Chunky & Moist Corn Bread
No Low fat/sugar free substitutions 2 sticks butter 1 cup white sugar 1 can evaporated milk 4 eggs 16 OZ sour cream (1 tub) 1 package each – Marie Calender’s corn bread mix and Krusteaz corn bread mix 2 cans whole kernel corn drained 2 cans cream style corn. See below for dip ingredients.
To prepare: Soften butter, mix sugar in until syrup like then add everything else one at a time in the order listed above – while hand mixing. Mix until somewhat like a brownie mix – a little softer than brownie mix. Pour into two 9X13 greased pan. Pre-heat oven at 325 – cook for 50-60 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
For corn bread dip: mix some whipped salted butter and add honey until it is sweet & buttery enough for you.
For chili dipping corn bread: Reduce the above ingredients to 1 can whole kernel corn & 1 can cream style corn. But you can keep it at 2 cans each if you want your cornbread packed and filling. This recipe is very forgiving… just have fun with it. To the batter, add 1/2 cup red pimento, 1/2 cup green chili (Ortega mild), 1/2 cup chopped yellow cheddar (to the size of half a raisin). mix all by hand. Cooking time may be 55-65 minutes. Right before serving, sprinkle some finely grated cheddar on top, put back in oven until cheese is slightly browned & melted.
Pop’s Fried Chicken
Serving: 2-4
1 Game hen, cut in half. Thawed, washed and patted dry. In a ziplock bag (One with a seal and big enough to fit your meat), squeeze 1/2 small lime, 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. sea salt, 4 tbsp. soy sauce, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. cummin, 1 tsp. garlic powder. Place meat in the bag of marinade and massage for a minute. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes before cooking.
Cook in a skillet. Set heat to medium high, place meat skin up with marinade in the skillet, cover for 10 minutes. Take lid off, turn the pieces around, cover for another 10 minutes. Take lid off (keep it off) and put heat on high. Pan starts to dry and have some oil from the marinade. Feel free to add a bit more oil if you have to. Just enough to pan sear until cooked inside and the skin is a combination of gold and brown.
Great with a spinach and tomato salad with sesame ginger dressing and some steamed rice.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Peanut butter balls
This is so easy to make even your kids can do this themselves! Makes approximately 100 1 inch PB balls.
Ingredients:
2 cups smooth peanut butter, 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 5 cups confectioners’ sugar.
Mix all together. Shape into 1 inch balls, place on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt 24 ounces of chocolate chips. They usually come in 12 ounce packages. Follow the package’s instructions on how to melt this down. Dip peanut butter balls in melted chocolate using a fork (scoop from the bottom), toothpick (insert toothpick on top of the frozen PB ball to pick up) or easter egg dipping wire. After dipping, place the chocolate covered PB ball on wax paper lined plate and refrigerate for 10 minutes to cool.
You can also melt white chocolate and drizzle on the already dipped ball for design or sprinkle powdered graham cracker or drizzle melted caramel and sprinkle with some sea salt. Get creative… the worst part about messing up is eating the evidence and with chocolate covered PB balls, all your mistakes will be delicious! Great for gifts and even wedding give-aways for those brides & grooms crazy for chocolate covered PB!
Enjoy!
Chicken Chutney Pita
Quick and easy. Makes 6 servings. 5 minutes to prepare.
3 Breast Patties.
3 pieces Pita bread.
1 tomato
3 TBSP chutney
3 TBSP mayonnaise.
I purchased the cooked chicken breast at Wal-mart, but I’m sure it’s available at any grocery store in the frozen food section. The Deshi chutney can be found in the Asian section by the Indian food, I got mine at a mediterranean grocery store. There are several kinds of chutney, this is the green one (Coriander). Hot is good, it gives a bit of a kick. Pita you can get at the bread or frozen food section as well.
Heat up the chicken according to the product instruction. While I had the 3 patties in the microwave for 3 minutes, I was heating up the pita bread on my non stick skillet, stove on high at 30 seconds each side. Slice the tomatoes thinly. In a bowl, mix mayo and chutney.
Spread the mayo and chutney mix on each pita bread. Cut the pita and chicken patties in half. On one half of the pita, place a layer of tomatoes, 2 half patties, then top it with another half pita, cut it in the middle and serve.
You can add cucumbers and lettuce if you want. That’s it! Easy to make and great for entertaining.
Pan-Seared Garlic Salmon and Butter Garlic Spinach & Mushroom
Ingredients: 2 lbs salmon (defrosted, cut into 4 pcs). 10 cloves garlic, crushed. 1/2 stick butter. 8 oz sliced white mushrooms. 10 oz ready to eat spinach. 1 lemon. 1 tsp salt. 1 tsp basil. 1 tsp parsley. 1 tsp olive oil.
With the stove on medium, drizzle olive oil in your frying pan and place the salmon with the skin face down. Squeeze the entire lemon, then sprinkle the salt and basil on all pieces, cover for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place a 2 qt sauce pan on the stove set on high. Drizzle some olive oil and half of the crushed garlic, saute for 2 minutes then place the mushrooms and mix enough to coat most of the mushrooms with oil and garlic. Cover for 2 minutes, then mix again and add 2-3 pinches of salt for flavor. Now add the spinach (stuff it all in there) and cover for 2-3 minutes.
Back to the frying pan, sprinkle the remaining crushed garlic on all salmon pieces then flip it so now the skin is facing up. Set the stove on high, cover for 1-2 minutes. Flip the fish again and press down on pan, leave uncovered for 2 minutes.
Back to the sauce pan. Take the cover off, place over the sink and drain the liquid created by the mushrooms and spinach. Create a hole in the center and place the butter until it melts. Mix and add a couple more pinches of salt. Now serve by placing the salmon on a bed of spinach and mushrooms. Drizzle the parsley over the food…. Enjoy!
Keep in mind that stove heat may vary. If the time I used to cook is not enough to cook your food, adjust accordingly.
Authentic Shrimp Pad Thai
Authentic Shrimp Pad Thai (recipe adapted from Kasma Loha-unchit) My notes: Despite our love of Thai food here in the U.S. there is a curious lack of information about its ingredients and preparation. I think that this in part stems from our fear of the unknown. Indeed, shopping in an Asian grocery store can feel like being in a foreign country. However, if you locate a friendly grocery store and ask for some help in finding the ingredients, you’ll be well on your way. I’ve been waiting for some time now …
Empanadas
The Philippines has such a variety of foods, but the ones I favor most are those influenced by Spanish cuisine. This is one of them. I remember watching my mom make these when I was my daughter’s age. While CJ and I were making them yesterday, memories came rushing back and it felt good. I felt like a child again, but this time I was the mom cooking with my daughter.
An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries of Latin America and the south of Europe. The name comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing. The stuffing can consist of a variety of meats, cheese, huitlacoche, vegetables or fruits among others. CLICK HERE to read more from Wikipedia.
I normally sauté ground pork with raisins or olives for the filling. This recipe is the “American Empanada”. I used pre cooked Tyson chicken breast patties. I cut each in half, placed it on the rolled dough, folded, sealed and cooked. It’s like having your fried chicken and roll all in one. The dough was pretty easy to make.
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour. 1 teaspoon salt. 1/4 cup lard, cut into small pieces. 1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces. 2 eggs, lightly beaten with 1/2 cup water.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Work in the lard and butter, using your fingers. Work the egg mixture into the dough and knead until smooth. Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
While waiting, grab your yoga mat and do 100 sit ups and push ups. If you’re too tired or lazy, grab a drink and the remote control and channel surf or watch Oprah. Ok… now we’re ready to cook!
Take the pre-cooked chicken patties and cut in half. Take the dough and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls, then place it on a floured surface and roll in 6 inch rounds. Place the half patty on one side of each round (with the straight side facing the center – see picture), fold it in half, and press the edges together. Crimp the edges of the pastry with a fork to seal.
In a deep-fryer or large skillet, heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Fry in batches until golden brown (About 4-5 minutes in the deep fryer). Drain on paper towels before serving. Serve these chicken empanadas with dipping sauce like Bbq sauce, catsup or honey mustard. Or you can eat it commando (naked – the empanada, not you).
Making honey mustard is so easy. The ingredients are 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice (Optional). Mix and refrigerate. You can play with the measurements as we all have different preference, some like more honey, some don’t add the lemon juice.
Before serving, you can cut it in half so you don’t get yelled at for double dipping! So take a piece, dip, open mouth and take a big bite of crunchy, juicy goodness. Then run five miles so you can have more. Enjoy!
Mini Philly
What happens when you’re stuck at home, snowed in, starving and there’s nothing in the fridge because you’ve been procrastinating going to the grocery? You check out the freezer!
So what happens if all you have is a bag of Brown & Serve French Bread Sticks, a pound of beef chuck and a bag of shredded four cheese blend that you forgot about? You make Mini Phillies! Thank goodness I stock up on those grill mate marinade spices, now I shall create some yummyness.
I boiled the pound of beef chuck just enough to be able to cut it up in thin slices, added half the packet of spices (Peppercorn & Garlic) in the pot with just enough water to make sure your meat is under water. After a few minutes I took the meat out, cut it in half and put it back in for another three to five minutes before I sliced it thinly and set it to the side. Turn the broiler on.
Get a skillet or frying pan out, set stove on high heat. Add enough olive oil to sauté thinly sliced onions ( about 1/2 of a medium-sized yellow onion) and beef. Add the onions when the oil is super hot, then once it’s golden brown, add the beef. Sauté for a minute, add the rest of the grill mates packet and mix to coat all the meat with it. Add a tsp. of balsamic vinegar, mix all of it around for a minute or two and set aside.
Place the bread sticks open-faced on a cookie sheet. Put some beef on the bread and top it with cheese. Broil it till the cheese melts and that’s it… fold the bread and chow down after letting it cool down a bit so you don’t burn yourself.
I don’t know how many servings this makes because it all depends on how much beef and cheese you put on your bread. I was able to use the whole bag of bread (8 pcs). It’s a pretty friendly recipe, just have fun with it. To serve for appetizers, cut in half diagonally, sprinkle freshly chopped parsley before serving. Enjoy!
…
Cab Sauv Swirls
This took me 30 minutes to make, using left over wine from a gathering before the holidays. Had we been home for Christmas it would have probably been consumed by now. Servings 6-8 if served as a dish. 18-24 if served as an appetizer.
What you’ll need are a package of oriental style noodles, 1 stick of butter, 3 cloves of garlic thinly sliced lengthwise (not chopped or crushed), 4 defrosted medium-sized skinned and boned chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes, 2 tbsp seasoning (looks like soy sauce and can be purchased at all Asian stores and most groceries in the Asian aisle), 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (normally used as lumpia or crab rangoon dip and can be purchased at all Asian stores and most groceries in the Asian aisle) and 2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon.
LET’S COOK!
Start with the noodles. Oriental style noodles are packaged in balls and usually come 12 to a pack. Each is about 3 inches in diameter uncooked. Boil 6 to 8 cups of water, drop 6 noodle balls in there, kept it in for 2 to 3 minutes then transfer the noodles to a strainer. Remember, you will be adding the noodles to the rest of the ingredients later, so cooking it a little less than al dente is ok. Using cooking shears (Or you can use any scissors, make sure it is clean enough to cut food with), I cut each clump of noodles twice (Once horizontally, once vertically) before I transfered it. Use caution, don’t burn your hands! Once the noodles were in the strainer, I ran it under cold water while loosening them, then I set it to the side. In a frying pan on medium high heat, put these ingredients in this order: Wine, butter, chicken and garlic. Cover until the butter is completely melted. Mix every couple of minutes. While not mixing, keep it covered. Once the chicken is cooked, put the heat on high then add the seasoning and sweet chili sauce. Keep uncovered and stir once in a while. Once all the liquid has been reduced and the meat is starting to sizzle in the butter oil, add the noodles and mix well. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan for 5 minutes. Stir before serving. It will look like a mess but honey, I promise you it is a delicious mess!
LET’S EAT!
If this dish is for dinner, simply serve in a bowl. Using a fork, swirl the noodles and serve. If you’re serving it as an appetizer, use those little disposable bamboo forks you can find in culinary stores or most groceries in the baking aisle. Using the bamboo fork, swirl the noodles while in the pan and serve it on a small dish or a banan leaf square. You can also serve it in a take-out Chinese food box and swirl it with chopsticks. Just have fun with swirling it, but most of all, enjoy eating it!
Caprese Skewers
Serving size
24 skewers
Ingredients
24 Mozzarella balls. 24 Grape tomatoes. Basil leaves. (Optional) Traditional Basil Pesto Sauce & Spread.
Tools
Bamboo skewers (Can be found in most groceries, at least 4 – 5 inches in length with a knot on one end. You can use long toothpicks or regular 6 inch skewer sticks) and sauce brush.
To make
Take a skewer and stick one mozzarella ball, followed by a basil leaf (poke on one end of leaf, one tomato, the other end of the same basil leaf and a mozzarella ball. Lightly salt with sea salt. (See picture)
OPTIONAL: If you do not use a basil leaf, brush with the pesto sauce (Enough that all surface is coated) and no need to salt. Plate, serve and enjoy. Best served cold. You can prepare during your party or before your guests arrive.
Have balsamic & olive oil on the side. This is so easy to make! Great with my Garlic Cheese Bread and Bad Salad!
Filipino Pork Lumpia
Lumpia are pastries of Chinese origin similar to fresh popiah or fried spring rolls popular in Indonesia and the Philippines. The term lumpia derives from Hokkien lunpia (traditional Chinese: 潤餅; pinyin: rùnbǐng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: jūn-piáⁿ, lūn-piáⁿ), which is an alternate term for popiah. The recipe, both fried and fresh versions, was brought by the Chinese immigrants from the Fujian province of China to Southeast Asia and became popular where they settled in Indonesia and the Philippines.
In the Netherlands and Flanders, it is spelled loempia which is the old Indonesian spelling for lumpia and has also become the generic name for “spring roll” in Dutch. A variant is the Vietnamese lumpia, wrapped in a thinner piece of pastry, in a size close to a spring roll though, the wrapping closes the ends off completely, which is typical for lumpia. Taken directly from Wikipedia.
There are many ways to make lumpia. You can get creative and use other meats, even fruits! This is one of the easiest way I make mine. Enjoy!
Makes 60 lumpias
Ingredients: 5 cloves garlic (crush). 1 whole yellow onion (dice). 1 pound ground pork. 3 tbsp. olive oil. 3 tbsp Magi seasoning. 1/2 cup oyster sauce. 2 cups Mung Bean Sprouts. 6 cups peas and carrots (About 32 oz). 1 tsp. black pepper. 2 packs Lumpia wrapper (I use Menlo 8X8 wrapper – see picture below).
How to cook the filling: On high heat, use a frying pan and add oil. Brown crushed garlic and diced onions. Once browned, add pork and sauté until cooked. Add Magi seasoning while sautéing. On medium heat, add peas and carrots. Mix every now and then while adding the oyster sauce, then cover for 5 minutes. On low heat, add bean sprouts and black pepper. Cover for 10 minutes.
Once the filling is cooked, either let it cool down completely before wrapping or refrigerate for one day – which is what I do because the wrapper does not tear as easily. If you wrap it the same day, drain the liquids from the filling first, then refrigerate for about an hour.
To wrap, follow the instructions on the back of Menlo’s packaging. To cook, fry in 2 inches of oil at 375 degrees until golden brown. For dipping sauce, the most popular in the United states is the Thai sweet chili sauce. A true Filipino lumpia sauce (Called sawsawan) is made with vinegar, soy sauce, crushed black pepper and crushed garlic. I use 1/4 cup soy sauce, 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 tsp crushed black pepper. Eat over steamed rice with adobo (CLICK HERE to check out my pork adobo recipe!)
Enjoy your meal… don’t forget to say grace.
Chocolate Trifle
Once again, my friend Patti came through with an awesome dessert for last week’s cocktail party. It was more like a dance party since that’s what we did most of the evening besides drinking and devouring this yummy treat. With “Make it yourself” personal pizzas in the oven, wine in our glasses and Disco on Pandora, this was icing on the cake for a fun-filled evening with the girls.
Here is the recipe she sent me:
Servings: 12
Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: 25 Min
Ready In: 8 Hrs 55 Min
Ingredients:
1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix 1/2 cup water
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce)container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (12 ounce)container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (1.5 ounce) bar chocolate candy
Directions:
Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. Cut into 1 inch squares.
In a large bowl,combine pudding mix, water and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth, then fold in 8 ounces whipped topping until no streaks remain.
In a trifle bowl or glass serving dish, place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture and half of the 12 ounce container of whipped topping. Repeat layers. Shave chocolate onto top layer for garnish. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.
For a smaller size, maybe try in martini glasses or shot glasses. Have fun!
Flourless Chocolate Cake aka “The Black Beast”
A friend of mine (Great baker by hobby) brought this to one of my cocktail parties and after my first bite melted in my mouth… it was love at first taste. I was always partial to milk or white chocolate, as I found dark chocolate to be too bitter for me. There have been two other exceptions, this would make the third. Thank you Patti for this yummy dessert. Please make me more!
This recipe was found on Epicurious. It went great with red wine for me in the evening, strong coffee with a heavy cream in the morning and a glass of cold milk in the afternoon. Yes, I had to sacrifice my diet to make sure I experimented well to be able to share with you what drinks go well with this delicious beast. Enjoy!
Makes 16 servings
La Bete Noire
Bon Appétit | September 2006
by Jason Aronen
Wilde Roast Café
INGREDIENTS
Cake
•1 cup water
•3/4 cup sugar
•9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter,
diced
•18 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet
chocolate, chopped
•6 large eggs
Ganache
•1 cup heavy whipping cream
•8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet
chocolate, chopped
•Lightly sweetened whipped cream
PREPARATION
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter
10-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter
parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil
to top of rim. Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil
over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from
heat.
Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate
and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add
eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into
prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to
roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.
Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently
shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool
completely in pan.
For ganache:
Bring whipping cream to
simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and
whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to
distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until
ganache is set, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and
keep refrigerated.
Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides.
Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.
Egg sandwiches
So it is the day after Easter and you have a dozen or so of hard-boiled eggs in your fridge. Here’s an easy recipe for egg sandwiches.
One dozen eggs
1/4 cup French fried onions
1/4 cup Ranch dressing
1 tbsp Mayo
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tbsp cilantro flakes
1/8 cup crispy bacon optional
Peel eggs, mash and mix everything. Bacon is optional, You can add the ingredients a little at a time to reach desired texture. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve in a bowl with pita, Hawaiian rolls, sliced bread, wheat crackers or torn tortilla wraps on th side or simply make egg sandwiches and serve. You can even chop lettuce and add a cup on the side before serving. Enjoy!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Crunch Bars
While trying to eat right, I am constantly in search of foods I can still enjoy in flavor and volume to please my palate, my tummy and my figure. This snack is so far my favorite and I just had to share it with you guys. Follow the recipe below with a side of 2 tbsp. (chilled) old-fashioned creamy peanut butter. What I do is dip my crunch bar into it and mm mmm mmmm! Did I say mmmm? Makes 24 bars. 129 calories, 3g pro, 23 g car, 1g fiber, 4g fat.
Thank you Woman’s day magazine for this recipe!
For an easy on-the-go treat, try these slightly sweet bars that are full of texture, thanks to crushed whole-grain flake and puffed rice cereals, unsalted peanuts and dried cranberries.
Active Time: 10 minutesTotal Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Recipe Ingredients
2 cups slightly crushed whole-grain flake cereal (we used Kashi)
2 cups whole-grain puffed rice cereal (we used Arrowhead Mills)
1 cup dried cranberries
1⁄2 cup unsalted cocktail peanuts
1⁄2 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
1⁄2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1⁄2 cup honey
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Recipe Preparation
1. Line a 13 x 9-in. baking pan with nonstick foil (let the foil extend about 2 in. above pan at both ends).
2. Mix cereals, cranberries and peanuts in a large bowl.
3. Mix peanut butter, sugar, honey and butter in a 2-qt saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; simmer for 1 minute.
4. Immediately stir into cereal mixture, tossing to evenly coat. Coat hands with cooking spray, then use them to spread and press the mixture in prepared pan. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
5. Holding foil by ends, lift from pan onto a cutting board. Carefully cut lengthwise in 4 strips and then cut each strip in 6; remove foil.
Enjoy!
California Salad
This is the best way to eat cauliflower! Served cold as a salad / appetizer, you will surprise your guests with the flavors and texture of the combination in this nice treat. You will enjoy it!
Ingredients:
The Bulk: 2 bunches broccoli. 2 bunches cauliflower. 1 bunch green onions. 2 packs of bacon. 1 cup sunflower seeds. 6 oz. craisens. 2 cups parmesan cheese.
The dressing: 1 cup mayo. 1 – 2 tsp sugar. a dash of salt and pepper.
Prep:Cook bacon to a crisp. crush and set aside. Chop all veggies to penny or smaller size. I recommend hand plucking the tips of the broccoli & cauliflower. Put veggies in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix the mayo, salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Pour dressing in the bowl of veggies and mix till veggies are coated. Add the cheese, chopped green onions, sunflower seeds and craisens. Mix everything and refrigerate. Mix in the bacon and serve.
Ellen… thank you for sharing your recipe!
20 minute T-bone steak
Ok, so it’s steak night! I’m so excited, since all I’ve been eating are cucumbers and boiled chicken breasts for two weeks. Anyway, I found a great mix of seasoning to have that grilled taste without cooking outside or using rubs or oils!
Here we go…
2.5 ponds T-bone steak, washed. 1 tbsp salt (mixture of kosher and sea), 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp cilantro flakes, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp ground pepper. Rub on the steak like you were a masseuse! Now we’re ready to cook!
Put stove on high, use a frying pan with a lid. Once the pan is hot (I started heating it up before I washed my beef), put your steak in the pan and cover. You will see the smoke circulating in there, which is fine. Do not put any oil, it’s not needed. I use a non stick pan.
I kept it on each side (pan always covered) for 3-4 minutes heat on high then another 2 minutes on each side on medium. Depending how you like your steak will determine how long you keep it in there, you be the judge.
Because of my diet, I thinly sliced the meat and immediately wrapped it in fresh baby spinach, held it with a toothpick to warm the spinach for a minute, then ate it. Mmmmm it was good. But you don’t need to do it that way. You can chop it up and make soft tacos by piling it up on a tortilla lined with freshly chopped romaine hearts, a squeeze of lime then top it off with fresh salsa! If you go this route, might I suggest a chilled cerveza be within reach.
Enjoy!
Bacon Clam Chowder
This is incredibly easy to make but once you try it… you won’t believe how “gourmet” it tastes like!
Servings – 8 to 10 bowls
Ingredients: 1 whole yellow onion (diced), a dozen stems of fresh thyme (about 5 inches long per stem) 1 pound regular breakfast bacon, in 1/2 inch slices (the fatter the better and hardwood smoke flavor is recommended, not the maple bacon), 2 – 10 oz cans of baby clams, 3 cups milk, 4 cups water, 1 large russet potato (peeled, washed and cut in 1/2 inch cubes) and 1 packet of the Bear Creek clam chowder soup mix. Pictures of the brands I used are below.
Ok… let’s cook! I used a 6 quart pot. For me, the container doesn’t matter as long as your ingredients fit. Heat on high, pot hot, start with the bacon and thyme. Stir around every now and then until some grease comes out of the bacon, then throw in the onions and stir every now and then till the sides of the onions are brown and the bacon is almost crispy. Lower heat to medium, throw in the potatoes, mix around till all potatoes are coated in the bacon/onion/thyme mixture. Cover for about 3 minutes, then stir and cover for another 3 minutes. Gauge when to stir and uncover since stove top heat differs. Just don’t let it burn. Now throw in the clams and its juice, stir well. Set the heat back to high while stirring for a couple of minutes. While still on high, add 3 cups of milk, stir… then add the 4 cups of water, stir and cover on high untill it boils. Once it boils, add in the soup mix. Stir well, lower heat to medium low then cover for 3 minutes. Stir again making sure the bottom is not burning or clumping is not happening, use a whisk. Cover on low and let it simmer for 20 minutes, then set aside.
The brand I used is Southern Mills and can be found at your local grocer. Now to make the biscuits, simply buy this mix and follow directions. I use ice-cold water to mix with my batter for best results, the biscuits come out perfect… soft inside and flaky outside. Also, instead of 6, I make 12 small biscuits with this mix, it’s perfect for dipping!
I melted 1/3 of a stick of butter in a small bowl and dipped the top of cooked biscuit, placed it back on the cookie sheet and back in the oven for an extra 2 minutes while the oven is still on.
Now enjoy a warm cup of chowder and freshly baked cheddar biscuits. It is the perfect comfort food for a cold and lazy day! One day I will try to make fish and chips to go along with this.
Curry Potatoes with Garlic Pita
This dish is not only easy to make, but is also a party favorite!
Servings: 8-10
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: Less than an hour!
Ingredients for Curry Potatoes: 1 can coconut milk (approx 13.5 fl oz), 1/2 stick of unsalted butter (1 whole is better, but not if you’re watching your weight), 2 lbs. red potatoes (cut each potato into 8 pcs, leave skin on), 1 bunch spinach (cut stems off and then into 3 strips), 4 stems of fresh thyme (each stem about 5 inches), 1 cup chicken broth, 4 cubes curry paste (See samples of curry paste below). You can choose the spice level. I usually get the mild one and offer spices to my guests to add the extra kick. Medium is also safe.
Now let’s cook! Wash everything (Potatoes, spinach & thyme… not the butter). Set heat on medium high, use any kind of pan that will hold your ingredients. Start with the butter and thyme. Once butter is melted and the thyme has been swished around in it for a minute, add the potatoes. Mix it around on high to coat the potato, then pour in the chicken broth. Your kitchen should start smelling good. Cover for 5 minutes, leaving it on high. Make sure it does not burn, adjust your heat down to medium if needed or slide the pot back and forth over the heat while keeping it covered. We are trying to infuse the flavor of the stock into the potato. Next, add the coconut milk. Every time you add a new ingredient, mix everything around. If the thyme leaves have fallen off by now, carefully pull the stem out of the pot, if not then it’s ok to wait till the end. Cover for 5 minutes, leaving it on high. Next, add the 4 cubes of curry paste. They usually come with 8 cubes. Scatter the 4 cubes in the pot and push it under the sauce. Cover and leave on medium for 15 minutes stirring every now and then. Now add the spinach, stir then cover and leave on medium for 5 minutes. Let it simmer for an additional 20 minutes on low. Best served hot off the stove. Make sure all curry paste cubes have dissolved and stir very well to ensure good distribution of flavor.
Garlic Pita Recipe
Ingredients: A pinch of sea salt, Pita bread (5 pcs of the 7″ rounds), 1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin is best), 3 cloves of garlic (freshly peeled, not the bottled kind) and 5 big leaves of fresh basil.
Let us begin! You can do this while cooking your curry. Crush garlic (a good way to get your aggression out) and put in a small bowl. Add the pinch of salt and 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix around. Now fold the basil in half and cut off the its spine and stem, then slice it up into little strips (no thicker than 2 pennies). Add basil to the bowl, mix it around ad let it sit for a few minutes. Then spread it on the pita using a spoon or marinade brush or even with your hands. Pre-heat oven to 325 once you set your stove to low for your curry to simmer. On a cookie sheet, place the grease pita and let sit while the oven is pre-heating for 10 minutes then cook it in the oven, middle rack for 10 minutes. To serve, cut into 8 pieces (like little slices of pizza).
You can pour the curry in a bowl and place it on a bigger plate so you can spread the pita slices on the plate for easy dipping access. Enjoy!
PS… I will not be held responsible, if your friends start to frequent your house for this app…. just a warning!
Fudge Squares
Yes, this is the original Fantasy Fudge recipe from the back of the Kraft Marshmallow Creme jar. We’ll never know why they changed the recipe on us, but we’ve preserved the recipe for you right here.
Makes about 117
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup margarine
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 12-oz. (340 g) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 7-oz. (198 g) jar Kraft Marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Traditional method:
Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan; bring to full rolling bail, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate till melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts & vanilla beat till blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Let cool and cut into 1-inch squares.
Microwave method:
Microwave margarine in 4-quart microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) 1 minute or until melted. Add sugar and milk; mix well. Microwave on HIGH 5 minutes or until mixture begins to boil, stirring after 3 minutes. Mix well; scrape bowl. Continue microwaving on HIGH 5-1/2 minutes; stir after 3 minutes. Stir in chips until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Cool at room temperature; cut into squares. Makes 3 pounds.
Note: Can be made in a smaller pan for thicker squares (yield will be reduced).
Thank you christmas-cookies.com for the recipe.
A Simple Recipe for Moist Banana Bread
For 1 loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
½ cup butter
2 eggs
4 bananas
1½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Preparation:
Cream sugar and butter then add eggs and fruit. Beat until blended. Add dry ingredients and bake in a greased loaf pan at 350 for 55-60 min. You can add nuts or craisins. If you do, mix a cup of your favorite nuts and raisin mixture. Sprinkle on top of the batter before baking.
Chocolate Truffles
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen
Ingredients
- 8 ounces best-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon liqueur, such as triple sec or framboise (optional)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder, for rolling
Directions
- Put chocolate into a large heatproof bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour over chocolate in bowl. Stir in liqueur, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 10 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let stand until thick, about 15 minutes.
- Pour chocolate mixture into a shallow 8-inch dish or pie plate. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until mixture is very cold and set but still pliable, about 30 minutes.
- Using a teaspoon or a 1/2-inch melon baller, scoop balls of chocolate mixture, transferring them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you work. Refrigerate truffles 10 minutes.
- Using hands dusted with cocoa powder, dip each truffle in cocoa powder to coat, then quickly shape truffle into a rough round. Refrigerate truffles in an airtight container until ready to serve, up to 2 weeks; before serving, reshape into rounds, and roll each truffle in cocoa powder, if desired.
Thank you Martha Stewart for this simple recipe!
Garlic mashed potatoes and home-made gravy for your Thanksgiving turkey
There’s nothing like home-made gravy from turkey drippings, slathered on garlic mashed potatoes. It’s easier than you think… here we go!
Makes 8-10 servings
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Boil 4 cups of water in a 4 qt pot, add chicken bullion and mix to dissolve. Cut your potatoes in quarters, put it in the pot and add more water to cover potatoes. Boil covered for 10-15 minutes (may vary). Once cooked, strain for 2-3 minutes.
Then put in a bowl for mashing. Leave some clumps for texture. Add the butter and garlic and mix with a spatula, add the cream or half and half, then the parsley. Mashed potatoes are ready to be covered in gravy now!
Home Made Gravy
You will need: Cooking oil, flour, turkey drippings, black pepper and salt to taste.
After roasting your turkey, use the drippings to make gravy. The stuff that settles at the bottom of the pan is what makes it delicious, so make sure you get some of that when pouring the turkey drippings into a bowl.
In a skillet (on medium high heat), use 4 tbsp cooking oil or the oil from your turkey drippings. Add half a cup of white flour, stir using a whisk in a circular motion for about 10-15 seconds. Add in 3 cups of drippings (half a cup at a time) and continue to whisk until the all the clumps are gone. Add salt and pepper to taste, although salt may not be needed if you seasoned your turkey well. Cook on high and cover for at least 3 minutes, whisk and set aside. The gravy will get thicker if you let it stand for about 5 minutes. If you want thicker gravy, simply add more flour 2 tbsp at a time while continuing to whisk on medium heat.
That’s all there is to it! Enjoy your Holiday. Here are links to other recipes for Thanksgiving
Perfect Roast Turkey by the Barefoot Contessa
I love watching the Barefoot Contessa prepare food whether it’s a meal for a few dozen people or entertaining a few friends. I enjoy cooking with real ingredients that aren’t too exotic for me to pronounce and she agrees that butter is the best ingredient (No fat-free stuff here).
I know I won’t be making the turkey this year, but found this recipe and thought I would make it as part of my collection of chosen recipes. It looks easy to make and am sure will be delicious. This picture and the entire recipe is from the Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa Collection.
Servings: 6. Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 fresh turkey (10 to 12 pounds)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large bunch fresh thyme
- 1 whole lemon, halved
- 1 Spanish onion, quartered
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
Directions
Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.
Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.
Slice the turkey and serve.
Tomorrow… I will share my recipe for home-made gravy. But I must warn you… once you go home-made on the gravy, you’ll never go back to pre-made gravy…baby. Then on Sunday, I will share my garlic mashed potato recipe. YUM!!! I love Thanksgiving.
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