Printable Recipe
So I've been in the mood for chili recently, and my go-to recipe usually is Hovies Chili . Actually, my son usually makes this - he loves it. However, I've been wanting to try something different and went searching through some magazines. I found this one in a Taste of Home magazine that is similar to a recipe given to me years ago, by a friend. That chili was very good, and while I haven't tried this recipe yet, I'm hoping this will be good, too.
1 medium green pepper, chpd
2 medium onions, chpd
1/2 cup chpd celery
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 pounds hamburger
2 (28-oz) cans tomatoes, undrained and cut up
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp chili pwd
1 tsp garlic pwd
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 (16 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
In a skillet, brown the hamburger along with the green pepper and onions, drain. Place the hamburger mixture in a large pot and add the remaining ingredients, except for the kidney beans. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add the kidney beans and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes longer.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Steak Soup
Printable Recipe
This is a very good soup, that I doctored up quite a bit. I'll give the original recipe, and include the changes I made alongside in italics, as well as the notes I wrote when I made this for the first time, at the end.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 pounds lean boneless round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used stew meat, but you could also use chuck)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, chpd
2 cloves garlic (I did not add)
5 cups water
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
2 1/2 cups medium egg noodles, uncooked
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (I did not add)
2 cups (8 oz) shrd Cheddar cheese (I did not add)
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add meat and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Brown meat on all sides, stirring occasionally. (Do this in batches, if needed, so that you get a better sear on the meat.)
Add the onion and garlic; cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp pepper, and paprika. bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Stir in the egg noodles and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is tender and noodles are cooked.
Ladle soup in to individual bowls and top with the shrd cheese.
Notes:
I cooked the noodles in the broth as is called for, and all of the broth was pretty much absorbed by the noodles. So I added 1 can Campbells Beef broth and about 1 1/2 cups water. It was much better, but still lacked something. I wanted to doctor it up a bit, but did not want to give it an Italian flavor by adding oregano, basil and thyme. So I added a pinch of allspice, and it was great!
I found the Worcestershire to be a bit overwhelming so maybe next time, add a bit of lemon juice to counter this, maybe 1 tsp. I also found it a bit too peppery, so cut down on the pepper added, to maybe 1/2 to 3/4 tsp.
This can also be made using chuck roast, instead.
This would be good thickened with a flour/water paste, and served over mashed potatoes.
This is a very good soup, that I doctored up quite a bit. I'll give the original recipe, and include the changes I made alongside in italics, as well as the notes I wrote when I made this for the first time, at the end.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 pounds lean boneless round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used stew meat, but you could also use chuck)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, chpd
2 cloves garlic (I did not add)
5 cups water
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
2 1/2 cups medium egg noodles, uncooked
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (I did not add)
2 cups (8 oz) shrd Cheddar cheese (I did not add)
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add meat and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Brown meat on all sides, stirring occasionally. (Do this in batches, if needed, so that you get a better sear on the meat.)
Add the onion and garlic; cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp pepper, and paprika. bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Stir in the egg noodles and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is tender and noodles are cooked.
Ladle soup in to individual bowls and top with the shrd cheese.
Notes:
I cooked the noodles in the broth as is called for, and all of the broth was pretty much absorbed by the noodles. So I added 1 can Campbells Beef broth and about 1 1/2 cups water. It was much better, but still lacked something. I wanted to doctor it up a bit, but did not want to give it an Italian flavor by adding oregano, basil and thyme. So I added a pinch of allspice, and it was great!
I found the Worcestershire to be a bit overwhelming so maybe next time, add a bit of lemon juice to counter this, maybe 1 tsp. I also found it a bit too peppery, so cut down on the pepper added, to maybe 1/2 to 3/4 tsp.
This can also be made using chuck roast, instead.
This would be good thickened with a flour/water paste, and served over mashed potatoes.
Biscuit Pizza Bake
Printable Recipe
This recipe is from a Taste of Home magazine. Here is a picture of it from their website.
1 pound hamburger
2 (12-oz) tubes refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 (15-oz) can pizza sauce
1 cup chpd green pepper
1/2 cup chpd onion
1 (3 1/2-oz) pkg pepperoni
1 cup (4 oz) shrd Mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shrd Cheddar cheese
Brown hamburger, drain and set aside. Quarter all of the biscuits and place in a greased, 3-quart baking dish. Top the biscuits with the pizza sauce and sprinkle the hamburger the biscuits and sauce. Layer with the green pepper, onion, pepperoni and cheeses. Bake at 350°, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
This recipe is from a Taste of Home magazine. Here is a picture of it from their website.
1 pound hamburger
2 (12-oz) tubes refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 (15-oz) can pizza sauce
1 cup chpd green pepper
1/2 cup chpd onion
1 (3 1/2-oz) pkg pepperoni
1 cup (4 oz) shrd Mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shrd Cheddar cheese
Brown hamburger, drain and set aside. Quarter all of the biscuits and place in a greased, 3-quart baking dish. Top the biscuits with the pizza sauce and sprinkle the hamburger the biscuits and sauce. Layer with the green pepper, onion, pepperoni and cheeses. Bake at 350°, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Roast Beef Au Jus
Printable Recipe
Yet another recipe for Beef Au Jus. I haven't made this in a long time, but this is very, very good! This should be prepared the day before, so plan accordingly.
1 (5-pound) eye of round, brisket, rump or sirloin tip roast
garlic salt
paprika
Lawry's seasoned salt
2 - 3 onions, sliced
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 (14-oz) can Swanson beef broth
2 cups water
The day before:
Place roast in a roasting pan and pour vinegar over the roast, then sprinkle very liberally with the seasonings and rub them into the roast. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour. Add the 2 cups boiling water and beef broth to the pan and place sliced onions on top. Turn down over to 300° and bake for 4-5 hours longer. Cool. Refrigerate overnight, and the next day, thinly slice and serve in the broth, or serve the broth alongside.
Serves 20
Yet another recipe for Beef Au Jus. I haven't made this in a long time, but this is very, very good! This should be prepared the day before, so plan accordingly.
1 (5-pound) eye of round, brisket, rump or sirloin tip roast
garlic salt
paprika
Lawry's seasoned salt
2 - 3 onions, sliced
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 (14-oz) can Swanson beef broth
2 cups water
The day before:
Place roast in a roasting pan and pour vinegar over the roast, then sprinkle very liberally with the seasonings and rub them into the roast. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour. Add the 2 cups boiling water and beef broth to the pan and place sliced onions on top. Turn down over to 300° and bake for 4-5 hours longer. Cool. Refrigerate overnight, and the next day, thinly slice and serve in the broth, or serve the broth alongside.
Serves 20
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup
Printable Recipe
This is made in the crock pot.
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, chpd (3/4 cup)
1 medium onion, chpd (1/2 cup)
1 (14 1/2-oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-oz) can chicken broth
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups frozen sweet peas
1 cup frozen home-style egg noodles (they come in a 12-oz bag)
Spray a skillet with cooking spray and cook chicken pieces for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until brown. Mix the chicken and all of the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the peas and noodles in a crock pot. Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 6 1/2 - 7 hours, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Stir in the peas and noodles. Cover and cook on the high setting for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender.
Serves 6
This is made in the crock pot.
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, chpd (3/4 cup)
1 medium onion, chpd (1/2 cup)
1 (14 1/2-oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14-oz) can chicken broth
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups frozen sweet peas
1 cup frozen home-style egg noodles (they come in a 12-oz bag)
Spray a skillet with cooking spray and cook chicken pieces for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until brown. Mix the chicken and all of the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the peas and noodles in a crock pot. Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 6 1/2 - 7 hours, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Stir in the peas and noodles. Cover and cook on the high setting for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender.
Serves 6
Ginger Pork Wraps (Crock Pot)
Printable Recipe
These wraps are very good. When I made them, I did not cook it for as long as is called for. I also used country-style pork ribs (boneless ribs), as opposed to the boneless rib roast, since I was unable to find a roast at the time I made these. They still turned out very well.
2 1/2 pounds pork boneless loin roast
3 tbsp grated gingerroot
3 tbsp honey
1/4 cup hoisin sauce (I did not add this)
3 cups coleslaw mix
2 tbsp rice vinegar
12 flour tortillas (8-10" in diameter), warmed
Remove fat from pork. Mix the gingerroot and honey in a 3 1/2 or 4 quart
crock pot. Add the pork; turn to coat it with the honey mixture.
Cover and cook on LOW setting for 6 - 8 hours, or until pork is tender. (I think I only cooked it for 5 hours, but that could have been due to the fact that I used boneless ribs, instead of a roast.)
Remove pork from crock pot. Shred meat, using two forks and return to crock pot. Stir in the hoisin sauce.
To serve, toss the coleslaw mix and rice vinegar until well mixed. Spread about 1/3 cup of the pork mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top with the coleslaw mixture and roll up tightly.
Makes 12 wraps
These wraps are very good. When I made them, I did not cook it for as long as is called for. I also used country-style pork ribs (boneless ribs), as opposed to the boneless rib roast, since I was unable to find a roast at the time I made these. They still turned out very well.
2 1/2 pounds pork boneless loin roast
3 tbsp grated gingerroot
3 tbsp honey
1/4 cup hoisin sauce (I did not add this)
3 cups coleslaw mix
2 tbsp rice vinegar
12 flour tortillas (8-10" in diameter), warmed
Remove fat from pork. Mix the gingerroot and honey in a 3 1/2 or 4 quart
crock pot. Add the pork; turn to coat it with the honey mixture.
Cover and cook on LOW setting for 6 - 8 hours, or until pork is tender. (I think I only cooked it for 5 hours, but that could have been due to the fact that I used boneless ribs, instead of a roast.)
Remove pork from crock pot. Shred meat, using two forks and return to crock pot. Stir in the hoisin sauce.
To serve, toss the coleslaw mix and rice vinegar until well mixed. Spread about 1/3 cup of the pork mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top with the coleslaw mixture and roll up tightly.
Makes 12 wraps
Cherry Bread
Printable Recipe
In going through my recipe files, I found this recipe that I got from a lady I worked with over 40 years ago. It's easy to make, and is real good. I don't measure the glaze ingredients, but just throw them together. This is a repost from 2009, to bring it back up to the top of the blog.
1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
1 can Cherry pie filling
1-2 tbsp granulated sugar stirred into the pie filling (otherwise it is a little on the tart side
1-2 tbsp granulated sugar stirred into the pie filling (otherwise it is a little on the tart side
butter, softened
additional granulated sugar
Glaze
butter
pwd sugar
milk
dash vanilla or cherry juice if adding maraschino cherries to the top
Glaze
butter
pwd sugar
milk
dash vanilla or cherry juice if adding maraschino cherries to the top
Topping
maraschino cherries, drained
Directions
1. Thaw the bread dough and roll out into a rectangle on a sheet of parchment paper, making sure not to roll too thin. I have found that once the bread is thawed out, it is still difficult to roll out. To help this problem, I place it in the microwave on the parchment paper on the defrost setting, for about a minute.
2. Place the (rolled out) bread dough on top of the parchment paper onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Spread the pie filling down the center of the bread dough.
3. Cut strips down the sides of the rectangle at an angle and cross them over the pie filling, sort of like you would a braid.
4. Butter the top of the dough and sprinkle with a little sugar.
5. Set cookie sheet in a warm place and allow dough to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
6. Bake at 350° for about 30 - 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool slightly.
7. Make a thick glaze, and drizzle over warm cherry bread. Cut into strips or squares once cooled, and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Fudge
Printable Recipe
I've been making this for years. It is excellent.
1 cup butter
4 cups sugar
2 (5-oz) cans evaporated milk (1 1/3 cups total)
1 (12-oz) pkg semi sweet chocolate chips
1 (7-oz) bar Symphony Milk Chocolate, broken in pieces
1 (7-oz) jar marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla
Line a 9 x 13" pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Butter the foil and set aside. Butter the sides of a heavy-duty saucepan. In the saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and evaporated milk. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Reduced heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips, chocolate bar, marshmallow creme and vanilla. Stir until well combined and melted. Beat by hand for one minute. Spread in the prepared pan. Score into 1" squares while still warm. Cool. When fudge is completely cooled, remove fudge from pan and cut completely into squares. Store in a tightly-covered container, in the refrigerator.
I've been making this for years. It is excellent.
1 cup butter
4 cups sugar
2 (5-oz) cans evaporated milk (1 1/3 cups total)
1 (12-oz) pkg semi sweet chocolate chips
1 (7-oz) bar Symphony Milk Chocolate, broken in pieces
1 (7-oz) jar marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla
Line a 9 x 13" pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Butter the foil and set aside. Butter the sides of a heavy-duty saucepan. In the saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and evaporated milk. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Reduced heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips, chocolate bar, marshmallow creme and vanilla. Stir until well combined and melted. Beat by hand for one minute. Spread in the prepared pan. Score into 1" squares while still warm. Cool. When fudge is completely cooled, remove fudge from pan and cut completely into squares. Store in a tightly-covered container, in the refrigerator.
Homemade Caramels
Printable Recipe
In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, I thought I'd post some candy recipes. This recipe needs a candy thermometer. Makes 2 1/2 pounds.
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the brown sugar and salt. Stir in the corn syrup, mixing well. Gradually add the sweetened condensed, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until candy thermometer reaches firm ball stage (245°). This should take about 12 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Pour into a well buttered 9 x 9" square pan. Cool and cut into very small pieces. Wrap in plastic wrap, or candy wrappers.
In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, I thought I'd post some candy recipes. This recipe needs a candy thermometer. Makes 2 1/2 pounds.
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the brown sugar and salt. Stir in the corn syrup, mixing well. Gradually add the sweetened condensed, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until candy thermometer reaches firm ball stage (245°). This should take about 12 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Pour into a well buttered 9 x 9" square pan. Cool and cut into very small pieces. Wrap in plastic wrap, or candy wrappers.
Honey Roasted Potatoes
Printable Recipe
I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com They are a great side dish.
1 lb new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered (Since some new potatoes can be rather large, I cut them into smallish chunks)
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp dry mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with PAM. Place potatoes in a single layer. Combine the butter, honey, dry mustard and salt and pepper. Drizzle over the potatoes and toss to coat. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, until tender. Stir half-way through baking time.
I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com They are a great side dish.
1 lb new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered (Since some new potatoes can be rather large, I cut them into smallish chunks)
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp dry mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with PAM. Place potatoes in a single layer. Combine the butter, honey, dry mustard and salt and pepper. Drizzle over the potatoes and toss to coat. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, until tender. Stir half-way through baking time.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Chicken Noodle Soup
I've been searching for a good Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, and found this one at A la Carte . She has a new site now, called Tide and Thyme (dot) Com. The picture in the post looks great. While you're there at her new site, take a look at her Minestrone Soup recipe. That looks great, too! So these are two recipes are going on my "Must-Try recipes from other people's blogs" list. I guess I'm really in the mood for soup!
Apple-Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Swirl Icing *a MUST-TRY recipe*
Printable Recipe
I'm going through all the recipes on this blog, in order to create a Printable Recipe link for each one. When I came upon this one, I thought I'd bring it up to the top because it's fall and we'll be entering the holiday season soon, so it seems to be the perfect time of year to make this.
Cake
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3 cups sugar
2 tbsp molasses
6 large eggs
3 cups cake flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt (not table salt)
2 tbsp cinnamon (yes, tbsp)
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1 cup sour cream
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tbsp vanilla (yes, tbsp)
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (optional)
Icing
1 (14 - oz) bag caramels, unwrapped
4 tbsp heavy whipping cream, divided
2 tbsp PLUS 1 1/2 cups butter, softened, divided
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups pwd sugar
1 cup (8 - oz) mascarpone (Italian cream cheese, available at most grocery stores)*
2 cups pecan pieces, toasted (optional)
Place one oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and a second rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9" cake pans with butter or cooing spray, then line each with a parchment paper round and grease the rounds.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, soda, salt and spices to blend. Add the flour mixture and sour cream alternately to the batter. (Start and end with the flour mixture, adding the flour mixture in three increments and the sour cream in two increments.) After each addition, mix on low speed just to combine the ingredients. Stir in the shredded apples, vanilla and ginger.
Spoon the batter (it will be thick) evenly into the prepared pans. Place two cake pans side by side on one rack, and the third pan on the other rack, so that no layer is directly over another. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until firm to the touch. Monitor the layers carefully for doneness; each one may be done at a different time. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pans and unmold the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely, 15 - 30 minutes, before frosting.
If desired, the cakes can be kept frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for 3 weeks. Defrost them at room temperature before unwrapping. Frost immediately.
To make the Icing
In a medium stainless-steel bowl, combine the unwrapped caramels, 2 tbsp of the cream, and 2 tbsp butter. Place over a saucepan filled with 2" of simmering water. Stir the caramel mixture until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat. Let cool, stirring mixture every few minutes, until cool to the touch, about minutes. (If the mixture is too warm, it will melt the buttercream frosting when it is stirred in later.)
While the caramel is cooling, make the buttercream: using an electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups butter on medium-high speed for about 1 minute, until pale in color. Add the remaining 2 tbsp cream, vanilla and pwd sugar, and beat for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the mascarpone and beat on medium-low speed until incorportated. Do not overbeat the mascarpone, or it will separate. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooled caramel mixture to drizzle over the cake once it is frosted. Stir together the remainder of the caramel into the frosting, using large strokes to create caramel swirls throughout. Don't stir it up too mich, or ribbons of caramel will disappear.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a thick blanket of frosting on top. Add the second layer and spread thickly with frosting. Add the third layer and cover the top and sides of the cake with an even layer of frosting. Use a small spoon to drizzle the reserved caramel over the top of the cake. pat on the toasted pecan pieces to cover only the sides of the cake.
* I would think that you could use regular cream cheese in place of the mascarpone.
I'm going through all the recipes on this blog, in order to create a Printable Recipe link for each one. When I came upon this one, I thought I'd bring it up to the top because it's fall and we'll be entering the holiday season soon, so it seems to be the perfect time of year to make this.
Apple-Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Swirl Icing
This comes from the cookbook "The Pastry Queen Christmas". I wish you could see the picture of the cake in the book. YUM! I haven't tried this yet, but once I do, I will report here how it tastes. I know the directions look lengthy and complicated, but for the most part, they are just wordy, is allCake
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3 cups sugar
2 tbsp molasses
6 large eggs
3 cups cake flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt (not table salt)
2 tbsp cinnamon (yes, tbsp)
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1 cup sour cream
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tbsp vanilla (yes, tbsp)
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (optional)
Icing
1 (14 - oz) bag caramels, unwrapped
4 tbsp heavy whipping cream, divided
2 tbsp PLUS 1 1/2 cups butter, softened, divided
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups pwd sugar
1 cup (8 - oz) mascarpone (Italian cream cheese, available at most grocery stores)*
2 cups pecan pieces, toasted (optional)
Place one oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and a second rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9" cake pans with butter or cooing spray, then line each with a parchment paper round and grease the rounds.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, soda, salt and spices to blend. Add the flour mixture and sour cream alternately to the batter. (Start and end with the flour mixture, adding the flour mixture in three increments and the sour cream in two increments.) After each addition, mix on low speed just to combine the ingredients. Stir in the shredded apples, vanilla and ginger.
Spoon the batter (it will be thick) evenly into the prepared pans. Place two cake pans side by side on one rack, and the third pan on the other rack, so that no layer is directly over another. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until firm to the touch. Monitor the layers carefully for doneness; each one may be done at a different time. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pans and unmold the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely, 15 - 30 minutes, before frosting.
If desired, the cakes can be kept frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for 3 weeks. Defrost them at room temperature before unwrapping. Frost immediately.
To make the Icing
In a medium stainless-steel bowl, combine the unwrapped caramels, 2 tbsp of the cream, and 2 tbsp butter. Place over a saucepan filled with 2" of simmering water. Stir the caramel mixture until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat. Let cool, stirring mixture every few minutes, until cool to the touch, about minutes. (If the mixture is too warm, it will melt the buttercream frosting when it is stirred in later.)
While the caramel is cooling, make the buttercream: using an electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups butter on medium-high speed for about 1 minute, until pale in color. Add the remaining 2 tbsp cream, vanilla and pwd sugar, and beat for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the mascarpone and beat on medium-low speed until incorportated. Do not overbeat the mascarpone, or it will separate. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooled caramel mixture to drizzle over the cake once it is frosted. Stir together the remainder of the caramel into the frosting, using large strokes to create caramel swirls throughout. Don't stir it up too mich, or ribbons of caramel will disappear.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a thick blanket of frosting on top. Add the second layer and spread thickly with frosting. Add the third layer and cover the top and sides of the cake with an even layer of frosting. Use a small spoon to drizzle the reserved caramel over the top of the cake. pat on the toasted pecan pieces to cover only the sides of the cake.
* I would think that you could use regular cream cheese in place of the mascarpone.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Cinnamon-Lover's Snickerdoodle Blondies, a "Have-Tried" recipe
I've made these bars several times now, and they've gone over very well. They are very good. This particular recipe has made the rounds of many blogs, and there are a few different versions that you can check out. I'll post links to a few of them (and those blogs will link to other blogs with a similar recipe), but the one on top is the version I've made.
Cinnamon-Lover's Snickerdoodle Blondies from A Southern Grace
Snickersoodle Blondies from My Baking Addiction This version has a lot of vanilla and some nutmeg in it. I think I'm going to have to put this on my "must-try" list!
Snickerdoodle Blondies from Ann Strawberry This version has cream cheese in it.
Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars from Megan's Cookin' This version has, as the title implies, pumpkin in it ... this is going to have to go onto my "must-try" list! I love pumpkin!
Anyways, I think you get the idea!
Cinnamon-Lover's Snickerdoodle Blondies from A Southern Grace
Snickersoodle Blondies from My Baking Addiction This version has a lot of vanilla and some nutmeg in it. I think I'm going to have to put this on my "must-try" list!
Snickerdoodle Blondies from Ann Strawberry This version has cream cheese in it.
Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars from Megan's Cookin' This version has, as the title implies, pumpkin in it ... this is going to have to go onto my "must-try" list! I love pumpkin!
Anyways, I think you get the idea!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Pepperoni Pan Pizza
Printable Recipe
This recipe comes from Cook's Country magazine. I am still on the lookout for that "perfect" homemade pizza recipe, but this one is pretty good. I've made it for my family several times and they all think it is pretty great. It makes a pretty thick crust, but if you prefer a thinner crust, just make more than two pizzas out it. Any extra dough can be rolled out like you would for pizza, only don't top it, just bake it. Cut it in squares and serve with pizza sauce. You can brush it with a little olive oil, and sprinkle it with Italian seasonings and Parmesan cheese before baking, if you would like.
Dough
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp skim milk, warmed
2 tsp sugar
2 1/3 cup flour, plus extra for rolling out
1 pkg instant (rapid rise) yeast (1 pkg yeast is equal to 2 1/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt
Note: This sauce makes enough for four pizzas, so you will only need half of it. Any remaining sauce can be frozen for later use, for up to 2 months.
Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
minced garlic
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
I add some Italian seasonings, to taste - otherwise I find it too bland
Adjust the oven rack to its lowest position and heat oven to 200°, then turn off. Lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray, set aside. Coat two (9") round cake pans with 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, each.
To make dough:
1. Mix the milk, sugar and olive oil in a glass measuring cup. In a bowl, combine the flour, yeast and salt. Slowly add the milk mixture and stir until combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead dough until it is shiny and smooth. Place in the greased bowl and cover bowl with the plastic wrap and place in the warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Shape and top the dough:
2. Transfer the dough onto a floured counter and divide in half, lightly rolling each half into a ball. Working with one dough ball at a time, shape each ball of dough into a 9 1/2" round and press into the oiled cake pans. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot (not the oven, though) until puffy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes.
3. Remove plastic wrap from dough and ladle 2/3 cup of sauce on each round, leaving a 1/2" border around the edges. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese and top with pepperoni, or any other desired toppings (Italian sausage and pineapple is one of our favorites). Bake 400°, about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and let sit in pans for a few minutes before cutting into wedges.
To Make the Sauce:
Saute the garlic in the oil in a medium saucepan over low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, increasing heat to medium and cook until slightly thickened, 10 - 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and if desired, Italian seasoning.
NOTES:
~ When I've made this, I've made into one large pizza, and baked on a pizza stone.
~ The original recipe calls for layering the pepperoni in a single layer on a glass plate, lined with paper towels. Cover with two more paper towels and microwave on high for 30 seconds. This is supposed to get rid of some of the grease that forms on top of the pizzas from the pepperoni, while baking. I've tried this, and have not found it to make that big of a difference, so I skip this step.
This recipe comes from Cook's Country magazine. I am still on the lookout for that "perfect" homemade pizza recipe, but this one is pretty good. I've made it for my family several times and they all think it is pretty great. It makes a pretty thick crust, but if you prefer a thinner crust, just make more than two pizzas out it. Any extra dough can be rolled out like you would for pizza, only don't top it, just bake it. Cut it in squares and serve with pizza sauce. You can brush it with a little olive oil, and sprinkle it with Italian seasonings and Parmesan cheese before baking, if you would like.
Dough
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp skim milk, warmed
2 tsp sugar
2 1/3 cup flour, plus extra for rolling out
1 pkg instant (rapid rise) yeast (1 pkg yeast is equal to 2 1/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt
Note: This sauce makes enough for four pizzas, so you will only need half of it. Any remaining sauce can be frozen for later use, for up to 2 months.
Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
minced garlic
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
I add some Italian seasonings, to taste - otherwise I find it too bland
Adjust the oven rack to its lowest position and heat oven to 200°, then turn off. Lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray, set aside. Coat two (9") round cake pans with 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, each.
To make dough:
1. Mix the milk, sugar and olive oil in a glass measuring cup. In a bowl, combine the flour, yeast and salt. Slowly add the milk mixture and stir until combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead dough until it is shiny and smooth. Place in the greased bowl and cover bowl with the plastic wrap and place in the warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Shape and top the dough:
2. Transfer the dough onto a floured counter and divide in half, lightly rolling each half into a ball. Working with one dough ball at a time, shape each ball of dough into a 9 1/2" round and press into the oiled cake pans. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot (not the oven, though) until puffy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes.
3. Remove plastic wrap from dough and ladle 2/3 cup of sauce on each round, leaving a 1/2" border around the edges. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese and top with pepperoni, or any other desired toppings (Italian sausage and pineapple is one of our favorites). Bake 400°, about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and let sit in pans for a few minutes before cutting into wedges.
To Make the Sauce:
Saute the garlic in the oil in a medium saucepan over low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, increasing heat to medium and cook until slightly thickened, 10 - 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and if desired, Italian seasoning.
NOTES:
~ When I've made this, I've made into one large pizza, and baked on a pizza stone.
~ The original recipe calls for layering the pepperoni in a single layer on a glass plate, lined with paper towels. Cover with two more paper towels and microwave on high for 30 seconds. This is supposed to get rid of some of the grease that forms on top of the pizzas from the pepperoni, while baking. I've tried this, and have not found it to make that big of a difference, so I skip this step.
Hot Italian Roast Beef Sandwiches
Printable Recipe
This recipe is from a Taste of Home magazine. The sandwiches are very good, but I do make quite a few adjustments. I'll post the original recipe, but see my notes at the end for the changes I make.
1 tbsp butter
1 (5-pound) boneless sirloin tip beef roast - maybe try a chuck roast
1 (28-oz) can tomatoes with juice, cut up
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp ground thyme
1 - 3 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
Semi Hard Rolls
In a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Brown the roast on all sides. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer until the roast is tender, about 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Check on the water during cooking, and add additional water if necessary to keep the roast simmering in broth. When roast is tender, remove the meat and reserve the broth. Let the roast stand for 20 minutes before thinly slicing. When ready to serve, reheat the sliced meat in the broth and serve on the rolls.
NOTES:
~ If using a smaller roast, use a 14 1/2-oz can of tomatoes.
~ Make sure the burner is not turned up too high and that the broth is just simmering, not boiling.
~ I found the broth to be pretty bland, so I added the following: 1 can of Beef Broth, and extra 3/4 cup water, more red pepper flakes, dried oregano leaves and salt and pepper to taste, and a bay leaf.
~ Be sure to add the salt in the beginning of cooking. 1 tbsp of ground thyme is not too much, you need that amount.
~ Don't use too much liquid when using a sirloin tip roast, because then it "poaches" in the liquid, giving it sort of a weird texture. You want to "braise" the meat, meaning to cook it in just a little bit of liquid. That is why you want to make sure your burner is turned down low enough.
~ I think that you could easily use a chuck roast in place of the sirloin tip roast, and shredding the meat at the end. This can be done either on top of the stove, or in the oven. If you do it on top of the stove, depending on how big the roast is, you would only cook it for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or til tender. You can also do it in a covered roasting pan in the oven at 325 degrees for 3 1/2 - 4 hours, or til tender.
~ I found that when using a sirloin tip roast, it was a little difficult to slice thinly, so perhaps this could be made early in the day of when you plan to serve it, so that you can chill the meat first, before slicing it. Then just reheat everything just before serving.
This recipe is from a Taste of Home magazine. The sandwiches are very good, but I do make quite a few adjustments. I'll post the original recipe, but see my notes at the end for the changes I make.
1 tbsp butter
1 (5-pound) boneless sirloin tip beef roast - maybe try a chuck roast
1 (28-oz) can tomatoes with juice, cut up
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp ground thyme
1 - 3 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
Semi Hard Rolls
In a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Brown the roast on all sides. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer until the roast is tender, about 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Check on the water during cooking, and add additional water if necessary to keep the roast simmering in broth. When roast is tender, remove the meat and reserve the broth. Let the roast stand for 20 minutes before thinly slicing. When ready to serve, reheat the sliced meat in the broth and serve on the rolls.
NOTES:
~ If using a smaller roast, use a 14 1/2-oz can of tomatoes.
~ Make sure the burner is not turned up too high and that the broth is just simmering, not boiling.
~ I found the broth to be pretty bland, so I added the following: 1 can of Beef Broth, and extra 3/4 cup water, more red pepper flakes, dried oregano leaves and salt and pepper to taste, and a bay leaf.
~ Be sure to add the salt in the beginning of cooking. 1 tbsp of ground thyme is not too much, you need that amount.
~ Don't use too much liquid when using a sirloin tip roast, because then it "poaches" in the liquid, giving it sort of a weird texture. You want to "braise" the meat, meaning to cook it in just a little bit of liquid. That is why you want to make sure your burner is turned down low enough.
~ I think that you could easily use a chuck roast in place of the sirloin tip roast, and shredding the meat at the end. This can be done either on top of the stove, or in the oven. If you do it on top of the stove, depending on how big the roast is, you would only cook it for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or til tender. You can also do it in a covered roasting pan in the oven at 325 degrees for 3 1/2 - 4 hours, or til tender.
~ I found that when using a sirloin tip roast, it was a little difficult to slice thinly, so perhaps this could be made early in the day of when you plan to serve it, so that you can chill the meat first, before slicing it. Then just reheat everything just before serving.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Royal Hot Chocolate
Printable Recipe
This is very good. It's rich, so you might want to add additional boiling water.
2 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
4 cups boiling water
1 tsp vanilla
speck of salt
Garnish of whipped cream and cinnamon or nutmeg
Over very low heat, melt the chocolate. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk. Gradually add the boiling water, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve immediately.
This is very good. It's rich, so you might want to add additional boiling water.
2 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
4 cups boiling water
1 tsp vanilla
speck of salt
Garnish of whipped cream and cinnamon or nutmeg
Over very low heat, melt the chocolate. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk. Gradually add the boiling water, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve immediately.
Company Potatoes
Printable Recipe
1 (32-oz) pkg frozen hash brown potatoes
2 cups cheddar cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Layer ingredients in a greased 9 x 13" pan in the order given. Bake 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
1 (32-oz) pkg frozen hash brown potatoes
2 cups cheddar cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Layer ingredients in a greased 9 x 13" pan in the order given. Bake 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
Blueberry Muffins
Printable Recipe
These are very, very good! This makes about 16 muffins. If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them out, first. Before adding to the batter, sprinkle them with a little sugar or flour first, to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins during baking.
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking pwd
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
sugar for sprinkling on top
In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, eggs, milk, flour, baking pwd and salt. Carefully fold the blueberries into the batter. Line muffin tins with paper muffin liners and fill to the top with batter. Sprinkle each muffin with a tsp of sugar. Bake 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.
These are very, very good! This makes about 16 muffins. If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them out, first. Before adding to the batter, sprinkle them with a little sugar or flour first, to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins during baking.
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking pwd
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
sugar for sprinkling on top
In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, eggs, milk, flour, baking pwd and salt. Carefully fold the blueberries into the batter. Line muffin tins with paper muffin liners and fill to the top with batter. Sprinkle each muffin with a tsp of sugar. Bake 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.
Spicy Applesauce Bread
Printable Recipe
I've increased the spices in this bread, and now it is nice and spicy. Makes one loaf.
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
3 tbsp milk
1 1/4 cups applesauce
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking pwd
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Topping (optional)
3/4 cup chpd pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Mix together the sugar and oil. Beat in the eggs, milk and applesauce. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda, baking pwd, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. Stir into the creamed mixture and mix well. If desired, stir in 1/2 cup of the pecans. Spread in a well-greased loaf pan. Combine the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter. Bake 350 degrees for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
I've increased the spices in this bread, and now it is nice and spicy. Makes one loaf.
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
3 tbsp milk
1 1/4 cups applesauce
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking pwd
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Topping (optional)
3/4 cup chpd pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Mix together the sugar and oil. Beat in the eggs, milk and applesauce. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda, baking pwd, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. Stir into the creamed mixture and mix well. If desired, stir in 1/2 cup of the pecans. Spread in a well-greased loaf pan. Combine the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter. Bake 350 degrees for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Oven Fried Chicken
Printable Recipe
This chicken is very good!
one family-pack chicken, cut up
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, paprika, celery salt and pepper. Coat the chicken pieces in seasoned flour and brown in a heavy skillet in a little oil. Plcae browned chicken in a greased
9 x 13" pan.
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp milk or chicken broth
Combine the butter and milk and pour over the chicken in the pan. Bake 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, or until chicken is done. Turn once halfway through cooking time to crisp evenly. Spoon juices over chicken a few times during baking. If desired, add additional broth or milk to the pan, during baking.
This chicken is very good!
one family-pack chicken, cut up
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, paprika, celery salt and pepper. Coat the chicken pieces in seasoned flour and brown in a heavy skillet in a little oil. Plcae browned chicken in a greased
9 x 13" pan.
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp milk or chicken broth
Combine the butter and milk and pour over the chicken in the pan. Bake 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, or until chicken is done. Turn once halfway through cooking time to crisp evenly. Spoon juices over chicken a few times during baking. If desired, add additional broth or milk to the pan, during baking.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Cinnamon Candied Popcorn
Printable Recipe
I found this recipe at Taste of Home and I often make it at Christmas time to give away as gifts. It is easy to make, and is very good. Just be sure that there are no unpopped kernals in the popcorn, or you could break a tooth biting into it! It actually stays somewhat soft, but you still want to be careful.
8 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 (9-oz) pkg red hot cinnamon candies*
Place popcorn in a large bowl, making sure there are no unpopped kernals in there. Set aside.
In a saucepan, combine the butter, corn syrup and candies. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over the popcorn and mix until as thoroughly coated as you can get it. Spread into 2 greased jelly roll pans and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread popcorn out onto waxed paper to cool. Break apart and store in airtight containers or plastic bags.
*In case you don't know what these are, click on the link above. You should be able to find them in the candy aisle at the grocery store. If you can't find them there, check the baking aisle.
I found this recipe at Taste of Home and I often make it at Christmas time to give away as gifts. It is easy to make, and is very good. Just be sure that there are no unpopped kernals in the popcorn, or you could break a tooth biting into it! It actually stays somewhat soft, but you still want to be careful.
8 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 (9-oz) pkg red hot cinnamon candies*
Place popcorn in a large bowl, making sure there are no unpopped kernals in there. Set aside.
In a saucepan, combine the butter, corn syrup and candies. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over the popcorn and mix until as thoroughly coated as you can get it. Spread into 2 greased jelly roll pans and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread popcorn out onto waxed paper to cool. Break apart and store in airtight containers or plastic bags.
*In case you don't know what these are, click on the link above. You should be able to find them in the candy aisle at the grocery store. If you can't find them there, check the baking aisle.
Spicy Chicken Chow Mein
Printable Recipe
This can be made either in the crock pot or the stove top. It is very good. I will give the original recipe, and mark the changes I make in parentheses. I will give the stove top directions at the end. Be sure to read my notes at the end, too.
For the Crock Pot
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 3
4 carrots, thinly sliced (sometimes I use the prepackaged shredded carrots and add just a minute or so before serving - just long enough to heat through)
4 green onions, thinly sliced (sometimes I use regular onions, chpd)
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
I add one chpd green bell pepper, though surprisingly, the original recipe didn't call for it
1 cup Swanson's low sodium chicken broth (I use 4 cups, which is 2 cans of the broth)
1 tbsp sugar (I use 2 tbsp)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 (16-oz) can bean sprouts, drained
1 (8-oz) can water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup cornstarch (I use between 5-6 tbsp)
1/4 cup water (I use between 5-6 tbsp)
In a large skillet, heat oil and brown the chicken pieces, in small batches, until meat is white. Place the chicken in a greased crock pot and add the remaining ingredients, except for the cornstarch and water. Stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and cook until thickened, about 15-30 minutes. If using shredded, instead of chpd carrots, add them about 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking time. Serve chow mein over rice and chow mein noodles.
NOTES: You don't have to add this if you don't want to... I just like this spicier than the original recipe. At the end of cooking time, and before adding the cornstarch/water, I add an additional:
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
Then after it has thickened, I find the cornstarch/water mixture dilutes the flavors somewhat, so to kick it up and to have those flavors stand out all the more, I will add, to taste, additional:
sugar
ground ginger
soy sauce
red pepper flakes
I don't add a whole lot of it, I just lightly sprinkle it in, but it is totally up to you and your own tastes, whether you want to add all of the additional seasonings & sauces.
For the Stove Top
Brown the chicken as noted above, and drain the oil. Add the broth, onion, carrots (if using chpd carrots - otherwise, if using the shredded carrots, add them a few minutes before the end of cooking time), soy sauce, sugar, ginger, red pepper flakes, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts. Bring to a boil and turn down heat. Cover and simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Add the green pepper and celery and cook for another 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Thicken with the cornstarch/water mixture and bring to a boil again. See my notes at the end of the recipe and follow, if you feel it needs more flavor.
This can be made either in the crock pot or the stove top. It is very good. I will give the original recipe, and mark the changes I make in parentheses. I will give the stove top directions at the end. Be sure to read my notes at the end, too.
For the Crock Pot
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 3
4 carrots, thinly sliced (sometimes I use the prepackaged shredded carrots and add just a minute or so before serving - just long enough to heat through)
4 green onions, thinly sliced (sometimes I use regular onions, chpd)
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
I add one chpd green bell pepper, though surprisingly, the original recipe didn't call for it
1 cup Swanson's low sodium chicken broth (I use 4 cups, which is 2 cans of the broth)
1 tbsp sugar (I use 2 tbsp)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 (16-oz) can bean sprouts, drained
1 (8-oz) can water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup cornstarch (I use between 5-6 tbsp)
1/4 cup water (I use between 5-6 tbsp)
In a large skillet, heat oil and brown the chicken pieces, in small batches, until meat is white. Place the chicken in a greased crock pot and add the remaining ingredients, except for the cornstarch and water. Stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and cook until thickened, about 15-30 minutes. If using shredded, instead of chpd carrots, add them about 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking time. Serve chow mein over rice and chow mein noodles.
NOTES: You don't have to add this if you don't want to... I just like this spicier than the original recipe. At the end of cooking time, and before adding the cornstarch/water, I add an additional:
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
Then after it has thickened, I find the cornstarch/water mixture dilutes the flavors somewhat, so to kick it up and to have those flavors stand out all the more, I will add, to taste, additional:
sugar
ground ginger
soy sauce
red pepper flakes
I don't add a whole lot of it, I just lightly sprinkle it in, but it is totally up to you and your own tastes, whether you want to add all of the additional seasonings & sauces.
For the Stove Top
Brown the chicken as noted above, and drain the oil. Add the broth, onion, carrots (if using chpd carrots - otherwise, if using the shredded carrots, add them a few minutes before the end of cooking time), soy sauce, sugar, ginger, red pepper flakes, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts. Bring to a boil and turn down heat. Cover and simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Add the green pepper and celery and cook for another 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Thicken with the cornstarch/water mixture and bring to a boil again. See my notes at the end of the recipe and follow, if you feel it needs more flavor.
Herb-Rubbed Sirloin Tip Roast
Printable Recipe
I found this on AllRecipes.com. It is very good. The larger the roast, the longer it will need to bake, so plan accordingly. I'm going to guess you bake a roast like this at 350 degrees for 20 minutes per pound.
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic pwd
1/2 tsp onion pwd
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (red pepper)
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 (3 pound) sirloin tip roast
Let roast sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or long enough to take the chill off. In a small bowl, combine all of the seasonings with the olive oil. Allow mixture to sit for 15 minutes. Place the roast on a sheet of waxed paper and rub in the mixture on all sides. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, or place the roast on a meat rack. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer registers 145 degrees. Let sit for 15 minutes before slicing.
I found this on AllRecipes.com. It is very good. The larger the roast, the longer it will need to bake, so plan accordingly. I'm going to guess you bake a roast like this at 350 degrees for 20 minutes per pound.
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic pwd
1/2 tsp onion pwd
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (red pepper)
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 (3 pound) sirloin tip roast
Let roast sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or long enough to take the chill off. In a small bowl, combine all of the seasonings with the olive oil. Allow mixture to sit for 15 minutes. Place the roast on a sheet of waxed paper and rub in the mixture on all sides. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, or place the roast on a meat rack. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer registers 145 degrees. Let sit for 15 minutes before slicing.
Fruit Dip
Printable Recipe
Very Good!
1(8-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1(7-oz) jar marshmallow creme
Mix together with an electric mixer, beating until well combined. Serve with any fruit that you want. It is excellent with apples, bananas, grapes and strawberries.
Very Good!
1(8-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1(7-oz) jar marshmallow creme
Mix together with an electric mixer, beating until well combined. Serve with any fruit that you want. It is excellent with apples, bananas, grapes and strawberries.
Apple Dip
Printable Recipe
Very good!
1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Mix together with an electric mixer until well combined. Serve with apples.
Very good!
1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Mix together with an electric mixer until well combined. Serve with apples.
Vegetable Beef Soup
Printable Recipe
This soup is wonderful! When my son tried it for the first time, he declared it to be "extraordinary"! You can easily double the ingredients, and stretch the soup to go farther. It can be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth in place of the beef broth, and of course, omitting the meat. It can be made in the crock pot, or on top of the stove. I will include instructions at the end for making it in the crock pot. This soup really hits the spot on those cold winter nights. This is very good served with a nice, crusty bread.
Note: I recently made this and doubled the batch. Of course, I added a 2nd can of tomato sauce, but it made it too tomatoey, in my opinion, there wasn't enough of a beefy flavor to the soup. I didn't have any more Swanson Beef Broth, so I kept adding beef bouillon granules, until it tasted beefy enough to me. Bouillon has so much sodium in it, I wish I hadn't added that 2nd can of tomato sauce. So, if you're going to double the batch, wait until the very end to add that 2nd can, to see if you really want it or not, or maybe don't add the entire can.
For the Meat
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, sprinkled generously with paprika (I use a chuck roast that I trim of fat, and cut into small chunks)
a little vegetable oil, for browning the meat
2-4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1-2 tsp beef bouillon granules, optional
For the Soup
2 (14-oz) cans Swanson Beef Broth (I use the sodium-reduced broth)
1 1/2 additional cups water
3-4 potatoes, cut into chunks (you can leave the skins on if you'd like)
3/4 cup onion, chpd
3/4 cup peeled carrots, cut into small chunks
1 small green bell pepper, membrane and seeds removed, and cut into fourths (not totally necessary, and you will remove this at the end, but it lends a real nice flavor to the broth if you include it)
2 cans (14 1/2 - oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-oz) tomato sauce
dried thyme leaves, to taste (these seasonings, I don't measure - I just sprinkle them in until it tastes right, but if I had to guess on the amounts, it is probably 1 tsp or so, for each)
dried oregano leaves, to taste
dried basil leaves, to taste
additional salt and pepper, if needed
At the end, I also add the following (I don't exactly measure the amounts, but just dump them in):
3/4 cup frozen green beans
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup frozen corn
For the Stove-Top
Trim the meat of fat, and cut into even sized chunks. Sprinkle generously with paprika. Brown in batches, in a hot skillet in a little oil. Don't brown all of the meat all at once, or it will just steam it, and you won't get a nicely browned crust. Once all the meat is browned, place in a large skillet with a cover and add about 2-4 cups of water, about 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. You can add about 1 -2 tsp beef bouillon granules, if desired. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.
After the meat is tender, I set it aside in the broth and add it all back to the soup at the very end. (I do this because otherwise, if you continue to cook the meat along with the vegetables, it will dry out and get tough, as the vegetables cook. So just put it all in a separate saucepan and cover the pan). In another large soup pot, combine the beef broth, the additional water, potatoes, onion, carrots, green bell pepper, tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme leaves, oregano leaves and basil leaves. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 20 minutes. Add the frozen vegetables, and cook for another 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove the green pepper and add the meat with its broth. Cook a few more minutes, until the meat is heated through.
For the Crock Pot
Add all of the ingredients (except for the frozen vegetables), in a 6-quart crock pot, reducing the amount of water to just 1 1/2 cups. You do not need to brown the meat first, but you certainly can if you wish to. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. About 30 minutes before the end of cooking time, cook all of the frozen vegetables on top of the stove, according to package directions, until tender, then add them to the crock pot. The original recipe calls for adding the frozen vegetables at the very beginning, but every time I've made this in the crock pot, they never seem to cook all the way through, and get tender enough. You might even find that the same thing happens to the carrots, so you might want to precook those too, and just add at the very end. You will find that you really do need a large crock pot, as this makes a lot of soup.
This soup is wonderful! When my son tried it for the first time, he declared it to be "extraordinary"! You can easily double the ingredients, and stretch the soup to go farther. It can be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth in place of the beef broth, and of course, omitting the meat. It can be made in the crock pot, or on top of the stove. I will include instructions at the end for making it in the crock pot. This soup really hits the spot on those cold winter nights. This is very good served with a nice, crusty bread.
Note: I recently made this and doubled the batch. Of course, I added a 2nd can of tomato sauce, but it made it too tomatoey, in my opinion, there wasn't enough of a beefy flavor to the soup. I didn't have any more Swanson Beef Broth, so I kept adding beef bouillon granules, until it tasted beefy enough to me. Bouillon has so much sodium in it, I wish I hadn't added that 2nd can of tomato sauce. So, if you're going to double the batch, wait until the very end to add that 2nd can, to see if you really want it or not, or maybe don't add the entire can.
For the Meat
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, sprinkled generously with paprika (I use a chuck roast that I trim of fat, and cut into small chunks)
a little vegetable oil, for browning the meat
2-4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1-2 tsp beef bouillon granules, optional
For the Soup
2 (14-oz) cans Swanson Beef Broth (I use the sodium-reduced broth)
1 1/2 additional cups water
3-4 potatoes, cut into chunks (you can leave the skins on if you'd like)
3/4 cup onion, chpd
3/4 cup peeled carrots, cut into small chunks
1 small green bell pepper, membrane and seeds removed, and cut into fourths (not totally necessary, and you will remove this at the end, but it lends a real nice flavor to the broth if you include it)
2 cans (14 1/2 - oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-oz) tomato sauce
dried thyme leaves, to taste (these seasonings, I don't measure - I just sprinkle them in until it tastes right, but if I had to guess on the amounts, it is probably 1 tsp or so, for each)
dried oregano leaves, to taste
dried basil leaves, to taste
additional salt and pepper, if needed
At the end, I also add the following (I don't exactly measure the amounts, but just dump them in):
3/4 cup frozen green beans
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup frozen corn
For the Stove-Top
Trim the meat of fat, and cut into even sized chunks. Sprinkle generously with paprika. Brown in batches, in a hot skillet in a little oil. Don't brown all of the meat all at once, or it will just steam it, and you won't get a nicely browned crust. Once all the meat is browned, place in a large skillet with a cover and add about 2-4 cups of water, about 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. You can add about 1 -2 tsp beef bouillon granules, if desired. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.
After the meat is tender, I set it aside in the broth and add it all back to the soup at the very end. (I do this because otherwise, if you continue to cook the meat along with the vegetables, it will dry out and get tough, as the vegetables cook. So just put it all in a separate saucepan and cover the pan). In another large soup pot, combine the beef broth, the additional water, potatoes, onion, carrots, green bell pepper, tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme leaves, oregano leaves and basil leaves. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 20 minutes. Add the frozen vegetables, and cook for another 20 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove the green pepper and add the meat with its broth. Cook a few more minutes, until the meat is heated through.
For the Crock Pot
Add all of the ingredients (except for the frozen vegetables), in a 6-quart crock pot, reducing the amount of water to just 1 1/2 cups. You do not need to brown the meat first, but you certainly can if you wish to. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. About 30 minutes before the end of cooking time, cook all of the frozen vegetables on top of the stove, according to package directions, until tender, then add them to the crock pot. The original recipe calls for adding the frozen vegetables at the very beginning, but every time I've made this in the crock pot, they never seem to cook all the way through, and get tender enough. You might even find that the same thing happens to the carrots, so you might want to precook those too, and just add at the very end. You will find that you really do need a large crock pot, as this makes a lot of soup.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Bridal Shower Menu Recipes
All of these recipes were made by my sisters for our niece's bridal shower. Everything looked beautiful and tasted wonderful! Click on the links and they will take you directly to the recipes.
~ Turkey Pasta Salad
~ Oriental Salad
~ Smoked Turkey Salad with Strawberries
~ Texas Caviar (Salsa)
~ Strawberry Dessert Trifle
~ Chocolate Truffle Trifle
~ Turkey Pasta Salad
~ Oriental Salad
~ Smoked Turkey Salad with Strawberries
~ Texas Caviar (Salsa)
~ Strawberry Dessert Trifle
~ Chocolate Truffle Trifle
Chocolate Truffle Trifle
Printable Recipe
• 1 box fudge cake mix
• 1 (6-oz) box of instant chocolate pudding (large box)
• 1⁄2 cup strong brewed coffee
• 6 heath bars, crushed
. Cool Whip
Make cake according to package directions (cake must cool – so make ahead). Tear or cut into bite size chunks. *Set aside 1/3 cup of cake to crumble into the final layer of candy bars*
Chop candy bars. Make pudding according to directions.
Layer in trifle bowl:
1⁄2 of cake
1⁄2 of coffee (drizzle over cake)
1⁄2 of cool whip
1⁄2 of candy bars
Repeat layers ending with the second half of candy bars that you have crumbled the 1/3 cup of cake into.
Best if chilled overnight.
• 1 box fudge cake mix
• 1 (6-oz) box of instant chocolate pudding (large box)
• 1⁄2 cup strong brewed coffee
• 6 heath bars, crushed
. Cool Whip
Make cake according to package directions (cake must cool – so make ahead). Tear or cut into bite size chunks. *Set aside 1/3 cup of cake to crumble into the final layer of candy bars*
Chop candy bars. Make pudding according to directions.
Layer in trifle bowl:
1⁄2 of cake
1⁄2 of coffee (drizzle over cake)
1⁄2 of cool whip
1⁄2 of candy bars
Repeat layers ending with the second half of candy bars that you have crumbled the 1/3 cup of cake into.
Best if chilled overnight.
Strawberry Dessert Trifle
Printable Recipe
. 1 can sweetened, condensed milk
. 1 large box instant vanilla pudding
. 1 1⁄2 cup cold water
. 1 pint whipping cream
Mix condensed milk, instant pudding and water together.
Whip the whipping cream; then mix with pudding mixture.
Layer in trifle bowl:
Angel food cake – cut in bite size pieces
Pudding mixture
Top with fresh or frozed strawberries
. 1 can sweetened, condensed milk
. 1 large box instant vanilla pudding
. 1 1⁄2 cup cold water
. 1 pint whipping cream
Mix condensed milk, instant pudding and water together.
Whip the whipping cream; then mix with pudding mixture.
Layer in trifle bowl:
Angel food cake – cut in bite size pieces
Pudding mixture
Top with fresh or frozed strawberries
Texas Caviar (Salsa)
Printable Recipe
Seasoning
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic salt
Fresh garlic
Vegetables
1 each red pepper, green pepper and yellow pepper (diced)
1 bunch green onion
1 bunch cilantro (may not need this much)
2 cans 10 oz. diced tomatoes with juice (I used two 14 ounce cans)
3 16 oz. jalapeno black eyed peas (I used 1 can – could not find jalapeno – so added a few jalapenos from my jar in refrigerator)
1 16 oz corn (white or yellow) I used super sweet yellow and white
Cut everything up, combine and refrigerate overnight.
Seasoning
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic salt
Fresh garlic
Vegetables
1 each red pepper, green pepper and yellow pepper (diced)
1 bunch green onion
1 bunch cilantro (may not need this much)
2 cans 10 oz. diced tomatoes with juice (I used two 14 ounce cans)
3 16 oz. jalapeno black eyed peas (I used 1 can – could not find jalapeno – so added a few jalapenos from my jar in refrigerator)
1 16 oz corn (white or yellow) I used super sweet yellow and white
Cut everything up, combine and refrigerate overnight.
Smoked Turkey Salad with Strawberries
Printable Recipe
What a winner! This no-cook salad is a breeze to put together and looks fancy enough for the most distinguished of guests.
From eatbetteramerica.
Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:20 min
makes:8 servings
Creamy Honey Dressing
1 cup Yoplait® Fat Free plain yogurt (from 2-lb container)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground mustard
Salad
1 lb smoked turkey or chicken, cut into 1/4-inch strips (4 cups)
4 oz provolone or Swiss cheese, cut into cubes
4 medium celery stalks, sliced (2 cups)
1/2 cup honey-roasted cashews
1 quart strawberries, cut in half (4 cups)
Salad greens, if desired
Strawberries, if desired
1. In large bowl, mix dressing ingredients until well blended.
2. Add turkey, cheese, celery and honey-roasted cashews; toss gently to coat. Add strawberries; carefully toss until evenly coated. If desired, serve on salad greens; garnish with additional strawberries.
Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 250 (Calories from Fat 90); Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 40mg;
Sodium 860mg; Total Carbohydrate 23g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 18g); Protein 17g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%;
Vitamin C 80%; Calcium 20%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Lean Meat;
1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 1/2 c Dairy, 1/2 c Fruits, 3 oz-equivalents Meat &
Beans, 1/4 c Vegetables
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Yoplait is a registered trademark of YOPLAIT Marques Internationales SAS (France) used under license.
What a winner! This no-cook salad is a breeze to put together and looks fancy enough for the most distinguished of guests.
From eatbetteramerica.
Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:20 min
makes:8 servings
Creamy Honey Dressing
1 cup Yoplait® Fat Free plain yogurt (from 2-lb container)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground mustard
Salad
1 lb smoked turkey or chicken, cut into 1/4-inch strips (4 cups)
4 oz provolone or Swiss cheese, cut into cubes
4 medium celery stalks, sliced (2 cups)
1/2 cup honey-roasted cashews
1 quart strawberries, cut in half (4 cups)
Salad greens, if desired
Strawberries, if desired
1. In large bowl, mix dressing ingredients until well blended.
2. Add turkey, cheese, celery and honey-roasted cashews; toss gently to coat. Add strawberries; carefully toss until evenly coated. If desired, serve on salad greens; garnish with additional strawberries.
Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 250 (Calories from Fat 90); Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 40mg;
Sodium 860mg; Total Carbohydrate 23g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 18g); Protein 17g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%;
Vitamin C 80%; Calcium 20%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Lean Meat;
1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 1/2 c Dairy, 1/2 c Fruits, 3 oz-equivalents Meat &
Beans, 1/4 c Vegetables
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Yoplait is a registered trademark of YOPLAIT Marques Internationales SAS (France) used under license.
Oriental Salad
Printable Recipe
Salad
8 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts marinated in teriyaki sauce 4- 8 hours. ( I used 5 breasts – that was plenty)
1 lb pea pods (blanch for 30 seconds – dump into boiling water for 30 seconds just to ever so lightly cook to remove waxiness – turns brighter green.)
2 red peppers sliced
4 celery stacks cut diagonally
1 bunch green onion (cut)
½ cup sliced water chestnut (equals one can)
Small sliced mushrooms
When ready to serve, mix the sauce with above ingredients.
Sauce
2 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon powder sugar
1 cup sugar
½ cup soy sauce
1 cup vegetable oil and 2 Tablespoon sesame oil
Blend ingredients all but oil until caramelized; add oil when ready to serve. Shake ingredients in container and pour over salad and toss to coat. Let ingredients mingle together in refrigerator before serving.
Final Presentation
Arrange above ingredients over lettuce leafs that line your salad bowl than top with mandarin oranges followed by Chinese noodles.
Salad
8 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts marinated in teriyaki sauce 4- 8 hours. ( I used 5 breasts – that was plenty)
1 lb pea pods (blanch for 30 seconds – dump into boiling water for 30 seconds just to ever so lightly cook to remove waxiness – turns brighter green.)
2 red peppers sliced
4 celery stacks cut diagonally
1 bunch green onion (cut)
½ cup sliced water chestnut (equals one can)
Small sliced mushrooms
When ready to serve, mix the sauce with above ingredients.
Sauce
2 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon powder sugar
1 cup sugar
½ cup soy sauce
1 cup vegetable oil and 2 Tablespoon sesame oil
Blend ingredients all but oil until caramelized; add oil when ready to serve. Shake ingredients in container and pour over salad and toss to coat. Let ingredients mingle together in refrigerator before serving.
Final Presentation
Arrange above ingredients over lettuce leafs that line your salad bowl than top with mandarin oranges followed by Chinese noodles.
Turkey Pasta Salad
Printable Recipe
D-Amico and Deirdre recipe
Serves 8 - 10
Salad
1 pound rotoni pasta
2 1⁄2 + cups cooked , cubed turkey breast
1 (3oz.) pkg. dried cherries
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4+ celery stalks, diced
1/2+ cup whole almonds
Cook pasta 10 minutes in boiling water. Drain. Rinse in cold water. Add all ingredients toss together.
Dressing
1⁄4 cup powder sugar
2 Tablespoon champagne vinegar
2 cups real mayo (16 oz jar)
2 Tablespoon poppyseeds
2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp black pepper
Combine powdered sugar and vinegar, add the remaining ingredients and whisk together. Toss with pasta mixture. Chill.
This salad can be prepared a day a head.
D-Amico and Deirdre recipe
Serves 8 - 10
Salad
1 pound rotoni pasta
2 1⁄2 + cups cooked , cubed turkey breast
1 (3oz.) pkg. dried cherries
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4+ celery stalks, diced
1/2+ cup whole almonds
Cook pasta 10 minutes in boiling water. Drain. Rinse in cold water. Add all ingredients toss together.
Dressing
1⁄4 cup powder sugar
2 Tablespoon champagne vinegar
2 cups real mayo (16 oz jar)
2 Tablespoon poppyseeds
2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp black pepper
Combine powdered sugar and vinegar, add the remaining ingredients and whisk together. Toss with pasta mixture. Chill.
This salad can be prepared a day a head.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Sandy's Egg Bake
Printable Recipe
This recipe comes from my sister. It is very good! The remarks and changes that she made to it are in parentheses.
1 pkg. Jimmy Dean Sausage
green and/or red bell pepper, chpd (recipe didn't call for this ... I just added ... I browned it with the sausage)
onion, chpd (recipe didn't call for this ... I just added it ... I browned it with the sausage)
4 cups cubed day-old bread
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
10 eggs, slightly beaten
4 cups milk
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion pwd (I skipped this since I added fresh onion)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
Place bread in well-buttered 9 x 13" baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine the eggs, milk and seasonings together and then pour evenly over the bread and cheese. Sprinkle sausage, onion, bell peppers over top. Cover and chill overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour. Tent foil if top begins to brown too quickly.
This recipe comes from my sister. It is very good! The remarks and changes that she made to it are in parentheses.
1 pkg. Jimmy Dean Sausage
green and/or red bell pepper, chpd (recipe didn't call for this ... I just added ... I browned it with the sausage)
onion, chpd (recipe didn't call for this ... I just added it ... I browned it with the sausage)
4 cups cubed day-old bread
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
10 eggs, slightly beaten
4 cups milk
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion pwd (I skipped this since I added fresh onion)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
Place bread in well-buttered 9 x 13" baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine the eggs, milk and seasonings together and then pour evenly over the bread and cheese. Sprinkle sausage, onion, bell peppers over top. Cover and chill overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour. Tent foil if top begins to brown too quickly.
Sausage Souffle
Printable Recipe
This recipe comes from my sister-in-law.
12 eggs
1 tube regular Jimmy Dean Sausage, crumbled and browned
2 cups (8 oz.) cheddar cheese
1 1/2 boxes Brownberry Seasoned (salad) croutons
1 cup milk
Grease a 9 x 13" pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with the croutons. Spread the sausage evenly over the croutons. Top with the cheese. Mix together the eggs and milk and pour over all. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes.
This recipe comes from my sister-in-law.
12 eggs
1 tube regular Jimmy Dean Sausage, crumbled and browned
2 cups (8 oz.) cheddar cheese
1 1/2 boxes Brownberry Seasoned (salad) croutons
1 cup milk
Grease a 9 x 13" pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with the croutons. Spread the sausage evenly over the croutons. Top with the cheese. Mix together the eggs and milk and pour over all. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes.
Porcupine Meatballs
Printable Recipe
1 1/2 lbs hamburger
finely chpd onion
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups long grain rice, uncooked rice
4 cups tomato juice
Combine hamburger, onion, egg, salt, pepper and rice. Form into meatballs and place in a greased 9 x 13" pan. Pour tomato juice over meatballs. If desired, sprinkle some additional rice in and around the meatballs. Cover with foil and bake 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until tender.
Note: Recipes will vary, on the addition of an egg. Some add it, others don't. I find that it holds the meat together better. Also, I personally, find these somewhat bland, so you can add some basil and oregano to either the meatballs or the tomato juice, if desired.
1 1/2 lbs hamburger
finely chpd onion
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups long grain rice, uncooked rice
4 cups tomato juice
Combine hamburger, onion, egg, salt, pepper and rice. Form into meatballs and place in a greased 9 x 13" pan. Pour tomato juice over meatballs. If desired, sprinkle some additional rice in and around the meatballs. Cover with foil and bake 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until tender.
Note: Recipes will vary, on the addition of an egg. Some add it, others don't. I find that it holds the meat together better. Also, I personally, find these somewhat bland, so you can add some basil and oregano to either the meatballs or the tomato juice, if desired.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Cheesy Hash Browns
Printable Recipe
This recipe came from my sister-in-law. They are so good!
1(16-oz) bag of "Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns"
1 can Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup
1(8-oz) bag shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp chpd onion, optional
Optional Topping:
2 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
Mix together until well combined.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Thoroughly combine the soup, cheese, butter and onion.
3. Place hash browns in a greased 2 quart casserole dish.
4. Add soup mixture to the hash browns and stir until well mixed.
5. Sprinkle with Topping, if desired.
6. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
This recipe came from my sister-in-law. They are so good!
1(16-oz) bag of "Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns"
1 can Campbells Cream of Chicken Soup
1(8-oz) bag shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp chpd onion, optional
Optional Topping:
2 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
Mix together until well combined.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Thoroughly combine the soup, cheese, butter and onion.
3. Place hash browns in a greased 2 quart casserole dish.
4. Add soup mixture to the hash browns and stir until well mixed.
5. Sprinkle with Topping, if desired.
6. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Oven BBQ Ribs
Printable Recipe
These are very good. They are pretty spicy, so cut down on the amounts of the seasonings if you don't like things real hot. Let them sit in the refrigerator with the rub on for up to 2 hours or longer, and it will tenderize the meat.
Ribs
6 lbs pork spareribs
Rub
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp brown sugar
BBQ Sauce
I use "Famous Dave's Sweet & Zesty BBQ Sauce" and I thin it out by adding some water. You can use whatever you prefer.
Pull the transparent sheet off of the back of the ribs, using paper towels to grab a hold of it. Mix together the Rub ingredients and rub all over the ribs, front and back. Place inside a large plastic ziplock bag and refrigerate for 2 hours. Place ribs in a shallow roasting pan or large rimmed cookie sheet(s) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, drain any accumulated grease and then baste with the bbq sauce. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and return ribs to oven and bake for another 1 hour, 15 minutes basting occasionally with bbq sauce.
These are very good. They are pretty spicy, so cut down on the amounts of the seasonings if you don't like things real hot. Let them sit in the refrigerator with the rub on for up to 2 hours or longer, and it will tenderize the meat.
Ribs
6 lbs pork spareribs
Rub
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp brown sugar
BBQ Sauce
I use "Famous Dave's Sweet & Zesty BBQ Sauce" and I thin it out by adding some water. You can use whatever you prefer.
Pull the transparent sheet off of the back of the ribs, using paper towels to grab a hold of it. Mix together the Rub ingredients and rub all over the ribs, front and back. Place inside a large plastic ziplock bag and refrigerate for 2 hours. Place ribs in a shallow roasting pan or large rimmed cookie sheet(s) and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, drain any accumulated grease and then baste with the bbq sauce. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and return ribs to oven and bake for another 1 hour, 15 minutes basting occasionally with bbq sauce.