cups tomato paste
3 cups hearty red wine (I used beef broth instead)
Water
3 bay leaves
1 bunch thyme, tied in a bundle
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
High quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Directions
In a food processor, puree onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste. In a large pan over medium heat, coat pan with oil. Add the pureed veggies and season generously with salt. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook until all the water has evaporated and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be patient, this is where the big flavors develop.

Add the ground beef and season again generously with salt. BROWN THE BEEF! Brown food tastes good. Don't rush this step. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook until brown about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes.

Add water to the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the meat. Toss in the bay leaves and the bundle of thyme and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates you will gradually need to add more, about 2 to 3 cups at a time. Don't be shy about adding water during the cooking process, you can always cook it out. This is a game of reduce and add more water. This is where big rich flavors develop. If you try to add all the water in the beginning you will have boiled meat sauce rather than a rich, thick meaty sauce. Stir and TASTE frequently. Season with salt, if needed (you probably will). Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti. Pasta water should ALWAYS be well salted. Salty as the ocean! TASTE IT! If your pasta water is under seasoned it doesn't matter how good your sauce is, your complete dish will always taste under seasoned. When the water is at a rolling boil add the spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than it calls for on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

While the pasta is cooking remove 1/2 of the ragu from the pot and reserve.

Drain the pasta and add to the pot with the remaining ragu. Stir or toss the pasta to coat with the sauce. Add some of the reserved sauce, if needed, to make it about an even ratio between pasta and sauce. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and cook the pasta and sauce together over a medium heat until the water has reduced. Turn off the heat and give a big sprinkle of Parmigiano and a generous drizzle of the high quality finishing olive oil. Toss or stir vigorously. Divide the pasta and sauce into serving bowls or 1 big pasta bowl. Top with remaining grated Parmigiano. Serve immediately.

Rajas

2010-09-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

I made this last week when my family was in town and everyone wanted to lick the pan! It was SOO good. I used New Mexico Hatch green chilies instead of poblanos & I diced the roasted chilies instead of cutting them into strips.

Creamy Poblano Pepper Strips (Rajas)
Recipe courtesy Marcela Valladolid, 2009

Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time:10 minCook Time:25 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 to 6 servings (or 2 cups)

Ingredients
6 fresh poblano chiles* (or canned, peeled)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
2 ears corn, kernels removed
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Mexican crema or creme fraiche
1/2 cup, shredded Monterrey jack cheese
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Char the poblano chiles directly over the gas flame on the stove or under the broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in a plastic bag and let steam for about 10 minutes.

Add the oil to a heavy large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Set aside.

Peel and seed the chiles. Cut the chiles into 1/4 to 1/2-inch strips (rajas) and add the strips to the onion and corn mixture and saute until the corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and Mexican crema and cook until bubbling, about for 8 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Season the rajas with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

Notes
*Cook's Note: The poblano chile is a fresh chile that ranges from mild to hot. It is a deep, dark green color and is large and wide with shiny skin. Ripened on the plant and dried it is known as "chile ancho" or "pasilla." They can also be found at most supermarkets or Latin specialty markets. Just keep your eye out, as some stores sell them fresh under the name "pasilla."

A great filling for tacos or topping for grilled arrachera. You can use virtually any chile but a mild poblano adds the perfect amount of spice to any dish.

Home Smoked Salmon

2010-09-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

I made this salmon recipe from the show Chuck's Day Off on the Cooking Channel. It was really simple and very good. The brine is a little sweet, which I liked, but I think Matt prefers it a bit more salty than sweet. I thought the apple vinaigrette was a little too mild of a flavor for me.

Home Smoked Salmon with Green Salad and Apple Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy Chuck Hughes

Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: 24 hr 0 min Cook Time: 30 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
2 servings

Ingredients
Home Smoked Salmon
3 cups hot water
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
4 tablespoons coarse or kosher salt
Pinch grated lemon zest
2 (4-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
1 to 2 cups hickory or alder wood chips, for smoking
1/2 cup water
Olive oil, for garnish
Apple Vinaigrette
1 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch coarse or kosher salt
Dash apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons canola oil
Green Salad
4 to 6 frisee lettuce sprigs
2 large radishes, thinly sliced
1 small yellow beet, peeled and thinly sliced
Handful baby green beans, blanched
Handful baby arugula leaves
Handful fresh celery leaves
1/3 cup croutons, toasted and slightly crushed
Zest of 1/2 lemon, for garnish
Directions
To make the salmon: In a medium bowl or container, combine the hot water, brown sugar, white sugar, salt and lemon zest. Add the salmon, skin side up, to the brine, pressing it down to submerge. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the salmon from the brine, and discard the liquid. Rinse the fillet under cold running water briefly to remove the excess salt. Place the salmon, skin side down, onto a rack. Let it stand until the top is dry to the touch, for about 1 hour. Do not pat dry.

To prepare your wok smoker: Lay 2 layers of foil in the bottom of a wok if you want to protect the pan from getting charred. Add 2 handfuls of wood chips to the wok and place it over high heat. Add the 1/2 cup water.

Position the bamboo steamer over top of the chips, and set the salmon fillets inside.

Cover the wok with a lid or aluminum foil, and let the salmon smoke for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until its flesh is firm to the touch, and its edges are brown, crustier and caramelized.

Remove the salmon from the steamer and transfer to a plate. Drizzle the smoked salmon with olive oil for garnish, and serve it alongside the salad.

To make the vinaigrette: Pour the apple juice into a small pot, then boil it on high to reduce the liquid by half.

Into a bowl, add the mustard and grind over some black pepper.

Add a nice pinch of coarse salt, then add a dash of the apple cider vinegar. Whisk in your reduced apple juice along with the canola oil. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary.

To make the salad: Toss the frisee, radishes, beets, green beans, arugula, and celery leaves into a bowl with just enough vinaigrette to barely moisten the leaves.

Partially crush your crunchy croutons by placing them into a bowl, then crunching them with the bottom of a second bowl. Then add them to the vegetables.

Grate a little lemon zest over the salad with a grind of black pepper. Give everything a final toss and plate.

Mint Truffles

2010-08-24T13:59:00.001-07:00

Mint truffles are one of my favorite candies. I've never made them before, but I had a bag of dark chocolate/mint morsels that I got at HEB on clearance last Christmas so I decided to try to make truffles with them. I made them for my Relief Society lesson last Sunday. I didn't see them last time I was at the store, but I did see that Andes mint candies has some diced up candies in the baking isle that I think will work just as well.

Mint Truffles

1 12 oz back of dark chocolate & mint morsels or Andes mints chopped
2/3 c heavy cream
chocolate coating wafers or bark coating (This is my favorite place for candy coating chocolate. I usually place a big order with them once a year and hope it lasts all year! http://www.wilburbuds.com/docs/category/chocolateconf.html)

Put all the chocolate in a medium glass bowl. Put the cream in a saucepan and heat until very hot but not boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate with a whisk at the ready and once the cream goes in whisk until all the chocolate is melted. Put the bowl in the fridge until the chocolate is hardened (about 2 hours). Use a melon baller and roll small balls and put them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until firm then dip in the melted wafter coating or bark. I keep these in the fridge until I'm ready to serve.

**special thanks to Matt my hand model, I told him he had to let me take a picture before he ate the last one!

Oreo Truffles

2010-08-24T13:57:00.001-07:00

I taught Relief Society on Sunday and made these for a treat. I topped them with little pearl candies I found in the baking isle of my grocery store.

Oreo Truffles

1 (16 ounce) package OREO Chocolate
Sandwich Cookies
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
Chocolate Almond Bark coating

Crush the oreos in a food processor until they're fine crumbles. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 1-inch balls.

Refrigerate for about an hour.
Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet.

**special thanks to Matt my hand model, I told him he had to let me take a picture before he ate the last one!

Tortilla Soup

2010-08-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

I LOVE tortilla soup!! This recipe from Marcela Valladolid from the show Mexican Made Easy on the Food Network was really good. I added cilantro and I didn't add the tortillas to the blended mixture because I like my soup more brothy).

Classic Tortilla Soup
Recipe courtesy Marcela Valladolid

Prep Time:15 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:41 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
6 servings
Ingredients
Soup:

4 large plum tomatoes
1 small white onion or a 1-inch-thick slice of a large white onion, peeled
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 medium dried New Mexico chile, stemmed, seeded, and torn into large pieces
6 cups chicken broth
2 corn tortillas, torn into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tortilla strips:

6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
Vegetable oil, for shallow frying
6 to 8 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, optional for garnish
Mexican sour cream or regular sour cream, for serving
2 avocados, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes or slices
1 queso fresco or mild feta cheese, crumbled (I used monterrey jack)
Directions
Soup: Heat a heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, peeled onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves. Roast, turning frequently, until the garlic is soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic when soft, but slightly blackened. Peel the garlic and set aside. Add the chile and continue to cook for another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the onion and set aside. Continue to cook the tomatoes until charred and blackened, another 5 minutes. Put the garlic, chile, onion, tomatoes, tortillas, and 2 cups chicken broth in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan and add the remaining 4 cups chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Tortilla strips: In a medium, heavy skillet, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 1/2 an inch. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

To serve, ladle the soup into 6 individual serving bowls. Serve whole chipotle chiles, Mexican sour cream, avocados, cheese, and tortilla strips on the side.

South o' the Border Prawn Masala

2010-08-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

I've been a little obsessed with Indian food lately. This recipe from the Next Food Network Star winner Aarti Sequeria was very very good. My best kitchen assistant helped me make the shrimp stock. I was surprised that she wanted to handle shrimp tails, but very proud of her too! The shrimp I had only had the tails, not the heads or shell so I just used the tails.

South o' the Border Prawn Masala
Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeria

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 50 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
1 pound large head-on prawns, shelled, deveined, heads and shells reserved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2 dried arbol chile, stemmed
1 dried ancho chile, stemmed
1 (14-ounce) can peeled tomatoes in juice, drained, liquid reserved
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (I used 1/2t of dried)
Naan bread, for serving
Directions
Remove the prawn heads. In a medium saucepot, bring the prawn heads, shells and 5 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

While the vegetables cook, break the arbol chiles and ancho chile into pieces (remove the seeds, if you prefer less heat and spice), then grind in a spice grinder to a fine powder. Set aside.

Crush the tomatoes with your hands.

Add the turmeric, garam masala, and 2 teaspoons of the ground chile powder to the skillet. Reserve the remaining chile powder for another use. Saute the mixture for 30 seconds, then add the crushed tomatoes and 1/4 cup of the reserved tomato juice. Cook the mixture, stirring, until thickened and most of liquid is cooked out. Cook's Note: This sweetens the tomatoes and helps bring all the flavors together.

Strain the prawn shells from the water and discard the shells. The water is now a prawn stock. Add 2 cups of the prawn stock to the tomato mixture and bring the mixture to a simmer. The remaining prawn stock can be cooled and frozen for future use. Simmer the tomato mixture, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Add the prawns to the skillet and cook, stirring gently, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, then add the heavy cream and fresh dill. Let the mixture simmer, for 2 minutes more, stirring gently. Season with salt, and pepper, to taste. Serve the masala with warm naan.

Black Bottom Cupcakes - Oldie but goodie

2010-08-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

I made these for a baby shower a couple of weeks ago. This is probably one of my most requested deserts. They are SOO good.

Black Bottom Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
1 Devil’s Food Cake Mix + ingredients to make cake
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 c sugar
1/8 t salt
¾ c choco chips
Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese
½ c butter
1 c powdered sugar
(Cream cheese & butter together, add sugar and beat until fluffy & light)
Topping:
½ c semi-sweet choco chips
1 t butter
(Melt together on low heat in a saucepan or in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time)
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix cupcakes according to package directions.
3. Fill 24 paper lined cupcake pan with cupcake mixture. Fill each one about ½ full.
4. Beat cream cheese. Then add egg, sugar and salt and mix until creamy. Add chocolate chips.
5. Put 1 ½ T of cream cheese mixture over cupcake batter.
6. Bake for about 20-22 mins or until done (test side of cupcake with a fork).
7. Chill until completely cooled.
8. Top with frosting (since there is already cream cheese in the cupcake you don’t need much)
9. Drizzle with chocolate mixture.

Green Curry

2010-08-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad Aarti won, The Next Food Network Star! I've tried several of her recipes and they've been delicious. I made this one a couple of weeks ago. Yum!

Green Chicken Curry
Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeria

Prep Time: 25 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 40 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
2 small bunches cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves, coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups
1 red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup water, plus 1 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 1 3/4 pounds, halved
1/2 teaspoon malt vinegar
1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt, whisked until smooth
Cooked basmati rice or warm naan bread, for serving
Directions
Add the cilantro, mint, red onion, garlic, ginger, and salt, and pepper, to taste, to a food processor or blender. Puree on high until smooth. With the processor running, add about 1/4 cup water, and blend until the mixture is the consistency of a thick paste, a.k.a. "masala". Set aside.

In a large pot or deep skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until golden brown.

Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the masala mixture into skillet and cook, stirring often until it deepens in color and aroma. You'll know it's ready when it looks shiny, little droplets of oil will appear on the surface, and the masala will hold together as a cohesive mass.

Add the chicken, coating every piece in the masala and stirring often. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, so that the masala really adheres to the chicken. Add about 1 1/2 cups water, just enough to cover the chicken, and the vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and sauce has thickened slightly, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the yogurt. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and serve over rice or with warm naan bread.

Snickers Bars

2010-08-16T18:36:00.001-07:00

I made these bars from Sister's Cafe a few weeks ago. They're really easy and very tasty.

Snickers Bars
submitted by Erin ~ sisterscafe.blogspot.com

1 box chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 14-oz package of caramels
1 cup peanuts
1 cup chocolate chips (or more)

Mix the chocolate cake mix, 3/4 cup melted butter, and 1/3 cup sweetened condensed
milk together. This mixture will be very thick. Spread 2/3 of this mixture into the bottom
of an ungreased, 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-10 minutes until set.
Unwrap the caramels and put in a microwave safe bowl. Add 1/3 cup sweetened
condensed milk to the caramels, and melt in microwave, 1 minute at a time until mixture
is completely melted and smooth.
Spread the chocolate chips on top of the cooked cake mixture. Spread/drizzle caramel
mixture on top of this. The caramel will be uneven. Sprinkle peanuts on top next. Then
put remaining cake mixture on top next. Again, this mixture is quite thick, so this will
also be uneven which is ok.
Bake at 350 for 16-20 minutes.
Let cool completely before cutting. This is important as the caramel makes it very difficult
to cut if still warm.

Roquefort Pear Salad

2010-08-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe from allrecipes.com last night for dinner. Delish!!

Roquefort Pear Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1 head leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size
pieces
3 pears - peeled, cored and chopped
5 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled (I used blue cheese)
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup pecans (I used walnuts)
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard (I used dijon)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.
2. For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce, pears, blue cheese, avocado, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans, and serve.

Fruitful Bars

2010-08-09T19:27:00.001-07:00

My mom made this cake for my birthday and it was so unique and delicious! No one could stop eating it. It's my Aunt Kim's recipe.

FRUITFUL BARS-Like cake
Kim's Hawaiian Friend

2 1/2 c. flour 1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. soda 1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla 2 eggs (optional)
3/4 c. nuts (optional0 coconut flakes
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen sweetened strawberries liquid too.
1 can mandarin oranges with liquid
Mix all but coconut together for 3 min. Pour into sprayed and floured 9 by 13 pan, and sprinkle with coconut-enough to cover.
Bake 40 min. at 350 Spread immediately with the following glaze.:
3/4 c sugar 1/4 c. canned milk
1/2 t. vanilla 1/2 c butter
Boil 1 min and spread over cake

Zucchini patties

2010-07-21T20:17:00.001-07:00

We had a bunch of garden squash to use. These were really good.

Zucchini Patties

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls, and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.

Fresh Lemonade

2010-07-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

Tart, sweet & refreshing! This is a yummy recipe from allrecipes.com

Best Lemonade Ever

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.
2. Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.

Tyler Florence Swedish Meatballs

2010-07-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

These were seriously SO good. Super moist & the gravy was delish!! I didn't have black currant jam, so I used Simply Fruit Blueberry Jam, I used vegetable stock instead of chicken just because I had some to use & I didn't use allspice or lingonberry jam since I didn't have any.

Lena's Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberry Sauce
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Prep Time: 30 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 50 min
Level:
--
Serves:
about 60 meatballs
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
1 pound each ground beef, pork, and veal (or all beef if you prefer)
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons salt
Few grinds black pepper
2 teaspoons ground allspice
3 pieces white bread, crust removed, torn and soaked in whole milk
Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons black currant jam
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
Lingonberry jam, for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Remove the onion to a plate and cool. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meats, egg yolks, heavy cream and onion. Add salt, pepper and allspice. Squeeze excess milk from the bread and add it to the bowl. Mix gently with your hands or wooden spoon.

With a bowl of cold water standing by, form meatballs about 1-inch across. Dip your fingers in cold water, from time to time, to keep the meat from sticking to your hands.

Melt the remaining butter in the saute pan and once the foam has subsided add a layer of meatballs. Do not overcrowd the pan. Shake the pan once in awhile, to keep the meatballs round. Brown all of the meatballs, in batches, removing them to a large oven safe dish when cooked. Put the dish in the oven for about 20 minutes, being careful not to overcook them.

Cook's Note: you may need to wipe out the pan between batches as it can get kind of gnarly.

To make the sauce: Pour off most of the fat from the skillet and return it to the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl it around to coat the pan. Sprinkle in the flour, and stir with a wooden spoon or whisk to dissolve the flour into the fat. Pour in the chicken stock, and stir to loosen the bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer, stirring, until the liquid is reduced and the mixture starts to thicken to a sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Lower the heat and stir in the cream and the black currant jam. Add the meatballs to the sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

To serve, spoon a couple of meatballs onto each plate along with a spoonful of sauce, and serve with the lingonberry jam on the side.

Fudge Sauce & Butterscotch sauce

2010-07-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

I made these 2 sauces last night for our banana splits. They were so good! The fudge was super thick and creamy, just how I like it. I've never made butterscotch before. It was really easy and good. These recipes are from allrecipes.com

Butterscotch Sauce II
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, milk, corn syrup and butter. Warm over low heat until smooth and butter is melted. Do not boil.

Hot Fudge Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed
milk
4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet
chocolate
2 tablespoons butter (no substitutes)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk, chocolate and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.

Banana Bread Cobbler

2010-07-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

I know the title of this recipe sounds like it could be a hit or miss recipe, but I'm telling you you MUST try this recipe from Bake or Breaks blog. It is AMAZING. Especially if you like bananas or banana bread. So unique and delicious. Matt said it's the best dessert he's ever had. We had it with vanilla ice cream. My camera wasn't charged when I made it, so I don't have a picture.

Banana Bread Cobbler

March 31st, 2010 · No Comments

Read and see more at Bake or Break. Recipe from Southern Living.

Streusel topping

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup uncooked regular oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Stir together brown sugar, flour, and butter until crumbly. Stir in oats and pecans. Set aside.
Filling

1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 medium bananas, sliced
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease an 11″x 7″dish.
Whisk flour, sugar, and milk just until blended. Whisk in melted butter. Pour into prepared pan. Top with banana slices and streusel topping. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Cheesecake Filled Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

2010-07-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

Oh my, these were SO good. I beat together 8 oz of softened cream cheese, 3/4 c powdered sugar, the zest of half a lemon and the juice of half a lemon. Then I cut open each strawberry and piped in some cream cheese mixture and then dipped them in chocolate bark coating. YUM!

Migas

2010-07-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

I love Migas, so I decided to try to make them a couple of weeks ago. They turned out really good. I chopped up some corn tortillas and some bacon and cooked them together in a skillet. When the bacon was crispy I added some beaten egg and a couple of tablespoons of my favorite salsa. I cooked them like you would scrambled eggs. Then right before they were done cooking I added some grated sharp cheese. DELISH!

Squash Tacos

2010-07-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

This is one of my family's favorite dinners. You just saute' yellow squash and some diced onion in a little butter (about 1 T). Then when the squash is almost done put in some fresh corn and cook for just a couple of minutes. Serve it on corn tortillas with some grated sharp cheddar cheese & salsa. SOO good!

Shrimp Pasta in a Foil Package

2010-07-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

This was an easy, fun & yummy dish from Pioneer Woman...

Shrimp Pasta in a Foil Package

Ingredients
½ cups Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
3 whole 14.5 Ounce Cans Diced (or Whole) Tomatoes
½ cups White Wine
2 pounds Jumbo Or Large Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Fresh Parsley, Minced
1 pound Linguine, Uncooked
Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
Preparation Instructions
Cook pasta for 1/2 the recommended cooking time. Pasta should still be very firm.
In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Dump in the tomatoes and wine. Stir the mixture together, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook for ten minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare a large parcel of heavy duty aluminum foil. It should be large enough to hold the entire pasta dish.
Throw the shrimp on the top of the pasta sauce. Throw the drained pasta over the top, then pour the whole dish onto the foil. Tightly wrap the foil into a parcel.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm until serving.
Open the foil parcel right before serving. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the top. Squeeze on lemon juice, if desired.

2010-07-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

I made these 3 Giada (from the Food Network) recipes for father's day. The chicken was easy to make and very good. I think next time I will experiment with some other spices on the chicken. The salad wasn't my favorite. The chicken & veggie dish were big hits.

Roasted Citrus-Herb Game Hen

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008

Ingredients

2 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) Cornish game hens
1/4 cup olive oil
2 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons orange zest, from 2 medium oranges
2 tablespoons lemon zest, from about 3 lemons
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons Marsala wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 cup dried cranberries or currants
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Directions

Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Rinse the game hens and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, shallots, orange zest, lemon zest, thyme, mint, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Rub 2 tablespoons of the zest mixture over the skins of the game hens. Place the remainder of the zest mixture under the skin and into the cavities of the hens. Using kitchen twine, truss the legs together. Place the hens in a shallow 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Add the chicken stock, Marsala wine, lemon juice, orange juice, and cranberries. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the leg juices run clear. Remove the game hens and set aside. Place the flour in a small saucepan. Whisk in the pan juices. Bring the juices to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk in the butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

To serve, remove the kitchen twine and place the hens on 2 serving plates. Drizzle with the citrus-herb sauce.

Cook's Note: Reserve 1/4 cup of the citrus-herb sauce for the Crouton Salad.

Crouton Salad

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008

Ingredients

1/2 (8-ounces) loaf rosemary bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes* see Cook's Note
Olive oil, for drizzling
3 cups packed arugula
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup Citrus-Herb Sauce, see Roasted Citrus-Herb Game Hen recipe
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until toasted. Set aside to cool.

In a medium salad bowl, mix together the cooled croutons, arugula, and pine nuts. Add the Citrus-Herb Sauce. Toss well until all ingredients are coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

*Cook's Note: You can also use olive bread or any plain rustic loaf in place of the rosemary bread.

Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Vegetables

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
5 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
2 tablespoons pitted small black olives, such as kalamata, halved
2 tablespoons halved pitted green olives
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt for seasoning, plus 1/2 teaspoon
Freshly ground black pepper
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, ends trimmed and discarded, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 yellow summer squash, ends trimmed and discarded, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch strips
Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

In a medium skillet, heat remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the warm vegetables to the oil mixture and toss until coated.

Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.

Caramel Bars

2010-07-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

I LOVE these bars. Chewy chocolate caramel goodness!

Caramel Bars

INGREDIENTS

* 32 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
* 5 tablespoons heavy cream
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup rolled oats
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup butter, melted
* 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt together the caramels and heavy cream, stirring occasionally until smooth.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in the melted butter until well blended. Press Half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Reserve the rest.
3. Bake the crust for 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and sprinkle with chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour the caramel mixture over the top and then crumble the remaining crust mixture over everything.
4. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 12 minutes, or until the top is lightly toasted. Cut into squares while it is still warm.

Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

2010-07-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

These potatoes from Our Best Bites are awesome!!

Garlic-Rosemary Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
www.ourbestbites.com

1 1/2 lb. fingerling (or other very small potatoes), washed; try and pick the potatoes that are as bite-sized as possible
2 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 Tbsp. coarse-grain or Dijon mustard
2 1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Rosemary (be sure and strip the needles from the stem before chopping them)
About 5 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
Coarsely-ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water is heating, combine olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, mustard, and some black pepper. Set aside. When the water is boiling, add the potatoes and boil for about 10 minutes or until they are easily pierced with a fork. Drain, return the potatoes to the pan, and then toss with the mustard mixture.

Now...this is where the beauty of this recipe comes in. You can either do all of this ahead of time and then refrigerate the potatoes until you're ready to finish them off or you can do it all at once. Either way, you're not going to spend more than 30 minutes making these beauties and they're so elegant that you could seriously serve them at the fanciest dinner party. So...if you're making these right now, preheat your oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. If you're saving them (for up to 6 hours), line the baking sheet and spread the potatoes out evenly and then cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate them until you're ready to bake them.

When you're ready to bake these guys, sprinkle with Kosher salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the skins are browning and sizzling. For fancy presentation, place the roasted potatoes on a platter, scrape those delicious bits off the foil sprinkle them over the potatoes, and then garnish with a few sprigs of rosemary.

Buttermilk Waffles

2010-07-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

These waffles from Sisters Cafe are very very good! Matt likes them with half the cinnamon, but I like the full amount of cinnamon.

Buttermilk Waffles
Submitted by Mindy

1 stick butter, melted
2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs until fluffy. Beat in everything else just until smooth.

Cute baby shower favor idea

2010-06-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

I threw a shower for a woman a couple of months ago and she asked if she could bring a favor for everyone. She brought the cutest favor! She put candy in the bottom of a small plastic pot. Then she cut out some fabric into a diaper shape with pins on the side and inside the diaper she put this poem, flower seeds and these flower candies she made. It was so cute.

Potato idea

2010-06-18T14:05:00.001-07:00

My husband grew these beautiful multi-colored potatoes in our garden this year. We had small blue, red and white potatoes. I made mini twice baked potatoes with them keeping each colored flesh separate and added different mix ins to each one. They were yummy & fun to make.

Orange and Raspberry Cake

2010-06-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

This cake is...AMAZING!! Light, refreshing, creamy, unique...AMAZING! My husband tried it and said this is good, then a few minutes later I looked over and his piece was completely gone and I said oh you did like it and he said that was SO good (he's not really even a sweet person!). Then my friend Cristina said she's not really an orange cake person, but she loved it! It's a nice refreshing orange flavor, not artificial at all since you use fresh orange instead of an orange box cake. I almost didn't use the fresh raspberries, but I'm so glad I did. It really added to the cake.

Orange and Raspberry Cake
Giada DeLaurentis

Cake:

* Butter, for greasing the pans
* Flour, for dusting
* 1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe)
* 1 large orange, zested, about 1/4 cup
* 1 1/3 cups no pulp orange juice
* 3 egg whites
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Frosting:

* 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1/3 cup creme fraiche
* 1 pound powdered sugar
* 1/4 cup raspberry jam
* Water, as needed
* 1/4 cup raspberry jam
* 1 (6-ounce) container fresh raspberries

Directions

For the cake: Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of 2 nonstick, 8-inch round, baking pans. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the cake mix and orange zest. Mix for 20 seconds at low speed until the zest is incorporated. Add the orange juice, egg whites, and vegetable oil. Blend at low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 to 32 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour.

For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and creme fraiche at high speed until smooth, about 10 seconds. With the machine running at medium-low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar until incorporated. Add the raspberry jam and increase the speed to high. Beat until the frosting is smooth and spreadable, adding water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed.

To assemble the cake: Arrange 1 cake layer, flat side up, on a cake stand. Using a spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting on top leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spread 1/4 cup of raspberry jam on top of the frosting. Arrange the other cake layer on top. Using a spatula, frost the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with fresh raspberries. Cut the cake into wedges with a slightly wet knife and serve.

Store the cake in a plastic container in the refrigerator. Allow the refrigerated cake to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cakes

2010-06-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try this recipe for a long time. I made them this week for my friends birthday. They are seriously SOO SOO good! Peanut butter and chocolate, you just can't go wrong!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Cakes
adapted from Food & Wine Magazine
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus melted butter for brushing
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 ounces dark chocolate (70 percent cacao), chopped
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 425°. Brush four 6-ounce ramekins with melted butter. In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon of the flour; dust the ramekins with the cocoa mixture, tapping out the excess. Transfer the ramekins to a sturdy baking sheet.
In a medium saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter with the chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly.
In a bowl, blend the peanut butter with the 1 tablespoon of confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the granulated sugar with the eggs and salt at medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the melted chocolate until no streaks remain. Fold in the 1/4 cup of flour.
Spoon two-thirds of the batter into the prepared ramekins, then spoon the peanut butter mixture on top. Cover with the remaining chocolate batter. Bake in the center of the oven for 16 minutes, until the tops are cracked but the centers are still slightly jiggly. Transfer the ramekins to a rack and let cool for 5 to 8 minutes.
Run the tip of a small knife around each cake to loosen. Invert a small plate over each cake and, using pot holders, invert again. Carefully lift off the ramekins. Dust the warm cakes with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.

Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls) with Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce Recipe

2010-06-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love fresh spring rolls and they are surprisingly easy to make. This recipe is really good. You can use whatever fillings you like. In mine I used grilled shrimp, carrots, lettuce, cilantro and basil.

Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls) with Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce Recipe
http://rasamalaysia.com/vietnamese-spring-rolls-goi-cuon-with/
For the grilled pork:

1 lb pork chops, loin, butt or shoulder. Sliced thin.
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 Tbs fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce Recipe

1 cup (8 oz) hoisin sauce (if sauce is thick, add about 1/4 cup warm water to reach desired consistency)
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 Tbs rice vinegar
2 garlic, crushed
1 minced thai chili, or more for desired spiciness

For spring roll rice paper assembly:

About 10 rice paper wrappers
Lettuce
Cucumber, cut into long slices
Fresh herbs: mint, cilantro, basil, vietnamese coriander, balm or perilla
Bean sprouts

Method:

1. In plastic bag, combine all ingredients for the grilled pork. Let marinade for about 20 minutes. Grill both sides of pork for about 2-3 minutes, or until desired texture.
2. In blender, combine all ingredients for the hoisin peanut dipping sauce. Blend until everything combines smoothly together. If it is too thick, continue adding warm water until desired consistency.
3. In bowl of warm water, dip each rice paper wrapper for about 3-5 seconds (depending on rice paper thickness). Do not over soak your rice paper wrapper! Place on work service and allow rice paper to soak up water and become gelatinous and pliable (about 30 seconds to 1 minute, again, depending on the thickness rice paper).
4. On top 1/3 side closest to you, lay lettuce on the bottom for added strength to the wrapper. Then place meat, herbs and other vegetables. Roll up spring roll about 1/3 way through, then fold in the sides. View step-by-step photographs of spring rolling here.
5. Serve with hoisin peanut dip.

Another thing to do with the bread!! - Rolls

2010-06-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

I decided to try making rolls with this bread recipe that I LOVE! I just took it through the second rise and then plopped hunks of the dough in roll shapes onto a cookie sheet with some olive oil on it. I sprinkled fresh parmesan cheese on top and baked them at 350 for about 15 mins or until golden. YUM!
No-Knead Bread
Jim Lahey at the Sullivan Street Bakery via Mark Bittman at New York Times

Yields one 1 1/2 pound loaf

3 cups bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 c cool water
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add water, and stir until blended; dough will be sticky. Add a little more water if you need to make it sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at room temperature, out of sunlight, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles and it's a little bit darker of a color. Use lightly floured hands to pull the dough off the edges of the bowl and tuck the edges in to make it a round ball. Make sure there is a light coating of flour all over the ball of dough, not too much, just enough so you can pick it up without the dough sticking to your hands.

3. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Fold towel over to cover dough and put it in a draft free place to rise. Let it rise for 1-2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. A half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 475°. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes (I ended up only baking mine 10 minutes extra), until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Crockpot Roast

2010-06-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try a new recipe other than the lipton onion soup crockpot roast recipe that I always use. This roast had such great flavor!

I put a chuck roast in the crockpot. Then in a bowl mixed 1 t black pepper, 4 cloves garlic (minced), 6 T balsamic vinegar, 1/2 c soy sauce, 4 T worchestershire sauce, 1 t dry mustard. I poured it on the roast & cooked it for 8 hours on low.

Tracy's sinful oatmeal cookies

2010-06-10T08:47:00.001-07:00

These cookies my friend Tracy introduced me to are seriously amazing!! I used the dough in place of apple crisp topping last week and it was so good.

Sinful Oatmeal Cookies

1 c butter softened
1 c brown sugar
1/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 c flour
2 1/2 c quick - cooking oats
1 10 oz package cinnamon chips
1 c raisins or craisins (we used craisins)
1/2 c walnuts, toasted & chopped
1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted & chopped
1/2 c pecans, toasted & chopped

Preheat oven to 350
Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla & mix well. Combine soda with flour and mix into butter mixture. Stir in oatmeal, chips, craisins & toasted nuts. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets. Bake for 10 - 12 mins.

Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry Sauce

2010-06-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

I saw Ina Garten make this on the Food Network & thought it looked delicious...& it was!! It tastes like a light cheesecake minus the crust with a hint of lemon. SOO good.

Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry Sauce

Ina Garten

Ingredients

* 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
* 2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
* Raspberry Sauce, recipe follows
* 2 half-pints fresh raspberries

Directions

Place the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean seeds and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7-inch sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels so the ends drape over the sides and suspend it over a bowl, making sure that there is space between the bottom of the sieve and the bottom of the bowl for the liquid to drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate, and drizzle Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce around the base. Serve with raspberries and extra sauce.

Raspberry Sauce:

1 half-pint fresh raspberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup seedless raspberry jam

Place raspberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and orange liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

Yield: 2 cups

Cooking Light Crab Cakes

2010-05-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

I made these a couple of weeks ago for lunch with a friend. They were very good. I made them into crab cakes and then took about a 1/2 c of the crab cake mixture (uncooked) and put it with 4 oz of cream cheese and a couple of strips of bacon cooked and crumbled and stuffed it into mushroom caps and baked them. YUM!

Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade
* Crab cakes:
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 1 1/2 tablespoons canola-based mayonnaise (such as Spectrum brand)
* 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1 large egg
* 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
* 1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
* 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
*

Rémoulade:
* 1/4 cup canola-based mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
* 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
* 2 teaspoons Creole mustard
* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. To prepare crab cakes, combine first 8 ingredients. Add panko and crab, tossing gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

2. Fill a 1/3-cup dry measuring cup with crab mixture. Invert onto work surface; gently pat into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Repeat procedure with remaining crab mixture, forming 8 cakes.

3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 crab cakes to pan; cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Carefully turn cakes; cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden and crab cakes are thoroughly heated. Remove cakes from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan dry with paper towels. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 4 crab cakes.

4. To prepare rémoulade, combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Serve with crab cakes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies - tip

2010-05-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

We love chocolate chip cookies around here, so we have a lot of experience making them! ;)

I find they turn out best when all ingredients are at room temperature and I put the butter in the mixer, turn the mixer on and never turn it off until I'm ready to put in the chocolate chips. It makes a light fluffy batter.

Cute idea

2010-05-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

At our ward auction we bid on Family Home Evening treats for a month. Last Monday Celisse brought us these adorable cupcakes inside ice cream cones. She brought them in cups with the side sliced open so they were easy to get out. They were yummy!

Brie with Apricot topping - crock pot

2010-05-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

I made this for a baby shower a few weeks ago. I got the recipe from the 365 days of crock pot cooking website. It was really really good. It was all gone. I used my little dipper crock pot and it was super easy.

Brie with Apricot topping
--1 large round or wedge of brie (the round I used was 13.2 oz)
--1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
--2 T brown sugar
--2 T water
--1 tsp balsamic vinegar
--1/4 tsp dried rosemary
--1/2 cup chopped walnuts

The Directions.

I used a 1.5 mini round crockpot. If you are going to use a big one, put the brie in an oven-safe dish. As long as the dish and the crockpot heat together, you're all good.

If your brie has a really hard rind, cut the top part off. This was the first time I had used this brand of brie---I've always reached for the stuff from Trader Joe's---and I was alarmed at how thick the rind was.

Put the brie into the crockpot.

In a bowl, mix the chopped apricots, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, water and rosemary together. Spoon on top of the brie.
Sprinkle on the chopped walnuts.

Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours, or on low for about 3. Check after an hour in both cases just in case.

Serve with your favorite crackers or apple slices.

Kicked up Spinach Dip

2010-05-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

I love using the basic Knorr Vegetable Soup mix spinach dip recipe (minus the water chestnuts, I don't like them, weird, I know) and adding diced green onion and a bunch of dried dill (to taste). It just adds a yummy freshness.

Sister's Cafe Baguette

2010-05-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

I needed some bread quickly for dinner last week so I tried this baguette from Sister's Cafe. It was really good, fast & easy. Mine didn't turn out as crispy on the outside as I like my baguette to be, but it was mostly likely cook error & not recipe error!

Baguette
submitted by Brittany ~ www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tbs. (2 packages) dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt

In a small bowl mix the warm water with the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes - foam should form on the top.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth ball and knead for 5 minutes. (I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook)

Cut in half and then shape into 2 baguettes. To make them smooth and pretty, roll each half of dough into rectangle and roll up lengthwise. Pinch the edges to seal and place on lightly greased cookie sheet (or silpat) with seam down. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. With a very sharp knife (I like to use a serrated blade) gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. This will give it that authentic look. Pour water in a cookie sheet and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Half way through, brush the bread with melted butter. **I tried it with olive oil too... it was less crispy and salty. We liked the butter a lot more!

Camille's Chicken Teriyaki

2010-05-11T15:29:00.001-07:00

My mom just sent me my cousin Camille's cookbook. I'm so excited to try all of her recipes! She's a great cook. Here's the first one I tried. I love teriyaki and this is a delicious recipe.

Camille's Chicken Teriyaki

8-10 chicken thighs, tenders or flat steak

1/3 – ½ cup soy sauce, sugar and water

(depends on how much chicken or meat you cook)

1 tsp. chopped fresh ginger root

1-2 garlic cloves – chopped or minced

½ - 1 tsp. sesame seed oil (dark oil) optional

1-2 tsp. lemon juice or orange juice

Mix all ingredients in plastic bag add the chicken or meat then marinade over night.

Broil desired meat in pan with marinade juice until brown or grill. Cover it and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until tender (if you cook longer it will be really tender)

Baked Kale Chips

2010-05-06T07:52:00.001-07:00

I was looking for a new recipe for kale and came upon this recipe at allrecipes.com. My first reaction was, that looks weird. I decided to try it anyway. I followed the instructions and kept looking in the oven to see what was going on. The kale looked like it was wilted and not crisp at all, so when I finally pulled it out of the oven and tried it I was amazed to find that it was super crispy!! It had a spinachy taste, but was super crisp like chips. It was a fun healthy snack. I baked mine on a silpat baking mat just to make sure it didn't stick.

Baked Kale Chips
allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Assorted Chocolate Truffles

2010-04-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

I made a bunch of these truffles for a Young Women's thing for church recently. I made peanut butter truffles, oreo truffles, chocolate covered cheesecake balls (buy your favorite cheesecake, roll into balls, refrigerate and cover in chocolate), & apple truffles (use a melon baller to make balls from an apple, cover with chocolate and whatever other toppings you want ((nuts, coconut, caramel dots, peanut butter wafers melted, etc))

Peanut Butter Truffles

1/2 c butter, melted
1 1/2 c peanut butter
4 c powdered sugar

Combine all the ingredients. (I use my hands) Roll the mixture into 1/2 T balls. Refrigerate them for about an hour. Coat them with melted chocolate almond bark and let them set on parchment paper. On these I drizzled melted peanut butter wafers.

Oreo Truffles

1 (16 ounce) package OREO Chocolate

Sandwich Cookies

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
Chocolate Almond Bark coating

	Crush the oreos in a food processor until they're fine crumbles. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 1-inch balls. Refrigerate for about an hour.
	Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. I drizzled these with a little white almond bark coating.

Popcorn Heaven!!

2010-04-20T20:28:00.001-07:00

I got this recipe from a woman in my ward at church. It looks like she got it from Our Best Bites which is an awesome food blog. It's seriously one of those recipes that you will want to make over and over and over again. One of those recipes that you will seriously crave! It's so so good. I could have eaten the whole batch myself! I didn't use white chocolate. I used a dark chocolate wafer coating.

Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans & White Chocolate

Recipe by Our Best Bites

12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels)

1 C pecan halves, roughly chopped

1 C brown sugar

3/4 t cinnamon

1/4 C karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)

1 stick real butter (1/2 C)

1t vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

3 squares almond bark (about 4 oz)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup over the top of everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.

Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam and rise. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir very well so everything is well coated.

Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread out on a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil.

Melt almond bark according to package instructions. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks and enjoy! (I actually like the Ghirardelli Candy Making and Dipping Bar instead of the almond bark.) I have also used a combination of melted white chocolate and melted chocolate chips or the Ghirardelli. I have melted them separately and drizzled them alternately on the warm popcorn.

Cute lunch box

2010-04-20T20:26:00.001-07:00

We used these for a Young Women's luncheon a few weeks ago. They're called gable boxes. We had them sitting on the tables open with a sandwich, chips, cookie and an orange inside. The girls and their mom ate their lunch and then they could take some of it to go if they wanted. They were a big hit. We got them at www.papermart.com.

Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese & Salmon Cakes

2010-04-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

I made this last night for dinner. It was SO SO good. The penne was very unique. It was cool to make a cream sauce using goat cheese, definitely better for you. It's also a great alternative for lactose intolerant people. I think next time I will use a little less pasta because the cream sauce dried out quickly from the pasta to sauce ratio. The salmon cakes were seriously amazing! I used fat free greek yogurt and the sauce was awesome.

Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:: 8 min
Inactive Prep Time:: --
Cook Time:: 1 hr 0 min

Level:: Easy

Serves:: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 (2-pound) butternut or kombucha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne pasta
1 cup (8 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (see Cook's Note)
1 packed cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions

Put an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray a baking sheet, liberally, with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

Mix the squash and onion together and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for to 40 to 45 minutes until the vegetables are golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

While the squash mixture is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water. Put the pasta, goat cheese and 1 cup of pasta water in a large serving bowl. Toss until the cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce. Add the squash and onion mixture, the walnuts and the basil. Toss well and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and serve.

Cook's Note:

To toast the walnuts, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes Cool completely before using.

Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Caper Yogurt Sauce

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time:: 20 min
Cook Time:: 15 min

Level:: Easy

Serves:: 6 to 8 salmon cakes

Ingredients

Salmon:

1 pound skinless salmon fillet (see Cook's Note)
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Patties:

1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup (1/2-ounce) chopped fresh chives
26 saltine crackers, crushed, divided
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, plus more, as needed
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Sauce:

1/2 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt (I used fat free)
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until the flesh is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, about 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

Patties: Using a fork, flake the salmon into 1/2-inch pieces and put into a medium bowl. Add the egg, chives, 1/2 of the crushed crackers, the corn, mustard, mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix gently until just combined. Form the mixture into 2 1/2-inch diameter patties, about 3/4 inches thick. (If the mixture is too dry to form into patties, add extra mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon at a time,) Carefully coat the patties in the remaining crushed crackers and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until golden and crispy, about 7 to 8 minutes each side. Drain on paper towels.

Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Arrange the salmon cakes on a platter and serve alongside the sauce.

Cook's Note:

The salmon can also be baked in a 350 degree F oven. Drizzle the salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Put in a baking dish and bake until just cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes