Cute idea

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. 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.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Assorted Chocolate Truffles

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!!

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

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

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

BBQ Chicken Supreme

This just added something extra to plain chicken. I cooked frozen chicken in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes (just until cooked through). Then I topped the chicken with a spoonful of BBQ sauce, a layer of sliced baby bella mushrooms, sliced green onions and sharp cheddar and put them back in the oven until the cheese was melted. SO good.

Mom's Simply Super Salsa!

My mom makes the BEST salsa. It's so so good and the great thing is it's SO easy. I made some last week to go along with our shredded pork tacos. For the tacos I just put 4 thick Costco pork chops, 4 oz of roasted green chilies and 1 small can of mexican style tomato sauce in the crockpot and cooked it until it would shred (about 8 hours).

Mom's Simply Super Salsa

1 large can of whole tomatoes (I think it's 28 oz)
1 small can of sliced jalapenos (I think it's 4 oz)
garlic powder (to taste)
salt (to taste)

Just put the whole tomatoes in a blender (add as much juice from the can as you want for the consistency you like). Then add the jalapenos & a few dashes of garlic and salt. Then blend and taste. Keep adding salt and garlic powder to taste (the longer it sits the more the garlic and salt will come out, so don't over season). You can also add more jalapenos if you want it spicier.

I saw this recipe in a magazine a few weeks ago and decided to try it for Sunday dinner as a side to halibut. It was delicious, unique, beautiful and nutritious!

Edamame, Black Bean & Wheat Berry Salad
http://www.pompeian.com/recipeDetails.asp?id=198

Serves 6 (3/4-cup servings)

Ingredients

4 cups water 1/2 cup dry wheat berries 1/2 of a 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup frozen, shelled edamame, thawed 1 cup chopped tomato 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 2 Tbsp. Pompeian Red Wine Vinegar 3 Tbsp. Pompeian OlivExtra Plus Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Combine water and wheat berries in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 55 minutes or until wheat berries are just tender. 2. Place in a fine mesh strainer and run under cold water to cool quickly, drain well. 3. Combine the wheat berries with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours in advance.

Remarks

Wheat berries are unprocessed wheat kernels and are sold in major supermarkets and health food stores.

Baby Boy Shower Idea

I made these for a baby boy shower I did last week. I just topped cupcakes with edible Easter basket grass (I have a ton left over if anyone wants some.) and mini robin eggs.

Easter idea - For next year! ;)

Use food coloring in your sugar cookie dough and then roll them out to make egg cookies!

Meatball and Broccoli Rabe Stoup

I made this a few weeks ago. It was really good. I used beef instead of veal and bow tie pasta instead of orecchiette. I thought it was a little too thick, so next time I will add more liquid and I think I will cook the pasta and set it aside and put it in at the last minute to keep it al dente.

Veal Meatball and Broccoli Rabe Stoup

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds broccoli rabe, 1 large bunch, trimmed and cut into large bite-sized pieces
• Salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, 1 minced, 3 chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can white beans, cannellini
• Black pepper
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 cups beef or vegetable stock
• 1/3 pound orecchiette, little ear shaped pasta, or ditalini
• 1 pound ground veal
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano, a generous handful, plus some to pass at table
• 2 to 3 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• Crusty bread, for mopping

Directions

Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in a medium skillet. Add salt to boiling water and the broccoli rabe and cook 7 to 8 minutes. Drain rabe and reserve.

While rabe cooks, heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium high heat with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Add 3 cloves chopped garlic, carrots and onions. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, add white beans and heat through, a minute. Season veggies and beans with salt and pepper. Add drained rabe and the stocks and cover pot to bring to a quick boil. Add orecchiette and stir. Reduce heat and simmer soup to a low-roll, uncovered.

Mix veal with egg, remaining clove minced garlic, bread crumbs, cheese, sage and salt and pepper. Roll into 1-inch balls and drop into stoup. Cook 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve stoup in shallow bowls with crusty bread.

Brussel Sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries

I made this a few weeks ago and served it with roasted potatoes and chicken breast cooked in Italian dressing in a crockpot on low.

Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, rinsed and trimmed
• 3 ounces coarsely chopped pecans
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 ounces coarsely chopped dried cranberries

Directions

Slice the Brussels sprouts using the thinnest slicing disk of a food processor. If you do not have a food processor, you may slice thinly with a knife or a mandoline.

Set a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan over medium-high heat and add the pecans. Cook, stirring continually, until the pecans darken in color and begin to give off a toasted aroma, approximately 2 minutes. Add the butter to the pan and stir to combine. Once the butter has melted, add the Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper and cook, stirring continually, until the color brightens and the sprouts are just tender, approximately 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the cranberries, toss and serve.

Easter treats

Easter treat idea. Melt Hugs on top of pretzels then put an M&M on top & put it in the freezer until hard. YUM!

Murphy's Hot Hamburger

This recipe is from Pioneer Woman. Apparently is a recreation from a restaurant. It was really good. I had to cook the burgers in a little olive oil because I used really lean beef.

Murphy's Hot Hamburger

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 5 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 cans (14 Oz. Can) Beef Broth OR 4 Cups Water With Beef Bouillon
• 5 whole Large Potatoes
• 1 Tablespoon Oil, Or As Needed
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice potatoes into fries. Place on a large baking sheet. Pour about 1 tablespoon of oil over the fries and toss with fingers to coat evenly. Sprinkle fries with seasoning of choice. I use seasoned salt. Place in the oven. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden and crispy.

In a mixing bowl, mix hamburger, garlic, seasoned salt, onion powder and salt and pepper. Mix well with hands. Form 4 large patties. I like to make really rustic, greasy diner-style patties with no uniform shape. Place in a large preheated skillet over medium heat, preferably one with deep sides. Brown burgers on each side until done.

Remove burgers from the skillet and place on a plate covered in paper towels. Do not drain the grease. Add the flour a tablespoon at a time, stirring with a whisk. You have enough when the grease is all absorbed and the flour mixture gets thick and bubbly. Slowly add the broth a little at a time, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken.

To serve, place an ample amount of fries on the plate. Place a hamburger on top of the fries and cover it all amply in gravy. Enjoy!

Magical Butter Sauce

This butter sauce is from Pioneer Woman. She says you can put it on whatever you want! It was really easy and added a zip to this salmon. I will definitely use it again. I used apricot simply fruit.

Magical Butter Sauce Recipe

In a microwave safe bowl, melt 1/3 cup butter. Add 2 tablespoons fruit preserves (apricot, mango-jalapeno, blackberry, etc.), 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, a good turn of the pepper mill and a generous pinch of salt.

Pour this over whatever your little heart desires.

Caramel Brownies

I made these brownies from Sister's Cafe yesterday. They were really easy and yummy. They were a little burnt around the edges, so next time I will cut the cooking time some.

Caramel Brownies

submitted by Brittany

1 box German chocolate cake mix
1/3 c evaporated milk
1/2 c butter,melted

14 oz package of Kraft caramels (50)
1/3 c evaporated milk

1 cup milk chocolate chips (Guittard or other large chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together dry cake mix, butter, and evaporated milk. Press half of this mixture into bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 6 minutes.
2. Melt caramels with 1/3 c evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Set aside.
3. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked crust. Drizzle caramel over chocolate chips. Spoon or sprinkle the other half of the cake mixture on top. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Refrigerate approximately 30 minutes to set. Cut and serve.

Pesto pizza

My mom and I recreated this creation from Central Market many years ago. It's really good. You just take your favorite pizza crust (cooked & cooled), top it with a layer of pesto sauce, then put diced sun dried tomatoes and dollops of goat cheese (as much as you like) on top of that. I made my pizza crust using the no-knead bread recipe and after the second rise I just stretch the dough on a cookie sheet pan with some olive oil on it.

Roasted gold beets

I really really dislike beets...that is until I tried gold beets! I just roasted them in 450 degree oven with a little olive oil, salt & pepper until tender. Yum! (something I never thought I would say about beets)

Colcannon

I made this colcannon recipe from Sister's cafe for St. Patrick's Day last week. It was really good!

Colcannon

submitted by Brittany at Sister's Cafe

6 large potatoes, peeled

4-6 Tb half-and-half

1 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 onions, finely chopped

6 Tb butter, divided

1/2 of a small head of cabbage, sliced thinly

1. Slice peeled potatoes in half and place in pot. Fill with enough water to cover and boil for 25 minutes, or until soft. While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tb butter in large saucepan. Add minced onion and stir to coat with butter. Add cabbage over onions. Cover saucepan and cook over med-low to medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until cabbage is soft.

2. Drain potatoes and add half-and-half (or milk) and salt. Mash with electric mixer. Stir together onion and cabbage mixture with mashed potatoes. Spoon into an oven safe dish and place under broiler until top is browned. Traditionally colcannon is served with a deep well in the center filled with melted butter... so I place 2 more Tb of butter on top and let it melt into colcannon.

Asian Cabbage Salad

I made this salad last week. It was really good. I used napa cabbage and it was great. I will use napa in future cabbage salads. I loved the texture of it and the lighter crunch.

Sandee's Sensational Asian Salad with Chicken and Cabbage

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/02/recipe-for-sandees-sensational-asian.html

(Makes about 6 servings, recipe adapted by my sister Sandee from several sources.)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning (optional, for poaching water)
4 cups thinly sliced and chopped cabbage (or use 4 cups purchased coleslaw mix)
1/2 cup sliced green onion (or less, I like a lot of onion)
3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted in dry pan
2 T sesame seeds, toasted in dry pan
1 pkg. dry ramen noodles, crushed (leave out ramen noodles for South Beach Diet but save seasoning packet for dressing)

Dressing:
2 1/2 T rice vinegar ( or more, to taste)
2 T Splenda or sugar (use Splenda for South Beach Diet)
chicken ramen noodle seasoning packet (or use about 1/4 tsp. chicken flavor base)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
4 T olive oil + 2 T canola oil

Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts. Then fill a small frying pan with water, whisk in poultry seasoning, add chicken breasts and cook at a very low simmer until chicken is firm to the touch and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool.

While chicken cooks, mix together rice vinegar, Splenda or sugar, chicken ramen packet or chicken soup base, salt, and pepper, the whisk in the oil, one tablespoon at a time. Taste dressing to see if you want a little more vinegar, and when it's flavored to your liking set aside to let the flavors blend.

Thinly slice and then chop enough green cabbage to make about 4 cups chopped cabbage (or use 4 cups packaged coleslaw mix.) Add cabbage to large bowl. Slice green onions and add to cabbage.

As soon as chicken is cool, dice into small pieces (less than 1/2 inch square) and add to cabbage mixture. Add dressing until the salad is as wet as you prefer, then toss to combine. (You may not need all the dressing.)

In a large dry frying pan, toast the almonds over low heat, about 90 seconds, or until almonds start to be fragrant. Add sesame seeds and toast about 60 seconds more, or until nuts and seeds are barely starting to brown.

Add toasted almonds and sesame seeds to salad, toss again to combine, season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and serve.

Panini

I made panini for a baby shower last week using the no-knead bread method I've been using like crazy lately. You seriously have to try it! The panini were awesome! I made turkey pastrami with provolone & turkey pesto with provolone & ham, turkey, salami, havarti with olive tapenade from Costco & nutella panini. 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.

Blueberry Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for a baby shower and baptism that I made food for recently. They turned out really good. Instead of making the meringue buttercream I just made cream cheese frosting and added blue food coloring.

Trophy Cupcakes Debuts New "Farmer's Market Blueberry" Cupcake!

Blueberry Cupcakes:
Makes 12 cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line cupcake pan with paper liners
2 Cups + 2 tablespoons sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 1⁄2 cups of Sugar
2 large eggs
1⁄4 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of blueberry puree (recipe follows)
1⁄2 teaspoon of pure Vanilla extract

Blueberry Puree:
Bring one pound of blueberries (fresh or frozen) to a boil in a sauce pan (preferably
organic and from your local farmers market). Reduce heat to low and simmer until most
of the liquid has evaporated (about 1⁄2 hour) and the mixture is thick (stir occasionally).
Cool the blueberries slightly and place in a food processor. Mix until smooth. For an
extra smooth puree pass mixture through a fine sieve before using. Makes about 1 1⁄4
cups.

For Cake: Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating
until incorporated after each one. Sift dry ingredients into a separate bowl. Mix milk
with 1⁄2 cup of blueberry puree and vanilla. Add wet and dry ingredients alternately to
butter, sugar mixture starting and ending with the dry ingredients in three additions.
Mix until just incorporated after each addition. Do not overbeat batter. Fill cupcake
liners 3⁄4 full of batter. Spoon 1 teaspoon of blueberry puree into the center and mix in
slightly with a wooden skewer or small spoon. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until cake
springs back to the touch. Cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a wire
rack and cool completely before frosting. Frost with Blueberry Swiss Meringue
Buttercream. Top with a dollop of puree or a fresh blueberry.

Blueberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
5 egg whites
1 1⁄4 cups sugar
2 cups room temperature unsalted butter (4 sticks or 1 pound)
1⁄4 cup + 2 tablespoons of blueberry puree
Pinch of salt
Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a
pan of gently simmering water, and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are
hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it
should feel completely smooth. Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk
attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff
and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes. Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until
incorporated after each addition. The buttercream may appears curdled after all the
butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Add
blueberry puree and salt and beat just until combined. Switch to the paddle attachment,
and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 5 minutes. If using
buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room
temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the
refrigerator, up to 3 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature, and
beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Brazilian Lemonade

I found this recipe on Our Best Bites. It's seriously good! I find it a little funny that it's called "Lemonade" when it's made with limes and the ingredient list and directions made me really leary. I was looking for a good lime drink to serve with tortilla soup tonight and this hit the spot. We had guests over for dinner and everyone really enjoyed it.

Brazilian Lemonade
Our Best Bites

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they're the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk


Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you're using the WHOLE lime, baby. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you'll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient! You may want to taste test it at this point; I used giant, thick-skinned limes tonight and didn't test it and it came out a little bitter. If it's bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk. Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don't make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4

Grapefruit and Fennel Salad

I made this Robin Miller (Food Network) recipe yesterday for dinner. It was SO good. Really unique and refreshing. I used pink grapefruit instead of oranges.

Orange and Fennel Salad

Robin Miller

Ingredients

• 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 medium oranges, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries

Directions

Place the sliced fennel in a salad bowl. Slice oranges to divide flesh sections and add to bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. Toss, top with sweetened cranberries and serve.

Indian Butter Chicken

This was a super easy good recipe in the crock pot from 365 days of crock pot cooking blog (http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/12/crockpot-chicken-makhani-indian-butter.html)

I thought it could use a little more spice, but Matt loved it as is.

Indian Butter Chicken

-crockpot365.blogspot.com
The Ingredients.

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (mine were frozen solid)
1 onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 T butter
15 cardamom pods (sewn together!)
2 tsp curry
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 can coconut milk (I used light)
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 T lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt (to add at the end, I used fat free)

The Directions.

Use a 5 quart or larger crockpot. Carefully sew together the cardamom pods using a needle and thread. You can put them in a little cheese cloth bundle, instead, if you have that in the house. Put chicken in crockpot, and add onion, garlic, and all of the dry spices. Plop in the butter and tomato paste. Add lemon juice and coconut milk. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. The chicken should shred easily with 2 forks when fully cooked.

Stir in plain yogurt 15 minutes before serving. Discard cardamom pods. Salt to taste, serve with white or brown basmati rice.

Hot Wings

I've made these wings for several parties. They're always a hit!

Restaurant-Style Buffalo Chicken Wings

Rated: Allrecipes.com

oil for deep frying 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup hot sauce 1 dash ground black pepper 1 dash garlic powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 10 chicken wings

Directions:

1.	Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). The oil should be just enough to cover wings entirely, an inch or so deep. Combine the butter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and reserve for serving.
2.	In a small bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Place chicken wings in a large nonporous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.
3.	Fry coated wings in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until parts of wings begin to turn brown. Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl, add hot sauce mixture and stir together. Serve.

Mom's cinnamon rolls

My mom's cinnamon rolls are legendary! I opt for vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon in my frosting instead of maple.

CINNAMON ROLLS

Scald 2 cups milk

Add: 1/4 c. oil

1/4 c sugar

After this has cooled and add:

2 T yeast

1/2 c lukewarm water

Now add: 2 eggs

6 cups flour

Mix all these ingredients together for 4 min. Add more flour if necessary. Knead until not too sticky not too dry. . Set aside, and let rise until double. Roll out onto floured board, or cloth. Brush with butter, and sprinkle with

1/2 c br. sugar 1/2 c white sugar

lots of cinnamon nuts, or raisins optional

Roll up, cut into 3/4-1 inch rolls. Place on sprayed pan. Let rise for 30 min, or until doubled. Bake at 325 for 15 min, or until done.

Topping

1 box powdered sugar 2 T butter melted

1 t vanilla flavoring 1 t maple flavoring

a little warm milk. just enough to make the topping melt together, like smooth paste.

Mahi Mahi with mango salsa

I made this Rachel Ray recipe last week. Really light & refreshing.

Mahi Mahi Steaks with Mango Salsa

- Rachel Ray

Ingredients

Mahi Mahi:

• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 (8-ounce, 1 1/2-inch thick) portions mahi mahi steak
• A drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Salsa:

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 jalapeno or serrano, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 inch fresh ginger root, grated or minced
• 1/4 seedless (European or English) cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 20 blades fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1 lime, juiced

Directions

Preheat grill pan or indoor electric grill to high heat. Squeeze juice of 1 lime over fish. Drizzle steaks with a little oil and rub oil into fish to coat. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Cook steaks 5 minutes on each side on hot grill.

To assemble salsa, combine all ingredients for salsa in a small bowl.

Bow tie Chicken Caesar Salad

I made this salad from a blog my friend contributes to called 24 hour menu. It was a very light and flavorful salad. It would be perfect in the Summer time.

Bow tie Chicken Caesar Salad
2 head romaine lettuce chopped
2 chicken breasts grilled and sliced
1 box of bow tie pasta cooked and cooled
sliced carrots
cucumber cubed
cherry tomatoes
sliced avocado
1 can drained and sliced hearts of palm, (can be found in specialty aisle and so delicious)
yellow peppers
Parmesan cheese

**anything else that sounds good**

Toss all together and serve with creamy Caesar and balsamic vinaigrette. And of course fresh bread. Tonight's case was buttermilk biscuits and strawberry jam.

Balsamic Dressing
1 c. olive oil
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
tad of oregano
Blend at full speed in blender or food processor

Creamy Caesar
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 pressed or minced garlic cloves
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1-2 tsp sugar
1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
Blend at full speed in blender or food processor

This is a family favorite. SO good and so comforting. I served it with the no knead bread I posted about previously with chopped rosemary in it. Yum!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 Whole Chicken

Boil with a few vegetables to flavor the soup. I usually use celery, onions & carrots + 2 t salt. Bring the chicken to a boil & then let simmer for 2-2 1/2 hours. Remove chicken and debone, chop & set aside in fridge while you make the noodles. Keep the broth simmering. My mom use to blend the veggies in the broth so we wouldn't pick out the veggies. I haven't had to do that yet. You can add bouillon if you want more flavor.

Noodles

2 c flour 2 eggs

1/2 t salt 4 egg shells of water

Put flour and salt in a bowl, add eggs and water and stir until well mixed. Dump out on floured surface and roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut strips of the dough and put them in the simmering broth. Continue until all the noodles are in & add the chicken & let simmer for about 5 mins.

Indian Food

One of Matt's co-workers sent him home with an Indian feast a couple of days ago. It was SO delicious. So I didn't have to cook and was treated to a delicious feast! He made curry, rice a potato dish and bread. I hope he will share the recipe.

Sri-Lankan Curry

8 Chicken Thighs – Skinned

2 Large Onions – Finely chopped

4 Green Chillies - Chopped

2 Tsp Fennel Seeds

2 Tbs Tomato puree

1.5 Tbs curry powder

12 Curry Leaves

1 Tsp salt

2 Cloves of Garlic - Chopped

1 Inch sized piece of ginger - Chopped

1 Tsp Lemon Juice

Vegetable Oil

Fry the onions and chillies for 2 minutes

Add the fennel seeds and curry leaves and fry onions until golden.

Add chicken and cover for 2 minutes

Add tomato puree and curry powder and cook for 2 minutes covered.

Add 1 cup of water and cover and cook for at least 40 minutes.

Before serving add the Garlic and Ginger and Lemon juice and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Second curry

8oz Chopped tomatoes ( or use one regular can of diced Tomatos)

4 Skinless chicken breast – cubed

2 Medium onions – finely chopped

2 Cloves of garlic- finely chopped

1 Inch sized piece of ginger – finely chopped

2 Green chillies – chopped

1 Tsp Turmeric powder

0.5 Tsp Chilli powder

2 Tsp Cumin seeds

1 Tsp salt

0.25 cup of Vegetable oil

2 Tbs Madras or Jalfrezi curry paste

10 Curry Leafs chopped (Optional)

Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When crackling add the chopped onion and fry until golden. Add ginger and garlic and after 2 minutes add the turmeric, chilli, salt.

After 2 minutes add the curry paste mix well then add the tomatoes.

Mix well and add the chicken and chillies after 5 minutes add 2 cups of water, cover and allow to simmer for at least 40 minutes.

Valentine's Day treats

Add Valentine M&M's to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Or use your old Christmas candy canes by putting them on parchment paper in the shape of a heart, put them in a 350 degree oven until the start to just melt, pull them out and wrap the bottom around a lolli-pop stick.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
See this recipe on air Thursday Oct. 05 at 7:00 PM ET/PT.


Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies
User Rating: 5 Stars


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
2 ounces milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Hardware:
Ice cream scooper (#20 disher, to be exact)
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Mixer

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Combine the egg, milk, and vanilla and bring to room temperature in another bowl.
Cream the butter in the mixer's work bowl, starting on low speed to soften the butter. Add the sugars. Increase the speed, and cream the mixture until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed and add the egg mixture slowly. Increase the speed and mix until well combined.
Slowly add the flour mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for more even browning.
Remove the cookies from the pans immediately. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

I made this bread pudding with left over carrot/currant and apple no-knead bread (see previous post). I think this is the best bread pudding I've made & I think it's all about the bread!

The recipe is from Better Homes and Garden

Bread Pudding

4 eggs
2 1/4 c milk
1/2 c sugar
1 T vanilla
1 t shredded orange peel (I didn't use since my bread was already flavored)
1/2 t cinnamon
4 c dry bread cubes
1/3 c dried cherries, cranberries or raisins
1 recipe caramel sauce (recipe below)

In a large bowl beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, orange peel and cinnamon. In an ungreased 2-quart square baking dish (I used a 9 x 13) toss together bread cubes and dried fruit. Pour egg mixture over bread. Press mixture lightly into pan with the back of a large spoon. Bake, uncovered for 40-45 mins at 350 degrees until puffed and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly and then top with caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce

1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c water
1 T cornstarch
1/3 c half and half or cream or light cream
2 T light corn syrup
1 T butter
1/2 t vanilla

Put all ingredients except vanilla in a heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat until bubbly. Cook and stir 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and pour over the pudding.

Lime Chicken and No Fail rice

This recipe is from my cousins the Taylors. It's really really good. I always use half the amount of butter called for. Matt calls this rice cheesy rice even though there is no cheese in it. It's just creamy & yummy.


LIME CHICKEN

10,000.00 winner in cooking contest --From Taylors

6 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 cube butter

Juice of lime

1/2 t dill

Melt butter over medium heat in a skillet. Cook chicken breasts in butter until just done. Remove chicken from skillet and remove skillet from heat. Squeeze juice of lime into drippings remaining in pan and stir. Sprinkle dill in the glaze and serve. This dish takes about 15 minutes from start to finish and is delicious. Serve with no fail rice.

NO FAIL RICE

Preheat oven to 375

1/4 c butter

1/2 c onions chopped

1 c long grain rice

2 c chicken broth

Sauté onions in butter until transparent. Add rice and stir until well coated. Put in a casserole dish and add 2 cups of boiling chicken broth. Cover and bake 20 - 25 min.